Geographic Information Systems: GIS Software
GIS resources, tools, and assistance.
ArcGIS from Esri
ESRI is a large geospatial software company. They have long been the industry leaders in providing geospatial analysis software. Their products are not free. However, you can enroll in free massive open online courses (MOOCs) with them and have access to their software to work through the assignments for the duration of the course.
Miami University supports ESRI products including ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap, and ArcGIS Online through the Dept of Geography's GISci Computer Labs (SHD 132, 134). You can get more information about the products offered here - Miami University GIS Resources
- ArcGIS ProPart of the Esri Geospatial Cloud, ArcGIS Pro is Esri’s powerful, single desktop GIS application. Technologically ahead of everything else on the market, ArcGIS Pro supports data visualization, advanced analysis and authoritative data maintenance in both 2D and 3D. ArcGIS Pro is tightly coupled with the ArcGIS platform supporting data sharing across ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise through Web GIS.
- ArcGIS OnlinePart of the Esri Geospatial Cloud, ArcGIS Online enables you to connect people, locations, and data using interactive maps. Work with smart, data-driven styles and intuitive analysis tools that deliver location intelligence. Share your insights with the world or specific groups.
Other GIS Software Options
Geospatial capabilities can be found in many different types of software.
- Desktop GIS programs like QGIS and ArcGIS provide a comprehensive suite of tools for creating or editing geospatial data, performing analysis, and producing maps.
- Web platforms such as Carto provide hosting for dynamic web maps.
- Programming languages such as R and Python have many packages for working with geospatial data
While this is by no means a comprehensive list, this can give you an idea of the many different software resources available.
- CartoCARTO is the world’s leading Location Intelligence platform, enabling organizations to use spatial data and analysis for more efficient delivery routes, better behavioural marketing, strategic store placements, and much more. Data Scientists, Developers and Analysts use CARTO to optimize business processes, and predict future outcomes through the power of Spatial Data Science.
- GeoDaGeoDa is a free and open source software tool that serves as an introduction to spatial data analysis. It is designed to facilitate new insights from data analysis by exploring and modeling spatial patterns.
- gvSIGA powerful, user-friendly, interoperable GIS used by thousands of users worldwide. Has a suite of GIS products for: desktop, online, mobile, roads and education.
- LeafletLeaflet is the leading open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps. Leaflet is designed with simplicity, performance and usability in mind. It works efficiently across all major desktop and mobile platforms, can be extended with lots of plugins, has a beautiful, easy to use and well-documented API and a simple, readable source code that is a joy to contribute to.
- MapWindowThe MapWindow GIS project includes a free and open source desktop geographic information system (GIS) with an extensible plugin architecture, a GIS ActiveX control, and C# GIS programmer library called DotSpatial.
- OpenLayersOpenLayers makes it easy to put a dynamic map in any web page. It can display map tiles, vector data and markers loaded from any source. OpenLayers has been developed to further the use of geographic information of all kinds. It is completely free, Open Source JavaScript, released under the 2-clause BSD License (also known as the FreeBSD).
- Open Street MapOpenStreetMap is built by a community of mappers that contribute and maintain data about roads, trails, cafés, railway stations, and much more, all over the world.
- QGISQGIS is a user friendly Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS) licensed under the GNU General Public License. QGIS is an official project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). It runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, Windows and Android and supports numerous vector, raster, and database formats and functionalities.
- Whitebox GATWhitebox GAT was intended to have a broader focus than its predecessor, positioning it as an open-source desktop GIS and remote sensing software package for general applications of geospatial analysis and data visualization. Whitebox GAT is intended to provide a platform for advanced geospatial data analysis with applications in both environmental research and the geomatics industry more broadly.
