Configuring VS Code for ArcPy/ArcGIS Pro development

I have been using Esri's ArcGIS Pro and its companion Python package, ArcPy, more and more often as of late, and have really been enjoying developing with Python. For the unfamiliar, ArcGIS is geographic information system (GIS) software, primarily used to visualize and analyze geographic data. Python is commonly used to automate these analysis tasks … Continue reading Configuring VS Code for ArcPy/ArcGIS Pro development

Vintage GIS: Rand McNally TripMaker 1996

The history of computing has always been a fascinating topic for me, and as I have gotten older (and more nostalgic), I have found a hobby in vintage computing. Virtual machines running ancient operating systems and software have allowed me to revisit the days of exploring computers as a kid and young adult. Recently, my … Continue reading Vintage GIS: Rand McNally TripMaker 1996

“Industry on Parade: On the Map” (1959)

I came across this great documentary on map making from 1959 on reddit, but I want to share here as well. This is a really interesting film, showing how topographic maps, globes, and aerial photographs were created 50 years ago: https://archive.org/details/industry-on-parade-434-on-the-map

Excel is NOT a database!

Working in the GIS field, it's very common to gather data for a project from various adhoc sources, and often that data is delivered in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. I'll preface by saying that there's nothing wrong with delivering data in this way. Excel is a powerful and widely used tool in the … Continue reading Excel is NOT a database!