Data Formats
Vector
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Import |
Export |
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DFAD DMED DTED
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GML2/GML3 MIF/MID OS MasterMap OS NTF S-57 (Unencrypted ENC & AML) Shape Files |
Raster
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Import |
Export |
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ADRG ArcGrid ARCS Chart ASCII DEM ASRP BSB Nautical Chart Format CADRG/CIB CRP DBDB-V DMED DTED ECRG Geospatial PDF GeoTIFF MrSID NITF/NSIF USRP Other Raster (e.g. JPEG, JPEG2000, IMG, PNG etc.) |
ASRP CADRG/CIB |
Terrain
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Import |
Export |
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ArcGrid ASCII DEM DBDB-V DMED DTED |
DMED DTED |
Raster Data
ARCS (unencrypted)
Admiralty Raster Charts Service as defined by the UK Hydrographic Organisation (UKHO). This is high quality raster navigational chart data in HCRF format available in differing scales and projections. ARCS Charts are used in commercial and military ECDIS systems primarily for navigation. Also used for situational awareness.
CADRG (ADRG)
Compressed ADRG.
This variant of ADRG has high, medium and low compression options, to make the format more suitable for use over the Internet.
It is the US equivalent of ASRP data and is supplied by NGA.
CADRG is used for tactical and strategic operations.
Specification Reference: MIL-PRF-89038
CIB
Controlled Image Base.
Controlled Image Base is a panchromatic (single colour) imagery format published by NGA to allow the distribution of large areas of tiled imagery. CIB data is structured using the NGA RPF (Raster Product Format - MIL-STD-2411) but the CIB standard defines the individual image format and the compression mechanism. CIB comes in a number of resolutions including CIB-5 and CIB-10, which are the standard 5 meter and 10 meter resolutions. Custom resolutions can be created based on customer demand. CIB is NGA's primary mechanism for distributing satellite imagery for operational uses.
Specification Reference: MIL-PRF-89041
CRP
Compressed Raster Product derived from ASRP and using the same projection, datum and co-ordinate system. A TIFF based format with LZW compression.
ECW
ECW is an image compression format from ERMapper. Using wavelet technology, images can be highly compressed without loss of quality.
GeoTIFF
GeoTIFF format is a non-proprietary geographic TIFF format.
The purpose of GeoTIFF is to provide information that lets raster imagery (scanned maps, satellite images, results of geographic analysis, etc) be read automatically into correct position and scale within many GIS software systems.
GeoTIFF implements a tag structure that embeds the geographic information methodically and interoperable (and invisibly to most users) inside the TIFF file.
NITF / NSIF
National Imagery Transmission Format. Digital imagery standard for the US intelligence community. Widely used by the U.S. military commands, other U.S. Government departments and agencies, as well as international organizations such as NATO.
Being adopted by civilian organizations as a standard for commercial imagery. Provides a common basis for the storage and interchange of images and facilitates the use of multiple imagery sources and annotations. NITF files can contain multiple images as well as other information such as graphics and text.
The NATO Secondary Imagery Format (NSIF) is the standard for formatting digital imagery files and imagery related products and exchanging them among NATO members. The NSIF is a collection of related standards and specifications developed to provide a foundation for interoperability in the dissemination of imagery and imagery-related products among different computer systems.
Specification Reference: MIL-STD-2500B; STANAG 4545.
Raster Imagery
JPEG, TIFF (including G3/G4, CMYK, JTIF, many more), PNG, BMP, MODCA/IOCA, PCX, TGA, and many more!
- JPEG - Joint Photographic Expert Group format 24bit compressed image (raster). JPEG is designed for compressing either full colour or grey-scale digital images of 'natural', real-world scenes. It does not work so well on non-realistic images, such as cartoons or line drawings. JPEG does not handle compression of black-and-white (1-bit-per-pixel) images or moving pictures.
- TIFF - Tagged Interchange File Format. A standard raster format for b/w, grey scale, pseudo colour or true colour in compressed or uncompressed format. Very popular with desktop publishing and scanners. There is a variant called CCITT.
