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GIS library services: GIS Software

ESRI Products

ArcDesktop 10 : The University of Saskatchewan has a site license for ArcGIS software, allowing students, faculty and staff to have access to the complete suite of Arc products. This program is available on learning commons computers and is useful for in depth map making and analysis, using raw data. To use ArcGIS at home, take advantage of the Virtual Lab. This enables students and staff to access ArcGIS from their personal laptops, computers or portable device from home.

ArcGIS Explorer Desktop : Desktop GIS software available for free. Not as powerful as ArcGIS desktop, but allows for quick map making. Can import KML or shp files.

ArcGIS Explorer Online : Online version of Explorer. Create, save and share maps online. Can add csv or shp files, as well as online content from ArcGIS online.

ArcGIS Online : This product allows you to search for maps, or create and share your own online.

Google Products

Google Maps: Create your own maps online using imagery on Google, can add placemarks and data and perform basic tasks. Can also create and share maps online. Need to login in order to create ‘my places’. 

Google Map Maker: Google Map Maker for Canada is a new tool, where users can make the map complete by adding hiking paths, trails, fixing names of places etc. Users can create, save and share their own maps.

Google Earth / Google Earth Pro : Free software for creating maps. Google Earth Pro has more capabilities than Google Earth and allows more data addition, higher quality imagery and more accurate measurements. Google Earth Pro licenses and activation keysare available free from Google.

Open Source Software

Quantum GIS: Quantum GIS (QGIS) is a user friendly Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS) licensed under the GNU General Public License. It runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, and Windows and supports numerous vector, raster and database formats.

TatukGIS Viewer: opens most GIS/CAD vector, raster image, and grid file types and most Arc projects. Also includes visual layer property controls, custom labeling, hyper-linking etc.

GRASS : Geographic Resources Analysis Support System - open source GIS software primarily for Mac users, although a Windows version is available too. Will open most GIS file formats (see site for complete information).

Mapping / Geocoding Tools

Geopinpoint : DMTI Spatial product, positions your data using geocoding. Attaches X and Y coordinates to your facility, customer or prospect address data for map visualization, analysis or location based on applications.

GeoSuite: Statistics Canada  tool for data retrieval, query, and tabular output. Allows users to explore the links between levels of geography and to determine geographic codes, names and population and dwelling codes, names, and dwelling counts.

BatchGeo: Free tool for mapping addresses or coordinats from spreadsheets.

SimplyAnalytics: SimplyAnalytics is an online mapping application for creating demographic and business maps for all of Canada. Includes business data, population numbers, demographic information and more!

Here's a how-to guide for using SimplyAnalytics Canada. Thanks to UNBC for this one.