What free programs should every GIS user have installed?

Question

I'm not necessarily referring to ESRI extensions or open-source products, but others that increase your productivity and ability to handle GIS tasks.

For example, Notepad++ for writing code snippets or editing XMLs. Paint.NET for quick graphic editing.

Answer 1

• Google Earth, for viewing and creating KMZ/KML files
• Trimble Sketchup, for creating 3D models
• PointVue LE, Fusion/LDV, LAStools, for viewing LAS (LiDAR) files in 3D
• PyScripter, for Python scripting
• ArcGIS Diagrammer, for designing geodatabases and modifying schemas (ESRI XML workspace documents)
• Visual Studio Express (C# or VB.NET), for .NET development
• SharpDevelop, alternative IDE to Visual Studio for .NET development -- also handy for converting between VB.NET and C#
• TortoiseSVN, TortoiseCVS, TortoiseGit, or TortoiseHg for version control on Windows
• Oracle SQL Developer, for poking around the back end of ArcSDE, running queries, etc.
• PrimoPDF, for printing/appending to PDFs
• LightShot, for quickly taking and uploading screenshots, or GreenShot which is similar but quite a bit more powerful/customizable (thanks @Mike Toews for mentioning it in one of the comments).
• VLC media player, for desktop video recording and video playback
• MSI Afterburner, for 3D video recording
• VirtualDub, for basic non-linear video editing
• XnView, GIMP, Paint.NET, and InkScape for various graphics tasks (each has their own strong suits)
• FileZilla, for FTP sites
• 7-Zip, for ZIP/RAR files
• UnxUtils - For a lightweight (native Win32) port of common GNU utilities like "tail" and "grep". Tail is great for displaying log files in realtime, while grep is a powerful (regular expressions-based) text search tool.

Answer 2

Polymaps, Tableau Public for charts, PeaZip for zip files. WinMerge

Answer 3

ER Viewer. Fantastic way of 'fool-proofing' imagery. I find that its very unbiased in the way it raster imagery is viewed.

Answer 4

The Gdal command line tools are quite useful.

ogrinfo myshapefile.shp

gdalinfo myrasterfile.tif

ogr2ogr to convert files.

Sometimes I also use the xpath tool (provided with the gnome libxml2 library) to inspect xml/xsd/kml files:

cat my-insanely-complex-xml-file.xml | xpath "//Placename/text()"

You get the idea.

Answer 5

Excellent sugestions here.

Just thought I would add the FREE Double CAD XT which is an AutoCAD LT-like program with more features then AutoCAD LT, simpler interface. Excellent for those GIS folks that have to interact with a lot of CAD data. Double CAD XT also claims excellent support for Sketchup - might be a good tool for those looking to integrate GIS, CAD & SketchUp data.

AutoCAD LT ($1200) and Double Cad XT ($0) Comparison chart

Answer 6

Bulk Rename Utility is a great program that can do a lot of renaming and custom naming for data sources without the need of scripting. Data is an absolute for GIS individuals, and having access to free data is a great tool to have. I regularly use geobase.ca, geogratis.gc.ca and ESDI at the Global Land Cover Facility to get a range of raster and vector products.

Answer 7

OpenRefine (formerly Google-Refine).

This free and open-source tool is awesome for cleaning up messy data. I typically use it for fairly simple operations like concatenation, trimming, replacing one character with another, removing spelling mistakes, etc.

One of my most common use cases is grouping similar items via the clustering tools. This is great for finding spelling mistakes or abbreviation problems (e.g. Road, road, rode, rd, rd.) and changing them all to a single correct value.

Having clean data makes database operations and definition queries MUCH simpler to perform. You can even "record" the operations you've performed on a set of data for reuse on the next bit of messy data you encounter.

I don't use anywhere near the full potential of this software, but I find it easy to pick up and use for the simple tasks I've described. Here are some screencasts that touch on some of the more advanced operations. Oh yeah, you can also use it for geocoding!

The project has moved from HERE to GitHub.

Here's what the ReadMe says:

OpenRefine is a power tool that allows you to load data, understand it, clean it up, reconcile it internally, and augment it with data coming from Freebase or other web sources. All with the comfort and privacy of your own computer.

The wiki has everything you need to know including download links.

