How to Access GIS and Geospatial Software#
Learning Objectives#
Understand the different ways (virtual, desktop) to access GIS and related software at Tufts
Differentiate the variety of software available
Access Instructions#
All of the following are installed on Data Lab computers AND can be accessed remotely through the Engineering Lab VDI.
Instructions to access the Engineering Lab VDI can be viewed here.
If you would like to download data on your personal computer see below for instructions for download, if applicable:
Software name |
Description |
Download instructions |
|---|---|---|
ArcGIS Pro |
The industry standard desktop GIS software from ESRI. It can perform complex analyses and be used to produce print maps. Only available on Windows. |
|
ArcGIS Online & Other ESRI Tools |
ArcGIS Online provides access to a suite of tools including StoryMaps, Experience Builder, Dashboards, and more for web mapping and development. |
Head to arcgis.com and follow these instructions for logging in |
QGIS |
This free and open-source desktop GIS application supports viewing, editing, and analyzing geospatial data. It can be installed on Windows OS, Mac OS, and Linux platforms and integrates with other open-source GIS packages, including PostGIS, GRASS GIS, and MapServer. |
|
Geoda |
This free and open source software tool serves as an introduction to spatial data analysis. It is designed to facilitate new insights from data analysis by exploring and modeling spatial patterns. GeoDa runs on Windows, MacOSX and Linux (Ubuntu). |
|
ENVI |
A remote sensing software used for processing and analyzing geospatial imagery. ENVI software combines spectral image processing and image analysis technology. Customize ENVI with IDL, a scientific programming language for data analysis, visualization, and manipulation. |
|
Programming |
||
R and/or RStudio |
R is a powerful programming language and can be used to conduct spatial analysis on the Tufts High Performance Compute (HPC) cluster. R has a robust geospatial ecosystem based on the tidyverse, sf, and numerous spatial statistics and modeling packages. |
|
Python |
Python is an interpreted, high-level, and general-purpose programming language with a sttrtong geospatial community using GeoPandas, RasterIO, and numerous other packages that allow for interactive GIS. |
To Get Support: - Please email DataLab-Support@elist.tufts.edu for any questions regarding installing spatial software.