GIS-based Tree Inventory/Mapping/Work Order Software?
- Thread starter 802climber
- Start date
Just noticing this old thread. I use QGIS. I used to be a data scientist in academia. QGIS is sort of the open source version of ArcGIS. As is typical with user experience trade-offs, the user interface is a bit less worse to navigate, and the program is a bit less powerful than ArcGIS.
The upsides are that it is a full-powered, open-source, free GIS program that one can use with a user interface, or even by directly coding in the GRASS environment. It has an app.
The downsides are that, first, you need to learn how to use it. There are YouTube videos. Once you've done a process once (e.g. created a map with trees marked on it), you can do the same workflow again and again. Secondly, open source programs are criticized for being hard to sue in the event that you are sued. The R programming environment - another high-powered open-source program used in exploratory finance and ecology - has some interesting critique to combat that generalization, but it's been a while since I looked at it and I'm not sure that it applies to QGIS and other open-source programs.
If one is a consulting arborist to any great degree, it's probably worth diving in deeper than just a one-size-fits-all app. I bill an hour or more consulting for GIS work on my reports.
The upsides are that it is a full-powered, open-source, free GIS program that one can use with a user interface, or even by directly coding in the GRASS environment. It has an app.
The downsides are that, first, you need to learn how to use it. There are YouTube videos. Once you've done a process once (e.g. created a map with trees marked on it), you can do the same workflow again and again. Secondly, open source programs are criticized for being hard to sue in the event that you are sued. The R programming environment - another high-powered open-source program used in exploratory finance and ecology - has some interesting critique to combat that generalization, but it's been a while since I looked at it and I'm not sure that it applies to QGIS and other open-source programs.
If one is a consulting arborist to any great degree, it's probably worth diving in deeper than just a one-size-fits-all app. I bill an hour or more consulting for GIS work on my reports.
- Location
- Central Idaho
marlinspiker
Participating member
- Location
- Pennsyltucky
Last time i checked in on forestmetrix it was a very incomplete product. It solely relies on the ipads gps and does not allow you to manipulate plot points in real time. The best I have used and what we settled on is Planit Geo.
http://www.planitgeo.com/
http://www.planitgeo.com/
802climber
Participating member
- Location
- Southern Vermont
Nice. Is there a way to make it work with a Garmin if there is no cellular signal?
So far the best option I have found for this scenario is still Treeworks which is an ArcGIS add on .... And this works best with a Trimble or similar handheld unit. These have a better GPS than a phone or tablet but they are quite expensive...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
marlinspiker
Participating member
- Location
- Pennsyltucky
Investing in the Arc suite would be the best option imo but not super economical. They also have the collector app which is a really nice feature.
- Location
- Central Idaho
it now allows plotting in real time
