Vector Data

 real world features can be represented in Victor data within the GIS environment.

 Features of the landscape (e.g. houses, roads, trees, rivers, and so on) can be represented in victor data format.

 Each one of these things

would be a feature when
we represent them in a
GIS Application.

 Vector features
have attributes, which
consist of text or
numerical information
that describe the
features.

03 10 2021 | page. 1
 Vector features
 A vector feature has its shape represented using geometry. The geometry is made up of one or more interconnected
vertices. A vertex describes a position in space using an X, Y and optionally Z axis. Geometries which have vertices with a
Z axis are often referred to as 2.5D since they describe height or depth at each vertex, but not both.
Three common vector features in geometry

A point feature: A polyline feature: An enclosed polygon feature:

When a feature’s geometry consists Where the geometry consists of Where three or more vertices are
of only a single vertex, two or more vertices and the first present, and the last vertex is equal
and last vertex are not equal to the first, is formed

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 Looking back at the picture of a landscape, we are able to see the different types of features
in the way that a GIS represents them now. Landscape features as we would present them in
a GIS as fellows:-

Rivers\lines
houses\polyg
ons

roads\lines

Trees\points

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 Point features in detail
 a point feature in GIS is a matter of opinion, and often dependent on scale. Cities for example. If you have a
small scale map (1:1000000), which covers a large area in 1 cm, it may make sense to represent a city using
a point feature. However as you zoom in to the map, moving towards a larger scale, it makes more sense to
show the city limits as a polygon.

 points feature is mostly a matter of

 Scale: how far away are you from the feature
 Convenience: it takes less time and effort to create point features than polygon features
 Type of feature: some things like telephone poles just don’t make sense to be stored as polygons.
 Coordinate Reference System (CRS) being used and its accuracy. Will be discussed in more detail
in a later tutorial.

 Since we know the earth is not flat, it is often useful to add a Z value to a point feature. This describes how
high above sea level you are.

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 Polyline features in detail
 a polyline has two or more vertices. The polyline is a continuous path drawn through each vertex. When two
vertices are joined, a line is created. When more than two are joined, they form a ‘line of lines’, or polyline.
 A polyline is used to show the geometry of linear features such as roads, rivers, contours, footpaths, flight
paths and so on. Sometimes we have special rules for polylines in addition to their basic geometry. For
example:
 contour lines may touch (e.g. at a cliff face) but should never cross over each other.
 polylines used to store a road network should be connected at intersections.

 In some GIS applications you can set these special rules for a feature type (e.g. roads) and the GIS will ensure
that these polylines always comply to these rules.
A small scale (1:20 000) A large scale (1:500)
smooth and curved polylines very angular polylines
 If a curved polyline has very large distances
between vertices, it may appear angular or
jagged, depending on the scale - polylines should
be digitised with distances between vertices that
are small enough for the scale at which you want
to use the data.
 The attributes of a polyline describe its properties or
characteristics. (e.g. surfaced with gravel or tar, how
many lanes it has, whether it is a one way street,
used symbols, colours or line styles.
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 Polygon features in detail
 Polygon features are enclosed areas like dams, islands, country boundaries and so on.

 Like polyline features, polygons are created from a series of vertices that are connected with a continuous line. However
because a polygon always describes an enclosed area, the first and last vertices should always be at the same place!

 Polygons often have shared geometry –– boundaries that are in common with a neighbouring polygon. Many GIS
applications have the capability to ensure that the boundaries of neighbouring polygons exactly coincide. We will
explore this in the Topology topic later in this tutorial.

 As with points and polylines, polygons have attributes. The attributes describe each polygon. For example a dam may
have attributes for depth and water quality.

03 10 2021 | page. 6
 ‫‪vector features‬‬

‫النقطة هي العنصر األساسي لهذه النظم ومنها تحدد موقع الظاهرة‬

‫النقطية‪.‬‬
‫وعند رسم الظاهرات الخطية يتم ذلك بتوصيل سلسلة من النقط‬
‫المتتابعة حسب إحداثيات المختلفة لتشكل بذلك خط (يسمى هذا‬
‫المصطلح بلغة ‪ GIS‬بالقوس ‪.) Arcs / line /‬‬
‫أما المساحات فتحدد بمجموعة من الخطوط التي تحيط بها أو خط‬
‫واحد مغلق تتساوى فيه إحداثيات نقطة النهاية مع إحداثيات نقطة‬
‫البداية (تسمى نقطة البداية أو نقطة النهاية بمصلح العقدة ‪.)Node‬‬
‫أما النقاط التي تتوسط العقدتين وتقع على امتداد القوس تسمى باسمة‬
‫القمة (‪)Vertex‬‬

