Most pervasive GIS formats?

Well, where to start.

Although you can divide data by vector/raster etc there are some obvious problems. For example an Oracle database can store vector or raster (as can other databases).

I work at Safe Software where we generally prefer to look at Spatial data (rather than just GIS) and so divide into different categories according to use.

  • CAD
  • GIS
  • Raster
  • Database
  • BIM/3D
  • Web
  • Point Cloud

Whether this is a better categorization I'm not sure, but it does (I think) help determine whether a format is pervasive for a particular field.

Also, there is "pervasive" and then there is "best". Shape format is very pervasive in GIS, but I don't know that everyone will say it is the best. XML-based formats are up-and-coming since they work well for web delivery.

Anyway, we collect stats on most-used formats and I think I can probably share them since it's nothing you couldn't guess:

  • GIS: Shape
  • CAD: DWG
  • Raster: GeoTIFF
  • Database: Oracle and Geodatabase
  • BIM: CityGML
  • Web: WFS
  • Point Cloud: LAS

But take a look at our web site for the full list of formats we support. There is a truly mind-boggling 300 spatial (or related) formats.


Vector

Shapefile (ESRI) Tech Spec PDF 2.5 billion files est

MapInfo Tab/MIF (Pitney Bowes Business Insight) Tech Spec 1.5 billion files est

AutoCAD DWG (AutoDesk)** has 18 major variants of the DWG "Autodesk estimates that in 1998 there were in excess of two billion DWG files in existence"

Fastest adopted format is KML/KMZ Google Earth/Pro est 0.5 Billion files.

Raster

Tiff Tagged Image File Format (GeoTiff)

Jpeg (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

PNG (Portable Network Graphics)


Any ESRI format, ESRI is the most used gis with 30% market share. http://geothought.blogspot.com/2009/08/traditional-gis-vendor-market-share-for.html

Tags:

File Formats

Recent Posts