Thursday, September 30, 2010

Indian and Federal Lands ArcGIS Shapefiles Updated

Indian & Federal Lands
ArcGIS Shapefiles

Click here if you are new to GIS and you
want to know what it is and how it is used.

Coverage: All U.S. including Hawaii and Alaska.

I have updated the shapefiles to include a .prj file. The latest version of ArcGIS Explorer (build 1500) requires these files. Some other GIS viewers and programs do not. ArcGIS Explorer is a fine program, but I've found that it needs a quite fast computer with a lot of memory to run well. You can download ArcGIS Explorer here or you can check out some free GIS viewers that are simpler and take less resources. You can use any of these to load, view and query the maps you make with these shapefiles.

TatukGIS Viewer 19.3 mb
TatukGIS Viewer documentation 2.2 mb
ArcExplorer 2.2 13.5 mb
ArcExplorer Java 63.6 mb

These ArcGIS shapefiles work with the free ArcExplorer GIS viewer, ArcView GIS, ArcGIS, Maptitude, Mapinfo, Manifold, TatukGIS and many other commercial GIS and mapping programs and many free GIS programs as well. Each layer includes easy to follow instructions that show you how to add streets, highways, census information and much more to your maps for free. We have included national level base maps with each map archive listed below. Also, check our free GIS software and free GIS ArcGIS shapefiles pages for more information and free ArcGIS shapefiles.

Read full page with live links

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Make Your Own Maps with Free GIS Software Programs

Comprehensive collection of GIS software program applications and resources that is updated frequently. Most are either freeware or open-source. They are organized in alphabetical order.

Python is a remarkably powerful dynamic programming language that is used in a wide variety of application domains.

Python Cartographic Library (PCL) - Python is rapidly becoming the language of choice for GIS programming. At the fore of this movement have been AVPython, OpenEV, and Python bindings for GDAL and OGR. On their heels, ESRI now distributes Python with Arc 9 and other commercial vendors are following suit.

Quantum GIS (QGIS) is a user friendly Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS) that runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, and Windows. QGIS supports vector, raster, and database formats. QGIS is licensed under the GNU General Public License. QGIS lets you browse and create map data on your computer. It supports many common spatial data formats (e.g. ESRI ShapeFile, geotiff). QGIS supports plugins to do things like display tracks from your GPS. QGIS is Open Source software and its free of cost.

RevPG (Revision and Product Generation software) - RevPG is a collection of ARC/INFO Arc Macro Language (AML) programs, C routines, shell scripts, and interface menus that support the revision of digital line graph (DLG) data with ARC/INFO.

R-Project (rgeo) is a comprehensive statistics package including several support modules for geospatial analysis, among them an interface for GRASS.

SAGA - System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses - is a hybrid GIS software. The first objective of SAGA is to give (geo-)scientists an effective but easy learnable platform for the implementation of geoscientific methods, which is achieved by SAGA's unique Application Programming Interface (API).

SAMT - Spatial Analysis and Modelling Tool - A modeling system with a few GIS-features, like spatial analysis, some spatial techniques and a simple in and export function to a GIS. The main focus is to have an open system to include different models.

SaTScan is a free software that analyzes spatial, temporal and space-time data using the spatial, temporal, or space-time scan statistics. It is designed for any of the following interrelated purposes ...

sdts2d is a Translator for SDTS DEM Files The sdts2dem program translates USGS DEM files from SDTS format to "native" format. It is in the public domain and may be freely redistributed.

SDTS Public Domain Software - Although these programs have been used by the USGS, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS as to the accuracy and functioning of the programs and related program material, nor shall the fact of distribution constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS in connection therewith.

SharpMap is a simple-to-use map renderer that renders GIS data for use in web and desktop applications. The engine is written in C# and based on the .NET 2.0 framework.

Spatial Index: This package provides a general framework for developing spatial indices. Currently it defines generic interfaces, provides simple main memory and disk based storage managers and a robust implementation of an R*-tree, an MVR-tree and a TPR-tree.

SPRING is a state-of-the-art GIS and remote sensing image processing system with an object-oriented data model which provides for the integration of raster and vector data representations in a single environment.

TatukGIS Viewer: A free GIS viewer and mapping application supporting most GIS vector, image, grid, and SQL database layer formats, 3,0000 pre-defined coordinate systems with on-the-fly map layer reprojection, comprehensive visual layer property control, legend control, scale control, data viewing panel, and much more!

Thuban is an interactive geographic data viewer. Main features are its cross-plattform GUI, extensability and flexibility for deriving individual GIS applications. Thuban is implemented with wxPython which allows its GUI to blend in with desktop on different platforms.

Download Free GIS Mapping Software Applications