MapWindow

MapWindow is an open source "Programmable Geographic Information System" that supports manipulation, analysis, and viewing of geospatial data and associated attribute data in several standard GIS data formats.

MapWindow is a
mapping tool, a GIS modeling system and a GIS application programming interface (API) all in one convenient redistributable open source solution.

The MapWindow application is a free, extensible geographic information system (GIS) that can be in many ways:

• As an open-source alternative desktop GIS
• To distribute data to others
• To develop and distribute custom spatial data analysis tools

MapWindow (Features)

• As an open-source tool, MapWindow is free to use and redistribute to the user clients and other end users. It may also be modified to fit the user needs, or embedded into proprietary software.
• MapWindow is more than just a data viewer. It is an extensible geographic information system. This means that advanced users or developers can write plugins to add additional functionality (models, special viewers, hot-link handlers, data editors, etc.) and pass these along to any number of the user's clients and end users.
• MapWindow includes standard GIS data visualization features as well as DBF attribute table editing, shapefile editing, and data converters. Dozens of standard GIS formats are supported, including Shapefile, GeoTIFF, ESRI ArcInfo ASCII and binary grids.
• MapWindow also includes a complete ActiveX component which may be used to instantly add GIS capabilities to the user's existing software product. Additional geoprocessing components are available. NET-compatible languages.

Geographical Information System(GI)

1. GIS: A type of software

• A computer systems that allows us to handle information about the location of features or phenomena on the Earth's surface
• Has all the functionality of a conventional DBMS plus much of the functionality of a computer mapping system
• GIS as a DBMS that allows us to explicitly handle the spatial
• Common examples:

                ArcGIS

                MapInfo

2. GIS: A tool - kit

         Manipulate spatially:

                 Calculate distances and adjacencies

                 Change projections and scales

                  Integrate disparate sources

         Analyse spatially:

                  Quantitative analysis

                   Exploratory spatial data analysis

                   Qualitative analysis

         Visualize data:

                    Maps!

                    Tables, graphs, etc.

                    Animations

                    Virtual landscapes

3. Approach:

    Explore the database:

          In conventional ways

          AND geographically

• Allows us to think about the implications of location
• Allows us to think holistically
• Should not be restricted by vendor - provided functionality
• Should be used imaginatively taking into account

              - the advantages and limitations of geographical information

              - the traditions of humanities scholarship

Geographical Information Technologies

• Global Positioning System (GPS)

               a system of earth - orbiting satellites which can provide precise (100 meter to sub - cm.) location on                                   the earth's surface (in lat/long coordinates or equiv.)

• Remote Sensing (RS)

                use of satellites or aircraft to capture information about the earth's surface

                Digital ortho images a key product (map accurate digital photos)

• Geographic Information System (GIS)

                 Software systems with capability for input, storage manipulation/analysis and output/display of geographic (spatial) information

GPS and RS are sources of input data for a GIS

A GIS provides for storing and manipulating GPS and RS data.

Geographical Information System:(intuitive description)

• A map with a database behind it
• A virtual representation of the real world and its infrastructure
• A consistent "as - built" of the real world natural and manmade

Which is

• queried ti support on - going operation
• summarized to support strategic decision making and policy formulation
• analyzed to support scientific inquiry