PRINCIPLES OF GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (CS4S16) COURSEWORK
MSC GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS
MapInfo professional is a prevailing Microsoft Window based mapping and geographic analysis software package, premeditated with the ability to easily visualise the relationship between data and geography. MapInfo professional is equipped with the superiority of use, providing sophistication in performing detailed data analysis; thereby controlling the power of its location. On the other hand ArcGIS is proficient and highly scalable software supporting a wide range of applications used in performing various GIS task in a broader and more sophisticated style. Both software systems are the most widely used commercial GIS packages of various organisations and corporate firms; these packages have evolved over the years both in terms of Analytical functionality with regards to their application in solving real world problems.
This paper seeks to compare, contrast and critically evaluate these software packages and their extensions in terms of their ease of use, analytical capabilities, real life applications and overall strengths and weaknesses. Both software packages seem to have common similarities; for example, in both software packages, they create maps composed of many individual layers by attaching data values to map lines, points or other features. They both have the underlying data table bar that controls the colours, and symbols on the map. Nevertheless, both software packages have differences in ways of dealings in terms of simplicity of use, Analytical power, Geocoding, Editing and Updating capabilities, Cost factors, Company history and direction.
EASE OF USE
Both software packages are user friendly, from a GIS user perspective. Otherwise, it could be a nightmare for early starters with little or no previous background. Graphic User Interface of both packages comprises of similar menus, dialog boxes and button bars such as Zoom, Pan, Return to previous view, and View full extent. Some tools also exist in both packages which perform the same function but have different names such the “full extent” tool in Arc GIS and “view entire layer” tool in MapInfo Professional. ArcGIS integrates two main supporting applications ArcMap and ArcCatalog. Arc Map a supporting application of ArcGIS® Desktop, viewed as a map centric Graphical User Interface tool (ESRI, 2004), providing the ease to work geographically and interactively. ArcMap has a dynamic user interface, displaying several menu and toolbars which hold functions for performing various GIS tasks as shown fig 1. ArcMap displays features in data and layout view but MapInfo has an advantage in its ability to display data graphically in a map window as well as display tables in a browser window.
ArcCatalog provides a unique functionality of managing and organizing all Geographical information to be used, such as maps, datasets and metadata. ArcCatalog employs the function of adding access data into ArcMap by dragging and dropping the files in the ArcMap window. You can browse files and find geographical information stored in the system in ArcCatalog, just by exploring the ArcCatalog tree. This function is limited in Mapinfo Professional. In addition ArcView supports Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL) and Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) which can be used to provide efficient third party interfacing and integration capability Arunkumar et al (2005).
On the other hand, MapInfo software, the graphical user interface (GUI) look complex at first use, but they are designed in such a way that makes them easier for the user to learn. MapInfo tools appear mixed-up when toolbars are arranged together. The interface has also been designed to pack as many commands and functions as possible into a small space on the screen. The result of the ease-of-use advantage of MapInfo's general interface over the ArcGIS software's GUI. For example, MapInfo Professional was adopted by Finland's Ministry of the Interior; is Finland's largest user of MapInfo mapping software after cautious evaluation of number GIS software including ESRI's ArcGIS (Finland Government, 2005). MapInfo Professional has been used by the Ministry across a variety of essential activities including: the management assessment and surveillance of state frontiers, the planning of new traffic routes, and analysis of air pollution (Finland Government, 2005). However, ArcGIS tools appear more engaging and opened minded due to the drop down buttons on many of its tool bars.
Furthermore, an example of the ease of using MapInfo Professional software package over the ArcGIS software can be seen in one of Europe's largest city authorities, the Planning Department of Birmingham City council which experienced problems in managing, sharing and disseminating map based information. The Council required a system based solution that would provide staff with access to updated and relevant information when required. MapInfo solutions were used extensively by the Birmingham City Council, and enabled users to view, manage and analyse information based on location (Birmingham City Council, 2008)
Ease of learning
ArcGIS produced by ESRI. The company provides a comprehensive means of learning, through online ESRI courses with more details on ease of use, through written tutorials, lectures and hands-on software exercise provided for self-study over the internet. This limited to Mapinfo Professional software package. Also both software packages contain help functions, ArcGIS Help is more descriptive and can be accessed from more parts of the software including tools dialog in the ArcTool box.
