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Space Time Toolkit Overview Print
The Space Time Toolkit (STT) is a Java-based toolkit that provides advanced capabilities for integrating spatially and temporally-disparate data within a highly interactive 3D display environment.

Intro

The Space Time Toolkit (STT) is a Java-based toolkit that provides advanced capabilities for integrating spatially and temporally-disparate data within a highly interactive 3D display environment. Unlike most tools that require that data be converted to a common spatial and temporal grid before integration, the STT allows one to ingest swath, map-projected, station, event, or path data in whatever spatial and temporal domain in which it exists. The STT then allows the end-user to select the 2D or 3D display domain and then on-the-fly maps all data into that domain as needed. In addition to the user-selection of the spatial domain, the end-user has equal control over the aggregation and resolution of the temporal domain.  Tutorials will be added soon to assist new users in STT3 operations.

JDK Support

Space Time Toolkit requires Java Versions of 1.5 and higher. The current installation package of STT3 does not include the JDK.  You can download the required Java software here:
Sun Java Downloads


Supported Data Types

The current preferred mode of providing data to the STT is through OpenGeospatial Consortium (OGC) standard web interfaces, such as Web Mapping Services (WMS), Sensor Observation Service (SOS), and Web Coverage Services (WCS).   WMS layers can be discovered from OGC Capabilties or Catalog documents and added to STT projects on the fly. 

Space Time Toolkit has served as the prototype environment for the development and testing of SensorML and Sensor Observation Service.  Functionality is currently being extended to allow SOS datasets to be dynamically discovered and dropped into STT projects.

Project and Resource Descriptions

DataObjects within the STT are created on-the-fly using a Data Factory design pattern. Space Time Toolkit utilizes descriptive information provided by XML-based Project documents that can be distributed on the web. These Project documents provide layer descriptions required to build the data items through Java reflection and to support layer access and customization.

Project descriptions are XML-based documents that allow one to specify what collections of Resources are of interest. These documents essentially provide URLs pointing to desired Resource description documents, as well as a specification for an initial DateTime that is appropriate for the project.  A number of sample projects are included in the default STT distribution package.