Global Mapper Reviews

I really like the ability to look and interpret 3D terrain data. LiDAR data is easy to manage within Global Mapper. If you need to perform QC on terrain data, Global Mapper works very well for that. Global Mapper can also many different data files. Great access to downloading online data from various sources.

Coming from ArcGIS, some of the analysis functions are not as straight forward but I'm not sure that's a fault of Global Mapper. It's not the best for digitizing. It can't handle geodatbases such as FGDB or FGDB but it can handle SHP files.

For a cheaper solution to ArcGIS, although not as expansive as Arc, it can handle quite a bit of the day to day GIS duties. The software is better with terrain data than ArcGIS.

I work with LiDAR data to create contours and reproject terrain data. It handles LiDAR files with easy and is quicker to terrain related problems that ArcGIS.

Global mapper is a cost effective way to manage, clip, and even process imagery products. I have used this product to do everything from image processing, custom image tiles with scripting, LAS viewing/development, and managing image libraries. There is no better image software that can beat Global Mapper for the money! I always had great customer service with quick responses as well.

Clumsy overall layout. Some of the program settings are buried deep into the menu chains. Other than that I have no issues. This is nothing that can't be alleviated by reading the help menus.

Very powerful image editing and viewing software. Purchase in good faith that you will get your monies worth!

I used this early on to solve some Image Tiling issues that no other software would solve. With a little help from the design team I was able to come up with a script that allowed me to accomplish the goal I set out to complete.

Global Mapper will take just about any file you throw at it and export it in just about any other.

The lack of professional map making tools that other GIS software packages have.

The price is fantastic for what you get. The licenses are also perpetual, which you don't see very often anymore.

The conversion of files without complicated work flows.

The ability to look at massive elevation data regardless of delivery format quickly and analyze a profile on the fly; makes Global Mapper our goto routing product. The 3d views allows for a great visual reference at the same time. Being able to drape imagery, be it local imagery or from an online repository makes it a very convenient tool to have around our GIS department.

The help document could be made a bit better to help novices use the application.

If there is a need to use/visualize elevation data, then Global Mapper is the way to go. For the level of simplicity, and the multitude of formats the data can be in makes this the GIS application we lean on.

The ability to look at cross slope and generate elevation profiles on the fly allow us to route and implement response quickly and accurately. Looking at elevation data as a 3d view is a great visual reference when not out in the field.

It's a very powerful tool for converting data, especially for the price. Capable of reading a very wide variety of formats and performing a surprising breadth of analysis and data management tasks.

It doesn't do absolutely everything, but it's a very powerful companion to other GIS platforms.

The main developer is very active on the Global Mapper forums and willing to respond personally to requests. I've even heard anecdotes of him providing one-off builds if a new or improved functionality is suggested.

Not very much to dislike, my main gripe is that when I remote desktop to my work machine from home, I can't open the software with my single-use license. I typically work around this by having a co-worker physically sign in and open a session before I log back in, or I just leave a session running when I leave the office.

Some of the more complex analysis tools like watersheds don't offer as much control as might be desired, though they generally work fairly well out of the box.

There isn't a lot of accompanying documentation, but if you're uncertain whether Global Mapper can complete a particular task a quick Google search is usually illuminating. The main developer is very active on the Global Mapper forums and willing to respond personally to requests.

Converting from often unusual or unfamiliar file formats. I've also saved a lot of time using Global Mapper's batch conversion utility.

Fantastically easy to use - it simply does the job at a very reasonable price.

Very easy to import almost all types of geospatial data formats and elevation daa.

Very quick to render images and models. Able to create "fly throughs" for presentations, videos, etc.

Conversion of file types and changing of projections is as easy as it could be. Only a limited amount of knowledge about geospatial data and projections is required.

A very reasonable price for a licence ($500 I believe).

I am struggling to think of things that I dislike about Global Mapper as it does a small things very well. This is not a piece of software for major gridding or analysis of geopstial data; nor is its cartographic outputs the most powerful, but that is not its primary function.

