introduction of open source software for gis education

A Nordnatur Intensive Course OpenSource GIS, GPS and Crowd Sourcing in University of Copenhagen, Skovskolen

INTRODUCTION OF OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE FOR GIS EDUCATION Course Project

Name: Kauri Kiiman School: Estonian University of Life Sciences Degree program: geodesy (master) E-mail: [email protected]

March 2013

Preface This project compiles material prepared in the framework of the course „A Nordnatur Intensive Course OpenSource GIS, GPS and Crowd Sourcing” from February 2013 to April 2013. The content is based on research in GIS and the open source software. The goal of this paper is introduce GIS and assist GIS users towards understanding the potential role of open source software to educate new GIS users. This paper will provide a basic introduction of some of the available free and open source GIS software for both – GIS teachers and students. “Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things.” Waldo Tobler

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Table of Content 1.

Introduction and overview ................................................................................................................. 5 1.1. What is GIS and why? ........................................................................................................................ 5 1.1.1.

Benefits of GIS? ....................................................................................................................... 6

1.1.2.

What can you do with GIS? ................................................................................................ 7

1.1.3. The Geographic Approach ....................................................................................................... 8 1.2. Open Source free software ........................................................................................................... 10 1.2.1. What is free software? ........................................................................................................... 10 1.2.2. What is open source software? ........................................................................................... 10 1.2.3. When should we use open source software? ................................................................ 11 2.

GIS Software........................................................................................................................................... 13 2.1 Introduction of GIS software ........................................................................................................ 13 2.2.1. GIS Software Concepts ........................................................................................................... 13 2.2.2. GIS Software Categories ........................................................................................................ 14 2.2. List of geographic information systems software ............................................................... 15 2.2.1. Notable commercial or proprietary GIS software ....................................................... 15 2.2.2. Open source software ............................................................................................................ 17

3.

Popular open source software examples for GIS ..................................................................... 20 3.1. Basic desktop GIS ............................................................................................................................. 20 3.1.1. KOSMO ......................................................................................................................................... 21 3.1.2 gvSIG .............................................................................................................................................. 22 3.1.3. uDig ............................................................................................................................................... 23 3.1.4. Quantum GIS (QGIS) ............................................................................................................... 24 3.2. Remote Sensing Software ............................................................................................................. 26 3.2.1. ImageJ ........................................................................................................................................... 26 3

3.2.2. OSSIM............................................................................................................................................ 27 3.2.3. ImageLinker ............................................................................................................................... 28 3.2.4. OpenEV ........................................................................................................................................ 29 3.2.5. ILWIS Open................................................................................................................................. 30 3.2.5. Opticks ......................................................................................................................................... 31 3.3. 3D Visualization Tools ................................................................................................................... 32 3.3.1. ParaView ..................................................................................................................................... 32 3.3.2 NASA World Wind .................................................................................................................... 33 3.3.3. ossimPlanet ................................................................................................................................ 34 3.4. Other Open Source GIS software................................................................................................ 35 3.4.1. Server-side IMS ......................................................................................................................... 35 3.4.2. Client-side mapping browser tools ................................................................................... 36 3.4.3. Spatial Analysis Programming Tools and Library....................................................... 36 3.4.4. Spatial databases...................................................................................................................... 37 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................... 38 References ....................................................................................................................................................... 39

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1.

Introduction and overview

GIS is acronym for geographic information system. An integrated collection of computer software and data used to view and manage information about geographic places, analyze spatial relationships, and model spatial processes. A GIS provides a framework for gathering and organizing spatial data and related information so that it can be displayed and analyzed. [1]

1.1. What is GIS and why? A geographic information system (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. Many of the issues in our world have a critical spatial component 

Land management



Emergency Response



Hazard Mitigation



Property lines, easements, right of ways



Data on land values, taxation, assessment



Business site selection, advertising



Proximity of ‘our’ land to other facilities (pollution, hunting, municipal, federal, state)



…

“I don’t know what’s over that hill” is a common problem. What is adjacent to the land we are using? [2] GIS allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts. A GIS can be thought of as a system—it digitally creates and "manipulates" spatial areas that may be jurisdictional, purpose, or application-oriented. A GIS helps you answer questions and solve problems by looking at your data in a way that is quickly understood and easily shared. GIS technology can be integrated into any enterprise information system framework. [3][4] 5

GIS is unique: 

GIS handles spatial information



GIS makes connections between activities based on spatial proximity



Creates relationships between otherwise unrelatable data [2]

1.1.1. Benefits of GIS? GIS benefits organizations of all sizes and in almost every industry. There is a growing awareness of the economic and strategic value of GIS. The benefits of GIS can be divided into five basic categories: 

Cost Savings and Increased Efficiency

GIS is widely used to optimize maintenance schedules and daily fleet movements. Typical implementations can result in a savings of 10 to 30 percent in operational expenses through reduction in fuel use and staff time, improved customer service, and more efficient scheduling. 

Better Decision Making

GIS is the go-to technology for making better decisions about location. Common examples include real estate site selection, route/corridor selection, evacuation planning, conservation, natural resource extraction and so on. Making correct decisions about location is critical to the success of an organization. 

Improved Communication

GIS-based maps and visualizations greatly assist in understanding situations and in storytelling. They are a type of language that improves communication between different teams, departments, disciplines, professional fields, organizations, and the public. 

Better Recordkeeping

Many organizations have a primary responsibility of maintaining authoritative records about the status and change of geography. GIS provides a strong framework for managing these types of records with full transaction support and reporting tools. 

Managing Geographically

GIS is becoming essential to understanding what is happening—and what will happen— in geographic space. Once we understand, we can prescribe action. This new approach to

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management—managing geographically—is transforming the way that organizations operate. [3]

1.1.2. What can you do with GIS? People can do a lot of things if they can and they have skills to use GIS. Here is a little list what you can to with GIS: 

Map Where Things Are

Mapping where things are lets you find places that have the features you're looking for and to see patterns. 