Answer 8

Here are a couple of web-based tools for entry-level GIS users:

Inquiron has a free online file converter for shp/xls/csv/gpx/dxf/kml to kml with more content being added. It's a simple process of just dragging and dropping the file into the relevant box - if you're using Chrome the file will automatically download.

There's also Mapsdata which lets you load geodata from xls/csv to view as pins, heatmaps, bubble maps, cluster maps, all of which can be colored, made transparent, etc. They have auto export to png and iframe.

Both of those are geared towards the novice or lite GIS user and aren't designed to detract from QGIS, etc.

Answer 9

TatukGISViewer (www.tatukgis.com/Products/EditorViewer.aspx) is great for quick viewing of raster and vector files. I work with both ESRI and MapInfo which forces me to do tons of converting .tabs to .shps or the other way around. Tatuk is great because it handles both formats, just drag-and-drop and they all show up nicely. It also truly shows the geographic location of the data if two datasets have different coordinate systems (I don´t like ESRIs automatic compensationing).

Answer 10

GPSBabel to convert waypoints, tracks, and routes between popular GPS receivers and mapping programs.

Answer 11

I am working with Rasterdata a lot, DEMs and Orthofotos so I have a bunch of basic tools I need to handle them

• Landserf is great for quickviewing DEMs, create Hillshades, Slope, Aspects, Profiles, and to convert to other formats (ASCII Grid to XYZ for example). A good alternative is GridConvert
• I use TotalCommander to manage thousands of files,renaming them (create worldfiles and renaming them to fit to tifs for example)
• Since ER Mapper is ERDAS now its hard to get, but free ECW Compressor and ECW Header Editor are still better (in compressing images) than GDAL with the ECW SDK linked. Lucky you if you still have the setups.
• Already said here, that Irfan View is one of the best Image Viewing and processing tools out there

Answer 12

I'll add TileMill to the list. It's an easy way to put map on the web. Mapbox have a free plan that can do for most small users.

I must have missed it, but PostgreSQL/PostGIS is a must too!

Answer 13

I love PicPick for Windows for image capture/quick editing and on-screen measurements, it includes a screenshot capture utility, an on-screen protractor, pixel ruler, color picker, and more. The current version (3.1.7) is free for personal use only. The last version that was free for all uses is 2.1.5, I use that version daily and very rarely does it give me any problems. You can grab it from my dropbox, it's a portable app, just copy the files somewhere and run it.

Another handy link is http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/index.html, which has downloads of the last freeware versions of some popular programs that later became shareware or commercial software. I don't think it's updated anymore but the download links still work.

Answer 14

My only contributions to the list (you've got most of the bases covered!) are:

• ColorCop for determining and matching web colors.
• KML Color Converter
• MicroDEM

Answer 15

FugroViewer - Fantastic program for viewing LIDAR data saved in LAS files. It has 2D, 3D and profile view. You can symbolize dots with all attributes stored in LAS files along with RGB colors.

Answer 16

• Irfanview - for making simple image edits, such as cropping screenshots. Much more useful than MS Paint
• Free JavaScript Editor - for editing JS, but also CSS, HTML, etc. Contains some great error checking functions, including a direct link to JSLint
• Firebug - priceless when debugging a web application in FireFox
• PythonWin - arguably easier debugging than Idle as it allows the use of breakpoints and "step over", "step into" handling

Answer 17

Here it is another solution: Geobide SDK a set of components for the development of gis professional applications. Free versions of the tools are available.

Geomap, System for viewing, editing and analysis; [Geoconverter][3], geodetic reference systems and geographic formats converter: Converts formats, ipdate fields... (available in English); [Geobuilder][4], solution for the design and execution of diagrams of geoprocessing. (available in English); [Geobridge][5], plug-in for access to CAD/GIS data from Autocad, Microstation, ArcGIS...

Answer 18

Everything, quickly find any file in your computer.

Evernote, remember everything of life.

Python Tools for Visual Studio, a VS plugin for python.

