From the course: Foundations of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

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Creating your own GIS data

Creating your own GIS data

- Many government agencies share GIS data that you can use to start your GIS. But to make the GIS really valuable to you, you'll most likely want to add some data specific to the problems you're trying to solve. Where do you get that data? Suppose you have the task of creating a GIS for an industrial complex. How would you get data for it? Well, most GIS software comes with a built-in base map of aerial imagery. So when you open your GIS for the first time, you just turn on the base map. You search for your facility's address and zoom in until you can see it. Now the imagery that comes with the software might be a few years old, so if you've had many recent changes at your facility, you might hire a drone pilot or an aerial photo company to acquire newer imagery. Now to add your specific data, you would start with the most prominent features in your complex, like the buildings and parking lots. You could trace these…

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