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TC 25. LECTURE 1A – INTRODUCTION TO SPATIAL

DATA (VECTOR DATA)
26 MAR 2019
MACATULAD

OUTLINE

 What are Geospatial Data Models?

 GIS Data Models:
Vector data model
Raster data model

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RECALL: WHAT IS A GIS?

RECALL: COMPONENTS OF GIS

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WHAT ARE SPATIAL DATA?

 A geographical entity is defined in terms of:

Location (spatial reference)
Dimensions
Attribute
Time

CONVENTIONAL VS. DIGITAL GEOGRAPHIC

DATA
Conventional Data: Paper map
 Static representation
 Represents a general-purpose
snapshot of the real world at a given
time only
Digital Geographic Data:
 Dynamic representation
 Allows a range of functions for
storing, processing, analyzing, and
visualizing spatial data
 Has tools that allow users to
interact with the data to meet their
objectives

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DIGITAL GEOGRAPHIC DATA

 Numerical representations that describe real-world

features and phenomena
 Must be encoded in digital form and organized as a
geographic database to be useful to GIS

PROBLEMS W/ REPRESENTING GEOGRAPHIC

DATA

 Entire Earth into single

digital representation
 Infinite complexity
 What to leave in, what
to leave out
 Representations are
partial (data models)

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GEOSPATIAL DATA MODELS

 The real world can only be depicted in a GIS

through the use of models that define
phenomena in a manner that computer
systems can interpret, to be able to perform
meaningful analysis.

GEOSPATIAL DATA MODELS

 Formal means of representing spatially-

referenced information
 Simplified view of physical entities
 A conceptualization of reality

how do you view the world

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DATA ABSTRACTION (GENERALIZATION)

 To use GIS, the real

world must be
abstracted into points,
lines, polygons, raster
cells, and attribute
values
 Scale matters (scope
and extent)
 Intended use matters
(purpose)

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4 LEVELS OF MODELING
(CONCEPTUALIZATION/ ABSTRACTION)
1. Real World - in all its complex glory
2. Conceptual Model - your understanding of it
3. Logical Model - possible computer realization
(software independent)
4. Physical Model - actual digital structure
(software implementation)

CONCEPTUAL MODEL

• Can identify three conceptualisations of space:

– Field-based – attributes can be thought of as varying

continuously from place to place (e.g. precipitation).
Can be 2-D or 3-D (e.g. air pollution).
– Object-based – features can be thought of as
discrete entities or objects. Can be large or small,
physical or counties, and con contain other objects.
– Networks – object-based, but emphasis is on the
interaction between objects along pathways.

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LOGICAL MODEL

• The two main types of GIS data models are:

Raster. Study area is divided into regular cells (usually
rectangular). Often used to model field data
Vector. Geometric primitives (i.e. points, lines, polygons) are
used to represent objects.

GEOSPATIAL DATA MODELS

REAL WORLD

Field-based model Object-based model

Raster data model Vector data model

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RASTER AND VECTOR DATA MODELS

 Raster
 Grid and cells
 For continuous data such as
elevation, slope, surfaces
 Vector
 A series of x,y coordinates
 For discrete data represented as
points, lines, polygons

 A Desktop GIS should be able

to handle both types of data
effectively!

RASTER AND VECTOR DATA MODELS

Raster
 Satellite images
 Scanned aerial photographs,
paper maps
 Digital aerial photographs
Vector
 Land survey points
 GPS observation data
 Land parcels
 Road network

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REPRESENTATION OF LOCATION DATA

VECTOR: RASTER:
Point Cell

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REPRESENTATION OF SPACE (AREA) AS

PIXELS

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VECTOR DATA MODEL

VECTOR DATA MODEL

 Geographic entities encoded using the vector

data model are called features.
 Treats geographic space as populated by
discrete objects, which have identifiable
boundaries or spatial extent
 Each object in the real-world is represented as
either point, line, or polygon features.
 Useful for representing discrete objects such
as roads, buildings, rivers, boundaries, etc.

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TYPES OF VECTOR DATA MODEL

1. Simple data model

2. Topological data model

SIMPLE DATA MODEL

 Features are vector objects of type point, line

or polygon.
 Lines and polygons can overlap.
 There is no stored relationship between any
objects.
 Simple feature data structure is sometimes
called spaghetti data model

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TOPOLOGICAL DATA MODEL

 Essentially just a simple data model

structured using topology rules where
connections between objects are
described independent of their coordinates
 Often referred to as an intelligent data
structure because spatial relationships
between geographic features are easily
derived when using them

TOPOLOGY DEFINITION

 The Science of mathematics of relationships used

to validate the geometry of vector entities,
and for operations such as network tracing and
tests of polygon adjacency.
 The study of geometric properties that do
not change when the forms are bent, stretched
or under go similar geometric transformations.
 More details on Lecture 5: Spatial Relationships and
Spatial Querying

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SPAGHETTI VS. TOPOLOGICAL

CADASTRE EXAMPLE

benchmark survey (COGO) parcels zones

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VECTOR FILE FORMATS

 GDF/DIME (Geographic Base File/Dual Independent Map Encoding) –
originally used for storing street maps
 TIGER (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and
Referencing System) – improvement for GDF/DIME
 DLG (Digital Line Graphs) – USGS topographic maps
 AutoCAD DXF (Data Exchange Format) – widely used as an export
format in many GIS
 IGDS (Intergraph Design System) – widely used in mapping
 ArcInfo Coverage – stores vector graphical data using topological
structure explicitly defining spatial relationships
 ArcInfo E00 – export format of ArcInfo
 Shapefiles – format of ArcView GIS; defines geometry and attribute
of geographically referenced objects using the main file, index file and
database table
 CGM (Computer Graphics Metafile) – ISO standard for vector data
format; widely used in PC-based computer graphics applications
 Page Description Languages (PDL’s)

THE SHAPEFILE
 DBF – database file (attribute table)
 PRJ – projection file *
 SBN – a spatial index of the features (optimizes spatial queries) **
 SBX – a spatial index of the features (speeds up loading times) **
 SHP – geometry file (location and shape)
 SHX – shape index format
 SHX.XML – geospatial metadata in XML format **

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COMPOSITION OF VECTOR DATA

Object Attributes

Reality

ATTRIBUTES FOR VECTOR DATA

 Record non-spatial characteristics that describe

spatial entity
 any characteristic of an entity selected for
representation

 Arranged in tables
 Stored in a flat-file format or database
management system (DBMS)

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ATTRIBUTE TABLE

 a row is
equivalent to one
entity
 each row relates
to a single object
and a spatial data
model

ATTRIBUTE TABLE

 a column is
equivalent to one
attribute, or
descriptor, of that
entity
 each object can
have multiple
attributes that
describe it

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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! 

ANY QUESTIONS ?
 NEXT LAB EX 1

LAB EX 1

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