ASCII-SPRING Conversion

This window allows the conversion of geographic files (maps and tables) from other systems to the ASCII-SPRING format.

The supported formats for conversion are:

  • E00 - ArcInfo
  • Shape File - ArcView
  • MID/MIF - MapInfo
  • DBF - generates an attribute table and generates a points file if coordinates X and Y are columns of a ".dbf" file.

NOTE: See also the interactive mode conversion, in a DOS window.

IMPORTANT: For a conversion that is more adequate to the user's needs one must know that:

  • what types of representations we have on the external data, that is, points, lines, polygons ortables;
  • unit, projection, and datum of the external data, for project definition and later import;
  • the converter will make no conversion of unity, projection or datum. The values read are written as they are, but in the ASCII-SPRING format;
  • what SPRING data model is more adequate to the external data;
  • a thematic, numeric, cadastral, or network category should already exist in the database before importing the representations;
  • an object category, for maps of the cadastral or network models can be created during data import, unless there is a need to use the existing one, in this case that category must be selected;
  • the file converted to the ASCII-SPRING format must be imported to the project with the bounding box encompassing the data coordinates.

This converter requires that a database be loaded, even if the output object category is nonexistent in the database. The files created during the conversion will be available in the same origin directory MIF, SHAPE, E00, and DBF.

Converting files to the ASCII-SPRING format:

  • load a database;
  • click on File - Convert to ASCII SPRING... The window "Conversion ASCII SPRING" will be presented;
  • click on File... The window "SPRING of Open File" is presented;

·        select in Directory: the directory where is the file to be converted;

·        select in Files: one of the formats *.shp, *.dbf,   *.e00 or *.mif;

·        select the file to be converted;

·        click on Save;

  • choose in SPRING Model: one of the categories Thematic, Cadastral, DTM, Network or txt Listing, as destination of the file to be created;
  • in case the chosen model is Cadastral or Network, click on Object Categories... to choose one from the loaded database. The window " Categories List" is presented. Select one category from the list and click on Apply. If the object category does not exist and you still want to convert the data using some other name, simply edit the data in the dialog box;
  • choose the desired item in the Attributes (Class/Label/Height) list. This choice  depends on the model that was chosen above:
    • if Thematic: the chosen attribute will represent the classes of the points, lines, or polygons - the option [NNE] does not create section POINTS in <file>.spr, but only the section LINES;
    • if Cadastral: the chosen attribute will represent the label + name of the object associated to points, lines, and polygons - the option [NONE] uses an internal identification of the point, line or polygon to associate with the label + name;
    • if MNT: the chosen attribute will represent the height of the contour line or spot height - the option [NONE] associates the value 0 (zero) to every contour line and point;
    • if Network: the chosen attribute will represent the label + name of the object associated to lines - the option [NONE] uses an internal identification of the line to associate to the label + name;
    • if the file is of the *.dbf type, choose in the CoordX /Long list the desired item that contains the X coordinate or longitude, and choose in the CoordY /Lat list the desired item containing the Y coordinate or the latitude.
  • modify, if you like, the name of the ASCII file to be created;
  • click on Apply to start the conversion.


NOTE: The converted files will be in the same directory that are home to the original files.

This conversion will always result in a file with the *.spr extension, with the possible sections POINT2D, LINES, POINTS, SAMPLE, NETWORK e NETWORK_OBJECTS, or else the file *_TAB.spr (when the conversion is of a cadastral or network) with a TABLE section.

See following, in the "Import"window , to what entity each of these sections is associated, as a function of the SPRING model:

THEMATIC

  • Points: <file>.spr - contains only the section POINT2D
    • Entity = " Points" in <file>_P2d.spr
  • Lines: <file>.spr - contains the sections LINES and POINTS in the same or in different files (L2D and LAB)
    • Entity = " Lines without Adjustment" in <file>_L2D.spr
    • Entity = " Identifiers" in <file>_LAB.spr
  • Polygons: <file>.spr - contains sections LINES and POINTS in the same or in different files (L2D or LAB)
    • Entity = " Lines with Topol." in <file>_L2D.spr *
    • Entity = " Identifiers" in <file>_LAB.spr

*: In the case of polygons we recommend the elimination of the double lines on the neighborhood of polygons (see the tool Clean Vector)

NOTE: for the three representations the classes are automatically created during import, in case they do not exist.


