Free

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Free Open Source Software (FOSS) Applications
Technologies
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FOSS Applications Technologies

• Summary
• Introduction
• Interoperability and Data Conversion
• The Geodatabase
• Desktop Mapping
• Geographical Analysis
• Web mapping
• GPS
• Conclusion

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Free Open Source (FOSS)

• Applications of which you can access the source
  code
• Similar functionality as commercial software
  applications
• Becoming less IT oriented and more GUI friendly
• Provides useful information to users about the
  construction of applications
• Provide the ability to learn how to construct
  tailored applications for specific uses
• Allows for a more informed decision on what is
  needed outside the free and open source
  environment

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Interoperability

• Defined by the The Global Spatial Data
  Infrastructure Association as
• The capability to communicate, execute programs,
  or transfer data among various functional units
  in a manner that requires the user to have little
  or no knowledge of the unique characteristics of
  those units.
• ISO 19118

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Interoperability Data Conversion

• GDAL - Geospatial Data Abstraction Library
  (www.gdal.org)
• a translator library for raster geospatial data
  formats that is released under an Open Source
  license by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation.
  It comes with a variety of useful commandline
  utilities for data translation and processing of
  both raster and vector data
• Cartographic Projections library
  (remotesensing.org/proj)
• Reprojection of rasters and vectors among
  different coordinate systems and datum are
  managed by the PROJ library The precision is the
  same as for major commercial software, and may be
  increased with slight adaptations of the existing
  code. It includes several related resources as
  well

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Interoperability Data Conversion

• Current Grids and Datums
• (asprs.org/resources/GRIDS)
• Since September 1998, the Grids and Datums column
  from each issue of PERS has been made available
  on the web site

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GDAL - Geospatial Data Abstraction Library
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Cartographic Projections Library
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Grids and Datums (American Society for
Photogrammetry Remote Sensing)
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Geodatabase

• PostGIS (postgis.refractions.net)
• Allows the storage and management of geographical
  vector data directly from within the database
  (thus using standard SQL and its Open Geospatial
  Consortium extensions distance, area, buffer,
  overlay etc much like ESRI's SDE or Oracle's
  Spatial extension)
• Every record is associated to a specific
  projection, thus in the same database data in
  different projections can coexist, and they'll be
  correctly overlayed

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Geodatabase

• The data model is non-topological, and fully
  compliant to Simple Feature specifications of OGC
  (SFS 1.1, SFS TF 1.1).
• Importing and exporting ESRI shapefile data is
  straightforward. Raster geodatabase are not
  available.
• Users in Australia, British Columbia, Colorado,
  Portugal, Virginia, Georgia, Switzerland,
  Florida, Chile, Switzerland, Brazil, Sweden,
  Italy, Norway, New Zealand, Germany, Sri Lanka
• WFP and FAO

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PostGIS
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Desktop Mapping

• Historically had a significant gap compared to
  commercial applications, because most GFOSS users
  were IT persons, more inclined toward problem
  solving than to graphical appearance
• In the last few years, thanks also to a larger
  user base, the situation has vastly improved
• QuantumGIS (http//qgis.org)
• most advanced raster vector image and data
  display and manipulation
• Thuban (http//thuban.intevation.org)
• strong limitations in the handling of rasters
• OpenEV (http//openev.sourceforge.net)
• powerful in image analysis -not easy for the
  unexperienced user

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Quantum GIS or QGIS
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QGIS Interface
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Geographical Analysis

• Short for Geographic Resources Analysis Support
  System
• Historically known as a raster GIS, difficult to
  use, mainly command-line oriented, since 2002 it
  has known a heavy development the 2D and 3D
  vector section, as well as the database
  integration, have been completely rewritten, and
  it is now available as a new (6.0) stable
  version.
• Very complete, with all functions required for a
  professional use, from management and analysis of
  geospatial data to image analysis, from chart and
  maps production to spatial modelling and 2D,
  2,5D, and full 3D visualization a complete list
  of the gt350 modules (many of which with several
  options, giving a total of more than 600 commands
• Can Be Accompanied with R statistical package
  (http//www.r-project.org) and a flow through
  with QGIS

