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GIS Resources at Ball State University Libraries: Obtaining Software

List of GIS Resources including data, software, training and news.

Obtaining Software

Ball State University maintains an education site license with both ESRI and Hexagon (ERDAS Imagine), and allows access to all Ball State faculty, staff and students free of charge.  All available GIS software installation files can be downloaded from Microsoft OneDrive.

ArcGIS Pro is licensed through an Enterprise Login, for other software licenses please contact the GIS Specialist.

An important consideration about versions of software in general- while files can typically be opened in a newer version of software than it was created/saved in, files generally can not be opened in an older version of that software. 

ESRI

ArcGIS

  • ArcGIS is the leading geographic information system (GIS) platform used by local to federal governments, utilities, non-government organizations (NGOs) and private companies.  According to Esri, “ArcGIS is used by 70% of the largest global companies, 95% of the largest national governments, and 80% of the largest cities.”  ArcGIS is used for multitude of reasons including but not limited to: data creation, data management, spatial analysis, data visualizations, network management, data sharing, and mapping.
  • The ArcGIS software platform including ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro are available to the Ball State community for instruction and research through the Ball State University site license.  See the "Access to ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro" tab to get step-by-step instructions on logging in to ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro. 

ArcGIS Online

  • ArcGIS Online is a cloud-based, collaborative web GIS that allows you to use, create, and share maps, scenes, apps, layers, analytics, and data.  You get access to ready-to-use maps, ready-to-use apps, and Esri's secure cloud, where you can add items and publish web layers.

ArcGIS Pro

  • This 64-bit GIS platform lets you render and process your data faster than ever.  Design and edit in 2D and 3D, work with multiple displays and layouts, and publish finished web maps directly to ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS.
  • Our license allows you to install the software on desktop and laptop computers with a named user license via SAML Web Single Sign-On and Duo authentication.  Users may check out their license if they need to use the software offline.

CityEngine

  • Esri’s CityEngine transforms 2D GIS data into 3D models.  Use its visualization power to see the relationships of projects, assess their feasibility, and plan their implementation, and is a great tool for urban planning, architecture, and design.

Hexagon

ERDAS Imagine

  • Hexagon's ERDAS Imagine is software used for remote sensing.  Ball State University maintains a limited number of licenses for this software.  If you are taking a geography class that is utilizing ERDAS Imagine and need information about access to this software, please contact the GIS Specialist at GISLIBS@bsu.edu

Open Source Software

QGIS

https://qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html
(We suggests installing the Long-Term Release (LTR) version)

A Free and Open Source Geographic Information System. Create, edit, visualize, analyze and publish geospatial information on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android.  QGIS has matured into a full-featured desktop GIS platform over the past few years and is a perfect alternative to ArcGIS for those not using Windows, or interested in using Free&Open Source software.

GIS Contact

Contact:
BL 224
765-285-1097
gislibs@bsu.edu