Transcript
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.
00:13
GIS is used for a lot of purposes, but what it really does well is capture and analyze geographic data.
00:19
Government mapping agencies like the United States Geological Survey create their own GIS maps.
00:25
And cities and towns do this as well.
00:28
Now the city where I live Middletown, Connecticut, provides all kinds of GIS data on their website and it's free to download.
00:35
Now as I said before, GIS is used for a lot of different purposes.
00:39
Some examples include delineating the zoning categories in the city or maybe highlighting green or open spaces,
00:45
or, in the example shown here, displaying technology programs in New York City.
00:50
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?
01:01
Well, GIS can provide a much better understanding about your project site in the context surrounding that site.
01:08
GIS can also provide you with a much more detailed site information.
01:12
You can see what zone your site is located in, where adjacent open spaces are located, even what voting district the site belongs to.
01:21
All of this information may be useful as you develop your project.
01:25
GIS data is also freely available, at least most of the time.
01:29
The municipality where your project is located likely has GIS data available for download on their website.
01:36
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.
01:45
It's a really useful tool for exploring your site and seeing what data is available.
01:50
Now you know why you should use GIS. Here's some places you can get access to GIS data.
01:56
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.
02:10
How about all the streams, lakes and rivers across the country? Yes, there's a file for that.
02:16
Now what about all the major roads across the US? Yes, they even have a download for that.
02:22
As I mentioned before, most municipalities host their GIS data online as well.
02:27
My city, Middletown, Connecticut, provides downloadable GIS files directly on their website.
02:32
And these files outline things like the city's boundaries, roads, sidewalks and buildings as well as wetlands, forests and land cover.
02:40
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.
03:05
It's a full fledged GIS application that's capable of handling large, complex maps.
03:11
But there are other options as well depending on your needs and your price point.
03:16
Autodesk has incorporated Map 3D as an AutoCAD tool set so you can work with GIS data together with CAD data.
03:24
One thing to note is that GIS is not a single file type.
03:28
The majority of data that you download from public sites will be a collection of files.
03:33
Each file type corresponds to a specific type of data. For example, Shapefiles contain the vector geometry of the map.
03:41
They're the most common type of GIS file, and we'll be working with these files in the next lesson.
03:46
There are also database or Attributes files that contain data related to the vector geometry.
03:52
And there are Index files and even Image files that make up the collection of GIS data.
03:58
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.
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.
00:13
GIS is used for a lot of purposes, but what it really does well is capture and analyze geographic data.
00:19
Government mapping agencies like the United States Geological Survey create their own GIS maps.
00:25
And cities and towns do this as well.
00:28
Now the city where I live Middletown, Connecticut, provides all kinds of GIS data on their website and it's free to download.
00:35
Now as I said before, GIS is used for a lot of different purposes.
00:39
Some examples include delineating the zoning categories in the city or maybe highlighting green or open spaces,
00:45
or, in the example shown here, displaying technology programs in New York City.
00:50
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?
01:01
Well, GIS can provide a much better understanding about your project site in the context surrounding that site.
01:08
GIS can also provide you with a much more detailed site information.
01:12
You can see what zone your site is located in, where adjacent open spaces are located, even what voting district the site belongs to.
01:21
All of this information may be useful as you develop your project.
01:25
GIS data is also freely available, at least most of the time.
01:29
The municipality where your project is located likely has GIS data available for download on their website.
01:36
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.
01:45
It's a really useful tool for exploring your site and seeing what data is available.
01:50
Now you know why you should use GIS. Here's some places you can get access to GIS data.
01:56
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.
02:10
How about all the streams, lakes and rivers across the country? Yes, there's a file for that.
02:16
Now what about all the major roads across the US? Yes, they even have a download for that.
02:22
As I mentioned before, most municipalities host their GIS data online as well.
02:27
My city, Middletown, Connecticut, provides downloadable GIS files directly on their website.
02:32
And these files outline things like the city's boundaries, roads, sidewalks and buildings as well as wetlands, forests and land cover.
02:40
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.
03:05
It's a full fledged GIS application that's capable of handling large, complex maps.
03:11
But there are other options as well depending on your needs and your price point.
03:16
Autodesk has incorporated Map 3D as an AutoCAD tool set so you can work with GIS data together with CAD data.
03:24
One thing to note is that GIS is not a single file type.
03:28
The majority of data that you download from public sites will be a collection of files.
03:33
Each file type corresponds to a specific type of data. For example, Shapefiles contain the vector geometry of the map.
03:41
They're the most common type of GIS file, and we'll be working with these files in the next lesson.
03:46
There are also database or Attributes files that contain data related to the vector geometry.
03:52
And there are Index files and even Image files that make up the collection of GIS data.
03:58
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.
