GvSIG

gvSIG
Company type	Free software project
Industry	Geographic information system software
Founder	Generalitat Valenciana
Products	gvSIG Desktop, gvSIG Mobile
Owner	gvSIG Association (implied)
Website	www.gvsig.com

gvSIG is a desktop geographic information system (GIS) software developed to facilitate the capture, storage, analysis, and dissemination of georeferenced data, addressing complex challenges in management and planning. It features an intuitive interface and supports widely used vector and raster data formats. Notable functionalities include:

Combining local sources (such as files and databases) with remote datasets through OGC protocols.
A modular plugin architecture that simplifies customization and the creation of tailored solutions.
Availability under the GNU General Public License (GPL), allowing free usage, sharing, and modification.
Support for multiple languages, including Spanish, English (both UK and US variants), German, French, Italian, Portuguese (European and Brazilian), Russian, Chinese, among others.
Developed using Java, ensuring compatibility across Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X operating systems.

Nomenclature

The name gvSIG originates from its initial development for the Generalitat Valenciana (abbreviated gv), the autonomous government of the Valencian Community. The acronym combines "gv" representing Generalitat Valenciana with "SIG," the Catalan term for Sistema d'informació geogràfica (GIS).

Features gvSIG Desktop

gvSIG provides a robust desktop GIS client equipped with essential tools tailored for professional and enterprise environments, such as:

Vector formats supported: SHP, DXF, GML, DWG, DGN, KML.
Raster formats supported: BMP, GIF, TIFF, JPEG, JP2, PNG, ENVI DAT, ERDAS IMG, PCI PIX, ESRI ADF, ILWIS MPR, PC Raster MAP, ASC, PGM, PPM, IDRISI RST, among others.
Access to remote services: OGC standards including WMS, WFS, WCS, WFS-T, WPS; ArcIMS; Ecwp.
Database integration: PostGIS, ArcSDE, JDBC connections, CSV files.
Visualization and navigation: zooming capabilities, panning tools, locator features.
Querying and selection: attribute-based searches; spatial selections using various shapes and buffer zones.
Geoprocessing tools: operations such as buffer creation, intersection analysis, clipping, dissolving features, union operations, convex hull generation, difference calculation, merging datasets, spatial joins, and coordinate reprojection.
Graphical editing functionalities: managing layers; snapping options; undo/redo commands; transformations like rotation and scaling; vertex manipulation.
Alphanumeric data editing: managing attribute fields and performing calculations.
Symbology and visualization: unique symbol sets; graduated symbols; multi-attribute classification; raster image enhancements including brightness and transparency adjustments.
Labeling capabilities: both static labels and advanced dynamic labeling options.
Table handling: statistical summaries; filtering; sorting; linking or joining tables.
Map layout and printing: designing pages with cartographic elements; exporting outputs to PDF or image formats.
Network analysis features: topology construction and editing; shortest path computation; connectivity assessments.
Raster data processing and remote sensing tools: filtering techniques; supervised classification; georeferencing procedures; mosaic creation.
Publishing support: compatibility with MapServer and GeoServer services (WCS/WMS/WFS).
3D visualization and animation: 3D scene rendering and editing; 2D/3D animated sequences; stereo viewing options.
Topology management: building topologies; error correction; Delaunay triangulation; Thiessen polygon generation.
Additional utilities: coordinate system management; scripting capabilities; translation workflow support.

The Sextante plugin enhances gvSIG by providing sophisticated raster analysis functions. It incorporates GRASS GIS algorithms to significantly boost gvSIG’s analytical capacity for both vector and raster datasets.

gvSIG Mobile

gvSIG Mobile extends the capabilities of the gvSIG GIS platform to a variety of mobile devices, responding to the increasing need for mobile geographic information system solutions. It functions as a mobile client for Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Data Infrastructures and is distinguished as the first open source client released under the GNU GPL v2 license.

Notable business advantages of gvSIG Mobile encompass:

The ability to integrate both local and remote datasets through OGC standards.
An open source license that permits free usage, distribution, and modification.
Support for multiple languages including Spanish, English, German, and French.
Developed using Java, ensuring compatibility with platforms that support Java Micro Edition CDC 1.1, such as Windows Mobile versions 5.0/6.0 and Nokia Maemo.

gvSIG Mobile Features

Typical functions provided by gvSIG Mobile in the mobile GIS domain include:

Support for vector formats: including SHP, GML, KML, and GPX.
Support for raster formats: such as ECW, JPEG, PNG, and GIF.
Access to remote services: via OGC protocols like WMS.
Display capabilities: including zooming, panning, and automatic recentring of maps.
Query tools: showing coordinates, measuring distances, and calculating areas.
Selection mechanisms: selecting features by point, rectangle, or attributes, with options to clear selections.
Search functionality: attribute-based querying.
GPS connectivity: integration with internal or external GPS devices featuring UTM reprojection, management of waypoints and tracklogs in GPX and CSV formats, signal strength monitoring, and distance calculations to target locations.
Graphic editing tools: enabling creation of points, lines, and polygons through GPS input or manual drawing.
Alphanumeric editing: customizable data entry forms.
Vector visualization: symbolization for points, lines, and polygons; thematic mapping capabilities; export options to GML, KML, and SHP formats.
Table handling: importing attribute fields from gvSIG Desktop.
Project handling: saving projects with default settings such as spatial reference system (SRS), background color, and icon dimensions.
Data synchronization: smooth portability and synchronization with gvSIG Desktop.

OA Digital fork

OAdigital.net – a variant created by OA Digital

gvSIG Community Edition

gvSIG CE represents a community-led fork of gvSIG GIS software that includes SEXTANTE, GRASS GIS, and SAGA. This edition operates independently without support from the gvSIG Association and is not recognized as an official gvSIG project.
Details on the gvSIG CE project