- August 23, 2007
- Posted by: EARSC
- Category: Archive
by Michelle Sheldon, Product Manager, Wide Format Printing Division at Océ North America, Inc.
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The history of GIS dates back roughly 50 years to a time when thematic maps were drawn or plotted on translucent film, then physically laid on top of each other to create a composite image. In the last five decades, GIS technology has evolved from a labor-intensive physical pursuit to one that operates with powerful software-based systems.
A data collection revolution
GIS data capture can come from remote sensing and surveying, or it can be derived from non-digital sources through digitization and scanning. Data collection and conversion has traditionally been the most expensive and time-consuming aspect of GIS projects.
The tablet digitizing process historically existed as an acceptable method for creating data points with x and y values. However, this time-draining process was often fraught with challenges – difficulty using the digitizing puck, tablet malfunctions, source materials changing size, registration problems, edge-matching complexity and more. Those days are drawing to a close. … Read more
