An Introduction to Open Source GIS North Dakota GIS Users Conference October 24, 2006

1. An Introduction to Open Source GIS North Dakota GIS Users Conference October 24, 2006

2. Commercial GIS Providers • ESRI • Intergraph • Autodesk • MapInfo 2004 software revenue: $1.5 billion (daratech.com)

3. What is Open Source? • Developers freely read, modify, and redistribute source code • Users freely use and distribute programs • There is no cost to acquire the software and there are no maintenance fees • There may be cost for training and development of customized applications

4. Why Check Out Open Source GIS? • To become somewhat educated on it • Open Source GIS is exploding in functionality and applications • Create a baseline of current offerings so that their progress can be measured • Identify where these tools could fit into state government

5. Benefits of Open Source GIS • Provides GIS functionality to people who otherwise couldn't afford the tools • Provides opportunity to customize for local needs • Unlimited copies to desktops & servers • Drives industry standards such as Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) web services such as WMS, WFS, others.

6. Who is using Open Source GIS? • Federal agencies • United Nations • Local and state government • State Water Commission • Consulting firms • Many others!

7. Research Environment • Almost all of the tools reviewed were built from source • The primary testing platform is my home computer: • Dell Inspiron 2650 laptop • 512mb RAM (was 256mb) • 1.6gHz with a good tailwind • Dual boot, Suse 10.1 partition • This presentation was built with OpenOffice

8. Why do this on Linux? • Many/all of the packages run on Windows and have nice install tools • However... • Several of the OSGIS binaries come pre-packaged with other tools; I wanted to have maximum flexibility • Wanted a robust development environment

9. GIS Components Reviewed • Server – Database: • PostgreSQL • PostGIS • pgAdmin • Server – Web: • MapServer • Cartoweb • MapGuide OpenSource • GeoNetwork • Desktop: • OpenJump • QGIS • GRASS • OSSIM

10. Other Components Used • Geospatial libraries used at the command line and/or by other software: • GDAL – (Geospatial Data Abstraction Library) used for raster processing, e.g., re-projection, build contours, mosaics, conversion between formats. Also used by FME, Google Earth, and ArcGIS 9.2 • OGR – (OpenGIS Simple Features Reference Implementation) is part of GDAL, used for vector processing, e.g., re-projection, conversion between formats

11. Components To Work on Yet... • GeoServer – used to publish and edit data over the web. Supports OGC formats including WFS-T (transactions) • uDig – User-friendly Desktop Internet GIS is a powerful tool with excellent access to open standard web services • ossimPlanet – richly-featured 3-D globe tool that utilizes multiple local data sources and web services

12. Components To Work on Yet... • OpenEV – library and application for viewing & analyzing raster & vector data • GeoTools – Java GIS toolkit, supports multiple vector & raster formats, data manipulation, generally used as an API • Mapbender & MapBuilder– web mapping tools that support WMS, WFS, WFS-T, Google, authentication • Web tools such as Chameleon, ka-map

13. Desktop GIS Desktop GIS Desktop GIS Database(s) File(s) Generalized GIS Architecture Commercial: ArcGIS, ArcExplorer, ArcPad OS: OpenJump, QGIS, uDig, GRASS, OSSIM Web Applications Database Applications Server Applications Commercial: ArcIMS, Metadata Explorer, ArcGIS Server OS: MapServer, GeoNetwork, GeoServer Commercial: ArcSDE, Oracle Spatial OS: PostGIS Commercial: ArcGIS Server, ArcGIS Image Server OS: GeoServer?, PostGIS Shapefiles, Images, CSV Commercial: Oracle, SQL Server OS: PostgreSQL

14. Ready or Not, Here We Go! • Buckle in and hang on...

15. Database: PostgreSQL • Enterprise class database • Not just for geospatial use • ArcSDE may run on this in the future • http://www.postgresql.org

16. Database: PostGIS • Works with PostgreSQL • Spatially enables a database • Similar to ArcSDE or Oracle Spatial, though no raster support • Does geoprocessing, e.g., buffer, intersect, area, etc. • http://postgis.refractions.net

17. Database: PostGIS – Data Loading • Command line with shp2pgsql • GUI with QGIS plug-in • Other, e.g., applications, WFS-T

18. Database: pgAdmin • Administration & development tool for PostgreSQL • SQL queries, job scheduling, etc. • http://www.pgadmin.org

19. Database: pgAdmin

20. Web: MapServer • Dominant “engine” behind open source interactive web mapping & web services • Accesses multiple data types including ArcSDE (except for raster) • Developed at Univ. of Minnesota • http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu

22. Web: CartoWeb • Interactive mapping presentation and development tool, uses MapServer • Very robust and functional • security • WMS support • PDF printing • http://www.cartoweb.org

24. Web: MapGuide Open Source • From Autodesk • Appears to have many of the tools and development functionality of commercial products • Support for ArcSDE, OGC WMS • https://mapguide.osgeo.org/

26. Web - GeoNetwork • Used for metadata editing, loading, publishing, and searching, data viewing • Used by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization • Appears to meet/exceed commercial offerings • http://geonetwork-opensource.org

28. Desktop - OpenJump • Has a long history which include forks into other projects • Allows access to ArcSDE • Active development from around the world • http://openjump.org

29. Local shapefile layer PostGIS layer GIS Hub (with VPN) layers GIS Hub WMS layer

30. Desktop – QGIS (Quantum GIS) • Bob's current favorite! • Offers limited on-the-fly projection • Plug-ins including those for GPS units • Can provide GUI to GRASS • http://qgis.org

32. Desktop - GRASS • Geographic Resources Analysis Support System • Developed by US ACOE in 1982-1995, now in academic community • Offers advanced analysis and display • Works with QGIS • http://grass.itc.it

35. Desktop - OSSIM • Open Source Software Image Map • Pronounced “awesome” and it is! • Remote sensing, image processing • Plugins available, e.g., NASA WorldWind • Future – working with QGIS • http://www.ossim.org

38. Whew! Are We Done Yet?! • OK, time to bring it home...

39. Open Source GIS - Pros • Free, no annual maintenance • Worldwide community support, professional support also available • Less dependencies between software • Unlimited copies to servers and desktops • Runs on multiple platforms • Freedom to create a package as needed

40. Open Source GIS - Cons • Too many choices – a good problem? • Generally lack good cartography, projection on-the-fly, printing, robust editing, and full ArcSDE support • There is some risk of development ceasing for a given tool – stay with the larger tools • Less local training opportunities • Smaller local knowledge / user base

41. Food for Thought • Open Source GIS tools are already in use by governmental and private organizations around the world • Open Source GIS is a way of getting GIS to organizations and users while greatly reducing cost • Be realistic, evaluate carefully - there is no perfect commercial or Open Source GIS software

42. A Vision for the Future • Both commercial AND Open Source GIS tools should be on the list of products to be evaluated when deploying GIS • It shouldn't really matter which software is being used or is to be used: Vendor A, Vendor B, or Open Source - data standards are the important item

43. Want to Learn More? • White paper comparing tools: http://www.refractions.net/white_papers/index.php?file=2006-06-01_oss_briefing.data • General resource to users and developers: http://www.maptools.org • O’Reilly Reference book: Web Mapping Illustrated, by Tyler Mitchell • Open Source Geospatial Foundation: https://www.osgeo.org • Definition of open source and other info: www.opensource.org

44. Thank You! Bob Nutsch GIS Coordinator State of North Dakota 701-328-3212 bnutsch@nd.gov