Answer 19

Gaia from Carbon Project is free and supports many spatial data types.

http://www.thecarbonproject.com/gaia.php

"Gaia is a platform designed for advanced geospatial network and SDI needs. Based on the CarbonTools PRO open-geospatial development toolkit, this viewer can access an array of geospatial sources such as the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Mapping Service (WMS), Web Map Tile Service (WMTS), Web Coverage Service (WCS), Web Feature Service (WFS), and Filter Encoding (FE), services such as Microsoft Bing Maps, Yahoo! Maps and OpenStreetMap (OSM), as well as file formats such as ESRI Shapefiles, Google Earth KML/KMZ, DXF, MIF, Geography Markup Language (GML) and GML Simple Features (GMLsf)."

Answer 20

Don't forget to mention MapTiler for easy map tiling jobs (build on top of the already mentioned GDAL).

Answer 21

Benjamin already mentioned SAGA GIS, but just the name so I would like to add more info about this excellent SW:

SAGA (System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses)

SAGA is also free and opensource like QGIS, but it is focused on raster data analysis and processing.

The standard modules are:

• File access: interfaces to various table, vector, image and grid file formats, including shapefiles, Esri grids (ASCII and binary), and numerous grid file formats that are supported by the GDAL library, in addition to the native SGRD format of SAGA GIS.

• Filter for grids: Gaussian, Laplacian, multi-directional Lee filter.

• Gridding: interpolation from vector data using triangulation, nearest neighbour, inverse distance. (my favourite is Multilevel B-Spline interpolation)

• Geostatistics: residual analysis, ordinary and universal kriging, single and multiple regression analysis, variance analysis.

• Grid calculator: combine grids through user defined functions.

• Grid discretisation: skeletonisation, segmentation.

• Grid tools: merging, resampling, gap filling.

• Image classification: cluster analysis, box classification, maximum likelihood, pattern recognition, region growing.

• Projections: various coordinate transformations for vector and grid data (using Proj4 and GeoTrans libraries), georeferencing of grids.

• Simulation of dynamic processes: TOPMODEL, nitrogen distributions, erosion, landscape development.

• Terrain analysis: geomorphometrical calculations such as slope, aspect, curvatures, curvature classification, analytical hillshading, sink eliminition, flow path analysis, catchment delineation, solar radiation, channel lines, relative altitudes.

• Vector tools: polygon intersection, contour lines from grid.

According to the users it can partially replace commercial tools like Spatial analyst in ArcGIS and some people say, that the hydrological tools are even better than ArcHydroTools.

In my opinion it is good choice for people who are not familiar with GRASS and who need user friendly and free solution which can share data with other GIS tools.

I use it together with QGIS and it works really nice - SAGA for raster data, QGIS for vectors and final map finishing and for quick mapping.

Answer 22

For file management that goes beyond windows explorer, it's hard to beat eXtreme from http://textmode.cwahi.net/

for quick viewing of shapefiles, where you can see the shape and the attributes table, I use Mapbrowser from http://www.vdstech.com/mapbrowser.htm

For renaming multiple files I use http://www.fastfilerenamer.com/

Answer 23

Color Oracle - a colorblindness simulator for Window, Mac and Linux. I use this for checking the "look" of my composed maps.

Answer 24

You can use : ArcGIS Explorer

With ArcGIS Explorer, you can

• Access ready-to-use ArcGIS Online basemaps and layers.
• Fuse your local data with map services to create custom maps.
• Add photos, reports, videos, and other information to your maps. Perform spatial analysis (e.g., visibility, modeling, proximity search).

Link

Answer 25

Self-link, but TileMill is very useful for exploring geodata, making pretty maps, doing analysis, etc. It's mainly for the presentation and exploration steps, while the heavy-lifting of analysis can be done in QGIS or similar.

Answer 26

For statistical analysis, there is R. An integration of R with ArcGIS provides the Geospatial Modelling Environment.

Answer 27

While it's not focused on GIS development, Rainmeter has proven to be very useful in terms of increasing productivity and monitoring system resources. I have created a GIS "sidebar" on my desktop that holds all of my development tools, as well as links to the online resources I used the most. It's nice to be able to use one location, rather than many (e.g. taskbar, bookmarks in browser, search engine).

Answer 28

No-one's mentioned postgresql and PostGis yet for storing, organising and manipulating geodata.

Answer 29

I wonder why MAPNIK has not been mentioned yet. It is also pluged in to QGIS. Very nice tool for easily making astonishing looking maps.

Answer 30

If you want to work with SONAR data SonarWave Lite is a free solution. It was referenced on this thread on GIS SE.