Is there a website that would show the world sorted by elevation? I recently enjoyed reading Plague Year, a post-apocalyptic thriller. The main conceit of this science-fiction novel is that a nanotechnology plague that kills any warm blooded animal (including humans), but the disease self-destructs at altitudes above 10,000 feet. How much territory would this be across the whole planet? [more inside]
posted by seasparrow on Oct 30, 2009 - 6 answers

How do I turn my GPS track logs into a nice-looking trail map? Do I need a GIS package? [more inside]
posted by Kadin2048 on Oct 20, 2009 - 6 answers

I'm going to be an expert witness in a hearing regarding GIS data. What hourly rate should I charge? [more inside]
posted by mollweide on Oct 19, 2009 - 12 answers

Satellite photos: what interesting features can be seen or measured in them (or other aerial photos), and where can I get a supply of images? [more inside]
posted by k. on Sep 30, 2009 - 12 answers

I want to download a bit of Landsat data - two small countries worth - but can't find any way to efficiently do this via GloVis or elsewhere. Where can I just select places on a map (or use my GloVis-exported) scene list to download these in bulk? Given 200MB/scene and the 80 scenes I need, it'll be 15.6 gigs downloaded (and likely around 40 unzippped), but that's not the problem; there just doesn't seem to be a way to do this. [more inside]
posted by tmcw on Sep 27, 2009 - 3 answers

I think I finally understand what I like to do. So... what would I like to do? [more inside]
posted by McBearclaw on Jul 28, 2009 - 16 answers

I'm trying to map protests in the United States, but I'm grappling with data sources (and will eventually tangle with data management). Any ideas? [more inside]
posted by McBearclaw on Jun 11, 2009 - 5 answers

I am in need of a program that will allow me to display demographic information by county on a state map. Recommendations? [more inside]
posted by WidgetAlley on Jun 7, 2009 - 8 answers

I'm looking for suggested book(s) for backgrounding myself in map theory. Think somewhere between a history of maps and a technical textbook. I've been looking at maps for 30+ years as a non-geographer, and will be taking some GIS and mapping courses this autumn. So, plenty of text-and-classroom exposure there. What kind of semi-technical background reading would be useful over the summer?
posted by slab_lizard on Jun 6, 2009 - 6 answers

I'm working on some code for quickly pulling together shapefile data and other data (statistics, etc) and spitting out maps. That means JOINs. Thanks to the 1990-quality standards of GIS, attribute tables are in dbf files. How does one deal with these blasts from the past? [more inside]
posted by tmcw on Apr 28, 2009 - 5 answers

Please pass on your favourite online mapping websites, with an emphasis on interactive applications. [more inside]
posted by micklaw on Apr 24, 2009 - 4 answers

Please help me identify online collaboration tools that might be appropriate for a national (USA) organization of (mostly) state agency staff. [more inside]
posted by mmahaffie on Apr 19, 2009 - 2 answers

Super-specific-GIS-filter: Converting TIGER/Line Files into a network of nodes and links? [more inside]
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth on Mar 3, 2009 - 4 answers

Is there a description language for defining accessibility features of a location? [more inside]
posted by bleary on Feb 8, 2009 - 1 answer

Looking for a specific article on text placement on a map. [more inside]
posted by bellbellbell on Jan 26, 2009 - 7 answers

GISfilter -- I have a PostGIS table containing spatial data in the form of a few thousand shapefiles. Anybody know a quick way I can move *all* of them by about 40 metres? [more inside]
posted by genghis on Jan 10, 2009 - 11 answers

How do I convert a large raster image into a table for analysis and manipulation? [more inside]
posted by agentofselection on Dec 14, 2008 - 9 answers

Is there a way to make ArcGIS spell -meter like a Canadian? For example, inserting scale text pops out -meter, but I'd like to see -metre and sometimes -mètre. I know that I can subsequently convert these to graphics and edit the text from there, but is there any way to skip this step entirely by changing language or spelling settings within the program? Altering my XP language/international settings didn't do anything. Thanks in advance!
posted by avocet on Oct 29, 2008 - 3 answers

Is there a free (cheap) KML editor, like NorthGates' KML Editor or KaMeLwriter, for the Mac? [more inside]
posted by brokekid on Oct 28, 2008 - 1 answer

where can i take GIS night classes in new york city? [more inside]
posted by nanhey on Oct 23, 2008 - 2 answers

Help me re-find a cartogram-like picture of the 100 largest cities by population. [more inside]
posted by brownbat on Sep 28, 2008 - 6 answers

Basically, I want to build mapping system, similar to google maps, using something like Map server & open layers. Take in my own image, such as a building map, define roads or “hallways”, and import points via a XML or RSS feed. I want an interface that I can take the xml feed and run it under the map in a box, displaying it under the map, allowing users to click on the event, and being able to see where they need to go, and using a current fixed position, being able to see how to get there.
posted by BoldStepDesign on Aug 22, 2008 - 7 answers

What kind of career can I pursue that involves maps, apart from the obvious (cartography, GIS, geography teacher)? [more inside]
posted by desjardins on Aug 7, 2008 - 30 answers

