Free GIS Software & Resources
Comprehensive collection of GIS programs and tools that is updated daily. Most are either freeware or open-source. They are organized in alphabetical order.
AvisMap GIS Viewer - Free AvisMap GIS Technologies is a leading GIS company in Asia, specializing in the development of GIS software.
3map is a Free Software project being built with the support of the Telstra Broadband Fund that provides the client and server capabilities to deliver the Web Augmented Virtual Earth.
AccuGlobe Desktop 2007 is free to download. Add specific functionality with extensions and plugins.
Aero-Triangulation System software -
A collection of Fortran and C programs, UNIX shell scripts, and text files used to perform image coordinate refinement, block adjustment, statistical reporting, and plotting.
AGIS for Windows includes a tutorial to help you with making your own map displays has also been prepared. This is contained in an installation file called tutor158.exe which is 1,086 K in size and contains more than 70 pages.
ArcExplorer - "ArcExplorer is a lightweight GIS data viewer developed by ESRI. This freely available software offers an easy way to perform basic GIS functions. ArcExplorer is used for a variety of display, query, and data retrieval applications and supports a wide variety of standard data sources, including their own industry-standard shapefile format. It can be used on its own with local data sets or as a client to Internet data and map servers."
ArcVoyager was created by ESRI's Schools and Libraries team to go along with ArcView. It is a 50-mb package of carefully selected data, ArcView projects, and help files, in a tiered format. There are comparable Windows and Macintosh versions. The help files are written broadly to a "junior high" level, but ArcVoyager is being used effectively by elementary teachers, middle school students, high schoolers, librarians, college instructors, museum professionals, or parents. Arcview is not required.
AutoREALM is a Free GNU mapping software (a "cartographer") that can design maps of castles, cities, dungeons and more. AutoREALM is generally used by Role-playing Game practicants who enjoy doing their own maps. But it could fits the needs of other people.
Basins - Installation software that contains the BASINS Version 4.0 system, data download tool, full documentation in the pulldown help menu, and the tutorial project and data(HUC-02060006) is now available. BASINS 4.0 contains the installation program for an open source GIS program. At this time the only models available in BASINS 4.0 are WinHSPF and PLOAD and the tools GenScn and WDMUtil. BASINS 4.0 also contains a link to AQUATOX.
Cameo, Marplot and Aloha - free software and data used to map the dispersion of toxic chemicals and help respond to chemical emergencies. Click here for a detailed description. Includes properties and health effects of thousands of toxic chemicals and chemical warfare agents. Also available -- Marplot Maps based on the Census 2000 Redistricting TIGER/Line files.
Chameleon is a distributed, highly configurable, environment for developing Web Mapping applications. Chameleon is OpenSource, this means that you can use it freely for your own applications, and that you also have access to the source code.
Community MapBuilder -
MapBuilder is a powerful, standards compliant, open source geographic mapping client which runs in a web browser.
Using MapBuilder, Web designers can concentrate on the presentation and usability using HTML with simple links to the MapBuilder JavaScript code using HTML element IDs, with additional presentation information provided using CSS and XSL. The content and style of the maps themselves will often be defined using Web Map Context documents although the modular design framework allows MapBuilder to work with many other document types.
dlgv32 Pro is a limited-feature version of commercial software called Global Mapper which was created from the original dlgv32 source code. Improved to address changes in data standards and to better meet customer requirements, dlgv32 Pro continues the tradition of providing quality viewing software for USGS data users. The USGS has obtained from Global Mapper a license to freely distribute this limited-feature version.
FCC -
Federal Communications Commission Mapping Resources.
Flowmap is a software package dedicated to analyzing and displaying interaction or flow data. This type of data is special in the sense that there are two different geographic locations connected to each data item: An origin location where the flow starts and an destination location where the flow ends. The flow data itself can be people (e.g. commuters, shoppers, hospital visitors), goods, usage of agricultural services or telecommunication and so on.
Geocoding - Map Channels offers free single address and batch geocoding.
Geodetic software developed by the National Geodetic Survey (NCS). Free download.
GeoIQ is a Web services platform that enables intuitive geographic
analysis and visualization capabilities in Web mapping applications.
The GeoIQ Web Service is free up to a pretty generous 5,000 map
requests per day, for any Web site that is freely available to the
public.
GEOS (Geometry Engine - Open Source) is a C++ port of the Java Topology Suite (JTS).
GeoServer - GeoServer is an Open Source server that connects your information to the Geospatial Web. You can publish and edit data using open standards. Your information is made available in a large variety of formats as maps/images or actual geospatial data..
Geospatial Explorer has been written to enable geologists, environmental scientists, and engineers to apply innovative science and technology to enhance and expedite the reduction of risk to human health and the environment. Geospatial Explorer permits the user to identify, understand, and solve complex environmental problems better, faster, and cheaper.
