[postgis-users] Raster suggestions?

[guido.lemoine at jrc.it]

If your raster data is only for display purposes, it does not
make sense to put them in a data base. You should look
at an efficient raster access protocol. Google's SuperOverlay
mechanism (image pyramids) is very interesting. Creation of
SuperOverlay was recently implemented in GDAL. 

You can always keep the metadata in the database, to do
fast searches on your coverage. SuperOverlays can be extended
to handle local projection, if you need something else than longlat
(which is usually the case).

If you somehow need programmatic access to your raster data (e.g.
extracts, image processing) you need to develop some geo-spatial
application server layer, which would combine your PostGIS feature
data with the rasters in the SuperOverlay structures.

What puzzles me is the combination of 10 TB of data and a shoestring
budget. This requires some nasty server solution, whatever the 
mechanism you want to use. It's the playing ground of the Google, 
Virtual Earths, NASA WorldWind kind of folks. 
Not really the shoestring kind.

GL 

>-- Original Message --
>From: Jeshua Lacock <jeshua at 3DTOPO.com>
>To: postgis-users at postgis.refractions.net
>Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2008 05:38:41 -0700
>Subject: [postgis-users] Raster suggestions?
>Reply-To: PostGIS Users Discussion <postgis-users at postgis.refractions.net>
>
>
>
>
>Greetings,
>
>We are working on modern topographic maps for the entire west coast  
>(about 20,000 7.5 minute quadrangles).
>
>I am currently designing a strategy for serving our products online.
>
>I plan to use PostGIS for the lines and text (that is a no-brainer),  
>but I am not sure what would be the best strategy for handling raster 

>imagery. Eventually we will have over 10 TB of raster imagery.
>
>I have searched the archives, and it looks like that I would use a  
>'chip' table and the PGCHIP project looks pretty interesting. However,
 
>I was not able to find a consensus on the best way to handle raster  
>data. Some seem to suggest geotiff tiles and others suggest a 'chip'  
>solution.
>
>Can anyone offer me advice? I am on a shoestring startup budget, so  
>the simpler and more effective the solution, the better for me. I am  
>completely new to PostGIS, so please go easy on me! Any example  
>solutions would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks for your support!
>
>
>Best regards,
>
>Jeshua Lacock
>Founder/Programmer
>3DTOPO Incorporated
><http://3DTOPO.com>
>Phone: 877.240.1364
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