Really struggling to find something I do not like......at worst, the

Even though the likes of Arc and MapInfo are able to utilise each other's file formats, Global Mapper enables one to use either, whilst similtaneously rendering a .dtm, and also predicting pathways for flowing water.

Different companies, clients and software use a vast array of different file formats. Global Mapper enables quick and reliable conversion between these.

Its lightweight and easy to use. It handles most of my day to day 3D operations.

I wish there was more options to changing symbologies/color ramps on 3d data sets. but more importantly i wish there was an option to remove outliers from your data in global mapper. EX. 1 point out of a million shows -5 elevation vs the 1200-1400m average. this skews the color symbology greatly.

Its a great Software for the GIS realm. I think it is very complimentary with other software/formats.

Mostly using global mapper for quick contour creation and raster base image exports. We did use one project where i was very impressed with the view shed capability that not only included the elevations and view points but also included 3d buildings in the analysis.

Opens any file type, whether its from ArcGIS, AutoCAD, Google Earth, literally anything we've come across that is mapping related we can run through Global Mapper no problem.

Not a very polished product, that said I am not using the most current version.

Great all around mapping software. I don't use it to generate maps myself but I've played around with the features a bit and is extremely user friendly.

As I stated earlier, Global mapper is our go to for converting coordinates and files. It's our gateway between CAD and Google Earth

It is very easy to use - the interface is very intuitive.

Manipulation of landforms could be improved

For landform related work such combining DTM with other data and converting that to say contours or spot height information then Global Mapper is a really good solution.

Visualisation Analysis

The compatibilty with many types of file's format, the possibility to manipulate easily big amounts of data.

The possibility to shift between projection systems on the fly.

Generally, the graphic interface can be more user-friendly. The general appearance (graphic design, menù arrangement) is a bit outdatet

Some functions can be improve, like areal shape management, editing options,

I suggest to use Global Mapper where simple and quick analysis and managment are request, expecially in case of big amounts od data to treat, and where the graphical outlook is not the priority.

I use global mapper mainly to transform formats and to setup data in order to prepare dataset for other more sphisticated elaboration stages.

Global mapper is able to read and operate with a huge number of different format.

It has the capability to manipulare and transfrom huge GIS dataset (in term of size) better than any other GIS tool I tried so far.

Moreover has a very powerfull, easy and well documented scripting system that will allow you to automate a lot of operations with few rows of code.

Is absolutelly missing a standard tabular visualization of attributes and also querying and filtering on dataset is not so easy.

Registration process is really tedious, if you loose the installer you are forced to buy an upgrade to the latest version also you if have your valid code for a previous version.

One of the feature that I use more often in global mapper is the capability to ready any GIS format scanning a directory tree,

This is abdsolutelly useful and let you save a lot of time in many occasion.

Handling of pointclouds, converting rasters to (X,Y,Z), and other conversion issues are handled well with an intuitive albeit outdated UI.

General look and feel is a bit outdated, user interface is fine.

not really a recommendation to others, but a general remark. We've deployed GlobalMapper on 3 desktop stand-alone machines (user fixed licenses). The package saves time because it is better in some specific tasks. All my 4 direct collegues, the GIS-specialists within Boskalis, recognize this value, but the software is not broadly used in the Boskalis business

Resampling large rastersets and pointclouds to more convenient sizes for software like the autodesk suite

I like how well the software can display a multitude of file formats and it is also able to convert large files into other formats. The software has a ton of features that I don't take advantage of, I just haven't been to the training on it in several years and currently can't afford more training.

I don't love the Overlay Control Center. It is not as easy to use as something like the Table of Contents in ArcMap.

I would definitely recommend Global Mapper to supplement other GIS software packages. It can be used as a stand alone product, but I find it works better along side ArcMap.

I use Global Mapper to solve problems dealing with displaying large files that come to me in formats that are difficult to deal with in ArcMap.

