2. Learning objectives
After this lecture you will be able to:
• understand what GIS is and what it can be used for
• describe the difference between open source and proprietary
software
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3. What is GIS?
• A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system designed to capture,
store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of spatial or geographical
data
GIS = Geographic + Information + System
• Geographic = Spatially-referenced (geo-reference) data: acquisition, process,
manipulation, analyses.
• Information System = software + hardware + database
integrates, stores, edits, analyzes, shares, and displays geographic information
• GIS applications are tools that allow users to create interactive queries (user-created
searches), analyze spatial information, edit data in maps, and present the results of all
these operations
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6. Examples
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Berlin with its
accessibility by car in
30min divided in 5min
interval isochrones
Source: http://www.digital-geography.com/how-far-can-you-travel-answers-in-qgis-with-osm-route/#more-13245
8. History of GIS
• 2010s: here we are! GIS is now a basic tool applied in almost all field of
georeferenced analysis; your creativity and scientific approach reigns.
• 2000s: starts the Open Source revolution, wide applications of geospatial analysis,
graphic & computing power keep growing fast
• 1990s: GIS becomes a widely used tool in many administrations, academic
departments and private business (mining, oil & gas, etc); begin journal devoted to
GIS (IJGIS)
• 1980s: microcomputers (!) starts the computer revolution, graphic user interface,
printing devices, commercial GIS begins (ESRI, PCI, MAPinfo)
• 1970s: first attempt in Canada & USA to use data linked to parcels for
environmental purposes
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9. Use of GIS in the Water Sector
IWRM
Health
Drinking
water
Sanitation
Environment
Economy
Agriculture
Population growth
Climate change
IWRM
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10. GIS for Urban Water Systems
• Urban planning of land use and infrastructure
• Mapping of sewage systems, drainage systems and waste
water treatment plants
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11. GIS and Hydrological Modelling
• GIS as a separate tool:
• data preprocessing/postprocessing
• model output visualization
• Tightly integrated with modelling
system: as an important
component, e.g., ArcSWAT, MIKE
SHE, HEC-RAS, HydroGeoAnalyst,
etc.
N-load [kg/year] at the outflow point of the Scheldt basin
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12. Preprocessing data for use in tools
• Import/convert to the format used by the GIS
• Coordinates Transformation: Projection + Datum
• Subsetting and resampling if needed.
• Recondition and correction
• Geoprocess if needed: e.g., catchment delineation, river network
generation, time series extraction, join attributes
• Interpolation (IDW, kriging, Thiessen polygons)
• …
• Export to the format required by tools (e.g. models, decision
support systems)
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13. Define study area
• Administrative boundary (province, country, region, etc.)
• Natural boundary: (sub)catchment
• Other:
• Delta
• National park
• …
Boundary of the Vesdre catchment
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14. Application Areas
• Map Production
• Visualization: Presenting your (geo)data in a nice way (2D,
2.5D, 3D, animation, web, report, screen)
• Geoprocessing: data processing for use in tools (e.g.
models)
• Analysis: Geospatial analysis (GPS tracking, buffering,
shortest route analysis, hydrological modelling, planning,
future scenarios, etc.)
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15. GIS Platforms
• Server: GIS engine
• Desktop: Processing
• Web: Web services
• Mobile devices: running on mobile devices, connecting to
server for processing.
15
16. GIS desktop applications
• Applications with a
graphical user interface
(GUI)
• Menus
• Toolbars
• Map layers
• Map view
16
17. GIS desktop applications
• Command line applications: useful
for testing and customizing GIS
operations
• Scripts: useful for batch processing
and dynamic modelling
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Source: NRC Next, June 23 2015
18. Open Source versus Proprietary
• With proprietary software there is one point of contact,
with open source software the support comes from the
community
• License cost versus capacity development: Potentially
save enough money on software to save jobs!
• Licenses on tools are hard to sell, more profits from
participation in projects that need improvements on
the tool or capacity development using the tool
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19. Open Source versus Proprietary
• Open source tools provide often optimal interoperability between internal
and external components
• Open source tools use more open standards
• Proprietary tools tend to lock the user in: hard to make improvements,
stuck with formats
• Open Source can be peer reviewed
• More confidence in the tool
• Bugs are easier removed by the community
• New developments are quicker implemented (state of the art)
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20. Open Source versus Proprietary
Proprietary GIS
software:
• ESRI ArcGIS
• Clark Labs IDRISI
• …
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Open Source GIS
software:
• QGIS
• SAGA
• ILWIS
• GDAL
• …
21. Open Source Discussion
• http://www.whitesourcesoftware.com/top-10-
open-source-myths-busted/
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24. ArcGIS Desktop Components
• ArcMap: The core program of the whole GIS system
and mapping (ArcToolbox)
• ArcCatalog: geo-database management / metadata
• ArcGlobe: 3D globe (true geodetic location)
• ArcScene: 3D and 2.5D main tool (3D Analyst)
• ArcReader: Map reader (free!)
