OpenJUMP

Maps can be saved with numerous details, in the same GML file or in other formats, from the Geographic Information Systems category (GIS). If your work involves such formats, then you will find OpenJUMP to be a very helpful application. It servers multiple purposes, from opening and viewing GIS data to editing geometric data and attributes.

OpenJUMP is distributed as an open source application and you may contribute to the project if you want to. Besides the Core version, a Plus edition is available as well, which includes a series of plugins. The setup file is almost 15 MB and you can install the software's components in a matter of seconds. Furthermore, OpenJUMP is written in Java, so you can run it on any operating system that supports this programming language.

The user interface is quite simple, so you don't have to spend too much time studying its functions. A series of tools can be found on a small window and you can use them to draw and edit any shape you want. The best part is that OpenJUMP lets you work on separate layers. Besides creating and naming layers, you can also organize them, in different categories, in a tree structure.

It is possible to import pictures, in various formats, as new layers. This can be useful if you want to create a map, using screenshots or photos. You can define different styles for individual layers, on a separate window. The software lets you select fill colors and patterns, set up maximum and minimum scales, enable labeling and more. When you need to draw a specific element, like a building, a park and so on, you just need to select the appropriate layer to draw your object with the correct colors and patterns.

OpenJUMP includes many more tools, for analyzing buffers, overlays, polygons and others, generating random triangles and arrows or editing various geometry and attribute data. You can save your project, in the software's native format or you can save it in various formats, like SHP, WKT and others. It is also possible to copy the current view to the clipboard or to save it as a raster file.