Giscloud: A web-based Geographic Information System Cloud computing solution

Recently found a web-based GIS cloud computing solution--giscloud, interesting and valuable. But there are still great limitations.

Features mainly include:

(1) grid and vector data display

(2) input and edit vector layers, including shapefiles, MapInfo, KML, tab-delimited, and GPX formats;

(3) Built-in data file coordinate projection, can identify prj file, and let you select output coordinate system (including the coordinates of the current project);

(4) Advanced GIS analysis tools, including buffering, spatial relation query, superposition space analysis and area calculation, etc.

(5) Export vector data in Shapefile, MapInfo, CSV or KML format, which makes it easy to convert online data format;

(6) Collaborate with other users to edit (or output to other users to browse)

(7) has the interface which is convenient to connect with the traditional GIS software.

Giscloud (click to view larger image)

Shortcomings：

(1) Analysis and editing can only be performed if the data is imported or connected through PostGIS. I'm not using PostGIS, so I can't test these features. However, you can upload the data and import it into a PostGIS database.

(2) Uploading files takes some time (although they are stored locally); Giscloud can identify compressed files, so you'd better compress the data before uploading.

(3) For PostGIS data, uploading time limits the size of the layer data you can use.

(4) There is no attribute based on the theme of color display, which is a major disadvantage.

(5) The process of zooming in on raster images can be slow.

(6) Does not support all raster image formats (such as the 8-bit or 24-bit indexed GeoTiff format).

(7) Obviously it's not the fastest GIS platform I've ever used.

(8) The platform is based on flash, so children's shoes and ipad users who hate flash should not use it. Everyone should anticipate problems with CPU/performance/crash. Flash 10.1 is coming out, it should be able to solve some of the problems.

As a very interesting pioneer of GIS platform based on cloud computing, I will always pay attention to its development. But because it is too slow and too limited in functionality, there are many ways to go in lieu of the traditional GIS platform.