20 GIS Softwares

Dr. Puneeta Pandey

 

CONTENTS

 

1.  Learning Objectives

 

2.  GIS and Remote Sensing Software

 

3.  Types of GIS and Remote Sensing Software

 

4.  Application of GIS and Remote Sensing Software

 

5.  Conclusions

 

6.  References

 

 

1. Learning Objectives

 

The purpose of this chapter is to study the various types of remote sensing and GIS software. On completion of this chapter, you would have got an overview of the various types of software pertaining to remote sensing and GIS, whether open source or commercial; and the applications of these software.

 

2. Introduction

 

GIS and Remote Sensing software is designed to store, retrieve, manage, display and analyse all types of geographic and spatial data obtained from satellite and air borne sensor data. It produces maps and graphic display of geographic information for analysis and presentation.

 

3.  GIS and Remote Sensing Software

 

i) ArcGIS

 

ArcGIS is a proprietary commercial software for working with maps and geographic information. It was initially released on 27 December, 1999 by ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute). Its latest version is ArcGIS 10.5 which was release in December 2016.

 

ii) QGIS

 

It is a free and open-source geographic information system (GIS) software that supports viewing, editing, and analysis of geospatial data. It was previously known as Quantum GIS. It is integrated with other open source GIS software, including PostGIS, GRASS GIS, and MapServer. Its latest version is QGIS 2.18.10 which was release in June 2017.

 

iii) ERDAS Imagine

 

It is a commercial remote sensing application software with raster graphics editor designed by Hexagon Geospatial (formerly ERDAS Inc.) in 1978 for geospatial applications. The aim of ERDAS Imagine mainly at geospatial raster data processing and prepare, display and enhance digital images for mapping use in GIS and CAD software. The latest version of ERDAS Imagine is 2015.

 

iv) ENVI

 

Environment for Visualizing Images (ENVI) is a software application developed by ESRI India used to process and analyzed geospatial imagery. It is commonly used by remote sensing scientist and image analysts. The latest version is ENVI 5.4.

 

v) Bhuvan

 

It is a software which allows users to explore a 2D/3D representation of the surface of the Earth. Beta version was launched on 12 August 2009 by ISRO. The browser is specifically tailored to view India, offering the highest resolution in this region and providing content in four local languages.

 

vi) GRASS GIS

 

Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) is a free and open source GIS software. It is used for image processing, graphics and maps production, spatial modeling, and visualization. GRASS GIS is used in academic as well as by many governmental agencies and environmental consulting companies. The latest version of GRASS GIS is 7.2.

Figure 1. ArcGIS view showing multi mix layer

 

vii) AutoCAD Map

 

AutoCAD Map is a 3D model based GIS mapping software developed by Autodesk in December 1982.

This software provides access to CAD and GIS data to support planning, design, and management.

The latest version is 22.0 released in March 2017.

 

viii) MapInfo

 

MapInfo is a GIS software produced by Pitney Bowes Software (formerly MapInfo Corporation) in 1986. It is used for mapping and location analysis. The latest version of MapInfo is 15.2.

 

ix)  Global Mapper

 

Global Mapper is a GIS software developed by Blue Marble Geographics that runs on Microsoft Windows. The latest version of Global Mapper is 18.2.

 

x) Geo Time

 

GeoTime is geospatial analysis commercial software developed by Uncharted Software Inc. on18 May 2005. It allows the visual analysis of events over time. It has been used by professionals in public safety including metropolitan police, emergency management, telecommunications, academic research, health care and human services. The latest version of Geo Time is 5.7 released in May 2016.

 

xi) Manifold System

 

It is a GIS software package developed by Manifold Software in 1993. Limited that runs on Windows. It handles both vector and raster data, includes spatial SQL, a built-in Internet Map Server (IMS), and other general GIS features. The latest version is 8.0.30 which is released in March 2017.

 

Figure 2. QGIS view showing dam county

 

xii) Geomajas

 

Geomajas is an open source GIS software which integrates a powerful server into the web browser. It provides a platform for server-side integration of geospatial data through GeoTool. Geomajas 1.14 is the latest version.

