Introduction & Fundamentals of GIS

7C. GIS Data Formats

M30005 GIS and Remote Sensing
Dr. Olusegun Fawole
Topics covered this week

ML 7A: Overview and Introduction

ML 7B: History and Uses of GIS

ML 7C: GIS Data Formats

Topics covered in ML 7C

• Raster and vector data in ArcGIS Pro

• Geometry and attributes

• Files and databases

Spatial data
• Geographically referenced/spatial data distinguishes GIS from other information system. It
describes both the location and characteristics of spatial features on the earth surface.
• Spatial data describes the location and shape of geographic features, and their spatial
relationship to other features.
• Spatial data can be available as raster data (pixel) or vector data (polygons/areas, lines,
point).
• Raster and vector are the two basic data structures for storing and manipulating images and
spatial data on a computer. Major GIS and CAD (Computer Aided Design) software are
primarily based on one of the two structures.
 Raster and Vector data
• So far, in this module you have worked exclusively with raster data
• Raster data consists of continuous cells (pixels) with values (e.g., colour,
irradiance etc.)
• Many sensor systems e.g., Landsat satellite imagery, drone or aerial
photography capture and collect raster data
• GI Systems can work with BOTH raster and vector data:
• Specialist image processing packages (like Erdas Imagine) are
appropriate when classifying or enhancing imagery
• GI Systems such as ArcGIS Pro are appropriate when integrating imagery
and vector map data
• In a GIS, raster data are often satellite imagery but could also be a map.
• Vector data may consist of points, lines or polygons.
• GIS data explored: Vector and Raster
Raster data
Landsat satellite imagery:
• Downloaded from USGS EarthExplorer

Opened in ArcGIS Pro…

Standard ‘Topographic’ background

map…

Opacity (‘see through’) changed

to 50%...

Satellite image overlays ArcGIS

Topographic basemap…

Zooming in to…
Raster data
Portsmouth, showing:
• Landsat imagery at 50% opacity
• Standard ‘Topographic’ base map

Let’s now add some vector data…

Add data
In this case Ordnance Survey
Open Green Space data:
• Downloaded from OS OpenData
• In GeoPackage format

GeoPackage databases contain

multiple geographical data layers:
let’s open the Green Spaces (e.g.,
parks etc.) layer…
Display layer
OS Open Green Spaces are
‘overlain’ (or ‘overlaid’) on the
basemap…
Drawing order (topmost last):
◦ OS Open Green Space
◦ Landsat satellite imagery (50% opacity)
◦ Standard ‘Topographic’ base map

Change
symbology
For the OS Open Green Space layer…
Now shown with 2pt red outline & no fill
 GIS software allows
layering
Layers may consist of:
◦ Raster data, e.g.:
◦ Satellite imagery
◦ Aerial photography
◦ Scanned maps
◦ Vector data, e.g.,:
◦ Point locations (e.g., stores)
◦ Lines (e.g., roads)
◦ Polygons (e.g., administrative
boundaries)

Raster data (or tiled maps) are most

often used as base maps…

Vector data are most often used as

overlays and for analysis…
turfimage.com
Raster data
resolution is fixed
In Image Space, individual pixels store a value
from a sensor with a fixed resolution…

These pixels can be mapped onto real-world

Coordinate Space through Raster
Georeferencing:
◦ Much raster data you can now download is
georeferenced in, e.g., GeoTIFF format, an
industry standard governed by the Open
Geospatial Consortium

In the case of Landsat’s 30m resolution sensor

one pixel (broadly) covers a baseball diamond…
This is insufficient to provide a detailed view at
larger (i.e., more detailed) map scales!
A zoom too far…
Zooming in on raster data (i.e., moving
to larger scales) will go past the
resolution at which it may sensibly be
displayed, e.g.:
• Overlaying the OS Open Green Space
boundaries over a background map of
OS MiniScale GB (1:1,000,000 scale)
raster mapping results in pixelation

A zoom that’s
about right…
Whereas, when mapped at an
appropriate scale, the same OS
MiniScale GB raster data set displays
well…
Vector data
display in GIS
Still at 1:1,000,000 scale it is possible to
overlay the OS Open Green Space layer
on top of the OS MiniScale GB raster
map…

Even zoomed out to over 1:10,000,000

scale it is possible to map all the OS
Open Green Spaces…

At this scale it is possible to see where in

the UK the Green Spaces are located…
Vector data
display in GIS
Or to zoom in to Ravelin Park…

Displaying the polygon which defines the

boundary of this Green Space against
the standard ArcGIS Pro Topographic
map…
• NOTE: slight mismatch between park outline
(sourced from OS) and roads (sourced from
ArcGIS Pro Topographic base map)!

