Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Scribd
Upload
3 views

Lecture 4 Spatial Data Formats

The document discusses spatial data formats, specifically vector and raster data. It explains vector data as a representation of geographic features using points, lines, and polygons, and details various vector formats such as shapefiles, coverages, and geodatabases. Additionally, it covers raster data formats, highlighting the differences between continuous and discrete grids, and the use of raster images in GIS applications.

Uploaded by

Lihle Ngindi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
3 views

Lecture 4 Spatial Data Formats

The document discusses spatial data formats, specifically vector and raster data. It explains vector data as a representation of geographic features using points, lines, and polygons, and details various vector formats such as shapefiles, coverages, and geodatabases. Additionally, it covers raster data formats, highlighting the differences between continuous and discrete grids, and the use of raster images in GIS applications.

Uploaded by

Lihle Ngindi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 27

Spatial Data Formats (Vectors and

Raster)
Vector data formats
Vector data is a conceptual representation of geographic
objects, features, and/or entities. Geographic objects,
features, and/or entities are represented by points, lines and
polygons.

A single point, or line or polygon is known as Features in a


Geo-database structure).
Feature classes
Feature classes
A feature class – a group of features of the Geodatabas
same type (same geometries and attributes) e

for a common space.

e.g. primary roads, highways and secondary


roads can be grouped into a line feature class
name called “ROADS”.
Feature
Dataset

Feature
Classes
Feature datasets Grouping
Feature classes can be grouped into a larger unit called a collection, or
feature dataset. For instance, you could group roads and intersections into
a collection called “transportation dataset”
Organizing feature classes
When organizing feature classes into datasets:
- they must have the same coordinate system, and
-they may have the same geographic extent.

Feature classes should be grouped based on


- Topology (e.g. spatial relationship between Road and
intersections for transport network)
and/or
- Coincident geometry (coordinate system).
GIS data formats
A good GIS supports a variety of vector data formats for
storing point, line, and polygon features
These formats include:
•Shapefiles
•Coverages
•CAD files- Computer Aided Design
•Event tables
•TIN files-Triangulated Irregular Networks (TINs)
•Geodatabases- RDBMS e.g. MS Access
GIS data formats
Different vector data types have different options for
abstracting real-world entities. The most common data
types and their abstraction options are shown below.
GIS Vector data type
1.1 Shapefiles
Shapefiles are a basic vector file structure for storing the
location and attribute information of points, lines, and polygons.

Each shapefile consists of at least three files:


.shp file - denotes that a file is indeed a shapefile;
.shx file - stores information about feature geometry;
.dbf file - feature attribute table stored in dBASE format;
A shapefile can contain only one feature class.
A shapefile may include other files in addition to the three basic
ones. For example, if a shapefile has a defined coordinate
system, the spatial reference information will be stored in a file
named .prj (e.g., donut.prj).

The definition of the coordinate system should be maintained in:


- the database dictionary - catalog or table containing
information about the dataset
stored in a database)
- the shapefile's metadata file (.shp.xml),
- the shapefile's projection file (.prj),
- or all three.
1.2 Coverages
•A coverage is a collection of one or more feature
classes stored in a folder.

• A coverage is a vector data format that can be created


and edited in ArcInfo™ and ArcEditor™ and viewed in
ArcView®.
1.3 Geodatabases
The geodatabase is a vector data format that stores
features, feature classes and feature dataset in a
relational database management system (RDBMS)
table such as MS Access.
1.4 CAD Files
A geographic database may include GIS data stored in
CAD (Computer Aided Design) format. (e.g. ArcGIS
supports DXF, DWG, and DGN formats).
1.5 Event tables

An event table usually contains a field of raw coordinates

For example, many popular GPS (global positioning system)


receivers and collectors output delimited text files containing
coordinate information. One can import these files into INFO,
dBASE, or geodatabase tables, then create a point feature
class from the coordinates.
A table containing latitude and longitude coordinates is an event
table from which a point feature class can be created.
A table containing latitude and longitude coordinates is an event
table from which a point feature class can be created.

A table containing latitude and longitude coordinates is an


event table from which a point feature class can be created.
1.6 TINs

• In a triangulated irregular network (TIN) model, the world is


represented as a network of linked triangles drawn between
irregularly spaced points with x, y, and z values.
• Although a TIN is a vector format, it is a specialized vector
format because it does not represent individual features.
• The edges of TINs form contiguous, nonoverlapping triangular
facets and can be used to capture the position of linear
features that play an important role in a surface (ArcGIS
Online, 2023).
• A TIN represents a surface, or continuous data, rather than
discrete data.
Raster data formats (Grid)
• Geographic features can be also modeled using
a raster format called a Grid.
• With raster data, there is a trade-off between
how closely you want to model reality
(accuracy) and file size.

• The smaller the cell size or pixel (high


spatial resolution), the more detail you
can capture.
• Larger cell sizes (low spatial resolution)
do not require as much disk space for
storage but will not capture as much
detail.

• There are two types of raster/grids: continuous


grid and discrete grid.
Difference between Continuous and Discrete
Grids

•The basic structure of continuous and discrete grids is the


same; both are matrices of identically sized cells. The
difference is that:

• Continuous grids store values with decimal places


(real),

• Discrete grids store only integer values.


2.1 Continuous Grids

Continuous grids usually represent data that is identified by a


measurement of an attribute at a given location. Common
examples are elevation, rainfall, and temperature etc.

Continuous grid showing elevation


2.2 Discrete Grids

Discrete grids represent data that is identified by category or description.

Typical examples are zoning, land use, and vegetation, where the attribute
values are not measurements or quantities, but descriptions such as
"residential," "commercial,“ in the case of zonings.

A discrete grid may have a default attribute table called a value attribute
table (VAT). For example, a land use grid's VAT can report the number
of cells for each land use class.
Landcover grid Value
attribute
table
2.3 Images

• Raster images, such as aerial photographs and scanned maps, can be


geo-referenced and used as a layer on a map. (These are sometimes
used as backdrops for on-screen digitizing).
• Raster graphics render images into many pixels
• Images in a GIS provide information about locations on the earth's
surface.

• Many types of imagery are collected and stored in multiple layers, e.g.
in a multi-spectral satellite image, each layer stores the amount of
reflectance from a different wavelength of the electromagnetic
spectrum.
Composite images are made up of multiple layers or
bands of digital data.
By assigning different colors to each layer, analysts can
evaluate factors such as land cover type and vegetation
density.
Common image formats supported by GIS software
include TIFF, Bitmap (.bmp, MrSID, JPEG, and IMG).

You might also like