[OSGeo-Discuss] Can I do the same GIS tasks with OS (as with ESRI)?

[Cameron Shorter]

Ravi,
What us Open Source evangelists are missing is an honest comparison 
between ESRI desktop applications and Open Source equivalents.

What is it about ArcView and ArcGIS that people really like, listed 
feature by feature in a table.
Then identify whether Open Source covers it and how.
Very important is to address usability. How quickly can an Arc* user 
migrate to Open Source?
My skill set is lacking here as I don't have much experience in either 
ESRI or the Open Source desktop tools. It seems like you have experience 
with both which puts you in a unique position.

Is this something you, or one of your students would like to investigate 
further? Maybe build a table similar to this one:
http://www.spatialserver.net/osgis/Desktopgis_overview.htm

RAVI KUMAR wrote:
> Hi,
> this is the kind of question I face when in my lectures evangelising 
> OS GIS.
> ArcGIS has many tools, though some prefer to call it a deluge of 
> tools, which almost distance the user from understanding the concept 
> of GIS.
>
> Auto Complete Polygon:
> In Qgis which is a very userfriendly OS GIS you have 'Cut polygon', do 
> try and find the difference.
>
> Polygonising from lines:
> Open JUMP has one of the most userfriendly approaches.
> Create lines and polygonise in OpenJUMP and the software automatically
> creates a folder for Dangles (un-wanted line pieces)
>
> The query is more for Vector GIS, I suppose.
>
> GRASS GIS:
> It has so many features for Image analysis and Raster GIS, the 
> commercial GIS need a barge pole to even touch it. The vector Part of 
> GRASS is robust too.
>
> Ravi Kumar
>
>
> */Markus Neteler <neteler at osgeo.org>/* wrote:
>
>     On Thu, Apr 24, 2008 at 11:55 PM, George R. C. Silva
>     wrote:
>     ...
>     > One thing GIS OS software could have are better editing tools. I
>     do miss
>     > them alot, and the one is ArcGIS are unbeatable (i dont know any
>     O.S.
>     > software that have 'autocomplete polygon', tons of snapping
>     options, etc -
>     > btw, if you do, let me know).
>     >
>     > FOSS is great, but it lacks (IMHO) better editing options.
>
>     We are working on that:
>     http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki/WxPython-based_GUI_for_GRASS#Digitizer
>
>     Screenshots:
>     http://grass.osgeo.org/screenshots/gui.php
>     -> wxPython (new GUI)
>
>     You can try out the prototype in GRASS 6.3.0 (released yesterday):
>     http://grass.osgeo.org/announces/announce_grass630.html
>
>     Get MacOSX, Linux and now even native MS-Windows binaries with
>     *installer* at
>     http://grass.osgeo.org/download/index.php#g63x
>
>     Enjoy
>     Markus
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>
>
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-- 
Cameron Shorter
Geospatial Systems Architect
Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254

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