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25. ArcMap - extensions
Most ESRI extensions are
licensed separately (means more
money). Fortunately for ArcSWAT
that is not the case.
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26. OSGeo
• Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo)
• Non Profit Umbrella for:
• GeoSpatial Open Source Software
• Education
• Open Data
http://osgeo.org
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28. OSGeo4W
A binary distribution of a broad set of open source geospatial software
for Windows environments. Includes:
• Quantum GIS: Desktop GIS
• uDig: User-friendly Desktop Internet GIS
• OpenEV: A high performance raster/vector desktop data viewer and
analysis tool.
• MapServer: A web mapping package.
• GDAL/OGR: A library and set of commandline utility applications for
reading and writing a variety of geospatial raster (GDAL) and vector
(OGR) formats.
• PROJ.4: A cartographic projections library with commandline utilities.
• Python: a scripting language.
• Over 150 other packages
http://osgeo4w.osgeo.org
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29. OSGeo Live
• Self-contained bootable DVD,
USB thumb drive or Virtual
Machine based on Lubuntu, that
allows you to try a wide variety of
open source geospatial software
without installing anything.
• Provides pre-configured
applications for a range of
geospatial use cases, including
storage, publishing, viewing,
analysis and manipulation of data
http://live.osgeo.org
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30. QGIS
• Formerly known as Quantum GIS
• The QGIS project began in February, 2002.
First release: July, 2002
• Produced by a Development team: Gary Sherman, Founder
• Current version: 2.8.2 Wien (February 2015)
• Open Source (GNU GPL license)
• Runs on Windows, Macintosh and Linux
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31. Why QGIS
• It’s free, as in lunch. Installing and using the QGIS program costs you a
grand total of zero money. No initial fee, no recurring fee, nothing.
• It’s free, as in liberty. If you need extra functionality in QGIS, you can do
more than just hope it will be included in the next release. You can sponsor
the development of a feature, or add it yourself if you are familiar with
programming.
• It’s constantly developing. Because anyone can add new features and
improve on existing ones, QGIS never stagnates. The development of a new
tool can happen as quickly as you need it to.
• Extensive help and documentation is available. If you’re stuck with
anything, you can turn to the extensive documentation, your fellow QGIS
users, or even the developers.
• Cross-platform. QGIS can be installed on MacOS, Windows and Linux.
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Source: http://docs.qgis.org
33. Standalone windows installer
• Installs one complete copy with Grass, Python, and the
correct libraries.
• Updates or "service packs"
• Uninstall and reinstall the software and keep the settings
33
34. OSGeo4W network installer
• Wizard to install different
OSGeo applications, including
their dependencies
• Easy updating of applications
and their dependencies
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35. GDAL
• A translator library to decode raster geospatial data format
• Geodata Abstraction Layer
• Supports a great number of formats: GeoTIFF, Erdas Imagine, SDTS, ECW,
MrSID, JPEG2000, DTED, NITF,
• Supports most language interfaces: C++/Java/Python…
• Utilities program included
• Widely used by many other GIS applications
• OGR for vector
• http://www.gdal.org
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36. Python
• Many geospatial analysis
libraries exist for the Python
programming language.
• Integrated in GIS desktop
software (commercial and
non-commercial)
• Scripting makes your
(scientific) life more efficient
36
37. Lots of tools, let’s be practical!
• Some things to remember:
• Use a combination of tools. Each tool has its advantages and
disadvantages
• The way to learn a tool is to practice with it on a real case,
reading books, manuals or lecture notes don’t help much
• Use Google for your questions when you’re stuck, not your
lecturer or a manual
− Hits from Stack Overflow give the best results
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38. Resources
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Learning GIS
• A gentle introduction to GIS by
QGIS:
http://www.qgis.org/en/docs/g
entle_gis_introduction/index.ht
ml
• Principals of Geographical
Information Systems (Burrough
& McDonnell)
• Learning QGIS 2.0, eBook from
Packt publishing
I’m stuck, what now?
• QGIS documentation
http://www.qgis.org/en/docs/in
dex.html
• Use Google for your questions
when you’re stuck, not your
lecturer or a manual. Hits from
Stack Overflow give the best
results
