This presentation provides an overview of GRASS (Geographic Resources Analysis Support System). It discusses that GRASS is open source GIS software for geospatial data management and analysis, with over 350 tools. It has been in development since 1984 and supports raster, vector, image processing, and spatial modeling functions. The presentation also outlines some of GRASS' key features like its GUI, support for different data formats, interoperability with other systems, and examples of practical usage.

1. Presentation on GIS Application of
GRASS
() ( Geographic Resource support
Analysis System )
Mayur Patil.(J-39)
Sanket Bhatagalikar.(J-06)
Aakash Surywanshi.(J-56)
Umakant Thorat.(J-61)
Guided By:
Prof G. D. Bhutkar.
VISHWAKARMA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
(An Autonomous Institute affiliated to University of Pune)
PUNE – 411037
2011-2012

2. AGENDA
 INTRODUCTION
 HISTORY
 WHAT IS GRASS ?
 SERVICES PROVIDE BY GRASS
 HOW TO USE GRASS ?
 FEATURES
 SUPPORTS
 PRACTICAL USAGE
 REFERENCES

3. INTRODUCTION
GRASS: GEOGRAPHIC RESOURCE ANALYSIS SUPPORT SYSTEM
Developed since 1984, always Open Source, since 1999 under
GNU General Public License
Written in C programming language, portable code (32/64bit)
International development team, since 2001 coordinated at ITC-irst,
since 2008 at OSGeo.org
Distributed as source code, precompiled binaries for various platforms,
CDROM MS-Windows
GNU/Linux Mac OSX
iPAQ

4. INTRODUCTION(CONT…)
GRASS: Geographic Resources Analysis Support
System
 Free software GIS(“software libero”):
 GRASS master web site is in Italy:
 Portable: Versions for GNU/Linux, MS Windows, MAC OSX, SUN, etc.
 Programming Programmer's manual Web site(PDF,HTML) generated
weekly.
 Code is documented in source code files(doxygen)
 Mailing list in various languages
 Sample Data
 Commercial Support

5. HISTORY
GRASS: more than 20 years of free GIS
GRASS 1.0
U.S. CERL (1984-1995) 1989: civil Internet
1984 GRASS 4.1 1994: first WWW
1993 GRASS 4.2
1997 University of Baylor
GRASS 4.2.1/4.3 1998 University of Hannover
1998
GRASS 5.0 GRASS Development Team
1999
(1997- today)
2000
G 2001 ITC-irst
R GRASS 5.1/5.7
2001
A O
S p
S e GRASS 6.0
I n 2005
n G
t R
e A
r S Open
a S GIS
g
1990 1992 1994 Open 1997 2004
e Geosp
n F atial
c o
y u Conso
S n rtium
t d (OGC)

6. GRASS USERS STATISTICS
GRASS 6
GRASS 6.2.0 release
31 Oct 2006

7. WHAT IS GRASS GIS ?
 Geographic Resources Analysis Support System, commonly referred to as
GRASS GIS, is a Geographic Information System (GIS) used for data
management, image processing, graphics production, spatial modeling, and
visualization of many types of data. It is Free (Libre) Software/Open Source
released under GNU General Public License (GPL) >= V2. GRASS GIS is official
project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation.
 The new GRASS 6 release introduces a new topological 2D/3D vector engine and
support for vector network analysis. Attributes are now managed in a SQL-based
DBMS. A new display manager has been implemented. The NVIZ visualization
tool was enhanced to display 3D vector data and voxel volumes. Messages are
partially translated (i18N) with support for Free Type fonts, including multi-byte
Asian characters. New LOCATIONs can be auto-generated by EPSG code
number. GRASS is integrated with GDAL/OGR libraries to support an extensive
range of raster and vector formats, including OGC-conformal Simple Features.

8. SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
GRASS
• Import of data: GRASS always import the complete map
● Export of data:
● Vector maps: always the entire map is exported (cut before if needed)
● Raster maps: r.out.gdal always exports entire map at original resolution
r.out.tiff (etc.) export at current region and resolution
What's a region in GRASS?
● The default region is the standard settings of a GRASS location which is
essentially independent from any map
● A region is the current working area (user selected resolution and coordinate
boundaries)
● All vector calculations are done at full vector map
● All raster calculations are done at current resolution/region. To do calculations
at original raster map resolution/region, the easiest way is to
use 'g.region' first to set
current region to map GRASS Mapset
(see next slides)
“northeast”
GRASS Mapset
“sardegna”
GRASS Location
“italy”

9. SERVICES PROVIDE BY GRASS
 Web Map Service (WMS1.3)
Provides three operations protocols (GetCapabilities, GetMap, and
GetFeatureInfo) in support of the creation and display of registered and
superimposed map-like views of information that come simultaneously from
multiple sources that are both remote and heterogeneous.
 Web Coverage Service (WCS)
Extends the Web Map Server (WMS) interface to allow access to
geospatial "coverages" that represent values or properties of geographic locations,
rather than WMS generated maps (pictures).
 Web Feature Service (WFS)
The purpose of the Web Feature Server Interface Specification (WFS)
is to describe data manipulation operations on OpenGIS® Simple Features
(feature instances) such that servers and clients can 'communicate' at the feature
level.
 Web Map Context Documents (WMC)
Create, store, and use "state" information from a WMS based client
application

10. HOW TO USE GRASS ?
•GRASS supports raster and vector data in
two and three dimensions
•The vector data model is topological,
meaning that areas
are defined by boundaries and centroids;
boundaries cannot overlap within a single
layer
•GRASS is designed as an environment in
which tools that perform specific GIS
computations are executed
• GRASS user is presented with a UNIX
shell containing a modified environment
that supports the execution of GRASS
commands (known as modules)

11. GUI OF GRASS

13. GRASS GIS: NEW GUI – PYTHON BASED

14. SUPPORTS
• fully integrated 350+ modules
• add-ons managed on wiki
• raster: map algebra, DEM analysis, flow, buffers, solar,
• image: rectification, multispectral, reclassification
• vector: buffers, overlays, networks,
• DBMS: attribute management, SQL
• transformations: projections, raster-vector, interpolation
• visualization: 2D, 3D visualization, ps maps
• WMS support, Google earth through v.out.ogr

15. SUPPORTS(CONT...)
Supported Spatial Data Types
2D Raster data incl. image processing
3D Voxel data for volumetric data
2D/3D Vector data with topology
Multidimensional points data
Distances
Orthophoto
Vector TIN 3D Vector buildings

16. SUPPORTS(CONT…)
GPS support, Printing Editor ...

17. FEATURES
GRASS (Geographic Resources Analysis Support System) is a raster/vector GIS,
image processing system, and graphics production system. It’s features are:
 GRASS contains over 350 programs and tools to render maps and images on
monitor and paper.
 Manipulate raster, vector, and sites data.
 Process multi spectral image data; and create, manage, and store spatial data.
 GRASS uses both an intuitive windows interface as well as command line syntax
for ease of operations.
 GRASS can interface with commercial printers, plotters, digitizers, and databases
to develop new data as well as manage existing data.

18. GRASS features
Flood simulation Trento 1966
Piazza
Duomo

19. GRASS: Person walking distance 10 minutes
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1m
0 i
n

20. GRASS: Person walking distance 30 minutes
0
3
6
9
1
2
1
5
1
8
2
1
2
4
2
7
3m
0 i
n

21. PRACTICAL GIS USAGE
Start a “terminal”
to enter commands
Start GRASS 6 within
the terminal:
grass61 help
grass61 gui

22. GRASS GIS Interoperability
Data models and sources
Ra st e r Ve ct or CAD W e b GIS
GeoTIFF DGN DXF Web Map Serv ice (WMS)
Erd as IMG ESRI-SHAPE DWG Web Cov erag e Serv ice (WCS)
MrSID GML ... Web Feat u re Serv ice (WFS)
ECW Sp at ial SQL Web Map Con t ex t Docu m en t s (WMC)
JPEG2 0 0 0 ...
UMN
GDAL OGR openDWG
MapServer
GRASS
PROJ.4

23. WebGIS: Integration of data sources
GRASS in the Web
Real-time monitoring of Earthquakes (provided in Web by USGS)
with GRASS/PHP: http://grass.itc.it/spearfish/php_grass_earthquakes.php

24. References:
•http://next.ohloh.net/projects/3666
•http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki/WxPython-based_GUI_for_GRASS
•http://grass.it
•http://gmane.org
•www.mpasol.it
•http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=stats&s=s24grassgis