I am trying to teach myself asp.net. My hosting company is iPower and apparently their server platform is Debian. Will asp.net run on this platform? The (really basic) aspx pages I've tried sort of work but not really, and I am copying code verbatim from Microsoft's site so I'm sure I haven't fucked up the code. I'm fine with HTML and CSS but this stuff is a bit beyond me. [more inside]
posted by desjardins on Jul 10, 2008 - 13 answers

Is there open, free, or inexpensive comprehensive data on the location of coal-fired power plants in the United States available anywhere? [more inside]
posted by OverlappingElvis on May 28, 2008 - 5 answers

Learning Geographic Information Systems (GIS) on my own? [more inside]
posted by chrisalbon on Mar 27, 2008 - 24 answers

What's the easiest way of generating a map similar to this? I have several state-level data series I want to display on maps of India. [more inside]
posted by matthewr on Mar 23, 2008 - 6 answers

What about London should I map? [more inside]
posted by viewofdelft on Feb 21, 2008 - 21 answers

What is a simple straight forward way to gather gps data, and sync it with my digital camera/ Digital recorder? And possibly create a GIS database out of it? [more inside]
posted by mrgreyisyelling on Feb 9, 2008 - 7 answers

I want to build a website centered around maps, mapping, geography, GIS, etc., but I need help narrowing down my focus. [more inside]
posted by desjardins on Dec 13, 2007 - 8 answers

I'm looking for Web sites that use interactive maps to display social phenomena, such as Oakland CrimeSpotting. They don't need to be that sophisticated. I'm especially interested in maps related to poverty and education.
posted by desjardins on Nov 12, 2007 - 10 answers

How do I find a part-time GIS job with a nonprofit or NGO in Washington DC? [more inside]
posted by Morgangr on Oct 26, 2007 - 3 answers

GISFilter: Will ArcGIS run smoothly on a bootcamped MacBook? [more inside]
posted by betafilter on Sep 21, 2007 - 8 answers

Brain storm-fodder: What's the most innovative idea you've got for an thesis on GIS (Geological Information Systems) and archeology? [more inside]
posted by Rabarberofficer on Sep 3, 2007 - 9 answers

Which programming languages should I learn? I'm a n00b interested in becoming a GIS analyst. [more inside]
posted by desjardins on Aug 16, 2007 - 9 answers

An Arcview/GIS dialog box (the Identify Results dialog box) is missing. Can I reset the dialog box locations? I think it's off to the screen to the right on the (now unavailable) second monitor's space. [more inside]
posted by salvia on Aug 9, 2007 - 6 answers

Map geeks: can I generate a polygon shapefile from the outline of a large collection of points? There's more detail, of course. [more inside]
posted by genghis on Jun 26, 2007 - 17 answers

I'm looking for maps "the same scale as the Empire." [more inside]
posted by viewofdelft on May 15, 2007 - 16 answers

What's the best to plot more than 400 locations (all US-based) on a single web-based map ? [more inside]
posted by jurczyk on May 2, 2007 - 4 answers

Why can't I download orthoimagery from New York State's GIS Clearinghouse? [more inside]
posted by Oddly on Apr 1, 2007 - 4 answers

I do web work with a local government. We are wanting to put a lot of GIS related data on the web, and I'd like to use Google Maps before we lobby for a larger solution like ArcServer. I'm specifically having a problem with drawing polygons/polylines and the ordering of points. [more inside]
posted by bofe on Mar 8, 2007 - 9 answers

Is there a website that lets you show GIS data (i.e. standard geographical data from various sources) on Google Maps? [more inside]
posted by blacklite on Dec 9, 2006 - 6 answers

I'm a "web developer," but I want to be a geographer. What do I do with this disjointed skillset? [more inside]
posted by timetoevolve on Aug 16, 2006 - 6 answers

Is there an easy-to-use, on-line mapping site that can optionally indicate magnetic north on large-scale map images? [more inside]
posted by Dave 9 on Jul 5, 2006 - 3 answers

I need a data file describing which US counties border which other US counties. Is it somewhere on the internet? [more inside]
posted by thrako on Jun 13, 2006 - 1 answer

I'm trying to figure out a way to convert a vector map image, in Adobe Illustrator, to a .shp shapefile usable in GIS software like ArcSoft. I know very little about ArcSoft and shapefiles. Is there a plugin? Is there some intermediary format I could export from one and import to the other? Is this simply impossible? My research thus far has been fruitless, so any help would be much appreciated.
posted by ab3 on May 26, 2006 - 6 answers

SVG to DXF or SHP format for free? I've been banging my head against google for the last couple of hours and [more inside]
posted by the giant pill on Mar 26, 2006 - 3 answers

I'm interested in learning more about GIS. I took a few one hour classes using ArcGIS at the university where I attend (Cornell), but the available GIS classes are mounds of work and don't fit into my schedule. Are there any good resources that i could find on the net to self-teach myself? And for that matter, any GIS programs that aren't as expensive?
posted by jare2003 on Oct 28, 2005 - 10 answers

Looking for a street shape file of London that is readable and useful in ArcView 3.2. Oh yeah, it would be nice to find it for free. Any takers?
posted by kuperman on Apr 18, 2005 - 2 answers

How do I get all the map features I want on a website? [more inside]
posted by atchafalaya on Feb 24, 2005 - 1 answer