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BigTIFF in GIS: Handling Massive Geospatial Imagery

Updated: Oct 8

In today's age of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the management of large geospatial imagery has become a key challenge. Most satellite imagery, aerial imagery, and LiDAR data keep file sizes of tens and hundreds of gigabytes. BigTIFF was created to help solve the 4GB max file size of standard TIFF and offers GIS professionals a solution to store and process large raster datasets. However, MrSID is still a top contender in several real-world GIS applications in terms of performance, compression, and ease of integration within GIS.


BigTIFF in GIS
BigTIFF in GIS

Understanding BigTIFF


BigTIFF is an extension of the TIFF (Tagged Image File Format), which was created for the intended use of large raster datasets. Standard TIFF has a maximum file size of 4GB due to the use of 32-bit offsets. BigTIFF can use 64-bit offsets and theoretically, files can reach over 18 Exabytes! BigTIFF is especially attractive for:


  • High-resolution satellite imagery

  • LiDAR point cloud rasters

  • Large aerial survey

  • Multispectral and hyperspectral imagery.


While it is beneficial to have these advantages, BigTIFF exhibits significant drawbacks in GIS workflows:


  • Possibility for limited compression: BigTIFF is based on lossless compression schemes, which create larger file sizes than modern compression types.

  • Reading/writing large datasets is slower: Reading BigTIFF into memory in data-intensive GIS workflows can become cumbersome for scaling files.

  • Supported by a fragmented ecosystem: Full GIS capabilities for streaming, cloud storage, and web GIS services are inconsistent, despite popular GIS systems having some support for BigTIFF.


Why MrSID is the Leading Solution for Large Imagery


MrSID was designed from the ground up for efficient data storage, rendering speed, and scalable GIS workflows. Its proprietary wavelet-based compression compresses file sizes by as much as 20× compared to uncompressed BigTIFF, all while maintaining high image fidelity.


  1. Compression Efficiency


MrSID’s advanced compression capabilities allow for dramatically decreased data storage costs, allowing organizations to continue maintaining large archives of geospatial data without breaking the bank on infrastructure.


  1. Fast & On-Demand Rendering


Unlike BigTIFF, MrSID supports multiresolution and tile tools that enable GIS platforms to load only the portions of the image that they need. This means that large images can do things like:


  • Zooming and panning occur smoothly.

  • Map rendering occurs faster.

  • GIS analysis can be conducted in real-time


  1. Smooth Integration with GIS Software


MrSID files are natively supported by nearly every major GIS software platform, including:


  • ArcGIS Desktop & Pro

  • QGIS

  • ERDAS IMAGINE

  • Global Mapper


That means enterprise GIS workflows can efficiently access, process, and share large imagery.


  1. Optimal for Cloud and Web GIS


With the growing prevalence of geographically-based GIS data in the cloud, MrSID’s smaller file sizes, as well as streaming capabilities, allow MrSID to be the ideal imagery for a web mapping application, remote sensing analysis, and collaborative geography projects.


Let’s Take a Practical Example


Imagine a city planning department managing hundreds of terabytes of aerial imagery in relation to their urban development efforts. A single BigTIFF file, at 500 GB, can often take hours to load into a GIS, leading to a loss of productivity. By using MrSID:


  • The dataset is compressed to a fraction.

  • Analysts can instantly pan into neighborhoods.

  • Remote teams can toggle into imagery through web GIS, without the associated demands on bandwidth.


Clearly, MrSID turns a major geospatial imagery debacle—from the burden of storage to a rapid, actionable GIS resource.


BigTIFF has enabled the use of large raster datasets in GIS environments. When speed, compression, and multi-resolution access are a necessity, however, innovative organizational solutions, such as MrSID, have the potential to elevate workflows with massive imagery to a better level.


Combining efficient compression, fast streaming, and easy GIS integration makes MrSID an ideal tool for professionals managing, analyzing, and sharing geospatial imagery at scale—a recommended best practice for a modern GIS enterprise.


For more information or any questions regarding BigTIFF, please don't hesitate to contact us at


USA (HQ): (720) 702–4849


(A GeoWGS84 Corp Company)

 
 
 

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