GvSIG
Overview
Geographic Information System
A geographic information system, geographical information science, or geospatial information studies is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data...
(GIS), that is, a desktop application designed for capturing, storing, handling, analyzing and deploying any kind of referenced geographic information in order to solve complex management and planning problems. gvSIG is known for having a user-friendly interface, being able to access the most common formats, both vector and raster ones. It features a wide range of tools for working with geographic-like information (query tools, layout creation, geoprocessing, networks, etc.), which turns gvSIG into the ideal tool for users working in the land realm.
gvSIG is known for:
- Integrating in the same view both local (files, databases) and remote data through OGCOpen Geospatial ConsortiumThe Open Geospatial Consortium , an international voluntary consensus standards organization, originated in 1994. In the OGC, more than 400 commercial, governmental, nonprofit and research organizations worldwide collaborate in a consensus process encouraging development and implementation of open...
standards. - Being designed to be easily extendable, allowing continuous application enhancement, as well as enabling the development of tailor-made solutions.
- Being open sourceOpen sourceThe term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
software, under the GNU General Public LicenseGNU General Public LicenseThe GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
(GPL), which allows its free use, distribution, study and improvement. - Being available in several languages: Spanish, English UK, English USA, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Portuguese-Brazilian, Russian, Chinese, Serbian, Swahili, Turkish, Czech, Polish, Romanian, Greek, Basque, Valencian, Gallego.
- Being developed using JavaJava (programming language)Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
, and being available for LinuxLinuxLinux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, Windows and Mac OS XMac OS XMac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
platforms
Typical tools in a full-fledged desktop GIS client can also be found in gvSIG, among other things:
- Access to vector formats: SHPShapefileThe Esri Shapefile or simply a shapefile is a popular geospatial vector data format for geographic information systems software. It is developed and regulated by Esri as a open specification for data interoperability among Esri and other software products.Shapefiles spatially describe geometries:...
, DXF, GMLGeography Markup LanguageThe Geography Markup Language is the XML grammar defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium to express geographical features. GML serves as a modeling language for geographic systems as well as an open interchange format for geographic transactions on the Internet...
, DWG.dwgDWG is a binary file format used for storing two and three dimensional design data and metadata. It is the native format for several CAD packages including AutoCAD, IntelliCAD and Caddie. In addition, DWG is supported non-natively by many other CAD applications...
, DGNDGNDGN is the name used for CAD file formats supported by Bentley Systems' MicroStation and Intergraph's Interactive Graphics Design System CAD programs.There are two versions of DGN:...
, KMLKMLKML or kml may refer to:* Kamileroi Airport , Queensland, Australia* Keyhole Markup Language, an XML geospatial data file format...
. - Access to raster formats: BMP, GIFGIFThe Graphics Interchange Format is a bitmap image format that was introduced by CompuServe in 1987 and has since come into widespread usage on the World Wide Web due to its wide support and portability....
, TIFF, JPEGJPEGIn computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
, JP2JPEG 2000JPEG 2000 is an image compression standard and coding system. It was created by the Joint Photographic Experts Group committee in 2000 with the intention of superseding their original discrete cosine transform-based JPEG standard with a newly designed, wavelet-based method...
, PNG, VRTVRTThe abbreviation VRT may be a reference to:* Vehicle Registration Tax* Verkehrsverbund Region Trier, Trier regional transport* Vision Restoration Therapy, a therapy to improve the visual field after a stroke or brain injury...
, DAT of ENVI, ERDAErdaERDA may refer to:* Erda, Utah* Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis . Synonym of ERD* Erda or Urd, confused with the goddess Jörð, in Richard Wagner's opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen...
S (LAN, GIS, IMG), PCI Geomatics (PIX, AUX), ADF of ESRIESRIEsri is a software development and services company providing Geographic Information System software and geodatabase management applications. The headquarters of Esri is in Redlands, California....
