Many of our customers have to deal directly or indirectly with Geographic information system (GIS) systems. OTISS is strongly based on a GIS database and GIS technologies – but we have hidden these complexities by providing a user-friendly and easy-to-use website and survey apps.
The data collected by OTISS can be used in your GIS application to integrate it with your existing maps and data sets.
This facility is intended to be used by people who are familiar with GIS and are able to manipulate the GIS data to suit their requirements for colour, style, layout etc.
GIS files can be downloaded from OTISS using the Reports button on the spreadsheet pages for TreeSafety, BS5837 and Furniture.
- The GIS files contains the tree/asset location and a set of attributes that are based on the OTISS survey fields. These formats do not contain anything about colours, shading or symbols. The presentation is normally setup separately in you GIS application.
- All GIS files are generated for a Coordinate Reference System (e.g. WGS84 Long/Lat, GB National Grid, Irish National Grid, etc). The CRS used to create the GIS files is configured on the Client/Estate Settings page.
- The items selected for the export are governed by the Site and Survey filters at the top of the spreadsheet page. The column filtering and sorting is ignored when exporting to GIS. The most common is to select the ‘most recent survey data for all sites‘. But you can also export the data for specific sites or surveys.
Shapefiles
OTISS will generate a set of shapefiles (separate ones for point, line and polygon data), and then combine them into a zip file. Save the zip file and extract the files into a folder on your local PC. Then load them into your GIS application.
As you may know, shapefiles contain no colours or symbols for drawing – they contain just the location and attribute data. Use your GIS application to setup colours and symbols based on the data values in the attribute fields.
Google Earth – KML
OTISS will save the data in KML format. This file can be loaded directly into Google Earth to view the positions of the trees and assets. Use the Google Earth features to refine the markers and colours using the data values in the attribute fields.
Unlike shapefiles, a KML file can include point, line and polygon features – so all the data can be exported in a single file.
GML2 and GML3
OTISS will save the data in GML format. Save the GML files onto your local PC and load them into your GIS application.
Unlike shapefiles, a GML file can include point, line and polygon features – so all the data can be exported in a single file.
As you may know, shapefiles contain no colours or symbols for drawing – they contain just the location and attribute data. Use your GIS application to setup colours and symbols based on the data values in the attribute fields.
Other GIS formats?
We have the technology to extract data in other formats and can manipulate it to suit your (or your customer’s) specific requirements. Please contact us if the above standard export formats are not what you need.