Map Quantities

People map quantities to find places that meet their criteria and take action. A children's clothing company might want to find ZIP Codes with many young families with relatively high income. Public health officials might want to map the numbers of physicians per 1,000 people in each census tract to identify which areas are adequately served, and which are not and so on. 

Map Densities

A density map lets you measure the number of features using a uniform areal unit so you can clearly see the distribution. This is especially useful when mapping areas, such as census tracts or counties, which vary greatly in size. On maps showing the number of people per census tract, the larger tracts might have more people than smaller ones. But some smaller tracts might have more people per square mile—a higher density. 

Find What's Inside

Use GIS to monitor what's happening and to take specific action by mapping what's inside a specific area. For example, a district attorney would monitor drug-related arrests to find out if an arrest is within 1,000 feet of a school—if so, stiffer penalties apply. 

Find What's Nearby

GIS can help you find out what's occurring within a set distance of a feature by mapping what's nearby.

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

Map Change

Map the change in an area to anticipate future conditions, decide on a course of action, or to evaluate the results of an action or policy. By mapping where and how things move over a period of time, you can gain insight into how they behave. For example, a meteorologist might study the paths of hurricanes to predict where and when they might occur in the future. [2]

1.1.3. The Geographic Approach Geography is the science that studies the lands, the features, the inhabitants, and the phenomena of the Earth. Geomatics is a branch of geography that has emerged since the quantitative revolution in geography in the mid-1950s. Geomatics involves the use of traditional spatial techniques used in cartography and topography and their application to computers. Geomatics has become a widespread field with many other disciplines, using techniques such as GIS and remote sensing. Coupled with GIS, geography is helping us to better understand the earth and apply geographic knowledge to a host of human activities. [5] The outcome is the emergence of The Geographic Approach—a new way of thinking and problem solving that integrates geographic information into how we understand and manage our planet. This approach allows us to create geographic knowledge by measuring the earth, organizing this data, and analyzing and modeling various processes and their relationships. The Geographic Approach also allows us to apply this knowledge to the way we design, plan, and change our world. Next steps are important for the The Geographic Approach [3] [5]: Step 1: Ask Frame the Question Approaching a problem geographically involves framing the question from a locationbased perspective. What is the problem you are trying to solve or analyze, and where is it located? Being as specific as possible about the question you're trying to answer will help you with the later stages of The Geographic Approach, when you're faced with deciding how to structure the analysis, which analytic methods to use, and how to present the results to the target audience. 8

Step 2: Acquire Find Data After clearly defining the problem, it is necessary to determine the data needed to complete your analysis and ascertain where that data can be found or generated. The type of data and the geographic scope of your project will help direct your methods of collecting data and conducting the analysis. If the method of analysis requires detailed and/or high-level information, it may be necessary to create or calculate the new data. Creating new data may simply mean calculating new values in the data table or obtaining new map layers or attributes but may also require geoprocessing. Step 3: Examine Examine the Data You will not know for certain whether the data you have acquired is appropriate for your study until you thoroughly examine it. This includes visual inspection, as well as investigating how the data is organized (its schema), how well the data corresponds to other datasets and the rules of the physical world (its topology), and the story of where the data came from (its metadata). Step 4: Analyze Analyze the Data The data is processed and analyzed based on the method of examination or analysis you choose, which is dependent on the results you hope to achieve. Do not underestimate the power of "eyeballing" the data. Looking at the results can help you decide whether the information is valid or useful, or whether you should rerun the analysis using different parameters or even a different method. GIS modeling tools make it relatively easy to make these changes and create new output. Step 5: Act Share Your Results The results and presentation of the analysis are important parts of The Geographic Approach. The results can be shared through reports, maps, tables, and charts and delivered in printed form or digitally over a network or on the Web. You need to decide on the best means for presenting your analysis. You can compare the results from different analyses and see which method presents the information most accurately. And you can tailor the results for different audiences. For example, one audience might 9

require a conventional report that summarizes the analyses and conveys recommendations or comparable alternatives. Another audience may need an interactive format that allows them to ask what-if questions or pursue additional analysis.

1.2. Open Source free software 1.2.1. What is free software? “Free software” means software that respects users' freedom and community. Roughly, the users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. With these freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively) control the program and what it does for them. When users don't control the program, the program controls the users. The developer controls the program, and through it controls the users. This non free or “proprietary” program is therefore an instrument of unjust power. Thus, “free software” is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of “free” as in “free speech,” not as in “free beer”. A program is free software if the program's users have the four essential freedoms: 

The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.



The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.



The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.



The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others. By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this. [6]

1.2.2. What is open source software? People has started using the term “open source” to mean something close (but not identical) to “free software”. Open source software is a type of "free" software to be accessed, used or modified by their user groups and developers. There are many similar terms to describe this kind of software, such as “free software”, “libre software”, “open software”, etc. One key feature to distinguish open source software from other types 10

(such as proprietary software and shareware) is their “free software licenses”, which explicitly define the legal rights to users with freedoms to run, study, change, redistribute, and access the source codes of the licensed software. All open source software is required to be “licensed”. The procedure of implementing “free software licenses” is necessary to protect their users’ legal rights and to ensure the freedoms of the software. Prefer the term “free software” because, once you have heard that it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom. The word “open” never refers to freedom. [6]

1.2.3. When should we use open source software? Both proprietary GIS software and open source GIS software are equally important for GIS education. In practice, open source stands for criteria a little weaker than those of free software. As far as we know, all existing free software would qualify as open source. Nearly all open source software is free software, but there are exceptions. First, some open source licenses are too restrictive, so they do not qualify as free licenses. Fortunately, few programs use those licenses. Second, and more important, many products containing computers (including many Android devices) come with executable programs that correspond to free software source code, but the devices do not allow the user to install modified versions of those executables; only one special company has the power to modify them. We call these devices “tyrants”, and the practice is called “tivoization” after the product where we first saw it. These executables are not free software even though their source code is free software. The criteria for open source do not recognize this issue; they are concerned solely with the licensing of the source code. Many GIS teachers select proprietary GIS software for GIS education because students can learn the mainstream software skills and have advantages in the job markets. On the other hand, some GIS teachers prefer to use open source software because it is free of cost and allows for the freedom to modify and distribute GIS applications. This paper will not argue which direction is better for GIS education, but rather suggest when GIS teachers should or could use open source software. In the following situations, it may be a good opportunity to consider open source software in your classes:

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

Teachers would like to explore the possibility of teaching GIS in a very short period, but do not have immediate financial support from schools or software vendors to purchase GIS software.