ArcGIS and MapInfo Professional are compactable with approximately all format type of geographic data but MapInfo has the unique ability to access geographic data directly including those in ESRI format. e.g. ArcGIS files. MapInfo also possesses an Info Scroll bar and a auto scroll check box, that is useful for turning on or off the scroll bars of the map window. The auto scroll check box being “Un -checked” prevents the map window from scrolling or panning as the user moves to a new location on the map.
ANALYTICAL POWER
Theme mapping and Map layout capabilities
In ArcGIS software, the rich set of options including ranged fills, pie diagrams and dot density gives the user the ability to modify the way in which maps are displayed. The software supports transparent cross hatching fills compared with MapInfo Professional, which posses rich set of thematic options including ranged fills, pie diagrams, and dot densities fills plus use “natural break,” standard deviation, and other categorization methods. Also MapInfo Professional allows the user to choose from the richest set of types and combination option of thematic maps more than ArcGIS including the grid theme, individual values theme, and combinations of theme as well (which allows the user to explore more than one dimension of data on a single map). It also provides line data (such as streets, contours, etc.), point data (such as store locations, customer address, elevation points, etc), and region data (such as a block group, zip code, county, or state) themes (Daniel et al 2002).
In addition, the functionality strength of MapInfo over the ArcGIS Desktop is that it has trade-area derivation capability, and it has three methods to calculate trade areas: Voronoi, Grid, and Spider. Other commonly used algorithms add up to the function of MapInfo professional 9.5 for deriving trades areas-gravity and spatial interaction models, wedges or amoebas and spatial smoothing (Thrall, 2005). Layout capabilities in both software's are similar, which are both used for printing and publishing purposes. Although, ArcGIS integrates a new function in use for printing a hardcopy of maps called ArcPress for ArcGIS. A print rasterize format for fast and high-quality printing and exporting (James, 2004). ArcPress processes a map on your computer and then transforms the map into the native language format of whatever printer you're using. This process reduces printing time and eliminates the need for extra memory or processors within the printer. Anybody who uses ArcGIS can benefit from ArcPress, especially if you produce large-format maps that contain high-resolution images or detailed vector data compared with MapInfo Professional. However, ArcGIS software package is found to have an advantage over MapInfo when it comes to terrain and surface modelling. In ArcGIS, 3D surface could be created inArcScene, using TIN and GRID data types; and then subjected to analysis by using the 3D Analyst Tool of ArcGIS extension; and it is finally visualized in ArcGlobe.
Adjacency, “buffers”, and proximity: What's happening nearby.
Buffer operation refers to the creation of a zone of a specified width around a point or a line or a polygon area. It is also referred to as a zone of specified distance around coverage features
(Nagapramod, nd). There are two types of buffers: constant width buffers and variable width buffers . Both types can be generated for a set of coverage features based on each features attribute values. These zones or buffers can be used in queries to determine which entities occur either within or outside the defined buffer zone. Buffering is a powerful tool in both MapInfo and ArcGIS that helps to analyse objects within a specified distance of other objects. Buffering in MapInfo Professional is created using the Select Objects dialog box through the Layer Control to make the layer editable. A broad option of operation is given to a user in MapInfo than in ArcGIS- a user can buffer multiple objects at the same time: one buffer for allobjects can be created (Daniel, et al 2002). Buffering regions built automatically with ring or buffer objects are retained and Buffer size are controlled by data values using MapInfo Professional. The user computes near or distance functions and employs more sophisticated features to work out intersections and overlaps among regions. Nevertheless, ArcGIS employs a streamlined and easy method of creating buffers, which can be easily accessible under the Tools menu.
Also, MapInfo Professional unlike ArcGIS uses a smoothness parameter field provided in the Buffer Objects dialog box .Smoothness seems to help avoid unwanted errors caused by too much approximation in a buffer shape.MapInfo Professional, has also the ability to create negative buffers, and this function appears to be absent in ArcGIS software. The feature brings about creating a region within one or more map objects like polygon and polyline. For Instance, with the problem of an insurance adjuster who wants to locate all insurance policyholders within 50 kilometres of the Texas border (Daniel, et al 2002).
