Capaware helps manage and control forest fires

According to a report on OSOR, the open source software Capaware, a 3D multilayer geographical framework, is being used in the Canary Islands to forecast and manage forest fires. The report quotes José Pablo Suárez, Professor at the Department of Cartography and Engineering Graphic Design, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: he says that the software allows the user to navigate realistic virtual images of land, and that, based on the environmental conditions of the area (humidity, vegetation and wind, among others), Capaware "gives a real-time forecast which allows [you] to know the evolution and intensity of a fire." The software is in use at the Insular Operations Coordination Centre of Cabildo de La Palma, where it is used for fire simulations and to analyse the management of available resources.

Capaware is developed by the Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias in cooperation with the University of Las Palmas. Written in C++, the software uses traditional Geographic Information System (GIS) capabilities, enabling the loading of Web Map Services (WMS) layers on 3D environments; 3D objects can be placed on the ground and dynamic elements displayed. Plugins can be used by third party developers to extend the system's functionality.

An installer is available for Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7; the source code for the second release candidate of Capaware has been available to download since 4 July, and is made available under the GNU Public License version 2.

(ehe)