Students would like to install and try GIS software on their home computers.



School computers are using non-Windows operating systems, such as MacOSX or Linux.



Teachers would like to highlight a certain aspect of GIS functions, such as database management, web mapping, remote sensing, or spatial analysis, and they may realize that commercial GIS packages do not provide these individual functions, or the cost of adding these additional functions are too expensive.



Teachers would like to demonstrate some unique GIS functions to students tomorrow. (Most commercial GIS software will take more than one week to finalize the licensing with vendors. You can download and use open source software immediately.) [6][7]

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2.

GIS Software

2.1 Introduction of GIS software Software that is used to create, manage, analyze and visualize geographic data, i.e. data with a reference to a place on earth, is usually denoted by the term ‘GIS software’. Typical applications for GIS software include the evaluation of places for the location of new stores, the management of power and gas lines, the creation of maps, the analysis of past crimes for crime prevention, route calculations for transport tasks, the management of forests, parks and infrastructure, such as roads and water ways, as well as applications in risk analysis of natural hazards, and emergency planning and response. For this multitude of applications different types of GIS functions are required and different categories of GIS software exist, which provide a particular set of functions needed to fulfill certain data management tasks. We will first explain important GIS software concepts, then list the typical tasks accomplished with GIS software, describe different GIS software categories, and finally provide information on software producers and projects. [8]

2.2.1. GIS Software Concepts To represent a geographic object in a GIS, e.g. a building or a tree or a forest, a data representation has to be established first. GIS usually provide two different possibilities to represent (a geographic phenomenon): the raster representation and the vector representation. In the raster representation a regular mesh of cells is used, where every cell records the value of the attribute that describe the phenomenon - like the RGB values in a digital image. Raster’s are typically used to represent variables that are continuous over space, such as terrain elevations or land cover. In the vector model, which is commonly used to store objects that are spatially discrete, every object is represented by a (vector) geometry (e.g.; a point, a line, or a polygon) and value fields that describe the non-spatial object properties, the so-called ‘attributes’, in a table. For instance, a building might be represented by rectangle geometry and have attached two fields that describe the construction year and the owner. In GIS software geographic objects that have the same geometric and attribute representation are typically grouped in so-called ‘layers’ to simplify data management 13

tasks. For instance, all buildings that are represented by polygons and have information on owner and construction year are grouped in a layer ‘buildings’. In Figure 1 we show the typical graphical user interface of a GIS software package that includes the concept of geometries (map view) connected to values in tables (attribute view), as well as layers that contain one class of objects (e.g. rivers). [4][8]

2.2.2. GIS Software Categories Different types of GIS software exist with different functionality, as not every GIS user needs to carry out all of the above tasks. For instance an assistant in the public services department of a city may only provide information on house owners to construction companies and does not need to edit the cadastral dataset. Figure 1 summarizes commonly used GIS software categories.

Figure 1. Different types of GIS software Desktop GIS usually serve all GIS tasks and are sometimes classified into three functionality categories: GIS Viewer, GIS Editor, and GIS Analyst. Spatial Database Management Systems (DBMS) are mainly used to store the data, but often also provide (limited) analysis and data manipulation functionality. WebMap Servers are used to distribute maps and data over the internet1. Similarly, WebGIS Clients are used for data display and to access analysis and query functionality from Server GIS over the internet or intranet. Libraries and Extensions provide additional (analysis) functionality that is not part of the basic GIS software, for instance functions for network and terrain analysis, or functions to read specific data formats. Finally, Mobile GIS are often used for field data collection.[8] 14

Software Manufacturers and Projects GIS software is not only provided by companies but increasingly also by free and open source software projects. While commercial vendors usually offer products for all of software categories, open software projects often concentrate on a single category, e.g. desktop GIS or WebMap server. The key players in the GIS software market today are Autodesk, Bentley, ESRI Inc., GE (Smallworld), Pitney Bowes (MapInfo), and Intergraph. GIS software companies tend to target specific application domains. For instance, ESRI’s ArcGIS product tends to be mainly used for business analysis, planning, and environmental applications, while Autodesk, GE and Bentley products are rather used in utility and facility management. Competitive GIS software that is developed by free software projects exists as well - especially with respect to server applications (MapServer, GeoServer) and spatial DBMS (PostGIS). Free desktop GIS projects, such as Quantum GIS and gvSIG, currently experience growing user communities. Such free GIS software rather complements the set of proprietary software instead of competing with it. [8]

2.2. List of geographic information systems software 2.2.1. Notable commercial or proprietary GIS software Desktop GIS *Almost all of the below companies offer Desktop GIS and WebMap Server products. Some offer Spatial DBMS products as well.[9] Companies with high market share: MapInfo by Pitney Bowes Software – Powerful desktop GIS MapInfo Professional is enhanced with many plug-ins including MapInfo Drivetime for route analysis, MapInfo Engage 3D for 3D and statistical analysis, MapInfo MapMarker for Geocoding. Autodesk – Products that interface with its flagship AutoCAD software package include Map 3D, Topobase, and MapGuide. Bentley Systems – Products that interface with its flagship MicroStation software package include Bentley Map and Bentley Map View. Erdas Imagine by ERDAS Inc – Produ www.scanpointgeomatics.com cts include Leica Photogrammetry Suite, ERDAS ER Mapper, ERDAS ECW JPEG2000 SDK (ECW (file format)) are used throughout the entire mapping community (GIS, Remote Sensing, Photogrammetry, and image compression) and ERDAS APOLLO. 15

