What is raster data?
Raster data is an image, or a grid of pixels, where each pixel has a unique value that represents a data point on the ground – in other words, it stores information about features in a cell-based manner.
Raster data is one of two primary types of spatial data in geographic information systems (GIS) – the other being vector data. Satellite images, photogrammetry, and scanned maps are all examples of raster-based data.
Why is raster data important?
Raster data is a powerful tool in leveraging location to:
- produce maps that change the way you visualize and plan for your initiatives like city skylines or 5G telco networks
- produce better analytics
- drive accurate and confident data-driven decision-making
Let’s talk more about that first point: maps.
The information contained in each raster data pixel can be extracted and the image can be used to derive many different types of maps, including land cover classification, crop health, heat maps, and more.
Raster mapping can be an invaluable input to many different applications across industries. Finding ways to leverage all the different types of information contained in that raster image data is key to its overall value, especially when it comes to high-tech applications for raster data,like insurance and 5G telco network planning.
The availability of raster data is increasing exponentially, thanks to unprecedented growth in the number of sensors capturing data daily. The amount of information contained in these raster datasets is limitless, along with their potential applications. That’s what makes it so important for businesses to take advantage of this increased availability.
See how Precisely’s data visualization tools provide critical context based on location
LEARN MOREHow can Precisely help you with raster data?
MapInfo Pro is our complete, desktop mapping solution for GIS analysts to visualize, analyze, edit, interpret, and output data — revealing relationships, patterns, and trends.
With this solution, you’re able to extract valuable information from raster data, without the challenges that often arise when trying to gain powerful insights from large spatial files. Our patented Multi-Resolution Raster (MRR) data format makes it seamless, with powerful spatial processing and map rendering.
You can identify, quantify, and visualize spatial patterns in raster datasets of practically unlimited size, or use our Multi-Resolution Virtual Raster (MVR) to virtually merge, reproject, and resample raster grid data on-the-fly, without writing out new grid files to disk.
Ready to learn more and start maximizing the value of your raster data with MapInfo Pro? Contact us today.