Geographic Information System using ArcGIS 10 and Open Source MapWindow Methodology and Comparative Study Omar Al-Bayari, Balqies Sadoun, Jalal Al-Azizi and Samih Al Rawashdeh Department of Surveying and Geomatics Engineering, AL-Balqa’ Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan Keywords: GIS, ArcGIS 10, Open Source MapWindow, GIS Client, Spatial Database System. Abstract: Geographic Information System (GIS) is an IT system capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, and display- ing geographically data. We present a comparison between ArcGIS 10 and MapWindow 4.0 in creating a (GIS) for a study area to clarify the similarities and the differences. Upon the application of the GIS system using the two mentioned different software tools, we will provide the methodology and a related compari- son. The ESRI® ArcGIS is an integrated geographic information system (GIS) for managing a digital data- base, working with maps and geographic information. It provides an infrastructure for making maps, analy- sis, presentations of geographic information available for organizations, communities and openly on the Web. MapWindow is free of charge, extensible geographic information System (GIS) that can be used as an open-source alternative to desktop GIS to develop and distribute custom spatial data analysis tools. It is a "Programmable Geographic Information System" that supports manipulation, analysis, and viewing of geo- spatial data and associated attribute data in several standard GIS data formats. It is also considered a map- ping tool, a GIS modeling system, and a GIS application programming interface (API); all in one conven- ient redistributable package. It was developed by MapWindow Open Source Team to address the need for a GIS programming tool that could be used in engineering research, without requiring end users to purchase a complete GIS system, or become GIS experts. We had used MapWindow in many applications and always proved efficient. We found Open Source MapWindow GIS as efficient as the commercial GIS system for important applications (Mapping, Naviga- tion, Tracking etc.) in addition to its being free of charge. We had been using it in our applications and re- search work such as: OSGIS for BAU and in Navigation and Tracking to be used by interested users on the web. 1 INTRODUCTION replace proprietary software (Reid and Martin, 2001). Categories of GIS software have been Easy access to spatial data for a wide range of users identified by Steiniger (Steiniger and Weibel, 2009), in governmental organizations and large companies (Steiniger and Hay, 1998), which include desktop led to great development in the implementation of GIS, Spatial Database Management Systems (Spatial Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) (Rajabifard and DBMS), web map, server GIS, web GIS clients, Williamson, 2001), (Crompvoets et al., 2004). mobile GIS, and GIS libraries and extensions. Hundreds of new spatial portals and systems for In the following we are comparing some of these spatial data dissemination have been built worldwide packages. lately (GeoConnections, 2009). Building an SDI requires a range of software tools that depend on geospatial data provider, service provider, or data 2 MapWindow user. To support these ongoing implementation efforts, free and open source projects have started. This is a mapping tool, a GIS modeling system, and Reviews of Free and Open Source Software for GIS a GIS application programming interface (API) (FOSS4GIS) and its utility have become more which was developed by Dr. Daniel P. Ames and a common, as the free software solutions start to group of student programmers at Utah State Sadoun B., Al-Bayari O., Al-Azizi J. and Al Rawashdeh S.. Geographic Information System using ArcGIS 10 and Open Source MapWindow - Methodology and Comparative Study. 93 DOI: 10.5220/0004167800930100 In Proceedings of the International Conference on Data Communication Networking, e-Business and Optical Communication Systems (ICE-B-2012), pages 93-100 ISBN: 978-989-8565-23-5 Copyright c 2012 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.) ICE-B 2012 - International Conference on e-Business University (Appleman, 1998). It was developed to managing Geodatabases in a database management address the need for a GIS programming tool that system (DBMS) could be used in engineering research and project (c) Arc IMS® software which is an Internet-based software, without requiring to purchase a complete GIS for distributing Data and services. GIS system, or become a GIS expert. It is available Arc GIS provides a framework for implementing free of charge and can be sued to develop custom GIS for single user or for many users. It can be spatial data analysis tools (http://www.map extended with additional software, such as Arc Pad® window.org/). Developers can write Plug-ins to add for Windows® CE devices. additional functionality such as models, special Components of ArcGIS desktop are: viewers, hot-link, handlers, and data editors, and 1.ArcMap: This is the GIS application used for all pass these to users. It includes standard GIS data map-based tasks including