Switching the basemap to ArcGIS Pro OS

Open Background provides a better
match:
• NOTE: better alignment of OS Open Green
Space boundaries with the OS Open
Background base map
Advantages of vector data structure
Advantages Disadvantages
 Good representation of phenomenonology  Spatial analysis and filtering within polygons are
impossible

 Requires less disc storage  The technology is expensive, particularly for the more
sophisticated software and hardware

 Compact data structure for homogenous  Simulation is difficult because each unit has a
areas different topological form

 Combination of several vector polygon maps through

 Accurate graphics overlay creates difficulties

 Retrieval, updating and generalization of  Complex data structure

graphics and attributes possible

 Topology (point, line, etc) can be described

adequately and maintained easily.
Advantages of raster data structure
Advantages
 Simple data structures
 Overlay and combination of maps and
remote sensed images easy
 Some spatial analysis methods simple to
perform
 Simulation easy, because cells have the
same size and shape
 Technology is cheap
Disadvantages
 Crude raster maps are considerably less
beautiful than line maps
 The use of large cells to reduce data
volumes means that phenomenonologically
recognizable structures can be lost and
there can be a serious loss of information.
 Network linkages are difficult to establish
 Projection transformations could be time
consuming unless special algorithms or
hardware is used.
 Requires more storage space
Types of vector data

GIS represent real-world features

using:
◦ Points
◦ Lines
◦ Polygons

Annotation layers may also be used

as different annotations may be
needed at different map scales
Points
The OS Open Green Spaces GeoPackage
also contains Access Points:
◦ These represent gateways to the parks etc.
shown as green dots to the right

Other types of point data may include:

◦ Store locations
◦ Postcodes
◦ Bus stops etc.

NOTE: Just because features are

represented by points does not mean
they are points! E.g., points may
represent feature centroid
 Lines
Another OS Open Data product, OS Open
Roads, provides an example of line (or
polyline) data:
◦ Road centre lines are shown in purple on the
right

Other types of (poly)line data may include:

◦ Footpaths
◦ Rivers
◦ Electricity transmission networks etc.

NOTE: Just as with points, lines may also have

a spatial extent, i.e., roads have width as well
as a centre line. Different users of GIS may use
different representations of the same logical
entity depending upon their needs. More
detailed representations of roads could, e.g.,
portray them as polygons…
Polygons
In the example used throughout the OS
Open Green Spaces polygon for Ravelin
Park is shown:
◦ Ravelin Park has been selected in ArcGIS Pro
and its outline is shown, highlighted in cyan

Other types of polygon data may include:

◦ Postcode sectors (AB10 1)
◦ Local Authority Districts
◦ Sales areas etc.

NOTE: In reality, almost all spatial features

which, by definition, have extent would best
be represented by polygons. However, the
cost of capturing outlines for all sorts of
entities at the largest scale generally
precludes polygonization of everything!
How does a GIS store points, lines and
polygons?

docs.qgis.org
Attributes
Clicking on a map object (in this case
the green space polygon for Ravelin
Park) brings up the attributes for the
layer…

The whole attribute table for all

records in the layer can also be
opened…

Which will pop up at the bottom of

your map screen, with rows
representing individual vector features
Attributes
enable analyses
For example, here the OS Open
Green Spaces layer has been
shaded, using ‘Unique Values’ of the
attribute field function:
• Allotments
• Bowling Greens
• Cemeteries etc.
Are shaded according to their Green
Space land use in the data set.
 Files and Databases
ArcGIS Pro works with a wide variety of data
types

Frustratingly, different GI Systems (e.g., QGIS,

MapInfo) each have their own file types and
formats

ESRI’s ShapeFile format is one of the most

commonly used GIS file formats (shapefile
documentation in pdf) but:
◦ Is limited to 2GB in size
◦ Supports only 255 attribute fields
◦ Allows only up to 10-character field names

ESRI’s Geodatabase is also commonly used and

can store vector feature classes and raster grids
 GeoPackages
OGC GeoPackages can store, in one
downloadable or shareable file:
◦ Vector features
◦ Tile matrix sets of imagery and raster maps
at various scales
◦ Attributes (non-spatial data)
◦ Extensions

GeoPackages look particularly promising

going forwards…
Summarily;
1.GIS is a useful tool for combining different
Geographic data and information types in one
environment

2.Vector and raster data both have their own

merits and can be stored in a variety of file
formats, depending on software
To-do: reading and preparation
 Read pp. 71-107 - Chapter 3: Spatial Data modelling in Heywood, I, Cornelius, S. and
Carver, S. (2011). An Introduction to Geographical Information Systems. Harlow:
Pearson Education Ltd. Link to ebook

 Read pp. 108-132 - Chapter 4: Database Management in Heywood, I, Cornelius, S.

and Carver, S. (2011). An Introduction to Geographical Information Systems. Harlow:
Pearson Education Ltd. Link to ebook

 Read pp. 227-234 of Chapter 4: Structures for Storing Geographic Data in Kennedy, M.
(2013). Introducing Geographic Information Systems with ArcGIS : A Workbook
Approach to Learning GIS. Hoboken: Wiley. Link to ebook
To-do: reading and preparation
 Take time (about 2 hours) to watch these 20 short YouTube videos by ESRI on the
fundamentals and applications of ArcGIS Pro:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGZUzt4E4O2IJFxX_Bhp98MJEw5ItRtvb

• Check access to ArcGIS Pro via AppsAnywhere for the practical sessions: