Components of GIS

  1. HARDWARE

  • Computer components from which the system will run

that form the physical framework

  • Input devices, storage and processor and output devices

TYPICAL GIS WORKSTATION

  1. DUAL MONITORS

  • Multitasking

  • Optimal vision and task organization

  • 1st screen: map; 2nd screen: tables and attributes

  1. CPU

  • GIS is CPU heavy

  • Overclocking is common in GIS and CPU performances reduces lag

  • Can be multiple-core processing

  1. Random Access Memory

  • Temporary memory

  1. Hard Disk Drives

  • Permanent storage

  • Store data on spinning magnetic disks

  • Solid State Drivers (much faster; no moving parts)

  1. GPU

  • Visualize smoother

  • Renders multilayered maps and symbology smoothly

  • Hastens zooming and panning in a map

  • Help display 3D with ease

  1. Flash Drives

  • Portable data storage in solid state memory

  1. CD-ROM, DVD and Blu-Ray

  • Permanent external storage; cannot be unchanged forever

  • Much slower than flash drives and HDD

  1. SOFTWARE

  • Computer programs

  • ArcGIS, QGIS and TerrSet are some of the most popular GIS Software

Common GIS Software

  1. ArcGIS

  • Requires payment for software licenses

  • Developed by ESRI

  1. Geomedia

  • Rival of ArcGIS, previously owned by by Intergraph.

  • Now Hexagon Geospatial Geomedia

  1. MapInfo Professional

  • Clear focus in location intelligence

  1. Manifold GIS

  • Combination of mapping, CAD, DBMS and image processing

  1. TerrSet (formerly IDRISI)

  • Clark Laboratories more specializes in remote sensing

  • Plug-ins: Land Change Modeler, Habitat and Biodiversity and Modeler.

  1. QGIS

  • Open-source software; free use

  • Available in Windows and MacOS

  1. DATA

  • Spatially referenced dataset

Data types: geometric data, and attribute data

Geometric

  • Geographic feature (shape and position)

  • Two or three-dimensional coordinates which define spatial distribution of points line and areas

Attribute

  • Describes the properties of a feature

Color, size, and information

Types of Measurement Scales

  1. Nominal Data

  • Described as kinds or categories of data such as land cover or soil types]

Ex. land cover: forest, cropland or grass land; soil types: sandy-clay, clay-loam

  1. Ordinal Data

  • data by ranking relationship

  • determine position but no establish magnitude or relative proportions

ex. hazard maps: light moderate, and severe

  1. Interval

  • known interval between values

  • values on a linear calibrated scale

  • not relative to a true zero point in time and space

ex. temperature, pH scale

  1. Ratio

  • Zero: absolute

Ex. population density, covid cases: 0 means there is no case of covid-19

Data Structures

  1. Vector

  • Vector graphics – vertices and paths

  • Three basic symbol types – points lines and polygons

  1. Raster

  • made up of pixels (grid cells)

  • regular spaced and square

  • each pixel has its own value or class

“Geographic data is crucial in decision-making” - where to intervene, immediate concern for relocation relative to the path of the typhoons

  1. METHODS & PROCEDURES

  • Well-designed plans management framework and work flows associating data and procedure.

  • Models and operating practices are unique and vary based on the objectives set by the organization.

Geographic Approach

  1. Measure

  2. Store Data

  3. Analyze Data

  4. Visualize Data & generate Statistics

  5. Take Actions

GIS applications across many disciplines

  • Site Selection

  • Engineering Design

  • Demographic Analysis

  • Topographic Analysis

  • Watershed Analysis

  • Resources Inventories

  • Land Management

  • Network Analysis

  • Incident Mapping

  • Spatial Measurement

  • Corridor Selection

  • Logistics Routing

  • Transportation Modeling

  • Resource Exploration

  • Facility Management

  • Geo-process Modeling

  • Spread and Diffusion

  1. PEOPLE (users)

  • Involve various tasks: data input, database management, modeling and analysis, output production or system administration

  • Basic understanding on concepts principles and applications of GIS

Categories of Human Resources

  1. Operational Staff

  • End user, cartographer, data capturer and potential users

  1. Technical Professional Staff

  • Analyst, system administrator, programmer, and database administrator

  1. Management Personnel

  • Manage and quality assurance coordinator

Five fundamental personas of GIS users

  1. Viewer – views and interacts with existing maps

  2. Contributor – create, update and share maps

  3. Analyst – geospatial analysis and visualization and mapping

  4. Curator – supervises the company and authorize maps to be publish

  5. Expert – data scientist, advance and broader knowledge of GIS