showshow guideguide Web searching for GIS services and have been either published or An Introduction adopted by OGC.

Who are OGC’s members? to OpenGIS There are three main levels of OGC membership: Principal, Technical and By Adam Gawne-Cain and Chris Holcroft Associate. The higher membership levels confer more voting rights. There are now OpenGIS is the activity pursued by the Open GIS over 300 members featuring 20 Principal members and 25 Technical members from Consortium (OGC). OpenGIS seeks to achieve around the globe. transparent access to disparate geo-data and geo- The membership of OGC is impressively processing resources in a networked environment by broad. Most major GIS companies are members, along with database companies, providing a rich suite of open interface specifications. operating system companies, national mapping agencies, large government These interface specifications will enable GIS developers departments, universities and research to create inter-operable components that provide this institutes. The membership is international, but mainly focused in North transparency. America and Europe.

The difference between OpenGIS and A second advantage of OGC’s interface- How does OGC make Interface previous attempts to standardise GIS is based approach is that users can be sure Specifications? that OGC agrees interfaces, and not that they are looking at genuine, live data, Every two months, the OGC Technical neutral file formats. The problem with and not at a static file generated some time Committee (TC) and Management neutral file formats (e.g. SDTS or NTF) in the past. Committee (MC) meet for a week. was that specifications grew so complex The meetings are held in different that each GIS could only support a sub-set A third, practical advantage of interfaces locations around the world, hosted by one of the format. This meant that when the is that OGC can publish the interface of the OGC members. file was copied between systems, some definitions one-by-one. This lets the GIS The main mechanism for publishing specifications has been via Request For Proposals (RFP). Initially, the TC The difference between OpenGIS and previous members agree on an Abstract Model of attempts to standardise GIS is that OGC a topic of interest. This Abstract Model is then used as the basis for the Request for agrees interfaces, and not neutral file formats. Proposal (RFP). The RFP is a document issued by OGC to the GIS industry The problem with neutral file formats (e.g. at large, asking for proposed interface SDTS or NTF) was that specifications grew specifications. The proposals must conform to the Abstract Model described so complex that each GIS could only support a in the RFP.After a predefined time the sub-set of the format. This meant that when RFP responses are collected, and the RFP responders are asked to merge their the file was copied between systems, some proposals into a single response. This single response is then voted on by OGC, entities were lost or misinterpreted. With the and assuming it passes, it becomes the OpenGIS interface-based approach, however, published OGC specification. GIS products can support some or all of the The RFP mechanism is fairly time consuming, since it takes a long time to specified interfaces, and wherever two systems create the Abstract Model. However, this support a common interface, they can use that time ensures thoroughness and quality. Furthermore, it gives the OGC members’ interface to communicate accurately. views and opinions time to converge. In practice, the responders to the RFP are the same people as the GIS vendors within entities were lost or misinterpreted. community get the advantage of openness the TC, so time spent working on the With the OpenGIS interface-based in the major areas quickly, with the Abstract Model is not wasted. approach, however, GIS products can promise of openness in niche areas later. support some or all of the specified In an attempt to short-circuit the RFP interfaces, and wherever two systems As will be outlined below, a lot has process, there is another mechanism for support a common interface, they can been achieved already. Specifications publishing specifications called a Request use that interface to communicate for handling vector data, raster data, For Comment (RFC). In this second accurately. coordinate transformation, online mechanism, any interested parties can

