ArcGIS- Powerful Mapping and Data Integration Tool
January 09, 2019
ArcGIS- Powerful Mapping and Data Integration Tool
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with ArcGIS
ArcGIS is used throughout many departments of the company, including the geology and engineering departments. The software is primarily used as a map generation and geospatial reference software, as well as a means to efficiently combine data from multiple other servers and databases. To a lesser degree, it is also used for its geo-analytical computing power.
- ArcGIS is very effective at efficiently manipulating maps and display details of layers in order to make both aesthetically pleasing and extremely customizable in order to convey all of the necessary information to the end map viewer.
- ArcGIS allows for easy compilation of data from many different sources (spreadsheets, database servers), as well as many options for combining/linking this data.
- The learning curved surrounding manipulating certain elements of layer displays can be somewhat steep. In some cases, these display options do not act the same between shapefiles from different software sources.
- Formatting of Excel spreadsheets in order to join and use them in ArcGIS can be difficult.
- ArcGIS's superior mapping capabilities allow for the easy production of corporate presentation quality maps. The high quality, in conjunction with moderately easy user experience and the ability to share .mxds (map project), allows multiple users to manipulate features of a map to suit their needs without requiring the map author's help.
- ArcGIS's joining function between tables, shapefiles, and server databases make it a good software tool in enabling cross-department collaboration, information sharing, and data interpretation. This tool is the most easy-to-use within our company for these purposes and is thus frequently used to this end.
- ArcGIS geospatial analysis capabilities allow the user to combine layer attributes in a way that provides insight into corporate planning and decision making on projects.
ArcGIS does not have some of the geologic data mapping capabilities and tuning capabilities of Geographix, but in almost every other way, from map quality, manipulation of map properties, speed, and ease of use, I find ArcGIS far superior.