Line Simplification Algorihtms in Python

Here is an example of how the Douglas-Peucker, Visvalingam-Whyatt, and Reumann-Witkam line simplification algorithms can be implemented in Python:

Douglas-Peucker algorithm:


def douglas_peucker(points, tolerance):
    def point_line_distance(point, start, end):
        if (start == end):
            return float('inf')
        else:
            n = len(point)
            X, Y = point[:,0], point[:,1]
            AB = [end[0]-start[0], end[1]-start[1]]
            if n == 2:
                return abs(np.cross(np.array([X[1]-X[0], Y[1]-Y[0]]), np.array(start))/np.linalg.norm(AB))
            else:
                return np.min([point_line_distance(point[i:i+2,:], start, end) for i in range(n-1)])
    def dp_recursive(points, start, end, tolerance):
        dmax = 0
        index = 0
        for i in range(start+1,end):
            d = point_line_distance(points[start:end], points[start], points[end])
            if d > dmax:
                index = i
                dmax = d
        if dmax >= tolerance:
            results = dp_recursive(points, start, index, tolerance) + dp_recursive(points, index, end, tolerance)
        else:
            results = [points[start], points[end]]
        return results
    return dp_recursive(points, 0, len(points)-1, tolerance)

Visvalingam-Whyatt algorithm:


def visvalingam_whyatt(points, tolerance):
    def area(p1, p2, p3):
        return abs((p1[0]*(p2[1]-p3[1]) + p2[0]*(p3[1]-p1[1]) + p3[0]*(p1[1]-p2[1]))/2)
    n = len(points)
    i = 0
    while i < n-2:
        if area(points[i], points[i+1], points[i+2]) < tolerance:
            points.pop(i+1)
            n -= 1
        else:
            i += 1
    return points

Reumann-Witkam algorithm:


def reumann_witkam(points, tolerance):
    def point_line_distance(point, start, end):
        if (start == end):
            return float('inf')
        else:
            n = len(point)
            X, Y = point[:,0], point[:,1]
            AB = [end[0]-start[0], end[1]-start[1]]
            if n == 2:
                return abs(np.cross(np.array([X[1]-X[0], Y[1]-Y[0]]), np.array(start))/np.linalg.norm(AB))
            else:
                return np.min([point_line_distance(point[i:i+2,:], start, end) for i in range(n-1)])
    i = 1
    while i < len(points)-1:
        d = point_line_distance(points[i], points[0], points[-1])
        if d > tolerance:
            points.pop(i)
        else:
            i += 1
    return points

In these implementations, the input is a list of points, and the tolerance value is a real number used to define the level of simplification. The output is a simplified version of the input line, represented as a list of points.

It’s important to note that these implementations make use of numpy library and they expect the input points to be in the form of numpy array. Also, these codes are just examples and they might not work as is, they may require some adjustments based on the specific use case.

Creating An Application Visual Interface

There are several programming languages that can be used to create an application interface, and the choice of which one to use will depend on the specific requirements and constraints of your project. Some of the most popular languages for creating visual interfaces include:

  1. Python: Python is a popular and versatile language that has a wide range of libraries for creating visual interfaces. Some popular libraries for creating visual interfaces in Python include Tkinter, PyQt, and wxPython. These libraries provide a simple and easy-to-use API for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and can be used to create desktop applications and web applications.

  2. C#: C# is a popular language for creating Windows desktop applications and has a built-in library called Windows Forms for creating graphical user interfaces. It also has the advantage of being able to use the Microsoft Visual Studio development environment, which provides a visual designer and a wide range of tools for creating and debugging applications.

  3. Java: Java is a popular language for creating cross-platform desktop applications and has a built-in library called Swing for creating graphical user interfaces. It also has the advantage of being able to use the Eclipse development environment, which provides a visual designer and a wide range of tools for creating and debugging applications.

  4. JavaScript: JavaScript is a popular language for creating web applications and has a wide range of libraries and frameworks for creating visual interfaces. Some popular libraries for creating visual interfaces in JavaScript include React, Angular, and Vue. These libraries provide a simple and easy-to-use API for creating web user interfaces and can be used to create web applications.

It’s important to note that these are just a few examples of the many languages that can be used to create visual user interfaces, and the choice of which one to use will depend on the specific requirements and constraints of your project.

Creating a application interface using Python, C#, Java, or JavaScript may have a slightly different syntax and approach compared to Visual Basic (VB) but it can be considered as easy, depending on your experience and familiarity with the language.

Python, C#, Java, and JavaScript all have built-in libraries or frameworks for creating visual interfaces, which provide a simple and easy-to-use API for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs) similar to Visual Basic.

For example, Tkinter in python, Windows Form in C#, Swing in Java, React, Angular and Vue in JavaScript, all provide a visual designer and a wide range of tools for creating and debugging applications, similar to the experience of using Visual Basic.

