Spec for digitization of BAtlas maps

Data Structure

Point Symbols

  • One point type shapefile: points.shp

Cultural Features

  • One polyline type shapefile for linear features: cultural_lines.shp. Specific topological requirements: continuous features. One segment between each node (point place or road intersection).
  • One polygon type shapefile for areal features (urban, centuriations, salt pans): cultural_areas.shp

Physical features

We do not wish to capture geometry for the individual features; rather, we're after centroids (of polygons) or label centers (of polylines) for labeled physical features

  • One multi-polyline type shapefile for drainages: hydrography.shp. Specific topological requirements: continuous drainages with no self-intersections (topologically sound).
  • One polygon type shapefile for other: landscape.shp. Again, follow existing specs (to be found).
  • One point type shapefile for landscape names: landscape.shp, located on feature or label centroid.
  • One point type shapefile for island names: islandnames.shp, located on island centroid.
  • One point type shapefile for waterbody (ocean, sea, bay, lake) names: waternames.shp.
  • NEW: One point type shapefile for drainage (river, canal, wadi, seasonal, dry) names: drainagenames.shp.

Regions and Tribes

  • One polyline type shapefile for politcial regions: regions_political.shp. Specific requirements: extent of label (long axis)
  • One polyline type shapefile for ethnic/tribe regions: regions_ethnic.shp. Specific requirements: extent of label (long axis)

Universal attributes

Map Identifier

  • attribute name: mapid
  • text: 5 characters (sic)
  • like: 1, 57, or 1a
  • not null
  • no default

Label

  • attribute name: label
  • text: 255 characters field width, UTF-8
  • Exactly as on map (case, non-word characters)
  • All diacriticals must be preserved
  • We provide a UTF-8 encoded file of all labels for copy-and-paste; this file will also contain the grid designation for sorting purposes
  • may be null or a numeric label
  • default: null

Type

  • attribute name: type
  • text: 50
  • This must be interpreted from the symbology (see BAtlasKey)
  • data dictionary: see the IDENTIFIER column of BAtlasFeatureTypes
  • not null
  • default: "unknown"

Approximate

  • attribute name: certainty
  • short integer:
    • 0 = exact (solid symbol)
    • 1 = approximate (hollow or dashed symbol)
    • 2 = tentative (hollow point symbol with adjoining question mark)
  • not null
  • no default

Contingent Attributes

Material (Mines/Quarries only)

  • attribute name: material
  • text: 50
  • abbreviations for materials as they appear on map
  • like: Ls, Au
  • not null
  • no default

Orientation (some point and polygon features)

  • attribute name: orientation
  • decimal: 0 decimal place precision
    • 0 - 180, north up, clockwise
  • applies to
    • bridges
    • passes
    • centuriation
    • tunnel
    • dam
  • not null
  • no default

Cluster (point features only)

  • attribute name: cluster
  • short integer:
    • 0 = no (i.e., feature is a singleton)
    • 1 = yes (i.e., the symbol represents a cluster of features)
  • not null
  • no default