What is GIS? (4:11 min)

00:00

So, let's start at the beginning by defining GIS and taking a closer look at the technology behind it.

00:07

GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems. And it's a lot like CAD, but for maps.

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GIS is used for a lot of purposes, but what it really does well is capture and analyze geographic data.

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Government mapping agencies like the United States Geological Survey create their own GIS maps.

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And cities and towns do this as well.

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Now the city where I live Middletown, Connecticut, provides all kinds of GIS data on their website and it's free to download.

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Now as I said before, GIS is used for a lot of different purposes.

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Some examples include delineating the zoning categories in the city or maybe highlighting green or open spaces,

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or, in the example shown here, displaying technology programs in New York City.

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So, basically, anything you might want to map out at a large scale, like the scale of a town, a city or even a state, can be done in GIS.

00:58

So, why should architects care about GIS?

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Well, GIS can provide a much better understanding about your project site in the context surrounding that site.

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GIS can also provide you with a much more detailed site information.

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You can see what zone your site is located in, where adjacent open spaces are located, even what voting district the site belongs to.

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All of this information may be useful as you develop your project.

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GIS data is also freely available, at least most of the time.

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The municipality where your project is located likely has GIS data available for download on their website.

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Some municipalities even have embedded GIS viewers on their site,

01:40

so you can easily see the information and turn on and off the various types of data.

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It's a really useful tool for exploring your site and seeing what data is available.

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Now you know why you should use GIS. Here's some places you can get access to GIS data.

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Most government mapping agencies provide free access to their GIS files.

02:00

The United States Geological Survey has hundreds of maps you can download.

02:05

Want to see national and state boundaries across the United States? There's a file you can download.

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How about all the streams, lakes and rivers across the country? Yes, there's a file for that.

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Now what about all the major roads across the US? Yes, they even have a download for that.

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As I mentioned before, most municipalities host their GIS data online as well.

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My city, Middletown, Connecticut, provides downloadable GIS files directly on their website.

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And these files outline things like the city's boundaries, roads, sidewalks and buildings as well as wetlands, forests and land cover.

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Check your municipality’s website because likely they have a section specifically for GIS data.

02:46

Now, lastly, large institutional clients likely have their own GIS data, especially if they manage multiple buildings or campuses.

02:53

Now, this data will likely be proprietary, so you're probably gonna need to ask for it.

02:58

There are a lot of software options for working with GIS data. ArcGIS by ESRI is the industry leader.

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It's a full fledged GIS application that's capable of handling large, complex maps.

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But there are other options as well depending on your needs and your price point.

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Autodesk has incorporated Map 3D as an AutoCAD tool set so you can work with GIS data together with CAD data.

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One thing to note is that GIS is not a single file type.

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The majority of data that you download from public sites will be a collection of files.

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Each file type corresponds to a specific type of data. For example, Shapefiles contain the vector geometry of the map.

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They're the most common type of GIS file, and we'll be working with these files in the next lesson.

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There are also database or Attributes files that contain data related to the vector geometry.

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And there are Index files and even Image files that make up the collection of GIS data.

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Now that we know more about what GIS is, let's start working directly with GIS data and get it ready for import into Revit.