Esri –

Products

include ArcView

3.x, ArcGIS, ArcSDE, ArcIMS, ArcWeb services

and ArcGIS Server. IGiS by ScanPoint Geomatics Ltd. – A complete GIS. Intergraph –

Products

include G/Technology, GeoMedia, GeoMedia

Professional, GeoMedia WebMap, and add-on products for industry sectors, as well as photogrammetry. RemoteView by Overwatch – RemoteView is one of the most widely used imagery analysis tools within the US government to collect geospatial intelligence. Smallworld – developed in Cambridge, England (Smallworld, Inc.) and purchased by General Electric. Used primarily by public utilities. SuperMap Inc. – Chinese company of GIS software. It produces Desktop, Component and Service GIS for Asia and global markets. Companies with minor but notable market share Aquaveo – Developers of GMS, WMS, SMS, which are modular hydrology programs with 3D mapping features. GeoConcept & opti-time – Business oriented GIS packages with 3D, 4D, Geomarketing, optimization features Cadcorp – Products include Cadcorp SIS, GeognoSIS, mSIS and developer kits. Caliper – Products include Maptitude, TransModeler and TransCAD. Dragon/ips – Remote sensing software with GIS capabilities. ENVI – Utilized for image analysis, exploitation, and hyperspectral analysis. Field-Map – GIS tool designed for computer aided field data collection, used mainly for mapping of forest ecosystems. Geosoft – GIS and data processing software used in natural resource exploration. IDRISI – GIS and Image Processing product developed by Clark Labs at Clark University. Affordable and robust, it is used for both operations and education. Manifold System – GIS software package. Belsis – CAD and GIS solutions available as Desktop and Web application products. Netcad – Desktop and web based GIS products developed by Ulusal CAD ve GIS Çözümleri A.Ş..

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RegioGraph by GfK GeoMarketing – GIS software for business planning and analyses; company also provides compatible maps and market data. Spatialinfo – provides GIS solutions for telecommunication networks. Products include spatialNET, spatialWEB, spatialOFFLINE, spatialCONFLATOR, ADDRESSmanager and MAPupdater. Spatial DBMS Boeing's Spatial Query Server – Spatially enables Sybase ASE. DB2 – Allows spatial querying and storing of most spatial data types. Informix – Allows spatial querying and storing of most spatial data types. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 – The latest player in the market of storing and querying spatial data. GIS products such as MapInfo and Cadcorp SIS can read and edit this data while ESRI and others are expected to be able to read and edit this data within the next few months. Oracle Spatial – Product allows users to perform complex geographic operations and store common spatial data types in a native Oracle environment. Most commercial GIS packages can read and edit spatial data stored in this way. PostGIS – Based on the free PostgreSQL database. Teradata – Teradata geospatial allows storage and spatial analysis on location-based data which is stored using native geospatial data-types within the Teradata database. VMDS – Version managed data store from Smallworld. Spatial Data Transformation Tools Safe Software – Spatial ETL products including FME Desktop, FME Server and the ArcGIS Data Interoperability Extension.

2.2.2. Open source software *The development of open source GIS software has - in terms of software history - a long tradition with the appearance of a first system in 1978. Numerous systems are available which cover all sectors of geospatial data handling. [9]

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Desktop GIS GRASS GIS – Originally developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: a complete GIS. gvSIG – Written in Java. Runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OS X and Windows. ILWIS (Integrated Land and Water Information System) – Integrates image, vector and thematic data. JUMP GIS / OpenJUMP ((Open) Java Unified Mapping Platform) – The desktop GISs OpenJUMP, SkyJUMP, deeJUMP andKosmo all emerged from JUMP.[3] MapWindow GIS – Free desktop application and programming component. Quantum GIS (QGIS) – Runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OS X and Windows. SAGA GIS (System for Automated Geoscientific Analysis) –- A hybrid GIS software. Has a unique Application Programming Interface (API) and a fast growing set of geoscientific methods, bundled in exchangeable Module Libraries. uDig – API and source code (Java) available. Besides these, there are other open source GIS tools: Capaware – A C++ 3D GIS Framework with a multiple plugin architecture for geographic graphical analysis and visualization. FalconView – A mapping system created by the Georgia Tech Research Institute for the Windows family of operating systems. A free, open source version is available. Kalypso – Uses Java and GML3. Focuses mainly on numerical simulations in water management. TerraView – Handles vector and raster data stored in a relational or geo-relational database, i.e. a frontend for TerraLib. Whitebox GAT – Transparent GIS software. Other geospatial tools *Apart from Desktop GIS exists a variety of other GIS software types. For its categorization see GIS software. A general overview of GIS software projects for each category was done in 2012. Below is a similar listing of open source GIS projects. Web map servers GeoServer – Written in Java and relies on GeoTools. Allows users to share and edit geospatial data. MapGuide Open Source – Runs on Linux or Windows, supports Apache and IIS web servers, and has APIs (PHP, .NET, Java, and JavaScript) for application development. 18