, ILWISILWISILWIS is a GIS / Remote sensing software for both vector and raster processing. ILWIS features include digitizing, editing, analysis and display of data as well as production of quality maps...
(MPR, MPL), MAP of PC Raster, ASCASC-Australia:* Australian Sports Commission* Australian Submarine Corporation, a naval equipment manufacturer in Adelaide, South Australia-Canada:* Advertising Standards Canada* Association des Scouts du Canada* Airsoft Canada-Republic of China :...
, PGM, PPM, RST of IDRISIIDRISIIDRISI is an integrated geographic information system and remote sensing software developed by Clark Labs at Clark University for the analysis and display of digital geospatial information...
, RMFRMF-Computing:* Resource Measurement Facility, a Performance Management component of the IBM z/OS Operating System* Rich Music Format, a music file format defined by Beatnik* Recover My Files, a Data Recovery Application called Recover my Files...
, NOSNOS-Business:* National Occupational Standards, people are expected to achieve* New old stock, merchandise being offered for sale which was manufactured long ago but that has never been used-Geography:* NOS, IATA code for Fascene Airport, in Nosy Be, Madagascar...
, KAP, HDRHDRHDR may refer to:* HDR, Inc., an American architectural and engineering firm* Hard disk recorder* Hevy Devy Records, a record label* High Dose Rate, a treatment technique in radiotherapy* High dynamic range imaging, digital imaging...
, RAWRAW image formatA camera raw image file contains minimally processed data from the image sensor of either a digital camera, image scanner, or motion picture film scanner. Raw files are so named because they are not yet processed and therefore are not ready to be printed or edited with a bitmap graphics editor...
. - Access to remote services: OGCOpen Geospatial ConsortiumThe Open Geospatial Consortium , an international voluntary consensus standards organization, originated in 1994. In the OGC, more than 400 commercial, governmental, nonprofit and research organizations worldwide collaborate in a consensus process encouraging development and implementation of open...
(WMSWeb Map ServiceA Web Map Service is a standard protocol for serving georeferenced map images over the Internet that are generated by a map server using data from a GIS database...
, WFSWeb Feature ServiceThe Open Geospatial Consortium Web Feature Service Interface Standard provides an interface allowing requests for geographical features across the web using platform-independent calls...
, WCSWeb Coverage ServiceThe Open Geospatial Consortium Web Coverage Service Interface Standard provides an interface allowing requests for geographical coverages across the web using platform-independent calls...
, WFS-T, WPSWeb Processing ServiceThe OGC Web Processing Service Interface Standard provides rules for standardizing how inputs and outputs for invoking geospatial processing services, such as polygon overlay, as a Web service. The WPS standard defines how a client can request the execution of a process, and how the output from...
), ArcIMSArcIMSArcIMS is a Web Map Server produced by Esri. It is a GIS that is designed to serve maps across the Internet. Sometimes these maps are just static images allowing simple panning and zooming, while others are more complex pages...
, Ecwp. - Access to databases and tables: PostGISPostGISPostGIS is an open source software program that adds support for geographic objects to the PostgreSQL object-relational database. PostGIS follows the Simple Features for SQL specification from the Open Geospatial Consortium .-Features:...
, MySQLMySQLMySQL officially, but also commonly "My Sequel") is a relational database management system that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. It is named after developer Michael Widenius' daughter, My...
, ArcSDEArcSDEArcSDE is a server-software sub-system that aims to enable the usage of Relational Database Management Systems for spatial data...
, OracleOracle DatabaseThe Oracle Database is an object-relational database management system produced and marketed by Oracle Corporation....
, JDBC, CSVComma-separated valuesA comma-separated values file stores tabular data in plain-text form. As a result, such a file is easily human-readable ....
. - Display:zooms, panning, frames, locator.
- Query: information, area and distance measurement, hyperlink.