‫‪Edge‬الحافة‬

‫‪Internal Node‬‬ ‫‪Node‬‬

‫‪Node‬‬ ‫عقدة داخلية‬ ‫عقدة‬
‫عقدة‬ ‫)‪(Vertex‬‬

‫‪03 10 2021 | page. 7‬‬

 vector features

03 10 2021 | page. 8
 ‫‪vector features‬‬
‫• يتم تمييز كل شكل بمعرف عبارة عن رقم محدد غير قابل للتكرار‬
‫يمثل دليل فريد للشكل‪ ,‬الجدول التالي يبين كيف سوف يتم اختزان‬
‫الرسوم الموضحة في الشكل عن طريق االرقام‪.‬‬

‫• في تمثيل المضلع تكون اول نقطة هي اخرى نقطة‪.‬‬

‫• الشق الثاني للبيانات الجغرافية ممثلة في البيانات الوصفية‪ ,‬يتم‬

‫تفريغها في جدول ويستخدم رقم التعريف (‪ )Feature ID‬للربط‬
‫بين الشكل وبياناته الوصفية‪.‬‬

‫تمثيل المضلع‬
‫تمثيل الخطوط‬
‫تمثيل النقاط‬

‫‪03 10 2021 | page. 9‬‬

Spaghetti vector data model

Source: Lakhan, V. Chris. (1996). Introductory Geographical Information Systems. p. 54.

03 10 2021 | page. 10
 Topological vector data model

Bernhardsen, Tor. (1999). 2nd Ed. Geographic Information Systems: An Introduction. p. 62. fig. 4.12.
03 10 2021 | page. 11
 ‫‪Vector data‬‬
‫سلبياتها‪Disadvantages of Vector Data :‬‬ ‫حسناتها‪Advantages of Vector Data :‬‬
‫‪ -1‬التكاليف المادية العالية (معدات الكيان المادي) وتحويل البيانات الخطية إلى رقمية‬ ‫‪ -1‬صغر حيز التخزين ألنه ال يتم تخزين أو تشفير حدود المساحات أكثر‬
‫أمر مكلف‪.‬‬ ‫من مرة‪ .‬مما يزيد من سرعة تنفيذ العمليات‪.‬‬
‫على سبيل المثال العقد الداخلية (‪ )Vertex‬يجب إدخالها على شكل منفصل من‬ ‫‪ -2‬يقوم بتمثيل البيانات الوصفية عن طريق جدول ومن ثم يمكن لمستخدم‬
‫‪.Node‬‬ ‫‪ GIS‬اضافة اي عدد من الحقول لتمثيل الظواهر المختلفة مما يطلق‬
‫‪ -2‬بالرغم من تمثيله للبيانات المحددة جغرافيا (البيانات المتقطعة مثل الطرق واالبنية)‬ ‫عليه تعددية االبعاد المعلوماتية (‪)multi dimensions informatics‬‬
‫بصورة ممتازة‪ ,‬فانه ال يمكن استخدامه لتمثيل البيانات الغير محددة جغرافيا‬ ‫‪ -3‬تظهر تفاصيل دقيقة وذلك الن مستوى الوضوح ‪ Resolution‬في النظام‬
‫(البيانات المتصلة مثل تركيزات ثاني اكسيد الكربون في الهواء)‬ ‫الخطى هو اكبر‪.‬‬
‫‪ -3‬عمليات تحليل معقدة بسبب صعوبة وضع الطبقات فوق بعضها البعض لدقة الخطوط‬ ‫‪ -4‬تمثيل أدق إلشكال الظواهر‪ ,‬أي أنها تظهر دقة مكانية ( ‪Geographic‬‬
‫وتباين الترقيم أحيانا‪ .‬على سبيل المثال إعادة التحرير يجب أن يتبعه إعادة عملية‬ ‫‪ )Location‬اعلي في تمثيل الظواهر الجغرافية‪.‬‬
‫تمثيل العالقات الطوبولوجية مرة أخرى‪.‬‬ ‫‪ -5‬المظهر الجميل للخرائط الن حدود الظواهر هي خطوط حقيقية وليس‬
‫‪ -4‬اللوغرتميات المستخدمة في التحليل في الغالب تكون معقدة ولها بعض الصعوبات‬ ‫خاليا‪.‬‬
‫عند استخدامها على قواعد بيانات كبيرة جدا‪.‬‬ ‫‪ -6‬يظهر النظام الخطي العالقات المكانية ‪ Topology‬بين النقاط والخطوط‬
‫‪ -5‬توجد صعوبات في تمثل البيانات المتصلة مثل االرتفاعات (خطوط الكنتور) وعملية‬ ‫والمضلعات بصورة دقيقة وواضحة‪.‬‬
‫استنتاج القيم البينية للخطوط‪.)interpolation ( .‬‬
‫‪ -6‬التحليل المكاني في داخل المضلع مستحيل‪.‬‬

‫‪03 10 2021 | page. 12‬‬

 Vector data in layers
 how vector data is managed and used in a GIS environment.