Bachinsky (2002) reported that Techtipsstores use MapInfo Professional to create Buffers to link location data with customer data and visualize it on a map. By going to Objects > Buffer and filling 10 and 100 miles for radius and smoothness respectively; and when a query was furthermore performed through SQL Select and join the Customer table to the Store Buffers table where Customer.obj is within Store_Buffers.obj the resulting query appears to have all the columns and data from both base tables. MapInfo can overlay, combine, & split multiple layers, creating new map layers. Automatic data aggregation & disaggregation capabilities are applicable with the use of MapInfo Professional when objects split or combine. Also, ArcGIS got such capabilities based on the percentage overlap when combining data from different sources.
* Table Queries and selections
ArcGIS and MapInfo have excellent capabilities of extracting specific data records or map objects from a map linked to a database. These selected subsets of data can then be manipulated in many of ways as an entire MapInfo and ArcGIS tables (data files), referred to as base table (Daniel et al 2002). MapInfo Professional allows creation of a temporary table to store the records for each selection (data subset) that the user makes. These temporary selection tables could be saved by creating a permanent table from them (Daniel, et al 2002). ArcGIS, however, lack this strength: for it could only map and indicate the selected subsets in both the table, and the map provide user with several ways to select or query data. Both software's have good query builder tools, with SQL syntax support , MapInfo Professional can build many groups and sub-groups to progressively refine the analysis and also has the ability to retain previous queries as dynamic tables.
More so, MapInfo provides several ways of manual selections, for retrieving information about features from the screen, and it is achieved in four different ways using several tools on the Main toolbar: First, Select Tool allows user to select one or more objects. The tool is used to select either a single object or a limited number of objects. Secondly, Radius Select Tool allows the user to select all objects that fall within a certain radius. Thirdly, Marquee Select Tool is also another selection tool that allows the user to select object within a certain radius in a rectangular form. Fourth, Boundary Select Tool allows user to select all objects that fall within the selected boundary or polygon object (Daniel, et al 2002). This shows MapInfo ability to employ a wider means of selecting features when compared with the selection capability in ArcGIS Desktop, because in ArcGIS the user is provided with only one mode of selection from the screen using an Interactive selective feature tool in the tools bar in ArcMap. Although ArcGIS have distinctive ways of retrieving information about features compared to MapInfo Professional. The user can identify features by clicking on them in order to display their attributes. The user can select features by clicking on the features to highlight them and look at their records in the layer attribute table. The user can find features by using known information about the features in order to search the map for a particular feature.
ANALYTICAL FUNCTIONS ArcGIS 9.3/ EXTENSIONSAND MAPINFO PROFESSIONAL 9.5 / VERTICAL MAPPER 3.5.
ArcGIS9 has 6 main sets of analytical tools which make up the extension tool box, to perform analytical functions. These are as follows.
Spatial Analyst:
ArcGIS spatial analyst provides the ease to perform numerous functions such as : create and query map, analyze cell-based raster data; perform integrated raster/vector analysis; derive new information from existing data; query information across multiple data layers; convert features (points, line or polygon) into raster and to fully integrate cell-based raster data with traditional vector data sources.
3D Analyst:
ArcGIS 3D Analyst is a powerful advanced visualization and surface generation tool. This tool can be employed in viewing large sets of data in three dimensions from multiple viewpoints, query a surface, and create a realistic perspective image that drapes raster and vector data over a surface. You can perform spherical 3D visualization, flythrough, animations and create contours and terrains.
Geostatistical Analyst:
Geostatistical analyst tool provides a great set of tools for spatial data exploration and optimal surface generation using sophisticated statistical methods. With the use of spatial data, brings about the ability to investigate, visualize, and create optimal surfaces .This unique feature enables you to take advantage of these techniques in a friendly and dynamic graphical user interface (GUI).
Network Analyst:
ArcGIS Network Analyst provides network-based spatial analyses including routing, travel directions, closest facility, and service area. This can be used to define service area based on travel time data.
