Data processing systems
Components of GIS
A working GIS integrates five
key components: -
Hardware
Software
Data
People
Methods
COMPUTER HARDWARE
HARDWARE:
Divided into three groups DIGITISER
1. Input device BOARD
2. Central processing unit (CPU)
3. Output device
DISC DRIVE CPU TAPE DRIVE
V.D.U PLOTTER
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
CPU = Single silicon chip
Equivalent to several million transistors
• This is the brain of the computer.
• It is further divided into three parts.
• ALU (Arithmetic and Logic Unit)
• CU (Control Unit)
• MU (Memory Unit)
INPUT DEVICES
Input device is a device device is used to convert data from
maps and documents into digital form and send them to
computer.
1.key board
2. mouse
3. scanner
4. light pen
5. Bar code reader
6. joy stick
AUTOMATED SCANNING
Flat bed Scanner
x
Map to be
scanned
Scanner Head (CCD)
Drum Scanner
D L
x
APPLICATION SOFTWARE
1. DATA INPUT AND VERIFICATION
2. DATA STORAGE AND DATABASE
MANAGEMENT
3. DATA OUTPUT AND PRESENTATION
4. DATA TRANSFORMATION
5. INERACTION WITH USER
SOFTWARE
The GIS software includes the programs and the user interface for
driving the hardware.
GIS software is essential to generate, store, analyze, manipulate and
display geographic information or data.
A good GIS software requires user friendliness, functionalities,
compatibilities, updatability, documentation, cost effectiveness.
The following is a list of GIS software producers and their main
products.
• Environmental Systems Research Institute ( ESRI ): ArcInfo,
ArcView.
• Autodesk: AutoCAD Map
• Clark Labs: IDRISI
• International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth
Sciences: ILWIS
• Mapinfo Corporation: Mapinfo.
• Bentley Systems: Microstation.
• PCI Geomatics: PAMAP
• TYDAC Inc. : SPANS
Software for GIS: The Main Players
• ESRI, Inc., Redlands, CA
– clear market leader with about a third of the market
– originated commercial GIS with their ArcInfo product in 1981 The main
– privately owned by Jack Dangermond, a legend in the field two “pure
– Strong in gov., education, utilities and business logistics GIS”
• MapInfo, Troy N.Y. companies.
– Aggressive newcomer in early 1990s, but now well-established.
– Strong presence in business, especially site selection & marketing, and telecom
• Intergraph (Huntsville, AL)
– origins in proprietary CAD hardware/software
– Older UNIX-based MGE (Modular GIS Environment) evolved from CAD
– Current GeoMedia was the first true MS Windows-based GIS
– strong in design, public works, and FM (facilities management), but weakening
• Bentley Systems (Exton, PA)
– MicroStation GeoGraphics, originally developed with Intergraph, is now their exclusive and
main product..
– Strong in engineering; advertises itself as “geoengineering”
• Autodesk (San Rafael, CA)
– Began as PC-based CAD, but now the dominant CAD supplier
– First GIS product AutoCAD Map introduced in 1996
– Primarily small business/small city customer base
DATA INPUT
FIELD DATA THEMATIC DATA AERIAL OR
SATELLITE DATA
TEXT FILES MAG FILES DIGITISATION VIDEO SCANNER
CAPTURE
DATA
• Data is the most important component of a GIS.
• Geographic data and related tabular data can be collected
in house, compiled to custom specifications and
requirements, or purchased from a commercial data
provider.
• A GIS can integrate spatial data with other existing data
resources, often stored in a DBMS.
• The integration of spatial and tabular data stored in a
DBMS is a key functionality afforded by GIS.
DATA INPUT
1. ENTERING SPATIAL DATA
2. ENTERING NON SPATIAL DATA
3. LINKING SPATIAL DATA TO NON SPATIAL
DATA
Field surveys BOTH
SPATIAL &
NON-
SPATIAL
DATA Remote sensing data
Collecting latitude and
longitude coordinates
with a Global Positioning
System (GPS) receiver.
Data Sources for
GIS
Digital data files
Collateral or Secondary
data collection
Literatures & References
ENTERING SPATIAL DATA
ENTERING SPATIAL DATA
MANUAL MANUAL DIGITISING AUTOMATED ENTRY OF INTERPO-
INPUT TO INPUT TO SCANNING EXISTING LATED
VECTOR GRID SPATIAL DATA
SYSTEM SYSTEM DATA
DATA INPUT
OUTPUT DEVICES
A plotter or other kind of display device is used to present the result
of the data processing and a tape device is used for storing data or
programs on magnetic tape.
GIS OUTPUT CAPABILITIES
SIMPLE DISPLAY
ALL CARTOGRAPHIC OPTIONS
SCALE, STYLE & COLOR CHANGE
INCLUDE GRAPHS, PHOTOS, ETC.
