GIS Filing Structure

[mark909]

Hello,

My organisation is currently changing its filing structures on its
servers.

I was hoping to contribute a decent format for the storage of gis
data.

Specifically the best way to store .tab files and workspaces.

Currently at the moment data is everywhere and I dispair whenever i
see historic gis work.

Can anyone give advice on proper data management for GIS.

Is there any decent information online or can someone give me some
advice on the best way to set up directories for the proper management
of GIS?

Thanks

[kitex]

we can store gis data on sql servers like postgres,mssql etc

[Ross Nixon]

We store them in directories and subdirectories: by customer, then by
location.

I make good use of a local search engine/indexer, Copernic Desktop
Search.

Ross

[Richard Greenwood]

I store everything by location (we are in the location business after
all!). So at the root I have a projects directory (folder), under
which I have states, and under states I have counties. I work with
counties. Depending on the nature of your work maybe dividing it by 1
degree blocks as the USGS does would make more sense. Or if you work
with the US Public Land Survey System maybe organize by
PrimeMeridian/Township. When I am looking for a missing file I may not
know what client I created it for, or when I created it, but I always
know what geographic area it covers.

If possible I keep all TAB files in sub-directories below the
directories that contain WOR files. This will encourage MapInfo to use
relative (instead of absolute) paths when it save a workspace.

And when opening those painful historic WOR's, remember you can set a
search path and MapInfo will search every directory below the search
path. Once you get te WOR open you can resave it and then examine it
in a text editor and see where everything is at. It's much less
painful than locating one TAB file at a time!

HTH,
Rich

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[Owen]

I would say that the most important thing is that the data IS held centrally, and that there is only one copy of each layer. I think communication is key, and make people understand where the data is to be found.

 

That way you can make sure that it is updated properly.

 

In terms of workspaces, MapInfo doesnt really mind where the data is, and you will always get some issues with workspaces. Users will want to save their own workspaces, and theres not much you can do about that.

 

It does depend whether you're talking about TAB files, or layers in a spatial database. Each will have their pros and cons........

[Jan S]

For many years (over 20) in many companies and offices I have used a
format based on DATA TYPE and FUNCTION
For example:

D:\GIS\Base_Data
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Address Points
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Admin Boundaries
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Buildings
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Cadastre
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Cadastre\Easements
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Cadastre\Parcels
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Catchments
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Coast
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Conservation
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Contours
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Geology
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Heritage
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Hydrography
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Landcapability
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Leases
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Licences
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Locality and Postcodes
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Other
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Planning Schemes
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Railway
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Raster Images
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Reserves
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Roads
D:\GIS\Base_Data\SalesAreas
D:\GIS\Base_Data\State
D:\GIS\Base_Data\StreetAtlas
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Suburbs
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Transport
D:\GIS\Base_Data\Vegetation

D:\GIS\Projects
D:\GIS\Projects\Fox
D:\GIS\Projects\Housing
D:\GIS\Projects\NatParks
D:\GIS\Projects\Fox\CFH

D:\GIS\VISTAS_DATA
D:\GIS\VISTAS_DATA\Adjustment_Factors_2009
D:\GIS\VISTAS_DATA\Objections
D:\GIS\VISTAS_DATA\SMA
D:\GIS\VISTAS_DATA\Valuation2009

D:\GIS\WORKSPACES

This works well as logically, most people thing of data by 'type',
layers for Roads or Contours, etc.
I usually seperate BASE DATA from USER DATA
BASE DATA is usually defined as the data related to a base map, such
as roads, water, contours, cadastre, etc
USER DATA is usually defined as the data related to the specific user
or organisation.

As we use a fleet of mobile devices (notebooks, tablets, PDAs, etc, I
replicate the exact folder structure on the Server as well as the
local drive (in this example above, D Drive). This way I can use
simple copy/xcopy/robocopy scripts or batch files to transfer the data
from a server to a local device.
The workspace can be the same apart from a drive letter...

Has worked in many small and large organisations where I have worked
and consulted.

Best to be LOGICAL in your folder structure.
If you have many 'clients', think about the 'shared data' and the
'client specific' data requirements as well.