Global Mapper is a great and inexpensive tool for a lot of GIS tasks, particularly those related to elevation data. It is very easy to visualize 3d features or terrain models, and to generate contours, as well as many other tasks. And the speed of its performance and processing is great. Blue Marble has also made it easy to add data from internet sources like state and federal agencies.

I think Global Mapper's strong suits are related to its analysis functions; I would still use other products for map production and design tasks.

I think this product is a great addition to a GIS toolkit. That said, I would not want to rely on it for every GIS task. It fulfills many needs very well when used for the right purposes.

Global Mapper has definitely saved us money when processing elevation data - you would need to spend more money to achieve some of the same tasks with an extension for the leading GIS software, and in many cases the task would take longer to perform.

The software is quick at generating elevation contours from point cloud data. It also does a good job of bringing in base maps. Some of the measurement tools are pretty helpful when trying to show strike and dip of geologic features, such as drawing oriented lines.

There is little customization that can be easily executed with the drawing tools (lines, points, labels, etc.) I've learned to use what's there however certain things could make it much more user friendly. Selecting multiple items you've already created can be problematic. Also if you want to edit a group of features on the same layer and then change a subset of them, you have to go through each individual feature to make edits. It is very tedious and would be advantageous to be able to select a few features and edit them as a group. Another feature that can't edited easily is the title block. Although this may seem insignificant, it forces the user to use other software to complete a map, figure, or other item he or she creates. We have brought maps made in GM into powerpoint in order to be able to fully customize it. Particularly, a customizable scale that could be set to equal certain increments, such as xyz = 1 inch would be useful. It seems a shame that a high tech software doesn't have these basic edits.

Take advantage of their videos online, manual, and email them with questions. I learned that the software was capable of a lot more than I realized through this process.

A georeferenced map with LiDAR based contours is really helpful for identifying the topography of a region. We can use these maps to learn about environmental sites we study and use them as figures in reporting.

Love the amount of datasets it can handle out of the box , the way it is supported - bug fixes much faster than any other software from bigger software companies.

Cluttered interface can become quite annoying to work with

Great to create elevational profiles , quick and easy using free elevation data that can be downloaded directly in the software

Ease with which you can convert raster data and create other raster data sets. A wide variety of raster data conversions. Also, the speed and quality of the conversions is very good.

The interface is a little different from other products so it takes a bit of time to get used to. Also, you have to remember that some features are a few levels down in the menus.

I use it along with ESRI products. It is easier and quicker to use than some compatible functions.

Reformatting, and clipping raster data sets and generating hill shade data sets.

It's ability to handle and convert large and varied datasets. Seems that it can load just about any kind of data.

I think the interface is looks a bit dated. An update to that area could help.

Does the trick. It is a bare bones software but something that I use weekly.

The main business problem I am solving with Global Mapper are data conversion for large datasets.

The no-nonsense, intuitive interfacing.

The menus and drop-downs seems like they could use a GUI refresh.

Test drive it with a free download first.

Most of the utility of GM for me lies in its geospatial measurement accuracy. I use it mainly for corroboration of measurements taken in other programs, using datasets of varying datums/projections.

The best this about global mapper that i like is being able to bring in my shapefiles and convert them to KMZ/KML files, becasue not everyone can use ArcGIS like myself, so we give engineering a KMZ file to use in google earth. And vise versa, Engineers create KMZ files while out in the field and i can use global mapper to convert those files in ArcGIS shapefiles.

Seems like a new version comes out every month :)

Use it!!!!!

Integration between engineers and the GIS community

My favorite part of Global Mapper is that it is user-friendly - unlike some other mapping products out there. It is also very versatile. I use it in many aspects of my job.

I cannot think of one thing that I dislike about Global Mapper.

I use Global Mapper to geo-reference, manage a composite set of 3D seismic data, create new shapes of 3D seismic data, view seismic data, etc.

I haven't used the product enough to form an opinion.

I haven't used the product enough to form an opinion.

I haven't used the product enough to form an opinion.