The Interactive Visualisation Tool (InViTo) is an ongoing research on Spatial Decision Support Systems (SDSS). It aims to guide users in building their spatial knowledge and awareness by means of high interaction with dynamic maps, in order to allow decision-makers to be informed before making their choices. InViTo stems out from Stefano Pensa’s PhD thesis at Politecnico di Torino, a research that has been developed in SiTI – Higher Institute on Territorial Systems for Innovation.

This website represents the second step in the development of InViTo, which was previously based on Grasshopper, a free plug-in of the 3D modeling software Rhinoceros. This earlier version has been applied on several case studies at different spatial scales across Europe, but its usability was strictly connected to specific user’s skills. Today, InViTo has grown up. Its new framework is based on a web platform which makes use of open collaborative web tools, so that InViTo is nowadays a freely accessible instrument for building spatial knowledge.

Nowadays, InViTo offers:

  • – an open source tool: InViTo is based on open source software and initiatives, especially on GNU General Public Licence. Its geographic database management is based on PostGIS.
  • – Spatial and non-spatial data visualisation
  • Data filtering
  • Data exploration/interaction
  • Data sharing (.GeoJSON,  .csv, .png files)
  • Map weighting
  • – Web accessibility
  • – High compatibility with spreadsheets, tables and GIS data
  • – Possibility to create own projects
  • – Easy and quick data update
  • – User’s friendliness
  • – Easy customisation of interface configuration
  • – Easy customisation of map configuration
  • Different accessibility based on specific user’s permissions