Geospatial - GIS

What to Consider When Choosing a GIS Software

 Software gis

Some time ago they sent me a software to review it, I found the form that it brought interesting, I put it here (although I have made some modifications) because it seems useful for those who at the time have to make a decision. Each of the questions has the options

    • Excellent
    • Good
    • Regular
    • Deficient
    • Very poor
    • Not evaluated

The results if tabulated can be interesting not only to know if the product is good or bad, but to make comparisons between these and thus show (because you usually already know) in which area a tool is excellent or poor. When it comes to issuing an opinion that will signify a major acquisition… it may be worth it.

 1 Product installation

  • Easy installation of the Product
  • How the tool qualifies with respect to hardware requirements

2 Data integration

  • Ease and / or efficiency for the integration of alphanumeric data
  • Ease and / or efficiency for the integration of geographic data of different formats
  • The ability to manage coordinate projection systems
  • The ability to create new layers of databases
  • Ease for creating elements and layers of Geographic data
  • Ease of incorporation and handling of raster images (aerial photos, satellite images)
  • Ease of exporting geographic data to other formats

3 Interaction between elements and databases

  • Efficiency in the handling of attributes (alphanumeric data) associated with geographical elements
  • Ease and / or efficiency for the generation of queries (queries) to the databases.
  • Ease and / or efficiency for the generation of spatial queries that result in maps

4 Thematic maps

  • How do you rate the potential of the tools available for the generation of Thematic Maps
  • How do you rate the ease of use of the tools for generating thematic maps?
  • The ability to generate graphics based on themes

5 Spatial analysis

  • Efficiency of spatial analysis tools (buffers, map algebra)
  • Ease and / or efficiency for the generation of spatial queries that result in maps
  • Capacity and utility of the filters to the BD for the generation of maps without modifying the BD itself
  • The management of network analysis (roads, drainage, etc.).
  • I use spatial relationships such as "containment," "crossing," "crossing," "intersection," "overlap," and "contact."

6 Editing and publishing maps

  • Ease in the creation of new graphic elements through the use of CAD tools.
  • Ability to edit graphic elements.
  • How do you rate the tools of publication of maps, auxiliary in the definition of titles, legends, graphic scales

7 Development tools

  • Regarding his experience and expectations, how he qualifies the development components that the brand offers.

8. Scalability

  • How the program considers to be implemented in different types of roles
  • As it considers that the capacities of the different levels of scalability are consistent with the prices

9 Price

  • Price in relation to the potential of the product
  • Price Comparison with other similar products
  • Price with respect to the brand image or popularity of the program

10. General evaluation of the product

  • Finally, taking into account the aspects you evaluated of the Software, what is your opinion of the Product

... I think it would be worth adding other aspects, especially in the potential of "non-proprietary" tools, and eliminating some that seem to be very "driven" by the software that created this form, seems to feel better evaluated; but hey, I leave them there.

Golgi Alvarez

Writer, researcher, specialist in Land Management Models. He has participated in the conceptualization and implementation of models such as: National Property Administration System SINAP in Honduras, Management Model of Joint Municipalities in Honduras, Integrated Cadastre-Registry Management Model in Nicaragua, Territory Administration System SAT in Colombia . Editor of the Geofumadas knowledge blog since 2007 and creator of the AulaGEO Academy that includes more than 100 courses on GIS - CAD - BIM - Digital Twins topics.

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  1. I would like to learn how to create a baris for bariable sowing

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