| Abstract: | The Digital Line Graph level 3 (DLG-3) is the term for U.S. Geological Survey digital spatial data stored in vector form. Prior to the approval of the Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS) as a Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS), a system was developed to convert a DLG-3 data set to a sample SDTS transfer. The specifications of the SDTS Topological Vector Profile were used for the transfer (U.S. Geological Survey 1992). The process required expertise in cartography, geography, and computer science. Analysis revealed requirements for processes to transform spatial addresses, to translate and map DLG-3 spatial objects and attribute pairs to the SDTS, to compile data not available in computer-readable form, and to convert files to FIPS 123 (ISO 8211) standard. Mapping data to the SDTS proved to be complex and highlighted the need for appropriate training with regard to the SDTS and FIPS 123. Several issues were raised, such as the source of data quality information, platforms supported by the FIPS 123 Function Library software, and attribute translation criteria. |