It’s worth noting that VB is a simple and easy-to-use language that is well suited for creating graphical user interfaces, and it has a built-in library called Windows Forms for creating visual interfaces.

However, the choice of language and library depends on the specific requirements and constraints of your project. If you are more familiar with one of these languages, it will probably be easier for you to create a visual interface using that language.

Creating A Web Application with Python

Steps for creating a web application with Python for both the front-end and back-end: 

  1. Create a virtual environment: It’s a good practice to create a separate virtual environment for your project. This allows you to manage dependencies and keep your system organized. You can use tools like virtualenv or conda to create a virtual environment.

  2. Install the necessary libraries: You’ll need to install libraries for the web framework, forms handling, and file processing. For example, you can use Flask for the web framework, Flask-WTF for forms handling, and Fiona for file processing. You can install these libraries using pip.

  3. Create a Flask app: Create a file app.py and import Flask and other necessary libraries. Create a Flask app and define routes for handling the requests.

  4. Create forms: Use Flask-WTF or WTForms to create forms for handling user input. You can create forms for file upload, user registration, and other functions.

  5. Handle file processing: Use Fiona to handle the shapefile processing, and the douglas-peucker package to perform the line simplification.

  6. Handle user authentication: Implement user authentication using cookies or sessions.

  7. Create template files: Create template files using Pyjade or another templating engine to define the structure of the web pages.

  8. Run the app: Run the app using flask run in the command line. The app will be available at http://localhost:5000/ by default.

Keep in mind that this is a high-level overview of the process. There are many details and considerations to take into account when building a web application. 

Saving GIS Data to Another File Format using Python

Once you have read the data from a GIS file using Fiona, you can save it to another file format using the fiona.open() method and the ‘w’ mode. You can also use the fiona.open() method to save the data to a new file, by specifying the file path and format, and passing the ‘w’ mode as the second argument.

Here is an example of how to save the data from a shapefile to a geojson file:

In this example, the data is read from a shapefile and written to a geojson file. The properties, crs, and schema of the new file are defined from the source file using the src.schema and src.crs attributes.

It’s important to note that when saving the data to a new file, the file format and the driver must be specified correctly, and the schema and properties must match the data being written. You can also use the same approach to save the data to other file formats such as KML, CSV, or any other format supported by Fiona. You just need to change the driver and the file path and extension accordingly.

For example, to save the data to a CSV file:

This example uses the built-in csv library to write the data to a CSV file. It writes the header of the file using the keys of the properties from the source file and then it writes the values of the properties for each feature.

It’s worth noting that this is a basic example that can be extended and customized to suit the specific requirements of your project, and it’s recommended to consult the documentation of Fiona for more detailed information on how to use it and to have a deeper understanding of the functionality it offers.

Additionally, it’s important to thoroughly test your code and ensure that the data is being written correctly before deploying it.

How to Read Several Common GIS Data Types using Python

If you need to read several common GIS data types, such as shapefiles, geojson, KML, and others, in addition to the OGR library, you can use Fiona library. Fiona is a python library for reading and writing spatial data files. It is built on top of OGR and is designed to be more user-friendly and pythonic.

Fiona provides a simple, pythonic API to read and write spatial data files. It allows you to read and write data in several formats such as shapefiles, geojson, kml, and others. It is easy to use, you can open a file using Fiona and access the data just like a Python dictionary.

Here is an example of how to read a shapefile using Fiona:

This example shows how easy it is to read a shapefile using Fiona, you can open a file, iterate over the features and access the data, and close the file using the “with” statement.

Fiona also supports other formats such as geojson, KML, and others, you can use the same approach to read these other formats, by simply changing the file path and extension when opening the file with the fiona.open() method. For example, to read a geojson file, you would use:

Fiona also allows you to specify the driver when opening a file, in case the file format is not recognized by the library, this can be done by passing the driver name as a second argument to the fiona.open() method.

For example, to open a KML file, you would use:

Fiona also allows you to access the metadata of the file, such as the crs, schema, and properties, in a similar way as the features, it also allows you to write data to a file, in the same way you read it, you can simply iterate over the features and write them to a file.

It’s worth noting that fiona, as well as OGR, are powerful libraries that can handle a wide range of GIS data types and formats, it’s recommended to consult the Fiona documentation for more detailed information on how to use it and to have a deeper understanding of the functionality it offers.

How to Read Features and Coordinates from ESRI Shapefile using Python

Here is an example of how to read in features and coordinates from an ESRI Shapefile using Python in a script using the OGR library:

In this example, the code will open the shapefile, read in the features and coordinates, and then output the coordinates to the console. You can replace this step with your own code to do something with the features and coordinates, such as displaying them on a map or storing them in a database.