Mapnik – C++/Python library for rendering - used by OpenStreetMap. MapServer – Written in C. Developed by the University of Minnesota. OpenMap – Java-based mapping toolkit from BBN Technologies. Spatial database management systems PostGIS – Spatial extensions for the open source PostgreSQL database, allowing geospatial queries. SpatiaLite – Spatial extensions for the open source SQLite database, allowing geospatial queries. TerraLib – Provides advanced functions for GIS analysis. Software development frameworks and libraries (for web applications) GeoBase (Telogis GIS software) – Geospatial mapping software available as a Software development kit, which performs various functions including address lookup, mapping, routing, reverse geocoding, and navigation. Suited for high transaction enterprise environments. Geomajas – Open source development software for web-based and cloud based GIS applications. MapFish – Aggregates the power of OpenLayers, ExtJS and GeoExt. OpenLayers – Open source AJAX library for accessing geographic data layers of all kinds, originally developed and sponsored by MetaCarta. Software development frameworks and libraries (non-web) GeoTools – Open source GIS toolkit

written in Java, using Open Geospatial

Consortium specifications. GDAL / OGR Orfeo toolbox Cataloging application for spatially referenced resources GeoNetwork open source – A catalog application to manage spatially referenced resources Other tools Chameleon – Environments for building applications with MapServer. MapPoint – A technology ("MapPoint Web Service", previously known as MapPoint .NET) and a specific computer program created by Microsoft that allows users to view, edit and integrate maps. [9] 19

Popular open source software examples for GIS

3.

*This chapter is based on Ming-Hsiang Tsou and Jennifer Smith article: Free and open source software for GIS education.[10][11][12][13][14] The following chapter will introduces some useful open source software for GIS education. To provide an easy-to-follow guidance for GIS educators, related open source software has been categorized into five domains*: 

Basic desktop GIS



Remote sensing software



3D visualization tools



Others (Web mapping servers and clients, spatial programming tools and libraries, spatial databases)

*Details of open source software have been illustrated for the first three categories (basic desktop GIS, remote sensing software and 3D visualization tools). Only summarized descriptions for the rest of open source GIS software have been provided due to the project limits.

3.1. Basic desktop GIS Basic desktop GIS software can provide basic GIS functions, such as data input, map display, spatial query, attribute query and spatial analysis. Most open source desktop GIS software can be installed on multiple operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Linux and so on). However, one common problem in open source desktop GIS software is the lack of advanced cartographic functions and symbolization. Of course, some offer the capability to export the mapping results as a scalable vector graphic (SVG) format to subsequently edit it in OpenOffice Draw (another open source software) or utilize cartographic support with InkScape.

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3.1.1. KOSMO Available: http://www.opengis.es/ (download file size: 108MB - available OS: Windows and Linux)

Figure 2. Program Kosmo desktop [1.4] KOSMO (figure 2) is one of the most popular (Java-based) open source desktop GIS, providing a nice Graphic User Interface (GUI), GIS data editing tools, and spatial analysis functions. KOSMO was developed based upon OpenJUMP, which is a light and simple version of open source desktop GIS, offering very limited graphic and symbol functions. KOSMO has improved cartographic and spatial analysis functions from OpenJUMP, providing a friendly and comprehensive GIS package for desktop computers. One major advantage of both OpenJUMP and KOSMO is the capability for users to edit/modify vertices (a very detailed level of segment nodes) in vector-based layers.

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3.1.2 gvSIG Available http://www.gvsig.com (file size: 89MB, available OS: Windows, Linux and MacOS X)

Figure 3. gvSIG Desktop [1.5] gvSIG (figure 3) was developed by the European GIS community offering multiple language user interfaces. More than ten different languages (including Spanish, French and Chinese) can be selected to display the menus and tools. This feature is extremely useful to teach GIS in a non-English-spoken community. gvSIG is well known for its flexible GIS data input format. You can use various GIS data formats (both vector and raster) and online resources (such as WMS, WCS and WFS). gvSIG has nice vector data editing functions. Users can easily digitize lines by snapping vertices to existing nodes and generate correct topology. With an easy-to-configure locator map, gvSIG immediately reveals where you are in your dataset. Some GIS professionals believe that gvSIG is becoming close to replacing ESRI ArcMap software. 22

3.1.3. uDig Available http://udig.refractions.net/ (file size: 94 MB, available OS: Windows, Linus, and MacOS ). uDig (figure 4) is also a popular Java-based desktop GIS software. The name, uDig, stands for “User-friendly Desktop Internet GIS”. Therefore, uDig offers strong capabilities to integrate Web mapping technologies, such as WMS, WFS, remote ArcSDE, WCS, GeoRSS and KML. The uDig website includes great tutorials and walkthrough documents for first-time users. uDig is built upon IBM's Eclipse platform with a “clean” user interface. uDig provides several good GIS functions, including the Styled Layer Descriptor (SLD) support, Web Catalog Server support, and thematic mapping with advanced symbology. uDig is also a great choice for Desktop GIS software.

Figure 4. Program uDIG desktop [1.6]

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3.1.4. Quantum GIS (QGIS) Available http://www.qgis.org/ (file size: 89MB, available OS: Windows, UNIX, Linux, and MacOS). Quantum GIS (QGIS) provides a very nice integration with Python, a scripting language to customize or automate GIS functions. Python is probably the most popular GIS programming language now because ESRI ArcGIS also adopts Python for their programming functions. There are many different versions of QGIS available for download. After the download, it may be necessary to change the installation directory for QGIS to a root folder (such as C:\QGIS) rather than accepting the default [/programs files] directory if you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7. You may have some problems installing this program initially because of file written permission problems. Changing the default installation directory to a root folder may solve this issue. QGIS

supplies

a

really

good

manual

and

tutorials.

(Available:

http://www.qgis.org/en/documentation/manuals.html). The software provides useful GIS tools in spatial analysis, geoprocessing, geometry, and data management tasks. Two unique features of QGIS include the linkage (expendable) to GRASS functionalities and the support of DWG file formats. QGIS (figure 5) supports basic ESRI shapefiles and coverage formats, but not personal geodatabases. It also includes good Web linkages, including WMS and WFS.