Geostatistics and Spatial Statistics
Geo Tools is an open source (LGPL) Java code library which provides standards compliant methods for the manipulation of geospatial data, for example to implement Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
GIS ObjectLand is a universal Geographic Information System for Windows. Free non-commercial license.
GMT is an open source collection of 60 tools for manipulating geographic and Cartesian data sets (including filtering, trend fitting, gridding, projecting, etc.) and producing Encapsulated PostScript File (EPS) illustrations ranging from simple x-y plots via contour maps to artificially illuminated surfaces and 3-D perspective views. GMT supports ~30 map projections and transformations and comes with support data such as GSHHS coastlines, rivers, and political boundaries. GMT is developed and maintained by Paul Wessel and Walter H. F. Smith with help from a global set of volunteers, and is supported by the National Science Foundation. It is released under the GNU General Public License.
gvSIG is a free open-source tool oriented to manage geographic information. It is characterized by a user-friendly interface, with a quick access to the most usual raster and vector formats. In the same view it includes local as well as remote data through a WMS, WCS or WFS source.
Grass GIS New Release - Just released version 6.3 is now windows ready. Previous versions worked with Unix based machines and Macs, but required an interpreter to work with Windows.
LookOUT - The online map connector for MS Outlook,
LookOUT by IDELIX is a great new free add-in for Microsoft Outlook that streamlines your daily planning by eliminating the tedious task of copying addresses from your Outlook contacts and pasting them into an online mapping application.
LookWMS by IDELIX is a Web Map Client that implements the OpenGIS WMS specification and enables users to access geospatial data from WMS servers over the Internet. Some of the interesting features of our client include: The ability to access and display information from multiple servers at the same time, for true multi-layer interaction; The ability to cache data locally to work off-line when a connection is not available and improve mobile workforce productivity; and The ability to access GeoTIFF files from your local machine or from a remote server. You can save your GeoTIFF files locally for quick reference in the future.
Mapbender is the software and portal site for geodata management of OGC OWS architectures. The software provides web technology for managing spatial data services implemented in PHP, JavaScript and XML.
MapEdit, a low cost solution (free to educational and non-profit organizations) for making image maps come alive. Simple image maps and html still outshine many mapservers.
MapGuide Open Source is a web-based platform that enables users to quickly develop and deploy web mapping applications and geospatial web services. MapGuide features an interactive viewer that includes support for feature selection, property inspection, map tips, and operations such as buffer, select within, and measure.
MapIt! is a serverside web-application for rastermaps. Navigation and points of interests are easily configured.
MapServer is an open source development environment for building spatially-enabled web mapping applications and services. It is fast, flexible, reliable and can be integratated into just about any GIS environment.
MapWindow - Uses most standard GIS data formats including shapefiles (.shp) and ASCII grid files (.asc). Data in these formats can be downloaded from many Internet sites including GIS Data Depot, USEPA, USGS and many others. MapWindow can also handle georeferenced GIF, and BMP image files.
NRDB (Natural Resources Database) is a free database and mapping application for developing and distributing environmental databases. Its aim is to provide people in developing countries with a powerful yet simple tool to assist in the managing of their own resources.
OpenGTS - The "Open GPS Tracking System" is the first available open source project designed specifically to provide web-based GPS tracking services for a "fleet" of vehicles.
OpenLayers makes it easy to put a dynamic map in any web page. It can display map tiles and markers loaded from any source. MetaCarta developed the initial version of OpenLayers and gave it to the public to further the use of geographic information of all kinds. OpenLayers is completely free, Open Source JavaScript, released under a BSD-style License.
Orbit Spatial Technologies has two free products -- a GIS viewer, Orbit Explorer, and a GIS server system, EOS Lite.
Open Source Software Image Map (OSSIM) is a high performance engine for remote sensing, image processing, geographical information systems and photogrammetry.
Quantum GIS (QGIS) - 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.
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). The second is to make these methods accessible in a user friendly way. This is mainly done by the Graphical User Interface (GUI). Together this results in SAGA's true strength: a fast growing set of geoscientifc methods, bundled in exchangeable Module Libraries.
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.
SDTSPublic 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.
Spatial Console 1.2.1 imports shapefiles to Oracle Spatial and Locator and exports to several different formats. It also enables viewing and validation of Oracle Spatial and Locator data.
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.
TNTlite is a free version of TNTmips, TNTedit, and TNTview for small-scale projects. TNTlite is not a demo, but a large, full-featured geospatial analysis software package. The free TNTlite product has all the features of the professional TNTmips version, except TNTlite limits the size of Project File objects.
uDig -
The User-friendly Desktop Internet GIS (uDig) is both a GeoSpatial application and a platform through which developers can create new, derived applications. uDig is a core element in an internet aware Geographic Information System.
USGS Formal metadata: information and software
USGS GeoData software -
USGS and non-USGS public domain software that can be used to display or manipulate USGS digital data.
USGS Geographic Data public domain software.
Water Resources Applications software -
A collection of programs and utilities that are used in research and hydrologic studies to determine the quantity, quality, and location of water resources in the United States.
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