2003 aerial photos - FREE

[so haaad]

This info was on the hunting forum, but with no link! Here it is...

Free air photos are available on the web for most of Minnesota. They were taken in the summer of 2003. They are very big files and will take time to download, but they are pretty accurate.

http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/chouse/naip03mrsid.html

To view them, check out the link below. I use GIS software, but you can also use one of the free viewers.

http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/chouse/mrsid_help.html

Enjoy!

Haaad

[bturck]

Haad: Thanks for the info. I have some hunting areas that will be nice to look at from above, instead of trying to see through the underbrush. Bill

[BradB]

Haaad,

What software do you use to view these files? What do you recommend?

I installed the LizardTech plug-in and checked it out through IE. Cool!

What I'd like to do is interface it with GPS, much like you can do with USAPhotomaps. Do you know if this is possible?

B

[This message has been edited by BradB (edited 03-01-2004).]

[so haaad]

BradB-

You can view photos using Internet Explorer or Netscape web browsers, just download LizardTech's free ExpressView Browser Plug-in. (I have no affiliation with this company) Follow the second link from my original posting for more information. I've viewed one photo using Internet Explorer, but have not spent much time looking into any problems.

I use several GIS software, one being ArcView. One advantage of a GIS software is that I can measure distances. You can also collect points from GPS units, and add other data layers like city boundaries, floodplains, etc, also. There's a free one called ArcExplorer by ESRI, but it has limited options. I work with the agency that posted the photos, so I'll check into other (free) GIS software that allow GPS overlays. I'll keep you posted. *Update* for BradB: It looks like there aren't many direct ways to view GPS with GIS software. At least not ones that are available for free. I have a few possibilities, but not too sure. You can email me and I'll send you a few potentials.

Haaad

[This message has been edited by so haaad (edited 03-03-2004).]

[BradB]

Haaad,

Thanks. I edited my message about the same time you posted yours. So we missed in passing, I guess.

Is there a GIS software that you could recommend that would allow me to interface the new aerial photos you posted, with GPS? Specifically, be able to overlay routes, tracks, and waypoints on the photo and select points in the photo to upload waypoints from? This I can already do with USAPhotomaps (free from http://jdmcox.com/) But I would like to do it with the newer, better photos you posted.

Thanks!

Brad

[This message has been edited by BradB (edited 03-01-2004).]

[JWB475]

Why is it always windy on the day they snap the photo's of my favorite lakes!!!!!

It must be a conspiracy...

[Fishcatcher]

If anyone finds Grand Rapids or know or how to find it. (North or Soth Itaska) Let me know, our land has gone through many changes since our last pictures, and we would like to get them updated.

Thanks

[M.T. Bucket]

One tip:

If you do view these photos with GIS software, you can look at the larger, clear lakes with underwater structure and see the points, bars, humps, sunken islands, etc. as light brown spots in the lakes. Weedbeds are greenish. Depending on the software, you should be able to get GPS coordinates for all of this structure, then drive right to it on the ice.

[Captain B.R.K]

This is great! I can't wait to get home and download the information.....those Turkey's are in a world of hurt now!!!

[JWB475]

Anyone who fishes Big Lake in Beltrami Cty, the aerial photo for that lake is outstanding. Nearly 100% coverage, only the NE corner is obscured.

Otherwise I looked at other lakes in Cass and Hubbard county with mixed results, many lakes were wind blown on the day portions of the photo's were taken, so all you see is reflection, no structure.

[Bobb-o]

fishcatcher, grand rapids is on the northern most part of the south itasca photo.

------------------
a Leap year huh? sweet, an extra day of fishing!

[IFallsRon]

1 hour, 16 minutes to download Stearns County on highspeed.

[eyehunter]

so haaad,

I too use Arcview here at work and was wondering if you could tell me how the photos come in as far a being the right scale and also do you know what coordinate system they are on? Of if they have an attached .prj file that a person can match to a coordinate system in GIS?
Thanks for any help you can give me on this, as I could also use them for work purposes instead of the old aerials from the terra server.

Thanks again.

[so haaad]

Eyehunter,

The photos are in the UTM coordinate system, NAD83 datum. This is the standard for any GIS layer created by the state, so any other layers will match up with the new air photos. You can also check out the air photo metadata at:

http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/chouse/metadata/naip03.html

If you use ArcView and do not already have the extension, you will need the Mr.SID extension from the ESRI site. But again, it's free.

If you have other questions, you can also email me at [email protected]. Or you can contact Nancy (bottom of the metadata link page)

Haaad

[eyehunter]

Thanks for the info so haaad. I have the mr. sid viewer already. Just waiting for the download to complete, the first attempt didn't work. Thanks again for the info.

[eyehunter]

so haaad.....you've got mail..

[Guest]

I figured out my own question.

If anyone else has the files download with a .exe extention, all I had to do was rename the files with a .zip extension and they unzip now.

This is cool.

Thanks,
Craig

[This message has been edited by hans1159 (edited 03-04-2004).]

[Harmonica Bear]

Other than the fact it takes forever and a day to download a file, this is totally awesome!!!!!!

[eyehunter]

Am I the only one that can't get this to work, I sit and wait for an hour for it to download and when I try to extract the .zip file I get an error that states there is an error in the archive directory?????

[eyehunter]

I figured it out....apparently the aerials aren't particularly fond of internet explorer...tried another browser and they work fine.

[LundExplorer]

Check to make sure you have enough space on the drive you are downloading to.

If you do not have enough space it downloads only as much of the file as you have space available. Thus the error on the zip file as it is a partial file.

[Hotspotter]

Eyehunter, BradB, others:

Great to see that there's guys on the site that even know what GIS means? When I tell people that's what I do for a living, they say GI-huh?

I work for the U of MN as a GIS specialist (similar to what So Haad does) and would be happy to help with any GIS or aerial photo related questions as well. Seems like the other knowledgeable GISer's like So Haad have it covered, but I just thought I'd extend the offer also.

There are other free GIS software packages available, most notably, the red-headed stepchild of Arcview, ArcExplorer.

Check out http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/ to perform many basic GIS functions with your data. I'm not sure if they support Mr.SID imagery, as it's been a few years since I've used it.

Feel free to email me at [email protected].

Joel

[This message has been edited by jnelson (edited 03-06-2004).]

[HOGEYE]

I have used the LMIC photos and they are great. I run them on ArcView 3.3 and have no problems. This is a GIS program that can do much mre than just viewing pics and making maps. I just started working for an engineering company and have been showing co-workers this program and now have daily requests. One can also download info off the DNR "data deli" such as wetland coverages, floddplain maps, well index and the list goes on. Great stuff.

[so haaad]

Joel and others,
Nice to see another another GIS guy on here. To continue your post for others...ArcExplorer is a pretty decent GIS software out there for those just getting into GIS. It is very basic, but it is FREE. Users can overlay other data layers, like Hogeye talked about. Also, MrSID photos (new Minnesota air photos) are viewable from this software.

Haaad

[swalleyi]

Just wondering if you could do it for wisconsin to. thank you..