In order to read in features and coordinates from an ESRI Shapefile using Python, you will need to import the OGR library. The OGR library is part of the GDAL library, which is a powerful library for working with GIS data. The OGR library is used to read and write vector data, it supports a variety of vector formats including ESRI Shapefile. 

In the example I provided before, the library is imported at the beginning of the script using the following line of code:

This line imports the OGR library, allowing you to use its functions and methods to read in features and coordinates from the shapefile.

It’s important to note that you may need to install GDAL library to use the OGR library, you can install it via pip by running pip install gdal in your command prompt or terminal.

10 Python Libraries for GIS and Mapping

Python Libraries for GIS and Mapping

Python libraries are the ultimate extension in GIS because it allows you to boost its core functionality.

By using Python libraries, you can break out of the mould that is GIS and dive into some serious data science.

There are 200+ standard libraries in Python. But there are thousands of third-party libraries too. So, it’s endless how far you can take it.

Today, it’s all about Python libraries in GIS. Specifically, what are the most popular Python packages that GIS professionals use today? Let’s get started.

First, why even use Python libraries for GIS?

Have you ever noticed how GIS is missing that one capability you need it to do? Because no GIS software can do it all, Python libraries can add that extra functionality you need.

Put simply, a Python library is code someone else has written to make life easier for the rest of us. Developers have written open libraries for machine learning, reporting, graphing and almost everything in Python.

If you want this extra functionality, you can leverage those libraries by importing them in your Python script. From here, you can call functions that aren’t natively part of your core GIS software.

PRO TIP: Use pip to install and manage your packages in Python

Python Libraries for GIS

If you’re going to build an all-star team for GIS Python libraries, this would be it. They all help you go beyond the typical managing, analyzing and visualizing of spatial data. That is the true definition of a geographic information system.

1 Arcpy

If you use Esri ArcGIS, then you’re probably familiar with the ArcPy library. ArcPy is meant for geoprocessing operations. But it’s not only for spatial analysis, but it’s also for data conversion, management and map production with Esri ArcGIS.

2 Geopandas

Geopandas is like pandas meet GIS. But instead of straight-forward tabular analysis, the geopandas library adds a geographic component. For overlay operations, geopandas uses Fiona and Shapely, which are Python libraries of their own.

3 GDAL/OGR

The GDAL/OGR library is used for translating between GIS formats and extensions. QGIS, ArcGIS, ERDAS, ENVI and GRASS GIS and almost all GIS software use it for translation in some way. At this time, GDAL/OGR supports 97 vector and 162 raster drivers.

GIS Formats Conversions

4 RSGISLib

The RSGISLib library is a set of remote sensing tools for raster processing and analysis. To name a few, it classifies, filters and performs statistics on imagery. My personal favourite is the module for object-based segmentation and classification (GEOBIA).

5 PyProj

The main purpose of the PyProj library is how it works with spatial referencing systems. It can project and transform coordinates with a range of geographic reference systems. PyProj can also perform geodetic calculations and distances for any given datum.

Python Libraries for Data Science

Data science extracts insights from data. It takes data and tries to make sense of it, such as by plotting it graphically or using machine learning. This list of Python libraries can do exactly this for you.

6 NumPy

Numerical Python (NumPy library) takes your attribute table and puts it in a structured array. Once it’s in a structured array, it’s much faster for any scientific computing. One of the best things about it is how you can work with other Python libraries like SciPy for heavy statistical operations.

7 Pandas

The Pandas library is immensely popular for data wrangling. It’s not only for statisticians. But it’s incredibly useful in GIS too. Computational performance is key for pandas. The success of Pandas lies in its data frame. Data frames are optimized to work with big data. They’re optimized to such a point that it’s something that Microsoft Excel wouldn’t even be able to handle.

8 Matplotlib

When you’re working with thousands of data points, sometimes the best thing to do is plot it all out. Enter matplotlib. Statisticians use the matplotlib library for visual display. Matplotlib does it all. It plots graphs, charts and maps. Even with big data, it’s decent at crunching numbers.

matplotlib

9 Scikit

Lately, machine learning has been all the buzz. And with good reason. Scikit is a Python library that enables machine learning. It’s built in NumPy, SciPy and matplotlib. So, if you want to do any data mining, classification or ML prediction, the Scikit library is a decent choice.

10 Re (regular expressions)

Regular expressions (Re) are the ultimate filtering tool. When there’s a specific string you want to hunt down in a table, this is your go-to library. But you can take it a bit further like detecting, extracting and replacing with pattern matching.

11 ReportLab

ReportLab is one of the most satisfying libraries in this list. I say this because GIS often lacks sufficient reporting capabilities. Especially, if you want to create a report template, this is a fabulous option. I don’t know why the ReportLab library falls a bit off the radar because it shouldn’t.

PRO TIP: If you need a quick and dirty list of functions for Python libraries, check out DataCamp’s Cheat Sheets.

Source: https://gisgeography.com/python-libraries-gis-mapping/