Figure 5. Quantum GIS Desktop 24

3.1.5. GRASS Available: http://grass.osgeo.org/ (file size: 88MB, available OS: Windows, MacOS, Linux) GRASS (figure 6) is one of the oldest public domain GIS software in existence and has become open source for quite some time. The full name of GRASS is “Geographic Resource Analysis Support System”. The U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories originally developed GRASS in 1985. It offers comprehensive GIS analysis functions for both vector and raster datasets. The original user interface of GRASS was in command line only. Quantum GIS can embed all GRASS functions via a graphic user interface (GUI) for easier public use. Multiple data input formats are available, including MySQL, .DBF, Post GIS, and SQLite There are many federal government agencies using GRASS for their GIS projects, including NOAA, NASA, and the US Census Bureau. A wide range of applications and extensions of GRASS have been created for different needs of scientific research.

Figure 6. GRASS GIS Map Display [1.7] In general, there are many excellent open source software packages in the category of basic Desktop GIS. GIS educators can select the appropriate software that suits their classroom needs and/or hardware arrangements.

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3.2. Remote Sensing Software Compared to basic Desktop GIS, there are fewer selections of open source remote sensing software packages. While there are fewer, these programs still offer many advanced and comprehensive tools for image processing, enhancement, and analysis.

3.2.1. ImageJ Available: http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij/ (file size: up to 42MB – depending on OS) (Available OS: Windows, Linux and Mac OS X). ImageJ (figure 7) was developed at the National Institutes of Health as an open source software package. ImageJ allows users to open, display, edit, process, and analyze 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit images in the following formats: TIFF, GIF, JPEG, PNG, DICOM, BMP, PGM and FITS. By downloading or writing additional plug-ins, you can open and process additional

image

formats

and

numerous

http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/plugins/index.html).

new

functions

ImageJ

as

includes

well

(plugins:

comprehensive

processing capabilities such as geometric transformations, image enhancement (edge detection,

sharpening,

smoothing,

etc.)

and

color

processing

(http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij/features.html). The program can also stack multiple images in one display that are correlated spatially or temporally with the same size and bit depth, allowing the user to scroll through them interactively.

Figure 7. Screenshot of ImageJ examples [1.8] 26

3.2.2. OSSIM Available www.ossim.org (minimum size (depending upon OS): 382MB, OSSIM and OSSIM Planet are available for Windows, Linux, and Mac). OSSIM is a software program that includes numerous advanced image processing tools to support GIS, remote sensing, and photogrammetry. Under constant development, OSSIM aims to improve its processing abilities while funded under a number of US government agencies. The full name of OSSIM is Open Source Software Image Map, which has been nicknamed “awesome” by their first government customer. OSSIM provides useful tutorials in PDF (available: http://download.osgeo.org/ossim/tutorials/ ) and a user guide (http://download.osgeo.org/ossim/docs/pdfs/ossim_users_guide.pdf). Some functions in the program include: supporting numerous map projections and datum’s, sensor modeling, native file access, ortho rectification, elevation support, vector and shapelib support, histogram matching, and tonal balancing .

Figure 8. Screenshots of programm OSSIM tools [1.9]

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3.2.3. ImageLinker Through their Visual Chain Editor (VCE), users can create, connect and change “image chains” (multiple images). Users can also utilize and/or create plugins within ImageLinker to add new functionality to the program.

Figure 9. Screenshot of ImageLinker displaying two images. [1.10] Nice tutorial is available: http://download.osgeo.org/ossim/docs/pdfs/ImageLinker_Tutorial.pdf

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3.2.4. OpenEV Available http://openev.sourceforge.net (file size: up to 26.7MB, available OS: Windows, Linux, Irix, and Solaris)

Figure 10. Screenshot of an image display in OpenEV. [1.11] OpenEV is a software program that displays and analyzes vector and raster data and offers

a

library

for

developers

to

construct

new

applications

(http://openev.sourceforge.net/). First created by Atlantis Scientific (now Vexcel), the program was later obtained by Microsoft and developed into the satellite imagery viewer available now. OpenEV can display large datasets, from georeferenced images to elevation data in 2D and 3D. Some of the features include image enhancement, image comparison, overlay and on-screen digitizing for image analysis. [11]

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3.2.5. ILWIS Open Available http://52north.org (file size: up to 17.8MB zipped, Available OS: Windows) ILWIS Open, short for Integrated Land and Water Information System, was developed by ITC (the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation) in the Netherlands. ILWIS is a combination of both a GIS and remote sensing package that can display, process and analyze image (raster), vector and thematic data. Documentation can be downloaded at http://52north.org/downloads/ilwis/documentation, detailing a very comprehensive explanation of the features and capabilities of ILWIS (begin with preface). Features available for vector data include digitizing, display, interpolation, calculations and more. For raster data, the functions include creation of digital elevation models, slope, aspect, distance calculation, and more. With satellite images, some of the features users can execute include statistics, filters, mosaic, georeferencing, classifications and histograms. Importantly, when you are ready to create the final output of your data, ILWIS offers annotation functions and printable outputs.

Figure 11. Screenshot from ILWIS [1.12]

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3.2.5. Opticks Available http://opticks.org/confluence/display/opticks/Welcome+To+Opticks (file size: up to 49MB zipped files, available OS: Windows, Solaris, and limited support for Linux). Opticks is a remote sensing software package that supports many types of imagery and remote sensing data such as motion imagery (videos), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), multi-spectral, and hyper-spectral data. [12] First developed by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation for the US Air Force, Opticks was originally created for hyperspectral analysis and designed to be less complicated to use than the ENVI software [13]. In 2007, Opticks was released to the public as an open source software package. Supported data include: NITF, GeoTIFF, JPEG2000, ENVI, Raw formatted files, HDF5, Hyperion, DTED, Shapefiles (.shp and from ArcSDE), CGM, AOI/ROIs, ENVI, Spectral, ASPAM/PAR, Annotations, and Color Maps/Tables . There are extensive Opticks functions accessible such as displaying false color images, histogram production, added annotations, creation of animations, all available bands, linking frames, georeferencing, performing filters, automation, and creating your own algorithms. There are also available extensions for additional functionality as well as the ability to develop your own extensions.

