Global Mapper v25.0

Help locating GIS vector data

andyeder
andyeder Global Mapper UserTrusted User
edited July 2010 in GIS Data Sources
Hi guys,

Can anyone recommened a site/provider for obtaining accurate and high quality vector data for Europe? I am looking for data sets containing the usual elements - such as road networks, built up areas, populated areas, water courses, etc.

To cut a long story short, my employer requires this data as soon as possible and both free and/or commercial data sets will be considered. I've already found many incomplete and low-resolution data sets which have not been suitable for our needs so any recommendations and suggestions are welcomed.

Kindest regards,
Andy

Comments

  • STH
    STH Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2010
    The best FREE dataset for the complete world is from OpenStreetMap (www.openstreetmap.org) - the data can be downloaded as vector files from http://download.geofabrik.de/osm/

    Not sure if this is accurate enough for your needs? Is the accuracy, resolution, price or completeness most important?

    Good luck and if you find some more sources please provide them in this thread for others to enjoy!
  • andyeder
    andyeder Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2010
    STH wrote: »
    The best FREE dataset for the complete world is from OpenStreetMap (www.openstreetmap.org) - the data can be downloaded as vector files from http://download.geofabrik.de/osm/

    Not sure if this is accurate enough for your needs? Is the accuracy, resolution, price or completeness most important?

    Good luck and if you find some more sources please provide them in this thread for others to enjoy!

    Thanks for your reply and the link - I will take a look later this afternoon. :)

    In terms of what is most important, it's very much a balancing act! I would say that accuracy, resolution and completeness is most important (probably in that order) whereas the finance department would say that the price is most important...

    If I find more good sources then I'll happily share them here. Thank you!
  • STH
    STH Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2010
    Regarding this data in particular:
    - accuracy: Most data is collected from regular people using a regular GPS, so accuracy for instance for a road will then be related to using a regular GPS (error of perhaps 1-5meters in xy to even more in difficult areas)
    - completeness: In some areas it is more complete than Googles data, in some areas not. There are several articles related to discussing this (one example is: http://brainoff.com/weblog/2009/12/18/1499)
    - price: Free, nobody can beat free :)
  • global_mapper
    global_mapper Administrator
    edited January 2010
    For the best accuracy and coverage, you would need to go with one of the big commercial vector providers, either www.navteq.com or www.teleatlas.com. These are the 2 companies that most GPS providers use for their maps. Of course you will have to pay quite a bit for these data sets, so unless you absolutely need the best coverage and accuracy, I would stick with one of the free sources like OpenStreetMaps data (which you can load directly into GM).

    Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

    Thanks,

    Mike
    Global Mapper Support
    support@globalmapper.com
  • andyeder
    andyeder Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2010
    For the best accuracy and coverage, you would need to go with one of the big commercial vector providers, either www.navteq.com or www.teleatlas.com.

    I think that, for our purposes, the OSM will suffice for the majority of the work. Some areas do require the additional accuracy so I've passed on the links you've suggested to the powers that be... I wonder how deep their pockets are?!

    Thanks!
  • donaldjeo12
    donaldjeo12 Global Mapper User
    edited July 2010
    A geographic information system (GIS), or geographical information system, is any system that captures, stores, analyzes, manages, and presents data that are linked to location. In the simplest terms, GIS is the merging of cartography and database technology. GIS systems are used in cartography, remote sensing, land surveying, utility management, photogrammetry, geography, urban planning, emergency management, navigation, and localized search engines.

    As GIS is a system, it has boundaries that may be jurisdictional, purpose or application oriented for which a specific GIS is developed. Hence, a GIS developed for an application, jurisdiction or purpose may not be necessarily interoperable or compatible with a GIS that has been developed for some other application, jurisdiction or purpose. What goes beyond GIS is spatial data infrastructure (SDI), a concept that has no such restrictive boundaries.