OpenJUMP

Built in Java, OpenJUMP is a Geographic Information System (GIS) that can includes support for reading and writing shapefiles (geospatial vector data format) and GML data.

Athought the application can be used as a GIS data viewer it is more suitable for editing geometry and attribute information.

Installing the tool is a simple job, even for a beginner. Working with it, on the other hand, is reserved for users familiar with geospatial data.

The application window is far from being a complicated one, offering a clear view at the project screen and featuring the possibility to open multiple projects at the same time.

OpenJUMP provides a generous list of tools, grouped into categories for a better organization. Among the possibilities available there are query options that can target spatial data or an attribute.

Also present are geometrical analysis functions, such as creating a buffer for a selected geometry or a new layer containing the Convex Hull of all the features in the layer.

There is also the possibility to access geometry functions, a set of tools that can be used on layers and masks, particularly suitable for geometry processing.

The application includes functions that can be applied to raster layers only. These are present under the “Raster” menu and among the choices offered is the creation of a point dataset from the raster layer or making a polygon layer along with changing the color schema of the raster.

For most users OpenJUMP is not a simple program as it tackles a domain that is not particularly popular. However, those familiar with geospatial data and its manipulation this should be a straightforward tool equipped with a rich and flexible set of options.