Digitization is a crucial technique for data and storage in GIS Development. It is used to capture the coordinates in point, line, or polygon format. The process of Digitization is expensive and time-consuming.

Digitization is converting hardcopy / scanned copy or satellite/Aerial base maps into vector data. Features are extracted from the existing maps or satellite images.

The Role of Digitizer

The digitizer plays a major role in managing the accuracy of the digitized features or maps. A well-experienced digitizer should know to interpret maps and digitized the features accurately and lesser time consumption. Most importantly, the quality of the digitization is the much-expected quality for a Digitizer role.

Types of Digitization

Today, there are various ways to do Digitization. Let’s take a look at the common types.

1. Manual Digitizing

Manual Digitizing is done by digitizing tablet. The digitizer manually traces all the lines from the hardcopy map (eg.Toposheet), and parallelly. The digital maps are created on the computer. It is only less time consuming but also has high accuracy when comparing with other digitizing methods.

2. Heads-up Digitizing

Heads-up Digitizing is similar to manual digitizing. In the manual digitizing process, it digitizes in hardcopy, but in this method, it scans the map directly and displays it on the desktop screen.

3. Interactive Tracing Method

The interactive tracing method is an advanced technique that has evolved from Heads-up digitizing. It is quite excellent in terms of accuracy and speed.

4. Automatic Digitizing

Automatic Digitizing is the process of converting raster to vector in an automated method using pattern recognition and image processing techniques. In this technique, the computer traces all the features on the map; it gives high accuracy with low time consumption. It allows customization and improved quality of images. This process is also known as Vectorisation.

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