Figure 12. Screenshot of Opticks, a classification [1.13]

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3.3. 3D Visualization Tools In response to the growing popularity of 3D GIS data and geovisualization, several open source programs are being developed. Through the addition of a new dimension, users can both analyze and visualize more spatial object relationships and spatial patterns than previously available. This additional display space offers room for creativity in visualization. Users are able to not only map elevation of desired objects, but display and represent attribute data with height as well. Some popular open source 3D visualization software packages are introduced below.

3.3.1. ParaView Available http://www.paraview.org/ (file size: up to 119MB, available OS: Windows, MacOSX, Linux). ParaView was first publicly released in 2002. The program can analyze very large datasets and has the ability to display data in 3D. Some of the different file formats supported include VTK, polygonal files, EnSight, Plot3D, and many more because users can provide their own readers. There are many features offered in ParaView such as filters, extracting and displaying contours, clipping/cutting features, grid computations, statistics and display. Extensions can add functionality to the software program through download or by scripting your own in the Python language.

Figure 12. Screenshot of ParaView interface [1.14] 32

3.3.2 NASA World Wind Available: http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/download.html (file size: 16MB, available OS: Windows, but the new World Wind Java SDK will operate for Windows, MacOS, & Fedora Core 6, file size: 24.69MB). Originally released in 2004, NASA World Wind is a virtual globe that displays satellite images from NASA and USGS, aerial photos, topographic maps and GIS data on a 3D virtual earth [14]. Aside from Earth, World Wind has provided other planets (Moon, Mars, Venus and Jupiter) for display and exploration as well. The website includes an easy to follow key chart instructing the user how to navigate the virtual globe with their keyboard and mouse. Users can import shapefiles, kml/kmz files, and other geospatial data to display on the virtual globe. With an embedded digital elevation model (DEM) and bathymetry, World Wind visualizes objects in 3D, viewable when you zoom into different features that have height and depth, including trenches and ridges. With the high-resolution visualization, it is a great tool for analysis and display because of the great detail it provides. Upon zooming in, political boundaries, place names, and latitude and longitude gridlines can be seen if desired for enhanced visual effects. Like many other programs, World Wind also allows for new plug-ins to add new functionality such as displaying new paths, polygons, and names. USGS has also developed a set of geoprocessing tools that work inside WorldWind.

Figure 13. Screenshots of data visualized in the NASA World Wind Interface [1.15]

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3.3.3. ossimPlanet Available: http://www.ossim.org/OSSIM/ossimPlanet.html (file size depending upon OS: minimum 192MB, available OS: Linux, Mac, Windows). ossimPlanet is an accurate 3D virtual globe built upon the OSSIM software for visualization and remote collaboration. It can handle many commercial and government datasets including OSSIM Geo-Spatial Formats, GDAL Geo-Spatial Formats, kml/kmz files and Predator UAV mpg clips. The virtual globe renders elevation and tree topography on the fly, enriching the visual display for users of ossimPlanet. To help users begin, there is a good instruction manual available for each operating system on the web site (windows manual, http://download.osgeo.org/ossim/installers/windows/ossimPlanetUsers.pdf). It is important to note that users must have a three-button mouse in order to navigate the virtual globe.

Figure 14. Screenshot of ossimPlanet [1.13]

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3.4. Other Open Source GIS software The following open source software packages can provide advanced GIS functions, such as web mapping services, advanced spatial analysis and spatial databases. If GIS teachers need to create specialized GIS courses in their labs or programs, these software may be a good choice. Web mapping servers and clients The whole GIS industry is moving into the direction of Internet GIS and Web mapping. Thousands of Web GIS applications have been created and used in many websites [15] However, most commercial Internet Map Servers (IMS) are very expensive and not affordable for GIS educators. Open source IMS can provide a good alternative for GIS educators to create and introduce web mapping services to their students. There are two types of web mapping software: server-side IMS and client-side map browser tools.

3.4.1. Server-side IMS MapServer Available: http://mapserver.org/ MapServer is probably the oldest and the most popular open source IMS. The platform was originally developed at the University of Minnesota in 1994 with NASA funding. MapServer is a CGI program (common gateway interface). CGI is an early Internet GIS technology. Therefore, the user interface and mapping functions are limited in comparison to other IMS that use advanced AJAX or FLEX technologies. Despite this, performance of MapServer is still useful for most basic web mapping services. GeoServer Available: http://geoserver.org/display/GEOS/Welcome GeoServer is also a popular Java-based open source IMS, created by The Open Planning Project in 2001. GeoServer can provide advanced Web mapping protocols such as OGC's WMS and WFS. It can also provide transactional editing. The generic web interface is very interactive and easy to use. MapGuide Open Source Available: http://mapguide.osgeo.org/ MapGuide has a very unique situation in terms of open source software license. AutoDesk created MapGuide originally as proprietary software. In 2005, AutoDesk 35

released MapGuide as open source under LGPL and made the source codes available for open source developers. The installation procedure of MapGuide server is more complicated than other IMS, which may be challenging for beginners. MapGuide Open Source can provide a very powerful map engine and advanced client-side map browser tools and technologies.

3.4.2. Client-side mapping browser tools OpenLayers Available: http://openlayers.org/ OpenLayers is a client-based JavaScript library that can be customized in a HTML document for displaying map data. OpenLayers does not create its own mapping images from GIS databases, but instead displays map layers derived from other (external) IMS engines. Thus, it is a client-side application rather than an IMS. Openlayers is a very powerful client-side mapping tool offering great performance, but requiring a certain level of programming skill in order to use or customize its interface. Additionally, because it is based on JavaScript and it does not work well in Internet Explorer web browsers. Mapfish Available: http://mapfish.org/ Mapfish is also a JavaScript-based client-side mapping tool created by utilizing the Pylon Python web framework. Similar to OpenLayers, Mapfish is compliant with various IMS output protocols, such as WMS, WFS, KML, GML, etc.

