GIS:
The Grand Unifying
Technology
Introduction to GIS
 What
is GIS?
 Why GIS?
 Contributing Disciplines
 Applications of GIS
 GIS functions
 Information about this course
What is GIS?
It is a:
 Tool, a science, a software
 It is a marriage between computer
cartography and database
management
 It tells you what is where and why
 It can model change over time and
space.
 what
is your zip code?
What comprises GIS?
 An
integration of five basic components
People
Data
Software
Hardware
Procedures
How can GIS help?
Who does GIS
…almost everyone.
GIS Specialist/
GIS Analyst: designs projects
GIS Technician:
works under the direction of a GIS Specialist
Ancillary GIS Duties:
Police and Fire Depts., NGOs,
City Planning, Resource Management, Marketing/Business
General Public:
GIS in cars, UPS, Elections in Florida
Increasing Skill Level
GIS
Scientist:
writes algorithms
Contributing Disciplines
 Geography
 understanding
the world and man’s place
in it
 Cartography-art
 display
 Remote
of map making
of spatial information
Sensing (define)
 images
from space and air
 source of information for GIS
Contributing Disciplines
 Photogrammetry
 accurate
measurement from photographs
 Surveying
 high
quality positional data
 Geodesy accurate
shape of the earth
positional data (control points)
 Statistics
 GIS
models are often statistical in nature
Contributing Disciplines
 Computer
 e.g.
Science
CAD, database management
 Math
 especially
 Civil
geometry and graph theory
Engineering
 application

roads etc.
driven
Why GIS?
 better
administration of geographical
data
 property
ownership
 tax records
 utilities
 forests
 etc.
Why GIS?
 framework
for analyzing spatial
problems
 easy manipulation of map related
information
 insight into spatial relationships
Why GIS?
 better
administration of geographical
data
 property
ownership
 tax records
 utilities
 forests
 etc.
Applications
 Street
Network Based
 vehicle
routing
 address matching
 site selection
Applications
 Natural
Resource based
 forestry
management
 wildlife preservation
 agricultural land management
 wetland preservation
Applications
 Land
Parcel Based
 Zoning
 Land
Acquisition (greenways)
 Water Quality Management
Applications
 Facility
Management
 Utilities
(pipes, cables, etc.)
 Facility maintenance
You want to buy a house?

Must be close to school.

Must live near a main road.

Would like to live close to urban area.

Would like to live in an area with a low crime
rate.
You need to find…
 Map
showing schools.
 Map showing main roads.
 Map showing location of urban center.
 Map showing insurance zones as a
surrogate measure for crime rates.
GIS Functions

Capture
 Store
 Query

Analyze
 Display
 Output
Capturing Data
Paper Maps
GIS Data
Digital Data
satellite
with radar altimeter
orbit
48585.5, 3759432
Coordinates
GPS
Storing Data:
Vector & Raster Formats
 Database
consists
of points, lines
and polygons
Grid
Cells
or pixels
Query
 Identifying
specific features
I
know what but where?
Ex. What county is this?
 Identifying
I
features based on conditions
know where but what?
 Ex. California counties with population
greater than 500,000
Analysis
Proximity – which parcels are within 100 feet of the road?
 Overlay




Well type
Building owner
Soil type
Drilled
Smith
Sandy loam
Network analysis – examines how linear features are
connected and how resources flow through them. Traffic flow,
water flow
Display
 Maps
 Graphs
 Reports
Output
Paper map
GIS Data
Image
Cowboy.jpg
Internet
Document
Texas.mxd
Organizing spatial data
 A GIS
works with thematic layers of
spatial data
 Answer
questions by comparing
different layers of data
Cartography – the science of map making
 Scale
 Projections
 Coordinate
 Datums
Systems
Topics presented in this class

Introduction to GIS
 Introduction to cartographic principles
 Models of Reality: Vector and Raster data
models
 Implementation of a GIS
 Spatial Data
 Introduction to GPS
 Spatial Analysis
 Sampling, Error and Uncertainty
 Cartographic Design
 Future of GIS
Why should you learn GIS?
 It
is one of the biggest specialized skills
in demand today.
 It is a multibillion $$$$ industry.
 It touches just about every discipline in
some way.
 It affects your daily life and will do so
increasingly in the future.
What should you know
about this course?

It will be an adventure.
 It will not be presented on a silver platter.
 It is technology dependent, and technology does not
always work.
 If you think the instructors have all the answers, we
have some beach front property we would like to sell
you.
 You are in the drivers seat, what you get out of this
class will depend on you.
 The Course Goal…