Vector Data
DFAD
Digital Feature Analysis Data.
This database consists of selected natural and manmade planimetric features classified as point, line, or area features as a function of their size and composition. Each feature is assigned an identification code and further described in terms of composition, height, length, and orientation. The data is stored in vector format and segregated into 1 degree by 1 degree geographic cells. DFAD 1 is collected from photogrammetric source material. DFAD provides cultural information to support DTED terrain information. In general DFAD has now been replaced by the VPF products. In most cases VMap0 is used.
GDF
The European Union Geographic Data File standard for transport systems. This is described on the ERTICO GDF web site. GDF data provides detailed road network information for use in routing.
MapLink supports the TeleAtlas and Navteq versions of GDF,
S-57 (AML)
AML is a unified range of digital geospatial data products designed to satisfy the totality of NATO non-navigational maritime defence requirements. This includes hydrographic data beyond that for passage and harbour navigation as well as oceanographic and meteorological data. Specification Reference: STANAG 7170 v1.0 (vector products)
S-57 (ENC)
Data for oceanographic applications. It is a hierarchical collection of spatial and feature objects with detailed attribute and relationship data. The standard for ENC data for use in ECDIS systems is mandated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and is defined in the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Special Publication 57 (S-57) [IHB 1996]. Edition 3.1 of S-57 was published in November 2000 and includes a data model, an object and attribute catalogue, and a transfer format. Summaries of S-57 and publications can be obtained off part of the IHO site.
VPF
The Vector Product Format is used by the US NGA for the distribution of its vector data sets. VPF is designed to be compatible with a wide variety of applications and products. VPF uses tables and indexes that permit direct access by spatial location and thematic content and is designed to be used with any digital geographic data in vector format that can be represented using nodes, edges, and faces. VPF data is distributed by NGA. Specification Reference: MIL-STD-2407.
Supported products include:
- Vector Map Levels 0, 1 and 2 (VMap) MIL-PRF-89039, MIL-PRF-89033, MIL-PRF-89032
- Urban Vector Map (UVmap) MIL-PRF-89035A
- Digital Nautical Chart (DNC) MIL-PRF-89023
- Foundation Feature Data (FFD) MIL-PRF-89049/1
- Tactical Ocean Data Levels 0, 1, 2 and 4 (TOD) MIL-PRF-89-49/10, MIL-PRF-89-49/11, MIL-PRF-89-49/12, MIL-PRF-89-49/14,
- Vector Interim Terrain Data (VITD) MIL-PRF-89040A
- World Vector Shoreline Plus (WVSPlus) MIL-PRF-89012A
- Digital Topographic Data (DTOP) MIL-PRF-89037A
Gridded Data
ASCII DEM
MapLink supports reading irregularly gridded information from ASCII Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Files. The data consists of a series of X/Y points with an associated Z value representing height or depth. The ASCII-DEM version is used for creating a light shaded colour raster image and the ASCII-DEM-TERRAIN option is used to create data to be exported into a Terrain database or as DTED.
DBDB-V
Digital Bathymetric DataBase.
This consists of gridded, corrected depth data.
The grid is defined in minutes of arc similar to DTED and is therefore lat/long aligned.
A number of variants exist including DBDB 5, which has a spacing of 0.5 minutes of arc and DBDB-V, which has variable spacing.
The data is used during underwater operations. Specification Reference: MIL-PRF-32030.
DTED
Digital Terrain Elevation Data.
This is a uniform matrix of terrain elevation values.
DTED Level 0 elevation post spacing is 30 arc second (nominally one kilometer).
In addition to this discrete elevation file, a separate binary file provides the minimum, maximum, and mean elevation values computed in 30 arc second square areas (organized by one degree cells).
DTED Level 0 also contains the NGA Digital Mean Elevation Data (DMED) providing minimum, maximum, and mean elevation values and standard deviation for each 15 minute by 15 minute area in a one degree cell.
This can be interpreted as contour vector or raster.
DTED data provides relief information as well as terrain in 3D and allows for calculations such as line of sight to be worked out.
Specification Reference: MIL-PRF-89020A.