cartography, map visualization features, database functions such as analysis, and editing. In this tool, the user basically attribute table editing, shape file editing and data works with maps. Arc Map permits viewing a map, a converters. Dozens of Standard GIS formats are geographic data and a layout view to implement supported, including Shape files, GeoTIFF, ESRI advanced GIS tasks. format, ASCII and binary grids. It includes a 2. Arc catalog: This is an application to organize complete ActiveX component to instantly add GIS and manage all GIS data, with browsing tools to find capabilities to the user’s existing software product geographic information, managing metadata and to (MapWinGIS; FOSS4G). Additional geo-processing define the schema structure for the geographic data components are available for .NET-compatible layers. Languages. Components of MapWindow are: 3. Arc toolbox: Arc Toolbox is a simple application -The Main Application: This is the central interface containing many GIS tools used for geoprocessing where, the user may view data elements such as tasks (GIS Fundamentals). Shape files and Grids and the Core Components -The components which operate underneath. The ArcGIS Desktop License Levels: three main components are: (a) MapWinGISwhcih ArcGIS allows better data analysis, relationship is an ActiveX control which may be placed into definition, pattern recognition and optimal informed any project in any programming language that decision making. It is available in three license supports ActiveX. This is the main map levels: basic, standard, or advanced (formerly component - if the user wants to write a program ArcView, ArcEditor, or ArcInfo). They share the that displayed shape data, for example, the user core applications, user interface, and development could use this control for the display portion of the environment, but each provides more GIS user’s program. (b) MapWin Interfaces: This is functionality also called the "Plug-in Interface", this is a dll file ArcInfo is the highest level of licensing and which will allow the user to write the user’s own functionality. It is a full featured GIS system with plug-ins to the main application. This may be done access to all functions. It includes advanced data from any programming Language which supports analysis and modeling, feature management and the creation and use of Microsoft .NET 2.0 processing and data conversion for CAD, raster, Dynamic Link Libraries (dlls). (c) DBASE, and coverage formats MapWinGeoProc: This is a .NET library of (http://en.wikipedia.org/). geoprocessing functions, including tools for ArcEditor is a standard ArcGIS level of licensing managing projections, clipping and buffering. This and functionality. It provides the standard and basic Library is under very active development with new ArcGIS functions such as complete GIS data editing capabilities appearing Often. capabilities, automate quality control, and use of raster-to-vector conversion. ArcView is the basic ArcGIS level of licensing and 3 ArcGIS 10 functionality. It is a powerful toolkit for mapping, reporting, and map-based analysis such as visual modeling, and spatial analysis of a process or The ESRI® ArcGIS System is an integrated workflow, creation of interactive maps from files, geographic Information system (GIS) consisting of: database, and online sources, and generation of (a) Arc GIS Desktop software which is an integrated reports and charts. suite of Advanced GIS applications ArcReader is a free application to view and use (b) Arc SDE® gateway which is an interface for maps created with ArcMap and the optional ArcGIS 94 Geographic Information System using ArcGIS 10 and Open Source MapWindow - Methodology and Comparative Study Publisher extension. ArcReader works on maps in PMF format. Because Arc Reader is free, any user can install it easily. 4 STUDY AREA AND METHODOLOGY For application and comparison purposes we used the Zahran Street area in Amman; see Figure 1. Figure 3: Image Clip for Zahran Area (Google Earth). information such as buildings, streets, and hotels; see Figure 3. - Projection: This is the process of translating real 3D world data to flat 2D view using a systematic mathematical transformation. We used Jordan Transverse Mercator (JTM) coordinate system (the modified Universal Transverse Mercator -UTM). - Georeferencing: This deals with is assigning map coordinates and spatial location. It is also associating geographic data to a known coordinate system so Figurere 1: Amman Image and Zahran Street. that it can be viewed, queried, and analyzed with other geographic data. After applying the suitable Figure 2 presents the flowchart of the methodology projection upon the images, we applied the to create a GIS for the study area using ArcGIS 10. georeferencing process. - Database Design: Upon adding a dataset to ArcMap, a layer is created. Each layer represents geographic data which relates the spatial data to the attribute data in order to achieve a brief view of the area. Many layers were created such as roads, buildings, land parcels, schools, mosques, embassies, banks, museums, churches, restaurants, among others.