Geoscape™ – 3D data on Australia’s built environment

Release 1.2 – National coverage – with 15.3 million buildings now available.

PSMA Geoscape captures extensive three-dimensional data about Australia’s built environment.  This initiative is based on satellite imagery that PSMA sources from Digital Globe.

Geoscape includes:

  • Building roof polygon (including number of vertices and roof area)
  • Maximum roof height (above ground)
  • Average eave height (above ground)
  • Elevation (above sea level)
  • Primary roof material classification
  • Solar panel and swimming pool indicators
  • Zone and residential indicator
  • Surface cover
  • Tree coverage and height
  • Image capture date
  • Linkages to PSMA G-NAF and CadLite

Callpoint Spatial Geoscape Extra:

 

PSMA Geoscape is a rather complex dataset. The Buildings Theme alone has 28 attribution tables associated with the key Building Polygon geometry data.  To improve Geoscape’s functionality, joins need to be made from key attribution table columns back to the Building Polygon geometry data.  In other words, the raw PSMA Geoscape requires fair work to be put to use. The resulting processes then need to be repeated each quarterly update. Further, these processes may need to be revised should PSMA update the Geoscape data model.

To help our customers, Callpoint Spatial’s Geoscape Extra includes the results of these numerous table joins.  We perform these processes for each jurisdiction on a quarterly basis.

Callpoint Spatial Geoscape Extra can be delivered in formats including MySQL database backup, Microsoft SQL Server database backup, Shapefile/ Geodatabase and TAB.

 

Application ideas:

 

The resources on this page suggest potential applications across telco, professional services, health care, real estate and solar energy, to name a few. For further details including licensing please contact us.

Telecoms – fibre optic

For accurate fibre optic pricing and modelling, the Cadlite/G-NAF combination may not suffice. Being able to access building polygon data can be highly beneficial.  Geoscape provides building footprint data.

Above: PSMA Geoscape (Adelaide March 2019).  Building polygons are shaded light purple
The green dots represent the coordinates of addresses, and are sourced from PSMA’s separate G-NAF dataset
The black outlines represent land parcel boundaries, sourced from PSMA’s separate CadLite dataset
The light blue street polyline layer is sourced from PSMA’s separate Transport & Topography dataset

Telecoms – wireless

 

Geocape’s building outline, elevation and other data can provide important input to your RF propagation/ wireless network coverage modelling.

Above: PSMA Geoscape (October 2018).  The 3D extrusions reference the building polygon’s “max_height” attribution column.  The blue street polyline layer is sourced from PSMA’s separate Transport & Topography dataset

Professional services

 

When coupled with ABS data, Geoscape’s zoning and other attribution can support a range of geo-demographic modelling applications.

Above: PSMA Geoscape (Adelaide March 2019)
The building polygons are shaded according to the zoning colour legend on the left
The grey street polyline layer is sourced from PSMA’s separate Transport & Topography dataset

Health care research

 

Access to land cover data including tree coverage can be useful to GIS analysis in the health care research sector.

applying Geoscape building footprints - colour-coded by size

Above: PSMA Geoscape (Adelaide March 2019).
The black outlines represent land parcel boundaries, sourced from PSMA’s separate CadLite dataset

Tree Canopies and heights

 

Geoscape’s 2m Tree Cover data provides height attribution.  This can prove useful in applications from conservation to wireless telecoms.

Above: PSMA Geoscape (Melbourne March 2019)
Tree heights are depicted by depth of green shading.

Solar Panels

 

Data regarding buildings with installed solar panels can be useful to the renewable energy and nascent domestic power storage industries.  Being able to identify suitable buildings (roof pitch, area and likely minimal shading) can facilitate potential new opportunities.

Above: Background aerial imagery (c) 2018 Queensland Government
The red outlines (PSMA Geoscape October 2018 edition) show building polygons whose rooftops have been assigned a solar panel indicator.

Swimming Pools

 

Data regarding buildings that are deemed to have an associated swimming pool can prove useful across multiple sectors and applications.

Above: Background aerial imagery (c) 2018 Queensland Government
The blue outlines (PSMA Geoscape October 2018 edition) show building polygons that are deemed to have an associated swimming pool.

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