54 September 2000 • GI News showshow guideguide directly create their own interface These standards bodies have made sure that the raster side of things. OpenGIS Catalog specification. This specification is then all computers handle text and numbers Services Specifications provide a common given to OGC, who issue the specification in the same way. For the businessman, architecture for seeking out online as an RFC to the GIS industry at large. GIS is really just the same as any other IS, automated directories of web-based After a predefined time, any comments but with one new data type – Geometry. geospatial data and geoprocessing services. are collated and passed back to the In a GIS you need to mix Geometry, specification originators for consideration. number and text data together. Starting Coordinate Transformation The resulting specification is then voted with Geometry as the first OpenGIS Services on by OGC. interface was therefore an extremely This CTS specification provides interfaces appropriate step. for general positioning, coordinate systems, and coordinate transformations. OGC has completed The geometry model used in is very tightly defined from a The CTS specification consists of two five interface creation theoretical point of view. The geometry major packages: model consisted of points, line- strings, • Coordinate System package cycles, resulting in either polygons and arbitrary combinations of • Coordinate Transformation package published or adopted these three fundamental types. Initially, the geometry was 2D, but it has recently Coordinates can have any number of specifications for been extended to include Z values. The dimensions. So this specification can theory behind Simple Features geometry handle 2D and 3D coordinates, as well as Simple Features, Grid unambiguously defines the “correct” 4D (space + time), 5D etc. The Coordinate Coverages, Catalog answer for questions like “Do these two System package could eventually replace polygons touch?” and “Is this point inside the 2D Spatial Reference package contained Services, Coordinate this line?” For people outside GIS, it may in the Simple Features specifications. Transformation Service be surprising to know that different GIS However, it has been designed to work in systems used to come up with different conjunction with Simple Features during and Web Mapping answers to these simple questions! any transition period. What OGC have achieved is to provide Testbed. a benchmark against which future GIS The Coordinate Transformation package systems can be checked and validated. allows points to be transformed between This will allow IT systems to use geometry any coordinate system. There are also What has been achieved? as just another data type, like IEEE OGC has completed five interface creation floating- point numbers, in a reliable and cycles, resulting in either published or consistent manner. One of OGC’s ongoing adopted specifications for Simple Features, Grid Coverages, Catalog Services, The Simple Features specifications for activities is the Web Coordinate Transformation Service and SQL and OLE-DB show how geometry Web Mapping Testbed. These specifications can be treated as just another data-type Mapping Testbed, include interfaces for the COM and within relational databases, and how which after adoption of CORBA distributed computing platforms, normal database queries can be extended and database schema for SQL and OLE-DB. to include spatial questions. For example, the specification is now the SF specifications let users ask As well as the above, OGC is working in questions like “Show me all the prices in Phase 2. This is a forum the longer term on a larger collection of and owners of all houses which are within for demonstrating and Abstract Models, which form the topics in 50 metres of this road”, and this question an overarching view of GIS. As these can be fired at any conformant product in testing Internet-related Abstract Models reach maturity they may a consistent way. be used as the basis for future RFPs. GIS software, with the Because different OGC members preferred objective of making Simple Features different Distributed Computing Platforms The first RFP was for Simple Features (SF); (DCP),OGC adopted three methods Web access to diverse in other words, a proposal for handling (SQL,COM,CORBA) to implement OGC geo-spatial data GIS vector data (geometry), such as that specification. Nevertheless all 3 use representing streets, administrative areas, the same geometry model, and the same transparent and easy land use zones, property lines, watersheds, model. etc., represented in lines and polygons. The Abstract Model for SF consisted Grid Coverages and Catalog hooks for allowing the same coordinate of two parts: spatial reference systems and Services transformations to be used for geometry. The spatial reference system The second and third RFP cycles finished transforming arbitrary geometries and model is identical to that used by the concurrently. They were for Grid images, with full and robust support for European Petroleum Survey Group (EPSG). Coverages and Catalog Services. The Grid warping and tearing. Coverages specifications define interfaces Why start with geometry? In information for accessing grid data (e.g. aerial The example on page 57 an image systems number and text data types have photography, satellite imagery and Digital grabbed from an OpenGIS Web Mapping been standardised. For example, Numbers Elevation Models) using COM or server, and transformed using ’s have been standardised by IEEE, English CORBA components. Grid Coverages prototype implementation of the Text has been standardised by ASCII. complements Simple Features by handling OpenGIS Coordinate Transformation

GI News • September 2000 55 showshow guideguide

A Web Mapping Testbed server in action – access is via a normal HTML browser.