3.4.3. Spatial Analysis Programming Tools and Library STARS (Space-Time Analysis of Regional Systems) Available: http://regionalanalysislab.org/index.php/Main/STARS STATS is an easy-to-use open source software designed for the analysis for areal data (such as counties or zip-code areas) measured over time. Program is created with the Python programming language. PySAL Available http://geodacenter.asu.edu/projects/pysal 36

PYSAL is an open source library of tools for spatial analysis developed by the GeoDa Center at Arizona State University.

3.4.4. Spatial databases PostGIS Available http://postgis.refractions.net/ PostGIS is the most popular open source GIS database engine built upon the PostgreSQL object-relational database. Many developers consider that PostGIS is a strong challenger to several commercial GIS databases, such as Oracle Spatial and Microsoft SQL Server Spatial. GearScape Available: http://www.fergonco.es/gearscape/ GearScape is another good open source tool to develop GIS databases. If you are looking for software to learn/teach spatial SQL, GearScape is a good instructional tool because it provides a spatial SQL implementation and the results of the queries are shown directly on the active map. Summarized Most of these open source tools and packages can be accessed from: The Open Source Geospatial Foundation http://www.osgeo.org/ OpenGeo website http://opengeo.org

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Conclusion Although many private GIS software companies such as ESRI, Microsoft and Google played an important role for GIS development in the past, the Open Source Software Society has become a stronger player in the GIS industry. The process to adopt open source GIS may not so quick in comparison to commercial solutions, but it is affordable and importantly, offers customization of the software for your needs. With the introduction of this project, I was hoped that GIS educators and learners can realize the potential of open source GIS software for their courses. For example: QGIS – it has come a long way in the last few years, it has database support, it has now good support OGC standards like VMS and WFS, and its support almost any format. NASA World Wind can offer an excellent virtual earth demo by linking to multiple NASA satellite images and the WMS layers directly. Paul Ramsey had said (paper: “The State of Open Source GIS”): "The change to open source requires a different mindset. Rather than one programme or one suite of programs delivering everything you need, you go over to different programs that all communicate with each other and use the same (standard) protocols and data formats." I hope that this little project proves to be useful for GIS educators: to try open source GIS software. In the market (internet) there are lot of different kinds of programs – you just need to choose, what best fit for you. But remember: data is what matters, not software, programs are just tools. Find a tool that does what you want with your data and workflows, don`t force your workflows and data to bend to the software needs. As GIS technology develops every year, some of the information for open source software, what is mentioned in this project, may be out-of-date or incorrect. If you have comments, some new ideas, find new open source GIS software’s or you see any errors in this project – please note me and send: [email protected] I will incorporate your suggestions into the next project, where I will correct that and hopefully there are some new materials too.

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References [1] ESRI GIS Dictionary. (2013). Retrieved March 18, 2013, from http://support.esri.com/en/knowledgebase/GISDictionary/term/GIS [2] Introduction to Geographic Information Systems. (2011) Retrieved March 20, 2013, from http://www.lib.virginia.edu/scholarslab/resources/class/mlbs/introToGIS.pdf [3] ESRI GIS overview. Retrieved 20, 2013, from http://www.esri.com/what-is-gis/overview [4] Wikipedia, Geographic information systems, Retrieved March 15, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_information_system [5] Wikipedia, Geography, Retrieved March 15, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography [6] GNU Operating System, The free software, Retrieved March 15, 2013, from http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html [7]=[9] Tsou, M. and Smith, J. (2011) Free and Open Source software for GIS education, National Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence, Retrived March 6, 2013, from http://geoinfo.sdsu.edu/hightech/WhitePaper/tsou_free-GIS-for-educatorswhitepaper.pdf [8] Steiniger, S. and Bocher, E. (2009) An overview on current free and open source desktop GIS developments, International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 23:10, 1345 - 1370. [9] Wikipedia, List of geographic information systems software, Retrieved March 7, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_geographic_information_systems_software [11] Ramsey, P. (2007). The State of Open Source GIS. Refractions Research, Victoria, BC, Canada. [12] Wikipedia, GRASS GIS, Retrieved March 24, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GRASS_GIS [13] Wikipedia, OpenEV, Retrieved March 24, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenEV [14] Wikipedia, Optics, Retrieved March 24, 2013, from 39

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opticks [15] History of Optics, Retrieved March 27, 2013, from http://opticks.org/confluence/display/opticks/History+of+Opticks [16] NASA World Wind, Retrieved March 27, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_World_Wind Pictures and figures (from Google): Title page pictures: [1.1]http://www.hopkinsvilleky.us/agencies/planning-commission/planning-page photos/gis.jpg [1.2] http://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/4/2/451 [1.3] http://publicworks.nl/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/socrata_open_data.png Figures: [1.4] http://live.osgeo.org/_images/kosmo3.jpg [1.5]http://outreach.gvsig.org/sites/gvsigoutreach.drupalgardens.com/files/CU_PER_ca tastro_municipal_2.png [1.6] http://udig-news.blogspot.com/2012/09/udig-132-released.html [1.7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wxgui-atm.png [1.8] http://img.teck.in/imagej.jpg [1.9] http://www.ossim.org/OSSIM/OSSIM.html [1.10] http://live.osgeo.org/_images/ossim-imagelinker3.jpg [1.11] http://earth.unibuc.ro/images/588.png [1.12] http://fatwaramdani.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/pca_using_ilwis7.jpg [1.13]http://img.brothersoft.com/screenshots/softimage/o/opticks-2082111233481273.jpeg [1.14] http://technology.qatar.tamu.edu/rc/paraview.JPG [1.15] http://www.bullsworld.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/eoli.jpg [1.16] http://wiki.osgeo.org/images/a/a2/KoreaOverview.jpg

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