Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Pictometry
High resolution aerial photographs, like this one in Greenfield, provide helpful information for planning, enforcement, and assessing.
Project Overview
In 2004 the FRCOG acquired high-resolution aerial photographs for all of Franklin County thanks to the Massachusetts Highway Department entering into a license agreement with the company who produced the images – Pictometry International, Inc. In turn, the FRCOG has been permitted to provide these images to all interested towns in Franklin County, free of charge. Beginning during the final months of 2004, FRCOG staff went to interested towns and installed hard drives containing the particular town’s images. Many town departments have called for technical help and the FRCOG has provided training free of charge. Unlike traditional aerial photographs, Pictometry images are “geo-referenced”, meaning that any location selected on an image will display accurate latitude and longitude. The photos are also unique in that they are taken at an oblique angle, meaning they are not a straight down “bird’s eye view” but rather at an angle that shows depth and context. This type of imagery allows a user to view the sides of buildings at different angles. The software also allows a user to measure distances and heights of objects in the image, as well as many other features. Pictometry images have a wide variety of uses including emergency and land use planning, safety assessments, and code enforcement.
Current Activities
The FRCOG has received one update to the software program which enables the integration with current ESRI mapping software. Technical support continues on an as-needed basis.
Future Plans
The state is in negotiations to contract another "fly-over" to shoot images for Massachusetts and get updates. It is the FRCOG's goal to receive updated images and software from Pictometry Inc. on a regular basis.
Links
Pictometry's Web Site (http://www.pictometry.com)