Survey Analyst:
Spatial Analyst enables you to create, edit and manage GIS features based on survey measurement data and survey procedures. Continually, you can enhance the accuracy of your data using existing survey methodologies and also improve feature geometry quality by linking survey features to GIS features.
Tracking Analyst:
Tracking analyst provides the capabilities for sophisticated visualization and analysis of time-related data. This tool allows user reveal time-related trends or phenomena, allowing you to see where and when an event occurred. You can create animation files for AVI output. This wide range of extensions makes it a world leading software package that allows user to author, analyze, map, manage, share, and publish Geographic Information (ESRI,2004). On the other hand MapInfo Professional 9.5 extension functionality is Vertical Mapper 3.5.
VERTICALMAPPER 3.5
Vertical Mapper is a grid based contouring, modelling and display system them that changes point data into continuous regions in raster or vector format (Higgs, 2008). It is a valuable add-on of Mapinfo Professional that enables you perform advanced 3D and grid based analytical functions. Vertical Mapper is designed to display grids for viewing of trends in spatial data as a result of the poor display of whole numbers when polygons of non- uniform size and shape are being used. Several grids can also be viewed in the same scene, and drapes can be applied to any open grid. Vertical Mapper adds two broad sets of functionality to MapInfo professional: They include
Vertical Mapper employs complex mathematical expressions to create derivative grids. The View Shed function performs line of sight analysis. Some functions which can be applied using Vertical Mapper include:
EDITING AND UPDATING MAP CAPABILITIES
MapInfo and ArcGIS have sophisticated abilities in re-drawing and repositioning maps. ArcGIS has the ability to undo previous extent positions by using the Undo button on the Tools menu bar or using the full extent button icon which will reposition the map layer to its original position before use. This is also possible with MapInfo software. MapInfo Professional 9.5 has a new powerful data editing tool, called the CAD tools which add the functionality to create the right location-data for any analysis needed. CAD tools expand the scope of asset data creation and management capabilities by the ability to create more precise location data. These tools also improve productivity by providing the right tool for the task. The new MapInfo 9.5 software adds automatic labelling around points and centroids by providing the option to have labels automatically placed in nine different positions around a map object and/or object centroid compared to ArcGIS. This capability places more labels on the map and significantly reduces the time spent on adjusting labels (MapInfo, 2008).Also, both software products have unique functions to combine, split and trim map regions in their application. They have excellent capabilities in digitizing, both table and onscreen digitizing. But MapInfo stands out with the use of the Win TAB Digitizer that supports snap to node and centroid, move adjacent nodes trace, auto trace, cross hair option, orthogonal polygons and drawing by bearing and distance.
GEOCODING
Geocoding is the process of assigning geographic locations in a continuous, global reference system (e.g., codes or geographic coordinates expressed as latitude-longitude) to map features and other data records, such as street addresses. This an area of major difference between the two mapping software. In ArcGIS the geocoding function is accessible in the tools menu and a geocoding address must be created in ArcCatalog, before you can geocode addresses. While in MapInfo Professional, the geocode tool is located from the Table option in the MapInfo menu bar. With MapInfo, Zip code boundaries or other zone information occur in separate layer, not in streets. You can to substitute different zone layers (eg. town boundaries) or edit zone boundaries. This possible with an add-on product called Map-Maker, which offers a rule-based scoring system for close or imperfect matches. The add-on includes Zip+4 reference files and can automatically compute the Zip+4 code and geocode to the Zip+4 location as a fallback, if it cannot match to exact street address (laurel 2003). Also Mapmaker is a standalone software program introduced by MapInfo Corporation, which can run independently without any other GIS software, incorporated with a rule-based matching algorithm and programming interface that can be tied to other non-GIS software application and optimised to geocode quickly and effectively (Scholosser, 1996).