Jan S

[nicholas....@tmr.qld.gov.au]

> > Hello,
> >
> > My organisation is currently changing its filing structures on its
> > servers.
> >
> > I was hoping to contribute a decent format for the storage of gis
> > data.
> >
> > Specifically the best way to store .tab files and workspaces.
> >
> > Currently at the moment data is everywhere and I dispair whenever i
> > see historic gis work.
> >
> > Can anyone give advice on proper data management for GIS.
> >
> > Is there any decent information online or can someone give me some
> > advice on the best way to set up directories for the proper management
> > of GIS?
> >
> > Thanks

My organisation adopted a directory structure based upon the Category Codes in ISO 19115:2005

farming

biota

boundaries

climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere

economy

elevation

environment

geoscientificInformation

health

imageryBaseMapEarthCover

intelligenceMilitary

inlandWaters

location

oceans

planningCadastre

society

structure

transportation

utilitiesCommunication

referencing back to an actual international standard allowed us to cut through a lot of pointless debate over exactly which categories we should use...

nick

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[Sandra Kennish]

Hello

 

Just slightly off topic, but when/if you change your filing structures what do you do with old workspaces which then cannot find the relevant tables.  Do you have a cut off point when you archive or some other way of dealing with this? Or spend days fixing workspaces for users?

 

Thanks

 

Sandra

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[Cynthia T]

We have similar problem here - we just have a cut off point for all
the old workspaces. We only update the config file if we need to re-
use these old workspaces - kinda no point to update it if we're not
going to use it again.

For each new map / request that we're doing, we create a new folder
for that new map, and copy all the "base" table into that single
folder and work on it. It takes quite a bit of space in the network,
but it ensures no one change the base TAB files by accident, and fix
the problem with missing tables in workspace.


On Oct 27, 7:02 pm, Sandra Kennish <s.kenn...@northyorkmoors-

npa.gov.uk> wrote:
> Hello
>
> Just slightly off topic, but when/if you change your filing structures what do you do with old workspaces which then cannot find the relevant tables.  Do you have a cut off point when you archive or some other way of dealing with this? Or spend days fixing workspaces for users?
>
> Thanks
>
> Sandra
>

> archives, feature requests, to visit our Wiki, visit the Welcome page athttp://groups.google.com/group/mapinfo-l?hl=en

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[SCISOFT]

The cataloguing (etc) system, Encom Compass Scout / Professional / Enterprise - now a Pitney Bowes MapInfo product – seems to me to be useful, in lieu of / combined with the use of folder structures or databases which of course it manages. In the short time-frame of this thread, I’m surprised that at least one of the versions has not been recommended. The Scout version is free, I believe.

 

Is this not suitable for the OP (mark909)? If Compass has short-comings or is unsuitable, I would be interested to know about it.

 

My thoughts on the problem, more broadly: 

1.       Project data storage and retrieval, and project history, is a primary concern and metadata is usually a peripheral consideration at best.

2.       Few organisations use GIS metadata schemas (ISO 19115/19139) which (ideally?) should be integrated with a project data storage and retrieval system for GIS data projects

3.       Cheap storage, fast and cheap computer systems, and geographically-enabled database systems allow people to invent their own methods for storing, organising, and accessing projects and data. My speculation is that in general, such roll-your-own systems are not wholly successful (judging by questions posed here, over the years).  

4.       What other GIS cataloguing and project storage / retrieval systems do people use - apart from Compass?

 

Ian Thomas

Scientific Software

--

[Davidll]

Hi Ian and all,

Another cataloguing system that is reasonable priced is MAAD2GO:

http://www.gomaad.com/maad2go/

This allows cataloguing by project alongside whatever other system you
may be using in general.
Also enables geographic as well as textual searching.

Cheers
David L

On Nov 5, 8:46 am, "SCISOFT" <geoscis...@iinet.net.au> wrote:
> The cataloguing (etc) system, Encom Compass Scout / Professional /

> Enterprise - now a Pitney Bowes MapInfo product - seems to me to be useful,

> http://groups.google.com/group/mapinfo-l?hl=en- Hide quoted text -

[Peter Horsbøll Møller]

PBBI has another data administration tool called MapInfo Manager:

http://www.pbinsight.eu/uk/products/location-intelligence/mapinfo-manager/

Integrates well into MapInfo Pro. With v11 you can even add datasets from MI Pro to the catalog/library service from MI Pro

And I should of course add that I work with PBBI and that this is a tool we sell

Peter Horsbøll Møller
Pitney Bowes Business Insight - MapInfo

2011/11/7 Davidll <dav...@nntt.gov.au>

[g...@moly.onmicrosoft.com]

For us, MAAD2GO is the way to go, it's inexpensive and easy to use -
for all the organisation users regardless of their GIS experience
( http://www.maad2go.com).

