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File Format (GIS)

File formats define in which way the geographical features are stored. Raster and vector data are stored in different formats.

There are numerous formats available for both raster and vector data. It is important to consider the file format of GIS data because software programs rarely support all file types. If you want to use GIS data that was saved in a particular format not supported by your GIS program, you must either find a way to transform the data or simply use another GIS program.

Nearly all GIS programs have their own file format. These file formats were created to optimise the efficiency of the program itself, and were not designed to be used in other external programs. Nevertheless, most GIS programs support other formats by having functions to import and export datasets. These functions are usually well documented and standardised.

Below is a list of some GIS file formats, in alphabethic order. It should be noted that this list is far from being complete!

Vector Formats
ARC, Esri generate line;

Simple ASCII format which can handle point and line data.

DGN, MicroStation Design Files:

DGN is an intern format for MicroStation, a CAD program (CAD means “Computer-Aided Design”). This format is well documented and standardised, which makes it possible to use it an import/export format. DGN files contain detailed visualisation information (display).

DLG, Digital Line Graphs

DLG is used by the US Geological Survey (USGS) for handling vector information from printed paper maps. It contains very precise coordinate information and sophisticated information about object classification, but no other attributes. DLG does not contain any visualisation information (display). This format is mainly used by the USGS and other American agencies, which have used it for publication of many digital maps.

DWG, Autodesk Drawing Files

DWG is an intern format for AutoCAD. AutoCAD can convert DWG files to DXF files without loosing graphic information. There are many possibilities for saving attribute data in DWG files. A common standard method uses Extended Entity Data (EED) to link attributes, but other methods are possible. Because of the lack of standards for linking attributes, problems may occur while converting this format between systems.

DXF, Autodesk Drawing eXchange Format

DXF is a common transfer format for vector data. It contains visualisation information and is supported by nearly all graphic programs. There are many ways for saving attribute data in DXF format and to link DXF objects to external attributes (see DWG above). Nearly all programs can successfully import this format because of high standards.

E00, ARC/INFO interchange file

E00 is a transfer format available both as ASCII and binary form. It is mainly used to exchange files between different versions of ARC/INFO, but can also be read by many other GIS programs. It is a common format for GIS data found on the Internet.

GML, Geography Markup Language

XML-standard for exchanging and saving geographical vector data. It is used in the Open GIS Consortium.

KF85, Kommunförbundets transfereringsformat (ISOK)

Is a format, which can handle point, line and polygon data, as well as text and symbols. But it is not possible to convert and exchange attribute data.

MIF/MID, MapInfo Interchange Format

MIF/MID is MapInfo’s standard format, but most other GIS programs can also read it. The format handles three types of information: geometry attributes and visualisation.

SDTS, Spatial Data Transfer System

SDTS is a transfer format developed in the USA and is designed for handling all types of geographical data. SDTS can be saves as ASCII or binary. In principle, all geographical objects can be saved as SDTS, including coordinates, complex attributes and visualisation information. These advantages nevertheless increase complexity. To simplify it, many standards have been developed as “co-projects” to SDTS. The first of these standards is Topological Vector Profile (TVP), used to save some types of vector data.

SHP, ESRI shapefile

Shape is ArcView’s internal format for vector data. Associated to the Shape file (*.shp), there is a file to handle attributes (*.dbf) and an index file (*.shx). Nearly all other GIS programs can import this format.

SVG, Scalable Vector Graphics

XML-standard for presentation of vector on the Internet. It is approved in the World Wide Web Consortium.

TIGER, Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing Files

TIGER is an ASCII transfer format made by the US Census Bureau to save road maps. It contains complete geographic coordinates and is line-based. The most important attributes include road names and address information. TIGER has its own visualisation information.

VPF, Vector Product Format

VPF is a binary format made by the US Defense Mapping Agency. It is well documented and can easily be used internally or as a transfer format It contains geometry and attribute information, but no visualisation information. VPF files are also named VMAP product. The Digital Chart of the World (DCW) is published in this form.

VXP, Idrisi32 ASCII vector export format

IDRISI 32’s vector export format (ASCII).

WMF, Microsoft Windows Metafile

WMF is a vector file format for Microsoft Windows Operation Systems. WMF files are actually a compilation of GDI (Graphics Device Interface).

 

Raster Formats

Raster files are used to store images like, for example, a scanned paper map, digital photographs or satellite images, but also to store variables which vary continuously in space, like topography and temperature. Images from satellites, or other aircrafts, are known as remote sensing data. The resolution of raster data refers to the area on the ground covered by one pixel. This differs to other image data, where the resolution is given in dots per inch (dpi).

ADRG, Arc Digitized Raster Graphics

ADRG is a format created by the US military to save paper maps in raster format.

BIL, Band Interleaved by Line

BIL is a computer compatible tape (CCT) format that stores all bands of remotely sensed data in one image file. Scanlines are sequenced by interleaving all image bands. The CCT header appears once in a set.

BIP, Band Interleaved by Pixel

When using the BIP image format, each line of an image is stored sequentially, line 1 all bands, line 2 all bands, etc. For example, the first line of a three-band image would be stored as p1b1, p1b2, p1b3, p2b1, p2b2, p2b3, where p1b1 indicates pixel one, band one, p1b2 indicates pixel one, band two, etc.

BSQ, Band Sequential

BSQ is a computer compatible tape (CCT) format that stores each band of satellite data in one image file for all scanlines in the imagery array. The CCT headers are recorded on each band.

DEM, Digital Elevation Model

DEM is a raster format created by the USGS (US Geological Survey) for saving elevation data. In contrast to other raster formats where the cell values represent the colour intensity, the cell values in DEM represent the elevation for that position on the Earth’s surface.

*.dem, *.hdr, DEM ArcInfo

ArcINFO:s (ESRI) elevation data format.

GTOPO30, Global 30 Arc Second Elevation Data Set

GTOPO30 is a global, digital elevation model with a horizontal cell size of approx. 1km (30 seconds). GTOPO30 was created from different raster and vector sources.

GeoTIFF

GeoTIFF is a form of TIFF (Tag Image File Format) format for georeferenced raster data.

GRIB, GRid In Binary

GRIB is the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) standard for grid-based meteorological data.

PCX, PC Paintbrush Exchange

PCX is a common raster format found in many scanners and graphic programs.

SDTS, Spatial Data Transfer Standard

SDTS is a format for transferring geographical information. A SDTS variant is specifically made for transferring raster data.

TIFF, Tagged Image File Format

Like PCX, TIFF is a common raster format produced by drawing programs and scanners. TIFF format gives a relatively big data file, but compresses the data without loss of information.

 

Both raster and vector formats

Today more and more geographical data are stored in spatially extended database systems. These can store and manage both raster and vector data.

Geodatabase

A spatial database format by ESRI.

Other database management systems which can handle spatial data

Microsoft SQL Server, Postgre/PostGIS, Oracle Spatial, IBM, SQLite

 

Additional Information

Library of Congress list of geospatial data formats

 

Accessibility statement

Raster and vector representation of geographical data
Raster and vector representation of geographical data