- Selection: by point, by rectangle, by polygon, by layer, by polyline, by circle, by buffer zone, alphanumeric search, invert selection, delete selection.
- Searching: by attribute, by coordinates.
- Geoprocessing: buffer, intersection, clip, dissolve, union, convex hull, difference, merge, spatial join, XY shift, reprojection, Sextante geoprocessing.
- Graphical editing: add event layers, snapping, grid, flatness, command stack, undo/redo, copy, move, symmetry, rotate, scale, edit vertex, internal polygon, matrix, explode, split, join, autocomplete polygon, insert point, multipoint, line, arc, polyline, polygon, rectangle, square, circle, ellipse.
- Alphanumeric editing: manage fields, edit registers, field calculator.
- Catalogue and gazetteer services
- Vector representation: unique symbol, quantities (dot density, intervals, graduated symbols, proportional symbols), categories (expressions, unique values), multiple attributes, save/load legend, symbology constructor, symbology levels, symbology libraries.
- Raster representation: brightness, contrast, enhance, transparency by pixel, opacity, colour tables, gradients.
- Labeling: Static labeling, advanced labeling, individual labeling.
- Tables: statistics, filter, ascending/descending order, link, join, move selection, export, import fields, coding, normalization.
- Layout constructor: page layout, cartographic elements (view, legend, north, scale, frames, image, text, graphic), grid, templates.
- Printing: to PDF, to Postscript, export to several image formats.
- Network analysis: network topology, stops manager, minimum path, connectivity, minimum spanning tree, origin - destination matrix, emergency / nearest facilities provider, service areas.
- Raster and remote sensing: statistics, filters, histogram, scale range, enhance, save to raster file, vectorization, Region of Interest (ROI) definition, general components, georeferencing, geolocation, supervised classification, band algebra, image profiles, decision tree, main components, [tasseled cap]], image fusion, scatter diagram, mosaics.
- Publishing: MapServerMapServerMapServer is an open source development environment for building spatially-enabled internet applications. It can run as a CGI program or via MapScript which supports several programming languages . MapServer was developed by the University of Minnesota — so, it is often and more specifically...
's WCSWeb Coverage ServiceThe Open Geospatial Consortium Web Coverage Service Interface Standard provides an interface allowing requests for geographical coverages across the web using platform-independent calls...
, WMSWeb Map ServiceA Web Map Service is a standard protocol for serving georeferenced map images over the Internet that are generated by a map server using data from a GIS database...
and WFSWeb Feature ServiceThe Open Geospatial Consortium Web Feature Service Interface Standard provides an interface allowing requests for geographical features across the web using platform-independent calls...
, GeoserverGeoServerIn computing, GeoServer - an open-source server written in Java - allows users to share and edit geospatial data. Designed for interoperability, it publishes data from any major spatial data source using open standards...
's WFSWeb Feature ServiceThe Open Geospatial Consortium Web Feature Service Interface Standard provides an interface allowing requests for geographical features across the web using platform-independent calls...
. - 3D and animation: 3D Views, XYZ-projected as well as spherical (planetary), 3D layers, 3D symbology, 3D editing, 3D framing, 2D and 3D animation, stereo viewing (horizontal split).
- TopologyTopologyTopology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
: topological building, topological editing, generalization, reverse line direction, polygons from/to lines, lines from/to points, Delaunay triangulationDelaunay triangulationIn mathematics and computational geometry, a Delaunay triangulation for a set P of points in a plane is a triangulation DT such that no point in P is inside the circumcircle of any triangle in DT. Delaunay triangulations maximize the minimum angle of all the angles of the triangles in the...
, Thiessen polygons, build, clean, topological error fixing (in Batch mode). - Other: Coordinates Reference Systems manager, import from/export to WMC, scripting, translations manager.
Sextante GIS has been ported to a plugin for gvSIG adding a host of raster and vector analysis functions in addition to gvSIG's impressive built-in vector analysis tools.