We use it to create both spatial and textual libraries of data, which
provides a single listing of data to use, easily identifiable as the
data is added with classifications everyone can understand and
recognise. You can add most spatial files - such as TAB, Shp, Dgn,
Dxf, etc, as well as non-spatial files such as pdf, Microsoft Word,
Excel, etc.

The popup thumbnail display is really helpful as well, and as they say
- a picture is worth a thousand words.

The single most important fact that relates to this thread, is that it
sits over our file server, and doesn't care what the underlying
structure is. This allows the various business groups to create
directories and files as they please, then allows us to share the
newly created data easily between various business groups. It has an
inbuilt file and directory monitor, and when turned on and pointed to
the network share where the organisations data resides, any change to
the underlying data files (moved, deleted, renamed - whether through
MapInfo or Windows Explorer), the change is reflected in the
underlying data catalog libraries. This means a real-time listing of
the data is maintained.

Besides a few other additional features included both within the .Net
app or from within MapInfo Pro itself, the inbuilt GIS Viewer allows
for the display of files (keeps TAB files colours), from within the
catalogues or outside. This means that we can open TAB files with
shapefiles or dxf files within the same map window, and query or print
the objects as required. This has been a huge help, especially when
contractors have been required, as they just zoom over the project
areas and can query or subset data for use in their applications.


Cheers
Mark
Geologist

On Nov 7, 4:12 pm, Peter Horsbøll Møller <mapinf...@horsboll-
moller.dk> wrote:
> PBBI has another data administration tool called MapInfo Manager:http://www.pbinsight.eu/uk/products/location-intelligence/mapinfo-man...

> > >http://groups.google.com/group/mapinfo-l?hl=en-Hide quoted text -

[g...@moly.onmicrosoft.com]

GIS Geologist

[SCISOFT]

Thanks for that, Mark - I have requested a trial copy, and will give MAAD2GO
a try. It' a pity it is confined to MapInfo and versions 7+.

[Thomas Bacon]

Hi All,

I wondered whether anyone knows of a way to 'activate' a custom drawing tool without using a toolbutton (e.g. from a menu item)?

TIA,

Tom Bacon
Graduate GIS Engineer
Asset Management South
Tel: 01444 472380
www.mouchel.com

Ian Thomas
Scientific Software

Cheers
Mark
Geologist

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[SCISOFT]

First impressions of MAAD2GO: I don't like the UI, and its integration with
Excel, Word. And several other things are not the way I would like it. But I
will read the docs and see if I can put up with it :(

Ian Thomas
Scientific Software

[g...@moly.onmicrosoft.com]

Hi Ian,

MAAD2GO is not confined to only MapInfo and versions 7+??? It's a .NET
application that works outside of MapInfo and integrates into it if
required, and in many instances the end user doesn't even know they
are opening or viewing MapInfo TAB files, just a spatial file. This
product has allowed us to roll out GIS to the entire organisation very
cheaply and quickly (only a handful of MapInfo licences required for
the power users), without utilising any web servers or additional
infrastructure.

The fact that it works with all versions of MapInfo, and has
additional tools that are integrated into MapInfo, is a bonus.

Cheers Mark.

On Nov 8, 7:50 pm, "SCISOFT" <geoscis...@iinet.net.au> wrote:
> Thanks for that, Mark - I have requested a trial copy, and will give MAAD2GO
> a try. It' a pity it is confined to MapInfo and versions 7+.
>
> Ian Thomas
> Scientific Software
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mapi...@googlegroups.com [mailto:mapi...@googlegroups.com] On
>
> Behalf Of g...@onmicrosoft.com
> Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 8:40 AM
> To: MapInfo-L
> Subject: [MI-L] Re: GIS Filing Structure
>
> For us, MAAD2GO is the way to go, it's inexpensive and easy to use -
> for all the organisation users regardless of their GIS experience

> (http://www.maad2go.com).

> > > >http://groups.google.com/group/mapinfo-l?hl=en-Hidequoted text -

>
> > > > - Show quoted text -
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[SCISOFT]

Mark
Yes, I have MI v6.5 installed but I do realise now that I can catalogue
other files, since it uses TatukGIS.