Buildings have a multifunctional character, which makes it hard to define just one model for all their diverse functions. As these diverse functions are addressed by actors of different perspectives and domain backgrounds, the possibility to exchange available building information would be desirable. Two main models for the creation of building information are Industry Foundation Classes/Building Information Modelling (IFC/BIM) and City Geography Markup Language (CityGML). As the importance of information interchange has been recognized, several authors have tried to develop intermediate models for the information exchange between IFC/BIM and CityGML, e.g., the Unified Building Model (UBM), the BIM Oriented Indoor data Model (BO-IDM), the Indoor Emergency Spatial Model (IESM) and the BIM-GIS integration model for Flood Damage Assessment (FDA model). Nevertheless, all these models have been created with a certain use in mind. Our focus in this article is to identify common elements amongst these proposed models and to combine them into one “core model” that is as simple as possible, while simultaneously containing all important elements. Furthermore, this base model extracted from proposed intermediate models can then be expanded to serve specific use requirements, while still being exchangeable. To show this cross-domain character of the core model, we validated the resulting model with two cases of use (production environment/maintenance and 3D digital cadaster).

Digital building information is important during a building's lifecycle, it is needed from first design until demolition. The two domains that mainly contribute are AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) during design, construction, and operation, and GIS as a supporting discipline for analysis and further integration of the building's environment. However, there is a challenge in information exchange between the two domains, resulting in the remodeling of digital building information in GIS. In this article, we identify three major data sources from the AEC domain and show transformation processes to enable the integration of such models into the geographical environment in the form of one transition model. Furthermore, we show that this model can either be used directly or exported in the form of de facto standards that allow for further analysis.

The article presents a map dashboard aimed at enhancing the information flow in the forest-based supply chain (FbSC). We especially focus on the procurement stage and connect the stakeholders in (near) real-time via standardized data models, interfaces and services, as well as using open-source software only. For the communication strategy, we use a new approach that incorporates the user’s roles and tasks to create role-tailored views on the dashboard showing specific task-oriented web maps. Hence, the first research question aims at identifying the roles and tasks in Austrian forestry. We identified four major roles (site managers & foresters, forest workers, truck drivers, customers) and six tasks during group discussions. The second research question deals with the effects of a role-tailored map dashboard. Therefore, we evaluated the prototype in a two-week test phase that concludes with a field study with five experts. The results are twofold: qualitative using the results from field interviews and quantitative based on a now vs. then comparison with regard to the number of media disruptions. This comparison reveals that up to 80% of the media disruption in our use case scenario could be removed by using the role-tailored map dashboard.

The integration of streaming data into web mapping applications in combination with contextual information is currently drawing attention in geospatial research. This article discusses how to communicate streaming data in the form of a live mapping dashboard. We created our own prototypical online dashboard visualization for this purpose, tailored to be used in different contexts and roles, and discuss the advantages of the approach. The live mapping dashboard uses modern visualization techniques, including dynamic clustering and self-updating symbology. We validated our approach in the context of a use case in the field of forest-based supply value chains. We present the data flow from the data collection to harmonization, right up to the presentation of real-time data. The prototype is evaluated in continuously performed field tests. Keywords:live mapping dashboard, streaming data, real-time data IndroductionNowadays, real-time data are indispensable. Globally, there are a vast number of dynamic and stationary sensors. These sensors provide different kinds of information. For example, there are weather stations that send live information about temperature, humidity and air pressure, and traffic sensors that measure weight in motion or speed, and which count the vehicles that pass. There are also many dynamic sensors, built into all kinds of devices, such as smartphones, and forms of transport (planes, buses, trains, trucks …), which send the current position in combination with contextual information. The generic term for this kind of information is "real-time GIS data", defined as "a continuous stream of events flowing from sensors where each event represents the latest state of the sensor" (Gorton, 2014).

Saving energy is an important issue in the world of today. The challenge is to raise awareness of energy efficiency and to decrease the overall consumption. In this paper, we present the approach behind the THE4BEES project, which aims to sensitize children and young people regarding the importance of saving our resources. In this context, we designed a new concept that involves pupils from a number of schools in an interactive and interdisciplinary way. They perform various tasks, ranging from the installation and observation of real-time sensors, to performing statistical analysis and the communication and visualization of the results as story maps. Our aim is to find out whether our concept is suitable for persuading children and young people to behave in a more energy-efficient way in their classrooms. In order to do this, we get the pupils to create and tell their own stories on the subject of saving energy. In this paper, we present the theoretical concept and the first results of working with pupils.