SBEH 4363

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
SYSTEMS

Dr Siti Zaleha Daud

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GEOSPATIAL DATA MODEL

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 GIS DATA
• A GIS stores information about
the world as a collection of
thematic layers that can be
linked together by geography.

• The thematic layer approach

allows to organize the
complexity of the real world into
a simple representation to
help facilitate the
understanding of natural
relationships.

The thematic layer

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 GIS DATA TYPES
GIS utilizes two basic types of data:

SPATIAL DATA ATTRIBUTE DATA

• Describes the absolute and relative • Describes characteristics of the
location of geographic features. spatial features.
• These characteristics can be
quantitative and/or qualitative in
nature.
• Attribute data is often referred to as
tabular data.
e.g.: The coordinate location of a e.g.: the characteristics of that forestry
forestry stand stand, such as cover group,
dominant species, crown closure,
height, etc.

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 SPATIAL DATA CONCEPT

Spatial Data presented in several

form:
1. Point - a single coordinate. CITY
2. Line / Route - two or more pairs
coordinate forming a series of
lines.

RI
3. Polygon / Regions - a closed

VE
R
geographic area consisting of a CITY
line that is connected and close
at the same point.
4. Pixel / Cell - presents a
geographic area as a number of
different cells. RIVER

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 SPATIAL DATA MODELS

RASTER :
• Grid-based, Simplify reality
• Pixel, Image

VECTOR :
• Analog map, Cartography
• Point, Line, Polygon

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 SPATIAL DATA MODELS:
RASTER AND VECTOR

REAL WORLD

RASTER
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
VECTOR
1
2
3
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5
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9

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 GEOSPATIAL DATA MODEL
• Data Model
– Real world objects are abstracted & modeled for storage in database

• Data Structure
– A method of computer data organization based on a certain selected
model

• Three Geospatial Data Models

− Vector
− Raster (Tessellation)
− Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN)
 GEOSPATIAL DATA MODEL
Model\ Feature Type Point Line Polygon

1) Vector

2) Raster

3) TIN
 SPATIAL DATA MODELS

Spatial data models in GIS:

1. Raster/Image
2. Vector

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 GIS Spatial Data Types

In this example, our

landscape consists of:

 rolling hills
grassland
lake
rivers
forest stands The Real World
marsh

It can be represented as a
series of raster layers and/or
vector layers.
 GIS Spatial Data Types

In the vector data model, features on the earth are represented as:

 points
 lines / routes
 polygons / regions
 TINs (triangulated irregular networks)
Vector Data
 GIS Spatial Data Types

Vector data are good at:

• accurately representing true shape and size

• representing non-continuous data (e.g., rivers, political
boundaries, road lines, mountain peaks)
• creating aesthetically pleasing maps
• conserving disk space
VECTOR DATA MODEL

Dr Ibrahim Sipan 14
 VECTOR DATA MODEL

• Derived from the formulation of spatial concepts that

emphasize on real world objects.
• Geometry primitives of vector data model are point, line and
polygon- objects can be built from these primitives.
• Object location determined by represented location point.
• Uniqueness of vector data model lies in its management and
storage of data geometry primitives.
• Spatial relationships among features consists of spaghetti
model and topology model

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 VECTOR DATA MODELS

VECTOR CHARACTERICTIS:

Point ●

Line

Polygon

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 Vector Data Model
• To prepare spatial data for
computer processing, the vector
data model first uses points and
their x-, y-coordinates to
represent spatial features as
points, lines, and areas.
• Then it organizes geometric
objects and their spatial
relationships into digital data files
that the computer can access,
interpret, and process.

Figure 3.1
A reference map showing Idaho and
lands held in trust by the United
States for Native Americans.

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Simple Features

The vector data model

uses the geometric
objects of point, line,
and area to represent
simple spatial features

Figure 3.2
A subway map of Taipei,
Taiwan.
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THANK YOU

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