3D DISPLAY
OVERLAY OF MANY THEMES
PLOTTER / PRINTER O/P, WEB DISPLAY
Desktop Products Extension Products
ArcGIS ArcView Spatial Analyst MrSID Encoder
Platform
3D Analyst ArcPress
The ArcGIS Geostatistical
StreetMap USA
Analyst
Desktop
ArcEditor
Server Products
ArcSDE
DBMS
DBMS
Gateway
Coverages
ArcIMS
ArcInfo
Internet
Services
ArcGIS Server
Files
Future Generic GIS Internet Enterprise
Browsers Applications
Web
Web Server Broker
Services
( built on
.Net, SOAP/XML, Java API)
Dallas Delhi Durban
Source: Reza Wahadj, CSIG04, with mods.
Databases
Types of data
– Two types of data are stored for each item in the database
• 1. Attribute data:
– Says what a feature is
• Eg. statistics, text, images, sound, etc.
• 2. Spatial data:
– Says where the feature is
– Co-ordinate based
– Vector data – discrete features:
• Points
• Lines
• Polygons (zones or areas)
– Raster data:
• A continuous surface
Geo-referencing data
• Capturing data
– Scanning: all of map converted into raster
data
– Digitising: individual features selected from
map as points, lines or polygons
• Geo-referencing
– Initial scanning digitising gives co-ordinates
in inches from bottom left corner of
digitiser/scanner
– Real-world co-ordinates are found for four
registration points on the captured data
– These are used to convert the entire map
onto a real-world co-ordinate system Source: ESRI (1997)
Example of geo-
referencing
Layers
• Data on different themes are stored in
separate “layers”
• As each layer is geo-referenced layers from
different sources can easily be integrated
using location
• This can be used to build up complex models
of the real world from widely disparate
sources
Attributes:
Non-spatial data associated with objects
Information about the objects in our GIS
• Land cover
• Stream name
• Flow rate
• Land owner
• Address
Stored in tables that are linked with
objects
Polygon Attribute Table, Arc Attribute Table,
Point Attribute Table
24
Attributes Data Management:
25
Tabular locations to a point feature class:
Table with raw coordinates New feature class
New feature class
Table with addresses
26
Linking features and Attributes :
FID = 5052
Feature Identifier
27
Definitions:
• Database – an integrated set of attributes on a
particular subject
• Geographic (=geospatial) database – set of
attributes on a particular subject for a particular
geographic area
• Database Management System (DBMS) – software
to create, maintain and access databases
Database Types:
• Tabular ("flat file") - data in a single table
• Hierarchical
• Network
• Relational
28
Tabular Database :
29
Hierarchical Database :
http://dev.mysql.com/tech-resources/articles/hierarchical-data-1.png
30
Network Database :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Network_Model.jpg
31
Relational Database :
http://www.mbari.org/ssds/ReferenceDocuments/RDB_ER.gif
32
Arc GIS: Arc Edit, Map and Catalog:
Windows Explorer ArcCatalog
Table of Contents Preview Pane Table of Contents Preview Pane
33
Arc Catalog:
Navigation Quick
Buttons Launch
Buttons
Preview
Selection
Tabs
34
Arc Catalog:
ArcCatalog uses a unique symbol set to indicate
data formats
Raster
Geodatabase
Feature Dataset
Feature Classes
35
Arc Catalog:
Symbology is maintained among different data
formats
Shapefile
formats
appear
green
36
Arc Catalog:
Preview tab allows user to view either
geography or table
Toggle views here 37
Arc Catalog:
Metadata: Data about the data
Metadata
toolbar
accessed
from VIEW
toolbars
Allows users
to edit all
metadata
and select
metadata
format
convention
38
Arc Catalog:
Spatial Data Formats
Coverage
Shapefile Geodatabase
Internet Map
CAD Service
Raster Tables
ArcGIS
39
Tasks you perform with ArcGIS
ArcGIS desktop applications. ArcCatalog, ArcMap, and
ArcToolbox
ArcCatalog is the application for managing your spatial data
holdings, for managing your database designs, and for recording
and viewing metadata.
ArcMap is used for all mapping and editing tasks, as well as for
map-based analysis.
ArcToolbox is used for data conversion and geoprocessing.
Using these three applications together, you can perform any GIS
task, simple to advanced, including mapping, data management,
geographic analysis, data editing, and
geoprocessing.
ArcCatalog
ArcCatalog lets you find, preview, document, and
organize geographic data and create sophisticated
geodatabases to store that data.
You can use ArcCatalog to organize folders and file-based data when you build
project databases on your computer.
You can create personal geodatabases on your computer and use tools in
ArcCatalog to create or import feature classes and tables.
ArcMap
ArcMap lets you create and interact with maps. In ArcMap, you
can view, edit, and analyze your geographic data.
You can query your spatial data to find and understand
relationships among geographic features.
You can create charts and
reports to communicate
your understanding with
others.
You can lay out your
maps in a what-you-see-
is-what-you get layout
view.
ArcToolbox
ArcToolbox is a simple application containing many GIS tools used for
geoprocessing.
Simple geoprocessing tasks are
accomplished through form-
based tools.
Arc map
• lets you create and interact with maps. You can view, edit, and
analyze your geographic data. You can query your spatial data to
find and understand relationships among geographic features. You
can symbolize your data in a wide variety of ways.
Arc catalog
• lets you find,
preview,
document, and
organize
geographic data
and create
sophisticated
geodatabases to
store that data.
Arc toolbox
• simple application
containing many
GIS tools used for
geoprocessing.
