Introduction to GIS
What is GIS?
What are GIS Components?
Geographic Information Systems
• Definition:
– A computer-based system to aid in the
collection, maintenance, storage, analysis,
output, and distribution of spatial data and
information (Bolstad 2002)
– Key to this definition:
• Absolute and relative location of features
• Properties and attributes of features
El Capitan Climbing routes
El Capitan Rock types
Hurricane Katrina
From Deidre Sullivan
Other Applications
• Risk assessment
– Natural disasters, disease infection, etc.
• Transportation systems
– Highways and interstates, subway and bus
routes
• Infrastructure
– Power grids, sewage, water and gas lines
• Natural resource management
Geographic Information System
• Resolution can vary:
– Detailed:
• Location of buildings in a city
• Individual trees in a forest
– Coarse
• Population of the Eastern seaboard
• Depths of the Atlantic ocean
Who does GIS?
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:
From Deidre Sullivan
GIS in cars, UPS, Elections in Florida
Increasing Skill Level
GIS
Scientist:
writes algorithms
Who uses GIS?
• Public organizations
– Police and fire dispatch and routes
• NYFD
– Utilities (gas, cable, and water lines)
– Tax assessment and property records
– Land management
GIS Applications
•Scientists
–Endangered species
–Animal tracking and
migration
–Fisheries
management
•NOAA live maps
•Try a GIS Map
NOAA Mako shark track
GIS functions
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Capture
Store
Query
Analyze
Display
Output
GIS Components
• Five key components of GIS:
– Hardware
– Software
– Data
– People
– Method
Hardware
Software
• Environmental Systems Research
Institute (ESRI)
• Intergraph Corporation
• Autodesk
• Caliper: GIS Software, Mapping
Software
Supporting Technologies and Disciplines
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Geography
Cartography-art of map making
Remote Sensing
Photogrammetry
Surveying
Geodesy
Statistics
Computer Science
From Deidre Sullivan
Math
ESRI
• ESRI is the world leader in GIS
software
– Homepage
– Training
• ArcGIS Desktop
– ArcView (Basic)
– ArcEditor (Standard)
– ArcInfo (Advanced)
– …….and desktop extensions (i.e.: spatial
analyst)
A history of products
Arc/Info
ArcGIS
ArcGIS Desktop
Arc
ArcMap
ArcPlot
ArcEdit
ArcView 3x
Info/Tables
ArcCatalog
ArcToolbox
GRID
ArcInfo Workstation
Coverages
Copyright © 2006 by Maribeth H.
Price
Shapefiles
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Geodatabases
ArcGIS Desktop
ArcGIS Desktop
ArcCatalog
ArcMap
ArcToolbox
Copyright © 2006 by Maribeth H.
Price
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ArcGIS functionality
Same interface and
programs
More tools in the
toolbox
$Basic
$$Standard
$$$Advanced
Three levels of functionality and cost
Copyright © 2006 by Maribeth H.
Price
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ArcGIS Extensions
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Spatial Analyst
3D Analyst
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Publisher/ArcReader
Network Analyst
Maplex
Geostatistical Analyst
Extensions are additional
tools and commands that
can be added to the core
ArcGIS interface
• Appear as new toolbars
and toolsets in ArcCatalog
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Copyright © 2006 by Maribeth H.
Price
Licensing
• Floating point licenses
– ArcInfo only
– Central server checks out licenses
– Requires a dongle and a license file
• Standalone licenses
– Uses a registration file/ register online
– No dongle needed
– Available for ArcView and ArcEditor only
Copyright © 2006 by Maribeth H.
Price
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