Vector File Formats
The following vector file formats can be opened in Vizex or be imported using various functions.
| Format | File Extension |
|---|---|
| Esri File Geodatabase | GDB |
| Esri Personal Geodatabase | MDB |
| Esri Shapefile | SHP |
| Esri Arc/Info Binary Coverage | ADF (in folder) |
| Esri Arc/Info .E00 (ASCII) Coverage | E00 |
| AutoCAD | DWG, DXF |
| Comma Separated Value (.csv) | CSV |
| GML | GML |
| GMT | GMT |
| GPX | GPX |
| GPSTrackMaker | GTM, GTZ |
| KML | KML |
| KMZ | KMZ |
| MapGIS | WAT, WAL, WAP |
| MapInfo | TAB, MIF |
| Microstation DGN | DGN |
Esri File Geodatabase
An Esri File Geodatabase (GDB) is a collection of various types of GIS dataset held in a file system folder. Each dataset is held as a file that can scale up to 1 TB in size. File Geodatabases are recommended over Personal (Microsoft Access) Geodatabases.
Esri Personal Geodatabase
In an Esri Personal Geodatabase (pGDB) all datasets are stored within a single Microsoft Access data file, which is limited in size to 2 GB. An Esri File Geodatabase (ArcGIS version 10 or later) is the recommended option for storing Esri geospatial data.
The application will display or import even the most complex pGDB as a single layer, and has the following limitations:
- The data can only be displayed in 3D if the elevation field name is common to all feature classes.
- The data can only be symbolised using a colour, hatch, or symbol set if the appropriate attribute field name is common to all feature classes.
- The Properties window and Data Pop-up will display the attributes relevant to the selected feature class even if they are different from other feature classes. However, when importing a pGDB with different feature classes the application will simply append each new set of attribute fields to the file structure, which may produce a very large file. If needed, you can simplify the file after importing it.
- As with Arc/Info coverages, the application will only display or import spatial data; it does not support annotations. Any annotations within the pGDB will be displayed as the bounding rectangles of the annotation text. To avoid this, any annotations must either be omitted from the colour sets, or be displayed in the null colour.
Esri Shapefile
The Esri shapefile is a geospatial vector data format for geographic information systems software. Shapefiles spatially describe geometries: points, polylines, and polygons. Each feature type may also have attributes that describe them.
Esri Arc/Info Binary Coverage
An Arc/Info coverage has a specific structure that relies on one or more named folders (which define the names of the feature classes within the coverage), and an info folder to contain their attributes. Different feature classes have different folder names but share the same info folder. A coverage is invalid if its info folder is missing.
To display or import a feature class into the application you will need to navigate to the folder with that coverage’s name and then choose the appropriate ADF file within it. Different data types (point, line, or polygon) use different ADF files. Choose arc.adf for lines, pal.adf for polygons, and pat.adf for points.
The application will only display or import spatial data from an Arc/Info coverage; it does not support annotations.
Esri Arc/Info ASCII Coverage
Arc/Info interchange file format (.E00) is an Arc/Info coverage export file. The file has a simple ASCII format which can be opened and viewed using any common text editor.
Comma Separated Value (.csv)
The GDAL CSV file format provides a simple but effective way to interchange point data. Files may be loaded directly into Vizex via drag and drop, or from the Display | GIS form. For more information about compatible file formats, see: Comma Separated Values
GML
The Geography Markup Language (GML) is the XML grammar defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) to express geographical features. GML serves as a modeling language for geographic systems as well as an open interchange format for geographic transactions on the Internet.
KML made popular by Google, complements GML.
KML
Keyhole Markup Language (KML) is an XML-based language for managing the display of 3D geospatial data. For its reference system, KML uses 3D geographic coordinates: longitude, latitude and altitude. The longitude and latitude components are as defined by the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS 84).
KMZ
KMZ is a file extension for a placemark file used by Google Earth and is a compressed version of a KML (Keyhole Markup Language) file. KMZ stands for Keyhole Markup language Zipped.
GMT
The GMT (ASCII vector) format is a format used by the Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) package, an open-source collection of computer software tools for processing and displaying geospatial datasets.
GTM
GPS TrackMaker is a communication program to connect GPS to PC. The GPS TrackMaker (GTM) binary format is an input/output format for waypoints, tracks and routes.
GPX
GPX, or GPS eXchange Format is an XML schema designed as a common GPS data format for software applications. It can be used to describe waypoints, tracks, and routes.