[OSGeo-Discuss] Re: Will there be an OSGeo Desktop shootout atFOSS4G 2010?

Tue Dec 22 18:38:29 PST 2009

Cameron, I added it.
Helena

On Dec 22, 2009, at 7:13 PM, Cameron Shorter wrote:

> Helena,
> Excellent stuff. I don't suppose you could be tempted to add  
> reference to your material to the OSGeo Case Studies page:
> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Case_Studies#GRASS
>
> On 23/12/2009 8:20 AM, Helena Mitasova wrote:
>> I have numerous examples of gis  tasks done side-by-side in GRASS  
>> and ArcGIS here:
>>
>> http://courses.ncsu.edu/mea582/lec/001/GIS_anal_assign/ 
>> GIS_Anal_Assignall.html
>>
>> The data for the examples are available as GRASS data location and  
>> ArcGIS geodatabase
>> (links on top of the document)
>> as well as in shape and ArcGRID format (I could not get all  
>> rasters convert correctly to GeoTIFF
>> at the time I was preparing the data) here
>> http://www.grassbook.org/data_menu3rd.php
>>
>> It certainly does not cover everything (especially vector data and  
>> database examples are very limited)
>> but there is plenty to show various aspects of GIS from simple  
>> display and visualization to complex
>> analysis.
>>
>> It would be interesting to see some of these examples done in  
>> other systems - we tried QGIS but that ended up
>> using GRASS plugin too much, so other more independent software  
>> would be more interesting.
>> I will be updating the material in next few months to capture the  
>> latest developments and plan
>> to add another course with examples in different software packages  
>> in fall.
>> I am sure there will be a lot of interest here to see how at least  
>> some of the tasks are executed
>> in MapWindows of gvSIG and also extension of this material to  
>> cover more vector / database
>> and image processing material.
>>
>> Feel free to use the data, the examples are various modifications  
>> of the examples from the GRASbook,
>>
>> Helena
>>
>>
>>
>> Helena Mitasova
>> Associate Professor
>> Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
>> North Carolina State University
>> 1125 Jordan Hall
>> NCSU Box 8208
>> Raleigh, NC 27695-8208
>> http://skagit.meas.ncsu.edu/~helena/
>>
>> email: hmitaso at unity.ncsu.edu
>> ph: 919-513-1327 (no voicemail)
>> fax 919 515-7802
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Dec 22, 2009, at 3:19 PM, Stefan Steiniger wrote:
>>
>>> Hei Dan,
>>>
>>> thanks for the thoughts - I like them too and thats what I see  
>>> too.. we need not only to bring up the highlights between FOSGIS  
>>> but even more to convince people to eventually have a look on  
>>> FOSGIS by comparing it to ESRIs desktop software, since they have  
>>> set a bit the standards (at least for teaching higher level  
>>> geography GIS courses).
>>>
>>> But two notes: I doubte that ESRI has 80% because this would mean  
>>> the utility market is not considered. And I think one talks here  
>>> more about ESRI in a gegraphical analysis perspective. While I am  
>>> not sure what the average GIS user actually does (i.e. How many  
>>> do queries, do editing, do "real" analysis?).
>>>
>>> I like your subquestions - and allow me to add comments :)
>>>> And the three main sub-questions are:
>>>> Can I open the same files?
>>> well.. on the c-tribe side yes thanks to Gdal/OGR? But i would  
>>> restrict to core file types (shp, dxf, mif, raster stuff)
>>>
>>>> Can I make the same maps?
>>> uuhmmm - not yet, but...?
>>>
>>>> Can I do the same analyses?
>>> With Sextante probably yes, now.
>>>
>>>> Can I teach the same lessons?
>>> Ahh.. that hits a point. As we need to tell students about "this  
>>> open source stuff". I actually plan to check out the next days if  
>>> I can replace some arcgis analysis tools with sextante for a course.
>>>
>>> So maybe we check what is taugth in the GIS core curriculum?
>>>
>>>> Something like the MS thesis about GRASS and ArcGIS that was  
>>>> mentioned, but web-based and updated by the various project  
>>>> members.
>>>
>>> Sounds good and its great if you would have even student resources.
>>> I actually tried to do such comparison already in my second  
>>> publication on GIS in landscape ecology and in my last talks - my  
>>> result was: Most of the FOS desktop GIS are on the ArcView level  
>>> and a bit beyond, but we can not compete with ArcInfo (leave a  
>>> side the need for an easy map making tool - not sure how good the  
>>> last QGIS tool is). So by now I see our chance in providing  
>>> "specialist" tools for target groups that are either too small  
>>> for ESRI, Pitney Bowes & Intergraph & Co to be ever included in  
>>> their official distribution or that may be to expensive to be  
>>> bought as extension for some (I remember a friend who once needed  
>>> Maplex for labeling but not the rest of ArcGIS ArcInfo analysis  
>>> features). And we would need to highlight which whose things are.
>>>
>>> here a link to that pub:
>>> http://www.geo.uzh.ch/~sstein/finalpub/ 
>>> steiniger_geographic_information_tools_ecoinf2009.pdf
>>>
>>> stefan
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Discuss mailing list
>>> Discuss at lists.osgeo.org
>>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>
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>
>
> -- 
> Cameron Shorter
> Geospatial Solutions Manager
> Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
> Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254
>
> Think Globally, Fix Locally
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