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CommunityViz
Tool Description
CommunityViz is advanced yet easy-to-use GIS software designed to help people visualize, analyze and communicate about important land-use decisions. Operating as an extension to ESRI’s ArcGIS platform, CommunityViz offers:
- Easy-to-use tools for creating realistic 3D visual models of your world as it is, and as it could be.
- Interactive features for analyzing choices about development, growth and change over the years to come.
- Myriad ways to make and share decisions about geography and the future of your community, your land and your world.
Strengths
- 3-D visualization and modeling can be incredibly powerful in showing people how a potential planning decision would look and feel
- Assumptions and values can be changed on the fly and immediately used to update the analysis, which is helpful for group discussions and presentations
- CommunityViz integrates seamlessly with ArcGIS and works with other tools like Google Earth and SketchUp
- CommunityViz is one of the more affordable 3-D visualization and modeling platforms available
Limitations
- CommunityViz relies on GIS, so communities without robust GIS programs and skilled practitioners may be unable to use it
- Models and analyses are only as good as the data that goes into them
- Some training and time is required even for advanced GIS users to learn CommunityViz
Equipment Needs
Dependent on knowledge of ArcView and project. Technical Expertise: Given intermediate GIS skills, most people can get started in two days, and continue to learn more over time. Scientific Expertise: None unless required by the needs of a particular project.
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Submitted By:
dwalker
Last Updated: March 31, 2011, 3:23 pm
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