Press Release

First public demonstration of DNF data

Following a presentation by Ordnance Survey on the Digital National Framework (DNF), at the Cadcorp SIS UK User Group Meeting, Cadcorp gave the first ever public demonstration of Ordnance Survey DNF data being read, displayed and manipulated by off-the-shelf GIS software.

The meeting was held on February 28 at Knebworth Park, UK. Phil Davies, Senior Consultant at Ordnance Survey, gave Cadcorp SIS – Spatial Information System users an overview of the DNF product and its supply in GML V2. (GML V2 is the neutral standard for geospatial data transfer internationally endorsed by the OpenGIS Consortium). The Ordnance Survey presentation was then followed by Martin Daly, Technical Director, Cadcorp, who demonstrated live the GML V2 plugin dataset for Cadcorp SIS.

The sample DNF dataset which formed the core of the Cadcorp demonstration is centred around Basingstoke and is over 30 Mb in size. Made available to all interested organisations only a few weeks previously by Ordnance Survey, Cadcorp has swiftly developed the capability to handle GML V2 in Cadcorp SIS. The topological structure of the data, the integrity of its attribute information and the ease of theming the feature codes available were part of the Cadcorp presentation.

“Cadcorp is a time-served Ordnance Survey partner and strategically heavily committed to the global activities of the OpenGIS consortium. Cadcorp SIS has always read NTF on the fly without translation. Now with the emergence of DNF, Cadcorp will ensure timely support of this exiting new Ordnance Survey product. Cadcorp’s work with OpenGIS has put us in a strong position to quickly offer support for GML V2, the neutral supply format for DNF”. Stated Martin Daly, Technical Director, Cadcorp.

“Cadcorp is one of the GIS vendors participating in the DNF project and has contributed actively to the programme. The Cadcorp user group meeting was therefore an excellent opportunity to present to future professional users of DNF and to hear their views. To then see DNF data being demonstrated live in a mainstream GIS system so soon after the release of DNF sample data was extremely useful”. Added Phil Davies, Senior Consultant, Ordnance Survey.

About Cadcorp

Established in 1991, Cadcorp are a leading developer of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. Based in the UK and USA, the Cadcorp distribution and VAR network stretches worldwide. Cadcorp play a pivotal technical role in the OpenGIS Consortium. Cadcorp SIS - Spatial Information System is a range of modules covering spatial data viewing, data management, data editing, data modelling and analysis. Cadcorp SIS ActiveX components are available for embedding into third party systems. Cadcorp ASC is Internet/Intranet developer toolkit designed for Web based GIS solutions. Cadcorp SIS applications exist in Local Government, Central Government, National Mapping Agencies, Emergency Services, Mapping and Surveying, Commerce, Broadcasting and many others.

About DNF

Ordnance Survey's new, seamless information base, known as the Digital National Framework (DNF), will offer definitive, consistent and maintained referencing of more than two billion man-made and natural landscape features in Britain.

They include everything from forests, roads and rivers down to barns, garden plots, and even postboxes.

Only Ordnance Survey, with mapping detailed enough to show the shapes and outlines of individual buildings and tiny natural features, could attempt such a huge task. Features will be reformatted into self-contained polygons and individually labelled with a 16-digit topographic identifier (TOID), a unique numerical code designed for easy recognition by computers.

Once online delivery begins next year, the DNF will be able to supply change-only updates showing where new features have been added or old ones removed. These will keep users' databases permanently in line with those of OS.

Users will also be able to have data delivered according to a particular theme such as roads, railways or water features, further broadening their choice.

And for the first time, the price of Ordnance Survey data will automatically include a licence fee to use it for a specified period. This will cut administration for users.

What is the DNF?

A definitive, consistent and maintained base for the referencing of Britain's geographic information.
Merges the National Grid, GPS, detailed topographic information and TOIDs for all features. It will eventually embody height data for 3-D mapping.
Allows easy association of data from Ordnance Survey and its partners.
Links the National Grid to the GPS network.
Introduces polygons to represent both the man-made and natural landscapes.

About OGC

The Open GIS Consortium, Inc. (OGC) is an international, not-for-profit industry organisation dedicated to the full integration of geospatial data and geoprocessing resources into mainstream computing. In addition to developing the Open GIS Specification in the OGC technical committee, OGC works to inform the geoprocessing community about open geoprocessing issues and developments and promotes the widespread use of interoperable, commercial geoprocessing software, on a world-wide basis. OGC currently has some 300 members, split roughly 50/50 between the USA and the rest of the world. Members include geoprocessing software developers, IT industry leaders and government agencies, including the UK’s Ordnance Survey.

ENDS

For further information, contact: Chris Holcroft, Tel: 01438 747996, e-mail: chrish@cadcorp.com

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