Specification. Notice the warping and the sponsors’ objectives. For the Web Compusult (Canada), CubeWerx tearing in the bottom hand image. Mapping Testbed, Lockheed Martin (Canada), ESRI (US), Galdos Systems Management and Data Systems provided (Canada), Geodan IT (Netherlands), Web Mapping Testbed a testbed laboratory plus integration Geomatics Canada (Canada), Hitachi One of OGC’s ongoing activities is the and logistical support. The city of (Japan), ILOG (France), Intergraph (US), Web Mapping Testbed, which after Mobile, Alabama, and numerous other Ionic Software (Belgium), Laser-Scan adoption of the specification is now in organisations provided data and support (UK), Litton/TASC (US), Lockheed- Phase 2. This is a forum for demonstrating for the testbed’s hurricane disaster Martin (US), MapInfo (US), Microsoft and testing Internet-related GIS software, management scenario. (US), Massachusetts Institute of with the objective of making Web access Technology (US), Mitsubishi Corporation to diverse geo-spatial data transparent Web Mapping Testbed sponsors include (Japan), NTT Data (Japan), Object/FX and easy. In September 1999 OGC the US Dept. of Defense National (US), Oracle Corporation (US), Ordnance rolled-out the project in Washington DC, Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), Survey (UK), PCI Geomatics (Canada), demonstrating images generated from US Army Corps of Engineers Penn State University (US), SICAD several Internet Map Servers being Topographic Engineering Center (TEC), Geomatics (Germany), Social Change overlaid within a browser environment. the Federal Geographic Data Committee Online (Australia), Sun Microsystems The GIS developers who created these (FGDC), NASA, the US Department (US), and Universal Systems (Canada). servers are now working outside the of Agriculture Natural Resources official OGC umbrella to specify what Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), and OpenGIS Specifications resulting from the they did. the Australian World Wide Web Mapping Web Mapping Testbed build on OGC’s Consortium, a group of 24 Australian OpenGIS Specifications for Grid The Web Mapping Testbed is the first government and commercial organisations, Coverages, Simple Features, and Catalog of OGC’s planned Interoperability led by the Australian Surveying and Land Services. As vendors implement these open Initiatives, which involve sponsors and Information Group (AUSLIG). standards, Web users will easily find, view, participants. Sponsors provide finance overlay, and combine different thematic and a set of OpenGIS objectives. Web Mapping Testbed participants maps for a given region. Participants – mainly vendors and include: Autodesk (US), BBN integrators – are partially funded for Technologies (US), Blue Angel An example of a WMT server in action is their efforts during the effort to meet Technologies (US), Cadcorp (UK), shown above. Here a standard browser is

56 September 2000 • GI News showshow guideguide being used to access maps from a WMT Details of conformant products are from vendors. Purchasers will be able server (Cadcorp SIS Map Server). In this available from the OGC Website to make direct comparisons of cost, instance local data cannot be overlaid but www.opengis.com. functionality and performance between the client is a plain vanilla browser with no different vendors. Significantly, GIS users requirement for plug-ins or Java applets. What OpenGIS means for the will find that their skills and experiences However, the browser user can still pan, end-user are more transportable between GIS zoom and switch layers on and off using By investing time in developing Abstract systems. normal HTML controls. Models, OGC is ensuring that concepts in different GIS systems will converge. This Since components from different vendors OpenGIS conformant products will make GIS less of a black art, and can be individually tested and compared, Once an OpenGIS interface is published, more of a science, where skills are carried vendors will feel a commercial pressure, conformance tests are subsequently between project, companies, and software and reap a commercial benefit, from developed to allow vendors to become products. Eventually, geometry and making their software more open officially certified as conformant with the coverages will be seen as every-day data and reliable. The promise of better published interfaces. Of course, vendors types, and GIS will enter the mainstream performance, better reliability and better can use an interface as soon as it is of computing. interoperability will help all GIS users. adopted and before any conformance In looking at the commitment shown by tests are likely to exist. Nevertheless, the In future, GIS software will be made up of industry, government and academia conformance certification gives the discrete components, which communicate supporting OGC, the user can be assured vendor a route to demonstrate to the with each other using specified, open that OpenGIS is a major ongoing marketplace OpenGIS conformance and interfaces. These components will be GIS initiative. GI News an official logo on their product Standardised and Commercially available packaging. Off The Shelf (SCOTS) in mainstream GIS products. To date four vendors have achieved Adam Gawne-Cain and Chris Holcroft, OpenGIS conformance certification for SCOTS will make the process of GIS work for Cadcorp. Cadcorp is a member of the Simple Features interface, namely procurement easier, since purchasers the OpenGIS Consortium Technical Cadcorp, ESRI, Hitachi and Oracle. will know exactly what they are getting Committee.

Before and after transformation – Cadcorp SIS prototype implementation of the Open GIS Coordinates Transformation Specification.

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