Open Source GIS in Taiwan: Current and Future

1
Open Source GIS in Taiwan Current and Future

• Dongpo Deng
• Taipei International Conference on Digital Earth
  2007
• at
• Chinese Culture University
• ??????
• 5.18.2007

2
What is Open Source and How Does it Work

• Freely available software and source code with
  limited licensing restrictions on distribution
• Collaborative, community-based software
  development process
• Proactively engages software users with software
  developers
• The Internet provides the backbone for a virtual
  software development team

Adopted from David McIlhagga, Introduction to
Open Source GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
3
Benefits of the Open Source Model

• No licensing fees
• Resources are allocated to building applications
  and enhancing software, not licensing multiple
  machines
• Enables development of highly customized
  applications based on clients needs
• Vibrant user community
• Development priorities are driven by end-user
  needs
• Issues can be resolved in-house

Adopted from David McIlhagga, Introduction to
Open Source GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
4
Open Source in GIS

• Open Source has played a significant, thought not
  always very visible role in the development of
  GIS technology. Ex. GDAL and PROJ4 libraries
• The new century has also seen the growth of
  integration and service companies organized
  primarily around use of open source technology.
  Ex. DM Solutions Group, Intevation Gmbh, CCGIS,
  and Camptocamp SA.
• All proprietary GIS software vendors are using
  some Open Source GIS components in their
  products. Ex. Libgeotiif and GDAL/OGR.

Adopted from Frank Warderman, OSGIS Rising, GIS
Development, 11(1)44-45.
5
Two Tribes in Open Source GIS

• C Tribe
• UMN Mapserver
• GRASS
• OpenEV
• QGIS
• OGR/GDAL
• PROJ4
• GEOS
• PostGIS

• Java Tribe
• GeoTools
• GeoServer
• DeeGree
• OpenMap
• JUMP
• uDig

Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
6
C Tribe
Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
7
C Libraries

• GDAL
• Raster Format Reader / Writer
• OGR
• Vector Format Reader / Writer
• PROJ4
• Coordinate Reprojection
• GEOS
• Geometry Objects and Functions

Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
8
C Servers

• Mapserver
• OpenGIS Web Map Server
• OpenGIS Web Feature Server
• OGR / GDAL / PROJ4
• PostGIS / ArcSDE / Oracle Spatial
• PostGIS
• OpenGIS Simple Features for SQL
• PROJ4 / GEOS

Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
9
Mapserver
TIFF
PostGIS
ArcSDE
Oracle
WMS
Mapserver
WFS
Shape
MapInfo
WMS
Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
10
PostGIS
WMSClient
JUMP
Internet
WMS / WFS
LAN
PostGIS
WFSClient
QGIS
Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
11
C Applications

• OpenEV
• QGIS
• Thuban
• GRASS
• OSSIM
• GMT

Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
12
OpenEV
Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
13
QGIS
Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
14
Thuban
Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
15
GRASS
Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
16
OSSIM
OpenSourceSoftwareImage Map
Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
17
GMT

• Generic Mapping Tools
• UNIX Philosophy
• Many small tools, chained together
• Gridding, Contouring, Plotting
• Surface Models

Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
18
Java Tribe
JCS Conflation Suite
OpenMap
uDig / JUMP2
GeoServer
JUMP Unified Mapping Platform
GeoTools
WKB4J
DeeGree
GML4J
JTS Topology Suite
Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
19
Java Libraries

• JTS Topology Suite
• OpenGIS Geometries and Methods
• GeoTools
• Data Formats, Java GIS Toolkit
• WKB4J
• Java Well-Known Binary Reader / Writer
• GML4J
• Java GML Reader / Writer

20
Java Applications

• OpenMap
• DeeGree
• JUMP / JCS
• GeoServer
• uDig

21
OpenMap

• Oldest Complete Java Toolkit
• Telephone Company Project (BBN)
• Design Application (not Data) Focused

22
DeeGree

• Academic Roots
• Bonn University
• Message Passing API
• OpenGIS Standards
• Server Focused (WMS, WFS, SLD)

23
JUMP / JCS

• Specialized Original Vision (Conflation)
• General Purpose Tool
• Editing, Processing, Transforming

24
GeoServer

• OpenGIS WFS-T
• Web Feature Server - Transactional
• OpenGIS WMS (Beta)
• Database Datasources Shape

Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
25
uDig

• User-friendly Desktop Internet GIS
• WFS, WMS, WRS
• PostGIS, ArcSDE, Oracle Spatial
• Printing, Reprojection
• Shape, GeoTIFF

Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
26
Pros and Cons on OSGIS

• Strengths
• Server Side
• Heterogeneous Environments
• Performance
• Standards Support
• Complex or Custom Applications

• Weaknesses
• Interactive Desktop
• Paper Production
• Lowest Common Denominator
• Standard Applications

Adopted from Paul Ramsey, Survey of Open Source
GIS, Open source GIS Conference 2004
27
OSGIS in Taiwan

• Low Usage, unfavorable experience, and less
  tutorials in Tradition Chinese.
• The academic groups are might interested, but the
  governmental agencies are afraid of OSGIS.
• There is need of volunteer for promoting and
  consulting for OSGIS.
• With international trends of Geo-Information,
  there is lack of voice from OSGIS in Taiwan.

28
OSGeo Taiwan

• A group of people coming from different fields
  are interested in Open Source GIS.
• OSGeo Taiwan Chapter is a voluntary organization
  currently. Initial membership would like make it
  to legal body.

29
The missions of OSGeo Taiwan

• To facilitate the development of open source
  geo-spatial software in Taiwan.
• Advocacy and education of open source geo-spatial
  software.
• To promote collecting and sharing of geo-spatial
  data in public and private sector.
• Act as a bridge between various groups like
  Developers, Application Users, NGOs, Government
  departments.
• Being a consultant of open source geo-spatial
  software by providing resource such as tutorials,
  technical guideline, workshop, and so on.

30
Thank you for your attention!Coming OSGeo
workshop at Academia Sinica

• Contact me dongpo_at_iis.sinica.edu.tw
• Mailing list osgeo-talk_at_lists.openfoundry.org
• OSGeo Taiwan Chapter http//wiki.osgeo.org/index
  .php/Taiwan