Federal Geographic Data Committee: Spatial data transfer standard computer aided design and drafting profile; comment request,

[Federal Register: June 24, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 121)]

[Notices]

[Page 34471-34472]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr24jn98-113]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC); Public Review of the Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS) Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) Profile

ACTION: Notice; Request for comments.

SUMMARY: The FGDC is conducting a public review of the SDTS CADD Profile. The purpose of this public review is to provide software vendors, data users and producers with an opportunity to comment on this standard in order to ensure that it meets their needs. Specifically, the FGDC requests responses in identifying issues concerning: (1) The general and transfer module specifications; (2) the sample mapping to software vendor's data structures (Appendix A); and (3) the implementation of the standard by software vendors.

Participants in the public review are encouraged to provide comments that address specific issues/changes/additions that may result in revisions to the draft SDTS CADD Profile. All participants who make comments during the public review period will receive an acknowledgment of the receipt of their comment. After comments have been considered, participants will receive notification of how their comments were addressed.

After the formal adoption of the standard by the FGDC, the revised standard and a summary analysis of the changes will be made available.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 30, 1998.

CONTACT AND ADDRESSES: The complete proposal is included in this notice. It is also posted at Internet address: http://www.fgdc.gov/ Standards/Documents/Standards/SDTS__CADD/.

Requests for written copies of the standard should be addressed to ``SDTS CADD Profile,'' FGDC Secretariat (attn: Jennifer Fox), U.S. Geological Survey, 590 National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia 20192; or telephone 703-648-5514; facsimile 703-648- 5755; or Internet at gdc@usgs.gov.

Reviewer's comments may be sent to the FGDC via Internet mail to: gdc-cadd@www.fgdc.gov. Reviewer comments may also be sent to the FGDC Secretariat at the above address. Please send one hardcopy version of the comments and a soft copy version, preferably on a 3.5 x 3.5 diskette in WordPerfect 5.0 or 6.0/6.1 format.

For answers to general questions related to this standard, please contact the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Facilities Working Group, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, General Engineering Branch 20 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20314-1000; voice telephone number: Nancy Blyler (202) 761-8893; facsimile telephone number: (202) 761-4002.

For answers to questions related to the content of this standard, please contact David Horner, Tri-Service CADD/GIS Technology, ATTN: CEWES-ID-C(Horner) Center 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180-6199 voice telephone number: (601) 634-3106 Internet address: David.H.Horner@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following is the complete proposal for the ``SDTS CADD Profile.''

Project Title: Development of a Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) Profile for the Federal Information Processing Standard/Spatial Data Tansfer Standard (SDTS).

Submitting Organization: Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Facilities Working Group (FWG).

Objectives: To develop a profile for the SDTS to support the exchange and transfer of CADD spatial data.

Scope: This activity included identifying the common CADD elements and there equivalent SDTS elements. This activity also include identifying unique CADD elements not currently support within SDTS (e.g., curves, cells rays, 3D objects). This activity may require the development of additional SDTS modules or changes to existing modules.

Justification/Benefits: There are no non-proprietary standards that provide the capability to transfer and exchange spatial CADD data between dissimilar CADD systems and also with GIS. The SDTS currently does not support several of the common CADD spatial data elements (e.g., curves, cells, etc.) and common CADD data attributes (e.g., level, weight, color, style, etc.).

There is considerable interest from CADD system users that build spatial databases to have a standard that supports the ability to exchange this data in a non-proprietary format with other CADD systems and also export this data into GIS.

This CADD profile will benefit users of CADD spatial databases and the SDTS.

Approach: An SDTS CADD Profile project team will be established to guide and provide other support for the research and development of this profile. The USACE and Tri-Service CADD/GIS Technology Center has initiated several studies to analyze the translation of spatial data from common CADD formats into SDTS. This activity included identifying the common CADD elements and there equivalent SDTS elements. This activity also included identifying unique CADD elements not currently supported within SDTS (e.g., curves, cells, rays, 3D objects that may require additional SDTS modules or changes to existing modules. The CADD profile team will review the results of these studies (report due out by the end of FY 96) and also provided input to the Statement of Work a new task(s) to develop a CADD profile.

The project may require some technical support from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) SDTS Task Force. This project may use the services of several contractors to support this activity.

Related Standards: The primary related standard is the SDTS and its Topological Vector Profile. The SDTS Points Profile being developed by the FGDC Geodetic Control Subcommittee may also be related to this CADD profile.

Schedule: A CADD profile project team will be established and begin formal work on the development of this standard as soon as this project is approved by the FGDC Standards Working Group (SWG). The schedule to develop a working draft for a CADD profile will be completed once a formal task order is established with a support contractor(s). The development of this CADD profile should take between one year and eighteen months to complete.

Resources: The FWG has adequate resources to perform the research on what it will take to develop a CADD profile. Additional resources may be necessary to actually develop this standard profile and Tri- Service Center contractors are an option for completing this work.

Potential Participants: The primary participants will be the members of the FWG which includes representatives from federal agencies, municipalities, and private industry. Support from the USGS SDTS Task Force may also be required to develop this profile.

Target Authorization Body: The FWG proposes pursuing the development of this CADD profile as an FGDC standard activity. The FWG and the FGDC may consider pursuing (at a later date) the development of this CADD profiles to SDTS as an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Profile. FGDC would serve as the Target Authorization Body until this CADD profile becomes an ANSI profile.

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Dated: June 12, 1998. Richard E. Witmer, Chief, National Mapping Division, U.S. Geological Survey.

[FR Doc. 98-16742Filed6-23-98; 8:45 am]

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