COMPANY HISTORY AND DIRECTION
MapInfo Professionalis a traditionally PC/desktop-oriented software package that released the first desktop mapping software package in the late 1980s with the aim to create an easy-to-use software package that did not require large amounts of computing power. Software development was its core business with estimated annual sales of $30-40 million, with MapInfo for Windows as its flagship product (Scholosser, 1996). MapInfo was acquired in 2007, by Pitney Bowes Corporations for about $408 million (Antone, 2007). Following the acquisition, MapInfo has changed its name to Pitney Bowes MapInfo Corporation. This new development had placed it as one of the world's leading suppliers of Location Intelligence software, analysis capabilities and asset and infrastructure management systems.
ArcGIS is a product of Environmental System Research Institute (ESRI) founded in 1969 as a privately held consulting firm that specialized in landuse analysis projects. UNIX Arc/Info being its (originally) main software product. ESRI, likewise MapInfo, were traditionally emphasized on software development as its core business. As at mid - nineties the UNIX computers were marketed by the company and with the estimated annual sales was set at more than $200 million with ArcView2 sales constituting a small fraction of total revenue (Scholosser, 1996). Over the years, ESRI embarked on an ambitious research project to reengineer all of its GIS software as a series of COM objects. In April 2001, ESRI began shipping ArcGIS 8.1, a family of software products that forms a complete GIS built on industry standards providing exceptional yet easy-to-use capabilities right out of the box (ESRI)
COST FACTOR
The financial purchasing power of ArcGIS software varies, depending on the intended use of the product. ESRI offers four different license levels of ArcGIS 9.3. These licenses start with the Arc Reader this allows one to view and query maps created with other Arc products. The ArcView license, which allows the user to view, creates maps and performs basic spatial analysis. The ArcEditor license includes all the functionality of ArcView and adds more sophisticated tools for manipulation of shapefiles and geodatabase. Lastly, ArcInfowhich includes all the functionality of ArcEditor and ArcView and adds advanced spatial analysis, extensive data manipulation, and high-end cartography tools (ESRI).
More like ArcGIS, MapInfo Professional is often used in conjunction with other MapInfo desktop products including Vertical Mapper, TargetPro, MapMarker and SpatialWare. To share work, visualize, and manipulate data in specialized ways that are more suited towards the other MapInfo products. The cost also will vary, depending on the intended use by the user.
(Schlosser, 1996) reported in a presentation when comparing both software (MapInfo & ArcView) the price range for ArcView 2.1 software to cost between $795 to $995 (including Avenue scripting option; while MapInfo Professional 4 cost $695. At the time, both software packages were compatible with the recommended CPU and RAM of 486-66Dx or better and 16MB and more for both software respectively. Today's market, ArcGIS products stands more expensive averaging $1500 for ArcView and $14000 for Arc Desktop, when compared with other GIS software product, accounting for 36percent share of the GIS market worldwide and representing 75% of all geoprocessing software sales to the United states federal government (Gunasekaran et al, 2005). System requirement for both software were compatible which include Processor 1GZ, RAM of 512M or more, Operating system Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista .This was not compatible with earlier versions ArcGIS 9.2, but now fully compatible with the ArcGIS 9.3.
APPLICATION OF MAPINFO/VERTICAL MAPPER 3.5
MapInfo professional is an exceptional tool in its application to real world situation that has its strength, focus on allowing users to benefit from location analysis thus, empowering them in knowledge and understanding to various activities in many organisations around the globe. Its use can be seen various sectors ranging from Telecommunications, Public Sector, Retail, crime, and Financial Services sectors.
CRIME MAPPING
MapInfo have played a key role in monitoring crime in many parts of the world. For Instance, The police department of Troy, New York City employs the use of a policing crime mapping application, an intranet-based crime analysis and mapping application, built on a technology of MapInfo professional. This has helped police officers analyze the occurrence of crime incidents and complaints about violations of the city's codes in near real-time. More so, the Amsterdam Police, Danish Police, New Yorkshire police and South African Police Service also use technology from MapInfo Professional in crime analysis and prediction. Some of their applications include:
TELECOMMUNICATION
MapInfo MapX Mobile is a development tool for creating map-based applications for mobile workers. Most telecommunication company have started to embrace this technology seeking to improve the efficiency and productivity of their mobile workforce by enabling the creation of map-enabled applications for Pocket PC powered devices (MapInfo, 2005).
