Vector Data: Difference between revisions

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This directory normally contains the files listed below.
This directory normally contains the files listed below.


* [http://mpa.itc.it/markus/grass63progman/Vector_Library.html#head_file_format head]: header information (ASCII)
* [http://mpa.itc.it/markus/grass63progman/Vector_Library.html#head_file_format head]: ASCII file with header information; this is the stuff the '''v.info''' displays.
** cf.: v.info map=<some_vector>
* [http://mpa.itc.it/markus/grass63progman/Vector_Library.html#vlib_attributes dbln]: link(s) to attribute table(s) (ASCII)
** cf.: v.in.ogr -t in=<some_vector> out=<some_vector>  ''# -t disables attribute table file creation''
* hist: vector map change history (ASCII)
** cf.: v.info -h map=<some_vector>
* [http://mpa.itc.it/markus/grass63progman/Vector_Library.html#coor_file_format_specification coor]: coordinates (binary)
* [http://mpa.itc.it/markus/grass63progman/Vector_Library.html#topo_file_format topo]: topology (binary)
** cf: r.to.vect -b in=<some_raster> out=<some_vector>  ''# -b disables topology file creation''
* [http://mpa.itc.it/markus/grass63progman/Vector_Library.html#vlib_cidx cidx]: category index (binary)


'''Note:''' The creation of certain files can be disabled. The '''-t''' flag suported by v.in.ogr and v.in.ascii disables the creation of an attribute table. The '''-b''' flag supported by r.to.vect and v.in.ascii disables the creation of a topology file. This is [http://www.intevation.de/rt/webrt?display=History&serial_num=3877 needed] and useful e.g. for very large datasets (> 3 million points). The user is expected to understand what he is doing.
* [http://mpa.itc.it/markus/grass63progman/Vector_Library.html#vlib_attributes dbln]: ASCCI file that link(s) to attribute table(s)
 
* hist: vector map change history (ASCII). '''v.info -h''' can be used to dispay this file.)
 
* [http://mpa.itc.it/markus/grass63progman/Vector_Library.html#coor_file_format_specification coor]: binary file for storing the coordinates
 
* [http://mpa.itc.it/markus/grass63progman/Vector_Library.html#topo_file_format topo]: binary file for topology
 
* [http://mpa.itc.it/markus/grass63progman/Vector_Library.html#vlib_cidx cidx]: binary category index
 
 
'''Note:''' The creation of certain files can be disabled. The '''-t''' flag suported by v.in.ogr and v.in.ascii disables the creation of an attribute table. The '''-b''' flag supported by r.to.vect and v.in.ascii disables the creation of a topology file. This is [http://www.intevation.de/rt/webrt?display=History&serial_num=3877 needed] and useful e.g. for very large datasets (> 3 million points). The user is expected to understand what s/he is doing.


=== Specs ===
=== Specs ===

Revision as of 17:04, 29 July 2007

Vector Data Structures

GRASS 6 Vector Architecture

The GRASS vector data model includes the description of topology, where besides the coordinates describing the location of the primitives (points, lines, boundaries and centroids), their spatial relations are also stored. In general, topological GIS require a data structure where the common boundary between two adjacent areas is stored as a single line, simplifying the map maintenance.

The following vector objects are defined:

  • point
  • line: directed sequence of connected vertices with 2 endpoints called nodes
  • boundary: the border line to describe an area
  • centroid: a point within a closed boundary
  • area: the topological composition of centroid and boundary
  • face: a 3D area;
  • kernel: a 3D centroid in a volume (not yet implemented)
  • volume: a 3D corpus, the topological composition of faces and kernel (not yet implemented)

Note: all lines and boundaries can be polylines (with nodes(vertices) in between)

Data Structure

a vector layer <some_vector> is stored in the directory '$MAPSET/vector/<some_vector>/'. This directory normally contains the files listed below.

  • head: ASCII file with header information; this is the stuff the v.info displays.
  • dbln: ASCCI file that link(s) to attribute table(s)
  • hist: vector map change history (ASCII). v.info -h can be used to dispay this file.)
  • coor: binary file for storing the coordinates
  • topo: binary file for topology
  • cidx: binary category index


Note: The creation of certain files can be disabled. The -t flag suported by v.in.ogr and v.in.ascii disables the creation of an attribute table. The -b flag supported by r.to.vect and v.in.ascii disables the creation of a topology file. This is needed and useful e.g. for very large datasets (> 3 million points). The user is expected to understand what s/he is doing.

Specs

GRASS

ESRI Shapefile

A shapefile stores nontopological geometry and attribute information for the spatial features in a data set. The geometry for a feature is stored as a shape comprising a set of vector coordinates.


The following vector objects are defined:

  • Point
  • MultiPoint: a set of points
  • PolyLine: A PolyLine is an ordered set of vertices that consists of one or more parts. A part is a connected sequence of 2 or more points. Parts may or may not be connected to one another. Parts may or may not intersect one another.
  • Polygon: A polygon consists of 1 or more rings. A ring is a connected sequence of 4 or more points that form a closed, non-self-intersecting loop.
  • PointM: Point plus a Measure
  • PolyLineM: Point plus a Measure
  • PolygonM: Point plus a Measure
  • MultiPointM: MultiPoint plus a Measure
  • PointZ: PointM plus a additional z-coordinate (height)
  • PolyLineZ: PolyLineM plus z-coordinates (heights)
  • PolygonZ: PolygonM plus z-coordinates (heights)
  • MultiPointZ: MultiPointM plus additional z-coordinates (heights)
  • MultiPatch: A MultiPatch consists of a number of surface patches. Each surface patch describes a

surface.

Specs

OpenGIS Simple Features

is a nontopological standard implemented by e.g. OGR and PostGIS, etc..

  • Point
  • LineString
  • Polygon
  • Multipoint
  • Multipolygon
  • GeomCollection

Specs

GRASS

SVG

is a nontopological W3C standard. The following vector objects are defined:

  • line
  • polyline
  • rect: defines a rectangle
  • circle
  • ellipse
  • polygon

Specs

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 1.1 Specification

GRASS