 Most GIS applications group vector features into layers. Features in a layer have the same geometry type (e.g. they will
all be points) and the same kinds of attributes (e.g. information about what species a tree is for a trees layer).

 For example if you have recorded the positions of all the footpaths in your school, they will usually be stored together
on the computer hard disk and shown in the GIS as a single layer. This is convenient because it allows you to hide or
show all of the features for that layer in your GIS application with a single mouse click.

03 10 2021 | page. 13
 Editing vector data
 The GIS application allows you to create and modify the geometry data in a layer (a process called digitising)

 If a layer contains polygons (e.g. farm dams), the GIS application will only allow you to create new polygons in
that layer.

 if you want to change the shape of a feature, the application will only allow you to do it if the changed shape is
correct. For example it won’t allow you to edit a line in such a way that it has only one vertex (lines must have
at least two vertices).

Creating and editing vector data is an important function of a GIS. Creating data could be made
at two levels.
 Personal made vector data; Say for example you are monitoring pollution in a river. You could
digitise all water outfalls (as point features). You could also digitise the river itself (as a polyline
feature), etc.

 Free vector data: which you can obtain and use. For example, you can obtain vector data that
appears on the 1:50 000 maps from analogy maps, OpenStreetMap.

03 10 2021 | page. 14
Scale and vector data
 When data is captured, it is usually digitised from existing maps, or by taking information from surveyor records
and global positioning system devices, those maps have different scales, so if you import vector data from a map
into a GIS environment (for example by digitising paper maps), the digital vector data should have similar scale,
otherwise problem of scales can be seen from making a poor choice of map scale. For example:
 Plan a wetland conservation area could result in important parts of the wetland being left out of the reserve! However, for
a regional map, using data captured at 1:1000 000 might be just fine and will save you a lot of time and effort capturing the
data.
a small scale (1:1000 000) map.

03 10 2021 | page. 15 a large scale (1:50 000) map.

 Symbology
 When you add vector layers to the map view in a GIS application, they will be drawn with random colours and
basic symbols.

 One of the great advantages of using a GIS is that you can create personalised maps very easily.

 The GIS will also let you adjust the symbol used. So if you have a trees point layer, you can show each tree
position with a small picture of a tree, rather than the basic circle

using a panel of symbols in GIS using a generic symbol in GIS using a personalized symbols in GIS

03 10 2021 | page. 16
 What can we do with vector data in a GIS?
 The real power of GIS starts to show itself when you start to ask questions
like

which houses are within the 100 year flood level of a river?

where is the best place to put a hospital so that it is easily

accessible to as many people as possible?

which learners live in a particular suburb?

 A GIS is a great tool for answering these types of questions with the help of vector data. Generally we refer to
the process of answering these types of questions as spatial analysis.

03 10 2021 | page. 17
 Common problems with vector data
 We already mentioned the issues that can arise with vectors captured at different scales.

 Vector data also needs a lot of work and maintenance to ensure that it is accurate and reliable.

 Inaccurate vector data can occur in different causes like;

 when the instruments used to capture the data are not

properly set up,
 when the people capturing the data aren’t being careful,
 when time or money don’t allow for enough detail in the
collection process, and so on.

03 10 2021 | page. 18
 Common problems with vector data
 For example slivers can occur when the edges of two polygon areas don’t meet properly. Slivers occur when the
vertices of two polygons do not match up on their borders. At a small scale (e.g. 1 on left) you may not be able to
see these errors. At a large scale they are visible as thin strips between two polygons (2 on right).

 Overshoots can occur when a line feature such as a road does not meet another road exactly at an
intersection. Undershoots can occur when a line feature (e.g. a river) does not exactly meet another feature to
which it should be connected.
Overshoots

Undershoot
s
Slivers

03 10 2021 | page. 19
 Common problems with vector data

03 10 2021 | page. 20
 What have we learned?
 Vector data is used to represent real world features in a GIS.
 A vector feature can have a geometry type of point, line or a polygon.
 Each vector feature has attribute data that describes it.
 Feature geometry is described in terms of vertices.
 Point geometries are made up of a single vertex (X,Y and optionally Z).
 Polyline geometries are made up of two or more vertices forming a connected line.
 Polygon geometries are made up of at least four vertices forming an enclosed area. The first and
last vertices are always in the same place.
 Choosing which geometry type to use depends on scale, convenience and what you want to do with
the data in the GIS.
 Most GIS applications do not allow you to mix more than one geometry type in a single layer.
 Digitising is the process of creating digital vector data by drawing it in a GIS application.
 Vector data can have quality issues such as undershoots, overshoots and slivers which you need
to be aware of.
 Vector data can be used for spatial analysis in a GIS application, for example to find the nearest
hospital to a school.

03 10 2021 | page. 21
 We have
summarised
the GIS
Vector Data
concept in
Figure

03 10 2021 | page. 22