NR 422: Other GIS Software

Jim GrahamSpring 2010

ArcGIS• Largest Selling GIS Software Application• Broad support in many sectors• Expensive• Slow• Many Quality Issues

Arc Extensions• Hawth’s tools• File formats:

– ECW– HDF– LizardTech/MrSID

• Others…

There are lots of options• GRASS: Really hard to use• Quantum GIS: Not as hard to use• DIVA GIS: Easy, not as full featured• MapInfo: Marketing• Autodesk: CAD, Utilities• Intergraph: GeoMedia• IDRISI: Clark University• Smallworld: ?

File Formats• Large, complex, raster datasets:– Hierarchical Data Format (HDF)– cdfNet• Multi-resolution Raster Compression:– LizardTech: MrSID– ERMapper: ECW• Vector Data:– STDS: Fed. Replacement for Shapefiles

FWTools• OpenEV: raster/vector viewing &

analysis• MapServer: GIS Web Server• GDAL/OGR: File conversion• Proj4: projection engine• OGDI: Military file formats• Python: Scripting Language

Vertical Applications• HEC-RAS:

– Hydrologic Engineering Centers River Analysis System

– Army Corp of Engineers• Fire• Others…

Databases• Spatially Enabled:

– Oracle Spatial– MS-SQL Server 2008– PostgreSQL/PostGIS

• Others:– MySQL– MS-Access

R• Open Source Statistics Package• Unique Programming Language• Multiple Spatial “Libraries”• www.r-project.org