GIS: Geographic Info Systems

There are a number of games and scientific exploration sims that model the globe in varying degrees of detail which are indicative of how to implement the World Engine. NASA World Wind NASA World Wind is a free 3D globe explorer similar to Keyhole. Open-source code means we could concievably use this to build our own engine, although its dependence on .NET frameworks makes things more complicated. Earth at an info-overlaid glance The White House and the Capitol Flying over islands and Mt. Fuji: Imagine being able to dive and hike these landscapes populated with regionally accurate terrain, plants and animals

Google Earth

Keyhole has been acquired by google and already satellite imagery is incorporated into maps.google.com services. What they plan on doing in the future is anybody’s guess.

ForwardTrack

"The system tracks and maps the diffusion of email forwards, political calls-to-action, and online petitions. It can trace email forwards, map the impact of blogs, and facilitate web-based sign-ups and social networking. Our goal is to help people understand decentralized networks and see the power of "6 degrees of separation." ForwardTrack technology helps prove that one person can make a difference."

—ForwardTrack

Blueberry 3D

Multigen

MultiGen Terrain Studio

MultiGen Paradigm Vega 3D Uses Blueberry and other plugins for military simulators.

ArcView GIS

ArcView is the industry-standard GIS software used in creating maps of all kinds for government and business planning. A subset of GIS features will be essential to the Sim.

Plan: Contact GIS EXpert

Michael Goodchild is Professor of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he directs the Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science and is Chair of the Executive Committee of the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis. He is the author of more than four hundred scientific papers and coauthor or editor of fifteen books. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and a Foreign Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Author of GIS THING

Thematic Maps

ArcView is used to create thematic maps like this one created by Unicef. This kind of informational mapping is essential to using the Sim creatively.

As of September 2003, at least 35 countries were in some stage of major armed conflict, from tenuous cease-fire to all-out war. To bring attention to these conflicts and the issues that surround them, World Press Review and Weigl Publishers Inc. have created the Armed Conflict Around the World wall map.

MAP FEATURES: Size: 39” x 26”, Full color, Distinguishes four stages of conflict, Icons depict key aspects of war, Political and topographical detail, Detailed inset maps of Russia (Chechnya), Israel, and Indonesia, Much more. REVERSE SIDE: Each panel designed to be photocopied at actual size, Definitions and facts, Conflict Summaries, Sources, Web sites recommended for further research

Celestia

Download Celestia An older project called OpenUniverse became deprecated when the authors teamed up to focus on Celestia. openuniverse.org

Design Tools

Google SketchUp

SketchUp is one of the most intuitive and accessible modeling programs. We keep hearing that SketchUp works great for level design because it’s fast, accurate, really easy-to-use, and, well, just plain fun. Game designers tell us that SketchUp enhances their creativity and is a great way to quickly communicate concepts to the rest of the team. We clearly don’t have all the answers yet but we’re getting there with enthusiastic support of the gaming community. Here’s what some people are saying... “Since adopting SketchUp into our game design process we have been able to start working in 3D at the earliest stages: in most cases, completely skipping the need to work out designs on paper first. Working in this way allows us to communicate level designs faster and in a way that our artists can quickly interpret for in-game use. In short, SketchUp is changing the way we design our games.” —Giles Tuck, Argonaut Games PLC