These pages are based on How to make a straight line square, my thesis for the MSc in GIS at the University of Leicester, UK, 2000.
The book Geographic Information Systems and Cartographic Modeling by C Dana Tomlin forms the basis of my thesis. Because network analysis and least cost paths had long been the dominion of vector GIS, I decided that it was time to explore the topic of network analysis in raster GIS, using MFworks as example software. MFworks is a GIS software which is 100% built on Tomlin’s algorithms.
In my thesis I explore the algorithms further, investigate procedures and network modelling techniques using raster GIS and discuss some common artefacts. I also propose an extension of Tomlin’s directional identifiers, allowing the modelling of non-planar features. I even built this tutorial for network or corridor analysis in raster GIS using MFworks.
In my post on corridor analysis I provide a short timeline on the development and history of network analysis in raster GIS.
