What is GIS?
Open Source GIS Software
FlowMap
FlowMap is a freeware application
designed to analyze and display flow data. This application was developed at the
Faculty of Geographical Sciences of the Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
Platforms: Windows OS
GMT Mapping Tools
GMT is a free, public-domain collection
of ~60 UNIX tools that allow users to manipulate (x,y) and (x,y,z) data sets (including
filtering, trend fitting, gridding, projecting, etc.) and produce Encapsulated PostScript
File (EPS) illustrations ranging from simple x-y plots through contour maps to artificially
illuminated surfaces and 3-D perspective views in black and white, gray tone, hachure
patterns, and 24-bit color.
Platforms: UNIX, Macintosh
Quantum GIS & GRASS
Also referred to as QGIS, Quantum GIS is
an Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS).
Platforms: Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, and Windows.
gvSIG
gvSIG is
an open source GIS application written in Java.
Platforms: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, UNIX
MapWindow GIS
MapWindow GIS is open source GIS application
that can be extended through plugins. The application is built using Microsoft’s
.NET
Platforms: Windows
uDig GIS
uDig GIS is a free, open
source GIS desktop application that runs on Windows, Linux and MacOS. uDig was designed
to use OGC’s OpenGIS standards such as WMS, WFS and more. One-click install allows
you to view local shapefiles, remote WMS services and even directly edit your own
spatial database geometries.
Platforms: Windows, Linux, Macintosh
Open Source Web GIS Servers
GeoServer
Java based open source server software that allows users to edit and share
geospatial data and uses open standards to spublish GIS data.
MapGuide Open Source
First introduced as open source by Autodesk in 2005, MapGuide Open Source allows
for the development of web based mapping.
MapServer
MapServer is an Open Source development environment for building spatially enabled
Internet applications. The software builds upon other popular Open Source or freeware
systems like Shapelib, FreeType, Proj.4, libTIFF, Perl and others.
OpenLayers
Javascript library that is open source for displaying GIS data within a browser
environment. OpenStreetMap uses OpenLayers for its main map display.
Open Source GIS Components and Packages
EDBS Reader
A free (GPLed) reader software for the EDBS format has been released: EDBS_extra
2.0. This open source utility is written in 'C'. The page is mostly in German.
fmaps
GIS/RS application for Linux and Gnome platforms. Open source code is available
for downloading from this site.
GeoTools
GeoTools is an open source, Java GIS toolkit for developing standards compliant
solutions. It's modular architecture allows extra functionality to be easily incorporated.
GeoTools aims to support OpenGIS and other relevant standards as they are developed.
MITAB
MITAB is an Open Source (i.e. Free) C++ library to read and write MapInfo .TAB (binary)
and .MIF/MID files. It is based on the OGR library which is an implementation of
the Open GIS Consortium Simple Feature specification.
OpenEV
OpenEV is a library, and reference application for viewing and analysing raster
and vector geospatial data. Download for Windows 98/NT/2000, Linux, Irix or Solaris
systems.
OpenMap
OpenMap is a FREE JavaBeans open source software component for viewing spatial data.
JavaBeans is a component specification for software written in the Java language.
In contrast to other GIS software components which offer both data viewing and analysis
capabilities, OpenMap is primarily for data viewing and offers very little in the
way of analysis functionality.
rmap
rmap is a package that will allow you to generate images of the earth from a distance
or fairly zoomed in. The code is a small C binary that reads a datafile of vectors
to generate the image.
Tkgeomap
Tkgeomap is a set of extensions to the Tcl/Tk scripting language for manipulating
and displaying geographic data.
Topology Framework.NET
(TF.NET)
TF.NET represents a managed topology manipulation API capable of handling managed
objects representation of topological KIGWEBEntities based on other popular APIs, exposing
it's JTS-based common topology manipulation core to them. Supported external managed
APIs include: OSGeo Feature Data Objects (FDO) geometries, OSGeo MapGuide Server
(FDO-based) geometries and Autodesk ObjectARX geometries (a.k.a. KIGWEBEntities) and,
most recently, Oracle's ODP.NET. Functions provided include: Spatial predicates
(based on the DE-9IM model), Overlay functions (intersection, difference, union,
symmetric difference), Buffer, Convex hull, Area and distance functions, Topological
validity checking, Coordinate systems manipulation (transformations), Topological
graphs manipulation, and more. TF.NET libraries are free, licensed under GNU
LGPL and available for download from Google Code page.
Vhclmaps
Vhclmaps is a package of map viewers and spatial data servers that work with map
databases.
Related Resources:
OSGeo
Also referred to as the Open Source Geospatial Foundation, this entity supports
the collaborative development of open source GIS software.
Open Source Imagery Processing
Open source software for processing imagery.
State of Open Source GIS
Intensive survey by Paul Ramsey published in September of 2007 that reviews open
source GIS grouped by programming language. The survey looks at C, Java, .NET
and web-based GIS.
Commercial and Proprietary GIS Software
Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
Autodesk has a series of software applications
designed to meet GIS needs in a variety of areas that interfaces with their CAD
software.
Platforms: Windows
ESRI
Environmental Systems Research Institue has been creating GIS software for over
30 years. Recognized as the leader in GIS software, it's been estimated that about
seventy percent of GIS users use Esri products. Esri overhauled their software packages
into an interoperable model called ArcGIS
(the desktop GIS is referred to as ArcGIS Pro).
Platforms: Windows
Intergraph
Intergraph makes several
GIS applications
. Most of the GIS packages are designed with an Open GIS
in mind and therefore can work with a variety of other GIS software formats. Intergraph has
developed products that help merge GIS with information technology (IT)
and business process improvement tools. Intergraph offers the GeoMedia family
of solutions and Modular GIS Environment MGE Suite of mapping and GIS applications.
Using an open architecture, the GeoMedia product suite integrates geospatial information throughout the enterprise and provides the tools needed to develop business-to-business and custom client applications using industry standard development tools. GeoMedia offers uninhibited access to all geospatial data formats without the need for data translations. Currently in Version 4.0 the GeoMedia family is made up of GeoMedia, GeoMedia Professional, GeoMedia WebMap, and GeoMedia WebEnterprise.
The Modular GIS Environment (MGE) product suite provides production-ready capabilities
for automating, managing, analyzing, and presenting GIS data, and is completely
interoperable with GeoMedia.
Platforms: Windows OS
MapInfo - Pitney Bowes Business Insight (PBBI)
PBBI's flagship software is MapInfo, a
suite of GIS software. MapInfo Professional is their leading GIS product containing
the most advanced analytical tools. MapInfo also offers plug-ins called add-ons
to enhance the functionality of MapInfo Professional. For the development side,
MapInfo offers Map-X. Through an Active X component, developers can embed mapping
applications into other applications such as Excel. Although it can be used for
a variety of analysis, the makers of MapInfo market the software more towards the
business sector. Demo versions are available for downloading for some of MapInfo's
products.
Platforms: Windows OS
SuperGIS Desktop
Desktop GIS solution from SuperGeo
for geoprocessing and displaying, editing, managing, querying and
analyzing geographic data.
Platforms: Windows
Free GIS data
Country level GIS Data
Free LULC data from ESRI
India’s authentic Administrative Boundary Database from Survey of India
Archive of Remote Sensing data from 47 satellites from ISRO