 

xiii) GeoDa

 

It is a free and open source GIS software package that conducts spatial data analysis, geovisualization, spatial autocorrelation and spatial modeling. It has been developed by Regional Analysis Laboratory (REGAL). Latest version GeoDa 1.10 has powerful capabilities to perform spatial analysis, multivariate exploratory data analysis, and global and local spatial autocorrelation.

 

xiv) DIVA-GIS

 

DIVA-GIS is a free open source software for mapping and geographic data analysis. It is particularly useful for mapping and analysing biodiversity data such as distribution of species and to find area that have high, low or complementary level of diversity. It runs on Windows only.

 

xv) PCI Geomatica

 

It is an integrated software for Remote Sensing and Image Processing. It offers a single integrated work environment for data extraction visualization and analysis from remotely sensed imagery. It can be used for both optical and SAR data processing. The latest version of this software is Geomatica 2017.

 

xvi) Generic Mapping Tools

 

Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) are an open-source collection of software tools for processing and displaying XY and XYZ datasets, including rasterisation, filtering and various kinds of map projections. GMT was developed by Paul Wessel and Walter H. F. Smith in 1988 and supported by USNSF since 1993. Latest version of GMT is 5.3.1.

 

xvii) gvSIG

 

It is a GIS desktop application designed by gvSIG Association in 2004. It is known for having a user-friendly interface, being able to access the most common formats, both vector and raster. Latest version is gvSIG 2.3.1 release in October, 2016.

 

xviii) AGIS

 

AGIS is a mapping and simple GIS shareware software. It can be used for plotting geographic data on the map of the world provided without the high cost and steep learning curve. It can also create high spatial resolution maps which can be easily pasted into Microsoft Office. Apart from this, animation, web serving, distance measuring, searching GPS and integration with other systems such as databases are also supported by AGIS.

 

xix) DRISI GIS (TerrSet)

 

It is an integrated GIS and RS software developed by Prof. J. Ronald Eastman in Clark Labs at Clark University in 1987. It is a Windows based system that offers tools for researchers engaged in analysing earth system dynamics for effective and responsible decision making for environmental management and sustainable resource development. Latest version of TerrSet is 18.07 released in April, 2015.

 

xx) ILWIS

 

Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) is a GIS and remote sensing software was initially developed and distributed by ITC Enschede (International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation) in the Netherland for both vector and raster processing. It is used for digitizing, editing, analysis and display of data, and production of quality maps. Latest version is 3.8.5.

 

Figure 3 ERADAS Imagine view

xxi) Capaware

 

It is a free and open source 3D GIS software that was developed by the University of Las Palmas and Canary Islands Technological Institute, Spain in 2007.

 

xxii) Falcon View

 

It is a free and open source mapping system software created by the Georgia Tech Research Institute in 1994. It is widely used for aeronautical charts, satellite images and elevation maps preparation.

 

xxiii) MicroDem

 

It is a powerful application that allows to work with maps and satellite imagery in order to view their content and merge the maps. It analyzed multiple map files and databases in a straight forward interface. Latest version is 12.1.

 

xxiv) SAGA GIS

 

System for Automated Geoscientific Analysis (SAGA) is an open-source free GIS software developed by Department of Physical Geography, University of Gottingen, Germany in 2005, used to edit spatial data.

 

xxv) 2d3

 

It is an American motion imagery software. It is used to extract information from images or videos by recreating, manipulating, and enhancing imagery to visualize two-dimensional data into three dimensions.

 

xxvi) Opticks

 

It is a remote sensing software that supports imagery, video (motion imagery), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), multi-spectral, hyper-spectral developed by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp in 2001. It supports processing remote sensing video in the same manner as supports imagery, which differentiates from other remote sensing applications.

 

xxvii) Terra View

 

It is a remote sensing software distributed by Editions de la Boyere since 1993.

 

xxviii) TNTmips

 

It is a geospatial analysis software developed by MicroImages Inc. in 1986, providing a fully featured GIS, RDBMS and automated image processing system with CAD, TIN, surface modeling, map layout and innovative data publishing tools.

 

xxix)  PolSARpro

 

It is an ESA open source software for polarimetric SAR data processing and education. The software handles dual polarization and full polarization data from a wide range of SAR space and airborne missions. PolSARPro contains tools for data import, data conversion, basis change, speckle filters, data processing, calibration, Pol-InSAR processing, data simulation and interfaces with NEST. The latest version of PolSARpro is 5.1.

