This message is from Charles Hickman.--------------Johnnie
 
 
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>Date: Fri, 22 May 1998 11:54:39 -0500
>From: Charles Hickman <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: SDTS data consumer workshop at URISA '98
 
 
ITEM FOR GIS DATA COORDINATORS & NSDI PARTICIPANTS  - 5/22/98
 
USGS-SPONSORED URISA=2798 SDTS DATA CONSUMER WORKSHOP
 
Please pass this information on to those members of you staff who may need =
to
(1) find, (2) download, and (3) translate on-line geospatial information =
that is
now distributed in the FGDC=A2s Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS) from =
USGS,
NOAA, and other U.S. Federal agencies, or who need to understand how
SDTS-encoded data can be used with commercial GIS and public-domain tools.
 
The U.S. Geological Survey will sponsor a one-day workshop for new users =
of data
available in the Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS) on Saturday July =
18th as
part of the URISA =2798 Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.  =
SDTS is a
Federal Geographic Data Committee standard used by USGS, NOAA, and other
agencies for the on-line distribution of large volumes of vector, raster, =
and
control point data.  Attendees will learn how to find, acquire, and import =
DEM,
DLG, and NGS geodetic control data.  Hands-on exercises will use a variety =
of
commercial GIS and public-domain tools.
 
More information on this and other URISA =2798 activities is available at
    http://www.urisa.org/ur98/ur98Index.html
NOAA SDTS information is available at
    http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/tools/sdts/brief.html.
USGS SDTS information is available at
    http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/sdts/.
 
SDTS is a U.S. Federal standard (FGDC-STD-002 and FIPS 173), a proposed =
U.S.
National standard (ANSI NCITS 320:1998), a requirement when transferring
permanently valuable electronic geospatial records to the National =
Archives and
Records Administration by the Code of Federal Regulations 36 CFR 1229.188(d=
)(3),
and a mandatory standard for geospatial data in the U.S. Army Corps of =
Engineers
Circular 1110-1-83.  SDTS is a flexible standard for the self-contained,
nonproprietary, vendor-independent, metadata-capable distribution and =
archiving
of geospatial data and for the *blind* exchange of geospatial data between
dissimilar software and hardware systems without information loss.
 
USGS has made its holdings of DLG data available on-line in the SDTS =
Topological
Vector Profile.  USGS is also now providing DEM data on-line using the =
Raster
Profile to SDTS, and plans to use the GeoTIFF extension to the Raster =
Profile
for DOQ data.  NOAA NGS has made its holdings of geodetic control data =
available
on-line using the Point Profile to SDTS.  An expanding number of commercial=
 and
public-domain tools, translators, GIS=A2s, and viewers now use SDTS =
data.=20
Continued improvements in these tools will allow easier use of SDTS data.  =
The
workshop will provide opportunities to download SDTS data from Federal web =
sites
and to use this data with a number of the existing tools.  In addition to =
URISA
in July, a similar SDTS consumer workshop is planned for GIS/LIS =A198 in =
Ft.
Worth, Texas in November.
 
Questions about SDTS may be sent via email to sdts=40usgs.gov.
 
Apologies to those who receive multiple copies of this message.
 
 Charles Hickman -- Geographer
 U.S. Geological Survey -- Rolla, Missouri, USA
 (573) 308-3502
 chickman=40usgs.gov
 http://mapping.usgs.gov/
 http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/