[OSGeo-Discuss] Documenting GIS Data Models (Again): Using DXF

[Landon Blake]

Craig,

 

Because I am working with simple features, the entities I'm modeling are
more like tables in a database than they are objects from
object-oriented software architecture.

 

My basic set-up is looking something like this:

 

A "sheet" for each simple feature type in the data model. This sheet
contains the following elements:

 

-          A table describing the features attributes.

-          A table describing limitations or restrictions on the
attribute values.

-          A table describing any attribute value domains used in the
simple feature.

-          A brief description of the simple feature type.

-          Notes explaining the creation/extraction, modification, and
destruction policies for the simple feature type.

 

I'm thinking there may be two (2) additional sheets for each simple
feature type. One of these sheets will contain:

-          Topology restrictions for this simple feature type.

-          Data on the spatial relationships this simple feature type
participates in.

-          Data on the temporal relationships this simple feature type
participates in.

-          Data on the relationship with non-spatial entities (tables)
that this simple feature type participates in.

 

The second sheet will contain the metadata policy and information on
dataset-level and feature-level metadata that should be created and
maintained for the simple feature type.

 

I believe there will be similar sheets for the temporal events and
non-spatial features in the GIS data model.

 

Some of this is still taking shape in my head. In the end, it is
probably going to look and function like a set of civil engineering
plans. :]

 

I've just started work on the first sheet I described in this message,
which documents the attributes for a simple feature type.

 

Landon

Office Phone Number: (209) 946-0268

Cell Phone Number: (209) 992-0658

 

 

________________________________

From: discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
[mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Craig Miller
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 12:58 PM
To: 'OSGeo Discussions'
Subject: RE: [OSGeo-Discuss] Documenting GIS Data Models (Again): Using
DXF

 

Landon,

 

I missed your previous post.  I'm not sure if you are modeling GIS
Objects or a relational database but am guessing you are modeling GIS
objects.  Since I missed the earlier post(s)... Is there a reason why
traditional OO diagrams such as UML Class diagrams won't work for the
GIS data you are modeling?

 

Craig

 

 

From: discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
[mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Landon Blake
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 12:48 PM
To: OSGeo Discussions
Subject: [OSGeo-Discuss] Documenting GIS Data Models (Again): Using DXF

 

I posted a few weeks back I posted about possible ways to document and
share GIS data models. I decided to move forward with a graphical
approach. 

 

I started building diagrams to document my GIS data model for the Public
Land Survey System in the United States. I am drawing these diagrams in
a CAD program. When I get things ironed out I hope to release the
following items to the GIS community:

 

-       My completed GIS data model in DXF format that can be used as an
example or template for other models.

-       A set of CAD "blocks" that can be used to build similar
diagrams.

 

If I like how things come together with the diagrams, I might try
converting the diagrams to SVG. The diagrams would be much prettier in
SVG, but I am quicker with CAD than I am with Inkscape, and I want to
get a prototype completed quickly.

 

This will make a lot more sense when you get to see the example
diagrams.

 

I welcome any collaboration on this effort. If there is interest, I
could move this discussion to the Standards mailing list. It would be
great to get input from interested parties now, while the diagrams are
still taking shape.

 

Landon

 

 

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