General Terms | Software Terms
Glossary
General Terms | Software Terms
General Terms
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Anderson & Associates (A&A) -- Anderson & Associates is an employee-owned professional design services firm headquartered in Blacksburg, VA with offices in Middletown, Richmond, and Fredericksburg Virginia, Greensboro, NC and the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee. In business for over thirty years, today the firm provides a unique range of services, from traditional civil engineering, to specialized services such as GIS, and computer modeling simulations. To learn more about Anderson & Associates, please visit our website: www.andassoc.com
Attribute -- A characteristic of a geographic feature described by numbers, characters, images and CAD drawings, typically stored in tabular format and linked to the feature by a user-assigned identifier (e.g., the attributes of a well might include depth and gallons per minute).
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Base Map -- A map containing geographic features used for locational reference. Roads, for example, are commonly found on base maps.
Buffer -- A zone of a specified distance around coverage features. Both constant- and variable-width buffers can be generated for a set of coverage features based on each feature's attribute values. The resulting buffer zones form polygons-areas that are either inside or outside the specified buffer distance from each feature. Buffers are useful for proximity analysis (e.g., find all stream segments within 300 feet of a proposed logging area).
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Computer-Aided Design (CAD) -- An automated system for the design, drafting, and display of graphically oriented information.
Coordinate -- A set of numbers that designate location in a given reference system, such as x,y in a planar coordinate system or an x,y,z in a three-dimensional coordinate system. Coordinates represent locations on the Earth's surface relative to other locations.
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Database -- A logical collection of interrelated information, managed and stored as a unit, usually on some form of mass-storage system such as magnetic tape or disk. A GIS database includes data about the spatial location and shape of geographic features recorded as points, lines, areas, pixels, grid cells, or tins, as well as their attributes.
Digital Elevation Model -- A digital representation of a continuous variable over a two- dimensional surface by a regular array of z values referenced to a common datum. Digital elevation models are typically used to represent terrain relief. Also referred to as 'digital terrain model' (DTM).
Digitize -- The process of using a digitizer to encode the locations of geographic features by converting their map positions to a series of x,y coordinates stored in computer files. Pushing a digitizer button records an x,y coordinate. A digitized line is created by recording a series of x,y coordinates.
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ESRI -- (Environmental Science Research Institute) A world leader in GIS technology. Provides desktop to GIS server solutions and data management systems. A&A is a "business partner" and reseller of software products from ESRI which include ArcView, ArcCAD, MapObjects.
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Geographic Feature -- A user-defined geographic phenomenon that can be modeled or represented using geographic data sets. Examples of geographic features include streets, sewer lines, manhole covers, accidents, lot lines, and parcels.
Geographic Information System (GIS) -- An organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information.
Global Positioning System (GPS) -- A system of satellites and receiving devices used to compute positions on the Earth. GPS is used in navigation, and its precision supports cadastral surveying.
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Model -- A representation of reality used to simulate a process, understand a situation, predict an outcome, or analyze a problem.
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Relational Database -- A method of structuring data as collections of tables that are logically associated to each other by shared attributes. Any data element can be found in a relation by knowing the name of the table, the attribute (column) name, and the value of the primary key. See also relate, relate key, and relational join.
RFP -- Request For Proposal. To view sample RFPs, click here.
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Topologically Intergrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) -- Computer-readable map databases that were compiled by the U.S. Bureau of the Census in cooperation with the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS). These files provide geographical information on roads, railroads, utility lines, water courses, political boundaries, and other geographical features.
Software Terms
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ArcCAD -- Software tool by ESRI that allows a GIS to run inside AutoCAD.
ArcINFO -- High end GIS software for UNIX and Windows NT platforms by ESRI.
ArcView -- Easy-to-use, low cost tool from ESRI for quickly viewing and analyzing at your desktop. Accesses AutoCAD drawings directly or can view GIS data created in ArcCAD or ArcINFO. Also integrates other types of data such as spreadsheets and charts. Anderson & Associates is a certified ArcView trainer and a licensed reseller of ESRI products such as ArcView. If you would like to sign up for ArcView training, click here. If you would like to purchase ArcView for your company, click here.
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BASIS -- Building And Land and Inventory System. BASIS is a specialized GIS software package developed by Anderson & Associates.
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MapObjects -- Windows-based mapping and development tool by ESRI for customizing GIS applications. Works with Visual Basic, Delphi, Visual C++ and others.
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PLUS -- Parcel Land Use System. PLUS is a specialized GIS software package developed by Anderson & Associates.
