GRASS GIS is a well established, all-in-one geospatial number cruncher with Python, command line, and GUI interfaces. This talk highlights the latest updates in GRASS GIS 7.8 and reveals plans for version 8.0. Major developments include Python 3 support, transition to PROJ 6, intuitive data management, virtual raster mosaic and improved data compression. The development successfully migrated to GitHub and several Docker images are available. Interfacing with GRASS GIS is now easier with direct batch processing, updated rgrass7 package, QGIS plugin/processing, mapcalc updates and actinia cloud integration with openEO GRASS driver.
Authors of this presentation include Vaclav Petras, Markus Neteler, Anna Petrasova, and GRASS GIS development team. In addition to the general overview of the GRASS GIS updates we present examples of enhanced core modules and add-ons, including lidar point cloud processing with PDAL, temporal framework applications for drone data time series analysis and updated simulation tools for spread of plant disease and urban growth. Innovations in interfaces will include new capabilities for interaction through Tangible Landscape and a proposal for new startup GUI. We conclude with a discussion about the future of GRASS GIS and plans for the next release.
Helena has participated in the GRASS GIS development since 1991 and co-authored the first book on GRASS GIS with Markus Neteler. She currently serves her third term on the OSGeo Board of directors. She is a professor at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, and an associate director for geovisualization at the Center for Geospatial Analytics. She is a member of editorial boards for Geomorphology and Computers & Geosciences journals and has published numerous publications on tools and applications of GRASS GIS. She has developed methods for spatial interpolation, terrain analysis, hydrologic and erosion modeling and visualization. She received her PhD from the Slovak Technical University, Bratislava, Slovakia.