Geodata conversion & interoperability Dr Nigel Trodd Coventry University

Converting data: R2V – V2R Most, but not all, GIS can handle raster & vector data Many GIS functions have been implemented for only one data model Users of GIS frequently have to rasterise vectors & vectorise rasters

rasterisation

Some complications?1

2

Vectorisation: many more complications

Project based file conversion Corporate interoperability

interoperability What? Why? In a perfect world all data would come in one data format… but the world is not perfect!! Therefore, we adopt standard procedures & protocols to describe data If a GIS complies with these standards then it can read the data, …no matter what its’ internal format. Partial interoperability

Making interoperability happen: formats & standards, procedures & protocols de facto industry formats  software vendors e.g. ESRI ‘shp’, Google Earth KML National / international standards e.g. Ordnance Survey NTF Web-based open standards… HTML, XML e.g. Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) specifications GML, WMS, WFS

Interoperability in action Local government Multiple stakeholders in the planning process Virtual Planning Environment

DEM, weather data Natural environment Legacy data Simulation data e.g acoustic properties 3D IFC schema Legacy applications Visualisations & interactions OO databases Relational databases Built environment Topographic, Infrastructure data Health, crime data Human environment Multispectral images Other files Files Simulation & prediction models e.g. GIS viewer … Research applications

Legacy data Standard Layers INTELCITIES applications Legacy applications VR / AR visualisations & interactions OO databases Relational databases Files Simulation & prediction models Natural environment Built environment Human environment

summary & conclusion The future is bright, the future is InteroperableGIS