CADASTRAL

  • Points: <file>.spr - contains only the section POINT2D + <file>_TAB.spr - contains only section TABLE
    • Entity = " Points" in <file>_P2D.spr
    • Entity = " Obj/Attributes" of <file>_TAB.spr
  • Lines: <file>.spr - contains sections LINES and POINTS in the same file + <file>_TAB.spr - contains section TABLE
    • Entity = " Lines without Adjustment" of <file>_L2D.spr
    • Entity = " Identifiers" of <file>_LAB.spr
    • Entity = " Obj/Attributes" of <file>_TAB.spr
  • Polygons: <file>.spr - contains sections LINES and POINTS in the same file + <file>_TAB.spr - contains section TABLE
    • Entity = " Lines with Topol." of <file>_L2D.spr *
    • Entity = " Identifiers" of <file>_LAB.spr
    • Entity = " Obj/Attributes" of <file>_TAB.spr

* : In the case of polygons it is recommended the elimination of the double lines in the adjacency of the polygons (see the tool Clean Vector)

NOTE: for the three representations the object category will be automatically created, with the name provided for the conversion. On the contrary you can use one of the existing category.

NOTE: in the import of <file>_TAB.spr, the object attributes will be created automatically when there is no attribute previously created. On the contrary only the existing attributes will be updated.


NUMERIC

  • Points (with height): <file>_P3D.spr - contains only the section SAMPLE and sub-section POINT3D
    • Entity = "Samples"
  • Lines (contour lines): <file>_L3D.spr - contains only the section SAMPLE and many sub-sections LINE3D
    • Entity = "Samples"

NETWORKS

  • LinEs (oriented): <file>.spr - contains sections NETWORK and NETWORK_OBJECTS in the same file + <file>_TAB.spr - contains section TABLE
    • Entity = " Lines with Adjustment" of <file>_L2D.spr
    • Entity = " Identifiers" of <file>_LAB.spr
    • Entity = " Obj/Attributes" of <file>_TAB.spr

NOTE: the object category will be automatically created, with the name provided during conversion. On the contrary you could use one of the existing categories.


NOTE: during import of <file>_TAB.spr, the object attributes will be automatically created when there is no other previously created attribute. On the contrary only the existing attributes will be used. 

LISTING

  • Listing: <file>_LSTnn.txt - contains the listing of the SHAPEFILE data (bounding box, coordinates and measure unit of the data)
    • Shape Type = " Point" of <file>_LST01.txt
    • Shape Type = " PolyLine" of <file>_LST03.txt
    • Shape Type = " Polygon" of <file>_LST05.txt

 

OBS.:

  • See also the web site:
    • http://www.dpi.inpe.br/spring/portugues/conversores.html


Conversion - using a DOS window

Every conversion program can be used independently of SPRING, it suffices to open a DOS window and type in the name of the corresponding executable file.

The "mif2spr.exe" program converts the data from format MIF/MID (created by MapInfo) to the ASCII-INPE of SPRING.

Options:

Input data:

  • target category of file SPR: -c = cadastral, -t = thematic, -s = numeric, -n = networks.
  • file name in MapInfo's MIF format or Shapefile's SHP format, and the output file name.
  • name of the file in the spr format (ASCII-SPRING).
  • name of an object category, in the cadastral and networks cases.
  • choose an attribute - the objective of such a choice depends on the model chosen above.
    • if Thematic : the chosen attribute will represent the classes of points, lines, and polygons - option [0] doesn't create the section POINTS in file <file>.spr but only the section LINES;
    • if Cadastral : the chosen attribute will represent the label + name of the object associated to points, lines or polygons to associate with label + name.
    • if MNT : the chosen attribute will represent  the contour line height or the spot height - option [0]  associates the value 0 (zero) to every contour line and point.
    • if Network : the chosen attribute will represent the label + name of the object associated to lines - option [0] uses an internal identification of the line to associate with label + name.

NOTE: The files "*.mif" + "*.mid" or "*.shp" + "*.shx" + "*.dbf", should be in the same directory.


Output (cadastral case):

 


IMPORTANT: The programs should be run in a DOS window with the following syntax:

Command Syntax:

  • mif2spr [-parameter] <mif file> <spr file>
  • shp2spr [-parameter] <shape file> <spr file>

where : [- parameter] could be  -c = cadastral, -t = thematic, -s = numeric, -n = network.


See also:
Database Definition
Data Model Definition
How to IMPORT SGI Data ?
How to IMPORT GRIB images ?
How to IMPORT Data ?