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GRASSInterface
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Map Server Applications

• Definition Web Map Server-A service that can
  produce maps drawn into a standard image format
  (PNG, GIF, JPEG, etc). (GSDI Association ) based
  on a standard set of input parameters
• The first Mapserver (also called UMN Mapserver
  http//ms.gis.umn.edu) has been developed
  originally by the University of Minnesota. It is
  OGC compliant (WMS 1.1.0, WMS 1.0.0, WMC 1.0, WFS
  1.0.0, SLD 1.0, GML 2.0, Filter 1.0.0, WMS 1.1.1)
  
• Examples include pmapper (http//pmapper.sourcefor
  ge.net), Chameleon (http//chameleon.maptools.org)
  and Cartoweb (http//www.cartoweb.org)
• With these tools, customized map server
  applications can be built in a very
  cost-effective way

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http//ms.gis.umn.edu
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http//ms.gis.umn.edu
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p.mapper
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http//webgrs.wur.nl/cgi/Miscellaneous/EthioAtlas
p.mapper
Mapserver
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GPS (Free Open Source)

• Global Positioning System receivers are very
  useful and widespread
• Many free programs are available for interacting
  with GPS hardware, from single-purpose
  command-line downloading programs (e.g. gpstrans
  http//gpstrans.sourceforge.net) to the more
  sphisticated ones, with graphical interface and
  conversion tools (e.g. gpsbabel
  http//gpsbabel.sourceforge.net)
• Some have real-time navigation application (e.g.
  gpsdrive http//www.gpsdrive.cc) or differential
  correction (dgpsiphttp//www.wsrcc.com/wolfgang/g
  ps/dgps-ip.html).

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GPS data integration

• Easy integration among different tools,
  characteristic of open source programs, allows
  larger programs like GRASS and QGIS to and
  upload points and tracks straight from/to the
  devices.
• In the case of GRASS, data are reprojected
  automatically in the working projection and
  converted to the GRASS vector format.

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gpstrans
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GPSBabel
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Differential GPS Correction
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FOSS Online Resources

• Open Source Geospatial Foundation
  http//www.osgeo.org
• The FreeGIS Project http//www.freegis.org
• Map Tools Utilities http//maptools.org
• Open Source GIS http//opensourcegis.org
• Remote Sensing Open Source Support
  http//remotesensing.org
• Open Source Geospatial Consortium
  http//www.opengeospatial.org/

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Open Source Geospatial Foundation
http//www.osgeo.org
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The FreeGIS Project http//www.freegis.org
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Map Tools Utilities http//maptools.org
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Open Source GIS http//opensourcegis.org
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Remote Sensing Open Source Support
http//remotesensing.org
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Open Source Geospatial Consortium
http//www.opengeospatial .org/
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Conclusion

• Several products are mature and ready for
  professional use, whereas others, while usable,
  need further development to be really competitive
  (setting aside the cost of acquisition)
• UMN Mapserver is fully functional it does not
  have significant limitations, and in several
  respects it is superior to its commercial
  counterparts
• PostgreSQLPosGIS as a relational geodatabase is
  a very reliable and powerful solution, and has
  already replaced commercial top-end solutions

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Conclusion

• For geographic analyses, GRASS is fully
  functional, stable and very powerful. In many
  situations (where money is an issue underfunded
  universities and public administrations, small or
  heavily competing companies, etc.) it is the best
  alternative to the (unfortunately very common)
  illegal use of (cracked or stolen) proprietary
  software. Its inherent qualities, however, allow
  its use also in large and more complex settings
• Desktop mapping (and in particular QGIS) is
  usable, but still young some more months of
  development will be necessary to make it more
  stable and powerful

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Open Source Contributions?