 

xxx)   OSSIM

 

Open Source Security Information Management (OSSIM) is an open source security information and event management system developed by Alien Vault in 2003. OSSIM is integrating a selection of tools designed to aid network administrators in computer security, intrusion detection, and prevention. The latest version is 5.3.0 release in August 2016.

 

xxxi)  InterImage

 

It is an open-source, knowledge-based software for automatic image interpretation. The latest version is 1.43.

 

xxxii)  E foto

 

E-foto possesses photogrammetric functionalities that allow the development of professional topographic tridimentional mapping projects by using as data sources aerial photogrammetric images obtained by both analog cameras and digital sensors. The most popular version is 1.0 and 0.1.

 

xxxiii) uDig

 

It is a GIS software produced by a community led by Canadian based consulting company Refractions Research. It is based on the Eclipse platform and features full layered Open Source GIS. The latest version of uDig is 2.0.0.RC1.

 

xxxiv) JUMP GIS

 

It is an open source GIS software in the Java programming language which is developed and maintained by a group of volunteers from around the globe. The latest version is 1.11 release in April 2017.

 

xxxv) Whitebox GAT

 

It is an open-source and cross-platform GIS and remote sensing software developed by John Lindsay in 2009 and distributed under the GNU General Public License. It is intended for advanced geospatial analysis and data visualization in research and education setting. Latest version is 3.2.1.

 

xxxvi) Map Business Online

 

It is a web-based business mapping software used by a large variety of businesses to organized and analyzed their business data geographically. It can be used by any large or small business to create custom maps of sales territories, business workflows, and business expansions.

 

xxxvii) eSpatial

 

It is a fast, easy and powerful software. It can easily upload, visualize, and analyze multiple layers of data and cloud-based mapping.

 

xxxviii) Maptitude

 

Maptitude is a commercial GIS software. It has the richest feature set and highest performance of any mapping software. Latest version 5.0.

 

xxxix) Orbis GIS

 

It is a cross-platform open-source GIS created for research. It is led by CNRS within the French Lab STICC laboratory and licensed under GPLv3. It proposes new methods and techniques to model, represent, process and share spatial data, making it easy to monitor geographical territories and manage their evolution. The latest version is 4.0.2.

 

xl) SPRING

 

It is a GIS and Remote Sensing Image Processing system with an object-oriented data model developed by Pivotal Software in 2002, which provides for the integration of raster and vector data representations in a single environment. The latest version is 4.3.9 released in June 2017.

 

xli) CARTO

 

It is an open source software built on PostGIS and PostgreSQL. It was first released in Beta at FOSS4G in Denver in September 2011 and officially debuted as a final release 2.0 in April 2012.

 

xlii) GeoMedia

 

It is a GIS software for working and conducting analysis on geographic information as well as producing maps from that analysis. It is used for creating geographic data, managing geospatial databases, joining business data, location intelligence and geographic data together, conduct analysis in the real-time base platform for multiple applications and analyzing mapped information.

 

xliii) Quorum GIS

 

It is a software that provides an approach to visualize data in a spatial map view from the various system within and outside of the enterprise.

 

4.  Application of GIS and Remote Sensing Software

 

  • Crime mapping
  • Hydrology
  • Road networking
  • Wastewater and storm water systems
  • Waste management
  • Change detection
  • Orthorectification
  • Spectral analysis
  • Image classification
  • Wetland management
  • Wasteland mapping
  • Land degradation

 

5. Conclusions

 

GIS software encompasses digital maps and georeferenced data. GIS and Remote Sensing software is designed to store, retrieve, manage, display and analyse all types of geographic and spatial data obtained from satellite and air-borne sensor data. These softwares can be categorized into open source and commercial softwares. They have varied applications pertaining to environment, and are very helpful in various domains of environmental management.

 

  1. References
  • www.gisgeography.com www.globalmapper.com
  • https://www.cadcorp.com/products/free-mapping-software www.capterra.com/gis-software
  • https://www.gislounge.com/open-source-gis-applications
  • https://www.nmepscor.org/…/geographic-information-syste…
  • www.grss-ieee.org/open-source-software-related-to-geoscie…
  • https://www.g2crowd.com/categories/gis