HEALTH
Healthcare providers and public health organisations around the world are using location intelligence to optimise their service networks and plan sustainable growth. In England, the advent of MapInfo's HealthPro2 by MapInfo professional has helped NHS managers and Analysts to visualise information instantaneously so that trends and patterns can be recognised and acted upon quickly. In addition, the use of Health Pro 2 has helped managers plan more effectively for emergencies .This has also helped optimise routing system for ambulance services and health visitors by means of providing centrally managed access to shared geographic information.
APPPLICATION OF ArcGIS 9.3/ Extensions
The ArcGIS package has been an industrial leader in the use and sale of GIS products. There has been a wide use of ArcGIS in many parts of the world ranging from Government, health, natural resources, Engineering, Defence, and Transportation. This has been as a result of the wide range of functionality available and ease of use of the product.
GOVERNMENT
In recent years Government of various countries of the world, have started to implement Electronic government. Chang-wei et al (2008) described of E-government technology, as a bran-new mode of administrative management, that brings about great opportunities and challenges to our government reform in the 21century. ArcGIS products have been widely used in this area as a technological tool for infrastructural management, to improve government's efficiency, transparency at low the cost.
PLANNING
ArcGIS have been applied in planning in many various parts of the world by policy making bodies and planning commissions. Millette (1990) describes some many ArcInfo applications in the Planning of Vermont State in the United States of America, both in the local and regional level. They include updating local flood plain data, parcel data and soil data for protection of undeveloped prime agricultural land, sitting a regional solid waste disposal facility and building databases which are essential in planning and growth management. More so, ArcGIS products have been applied by the National Physical Planning Agency in Netherlands in both the monitoring and planning of further growth and developments. An example of the application in planning is an analysis carried out which helped planners to make decisions on allocation of new building land for housing development in order to close the wide gap between supply and demand of houses in Randstad, Netherlands. (Geertman and Toppen 1990).
DEFENCE
GIS is widely used throughout the war fighter, business, surveillance and strategic intelligence domains The ArcGIS software is the most commonly used platform for such missions, due to the interoperable technology platform that make up the software (ESRI). ArcGIS is the official software within the Swedish Armed Forces. It has been used to acquire, create, manage and disseminate geographic data, to carryout terrain analysis. Also, personnel in the Swedish brigade of the army have been trained using the software to provide specialist geographic support to make certain, that geographic data and products capabilities are fully explored (ESRI, 2004).
TRANSPORTATION
GIS for Transportation is a broad expression that includes all of the activities that involve the use of Geographic Information Systems for some aspect of Transportation planning, management, or science (Miller and Shaw, 2001; Hutchinson and Daniel, 2000 cited in Lotfi nd). Lofti (nd) reports the use of ArcGIS for Urban traffic system in northern Iran, by trying to implement an ArcGIS Transportation Data Model designed to help in the development of transportation applications in Babolsar town of Iran. Transportation systems are very unique in the world today, in the sense that every organization/establishment that interacts with the transportation network needs important information about the transportation system for their own routing and planning. More so, ArcGIS employs its use in many other disciplines, including Oil and Gas Exploration, Health, Crime mapping and Business opportunities.
CONCLUSION
The essay has made an evaluation on the functionality of both MapInfo Professional and ArcGIS Desktop software packages. Even though, both software's have the capability of making maps intelligently by attaching data values to map lines, points and other features (Schlosser 1996).They differ significantly to some extent, ranging from sophistication in use, cost and type of project or task involved. This depends on the intended use by the individual or establishment embarking on a particular goal.
In spite of differences in functionality between both software packages, enumerated in the essay. They both serve as independent based tool, which can provide the most comprehensive view of everything that is GIS today and gives glimpse of what GIS might be in the future (Gunasekaran et al,2005). Though, ESRI ArcGIS is the market leader for most GIS software sales, due to wide range of functionality available in the package which is the major reason why it has been widely used in Infrastructure Management by most public and government establishment, thereby reducing the risks on investment (Arunkumar et al 2005). While MapInfo Professional has been cost effective and time efficient in his application with high proportion of private company employing its use in creating highly detailed maps, to enhance presentations and to make more insight to everyday de
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