SOFTWARE FOR MANAGING COUNTRY-WIDE DIGITAL ELEVATION DATA 
Franz Hochstóger (fhochsto @fbgeo1.tuwien.ac.at) 
Institute for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Vienna University of Technology, Austria 
Commission Il, Working Group 3 
KEY WORDS: DEM/DTM, Database, Archiving, Three-dimensional Data Management, Software Development, SCOP 
ABSTRACT 
Some principle aspects of managing country-wide digital elevation data are summarized at the beginning, including 
proper methods of data compilation, coding and structuring of topographic data, and processing and usage of these 
data. This applies both for primary topographic data (original data) and for derived products. Based on this introductory 
notes a software package (SCOP.TDM) is presented, which has been developed at the Institute for Photogrammetry 
and Remote Sensing at the Vienna University of Technology, and serves for storage, administration and archiving of 
country-wide topographic data. 
The main topics concentrate on using a relational data base system, which has been extended with functionality to 
store topological elements (AREA, LINE, POINT, WINDOW) and to operate on them with topological operators LX, 
<. , …). Additional important aspects are flexible support of data formats for importing (IMPORT) and exporting 
(EXPORT) original data as well as derived products, integration of additional non-geometric data properties (accuracy, 
data compilation method, authorized users of the data, ...), management of huge amounts of topographic data, and 
individual data selection by formulating complex conditions. 
Finally some practical experiences from the Federal Office for Topography (Switzerland) and the Federal Office for 
Metrology and Surveying (Austria) about using SCOP.TDM are given. 
KURZFASSUNG 
Einleitend werden die Grundlagen zur Verwaltung landesweiter Gelándehóhendaten zusammengestellt. Das bezieht 
sich. sowohl auf Basisdaten (Originaldaten) als auch auf daraus abgeleitete Produkte. Dabei werden die 
Datenerfassungsmethoden, die Codierung und Strukturierung der Daten, ihre Verarbeitung und deren 
Nutzungsmóglichkeiten beleuchtet. Auf dieser Basis wird eine Softwarelósung (SCOP.TDM) des Instituts für 
Photogrammetrie und Fernerkundung an der Technischen Universitát Wien vorgestellt, mit der landesweite 
Gelándehóhendaten verwaltet werden kónnen. 
SchwerpunktmaBig sind die Verwendung einer um topologische Elemente (AREA, LINE, POINT, WINDOW) und 
topologische Operatoren (.X. , .«. , ..) erweiterten relationalen Datenbank (TOPDB), die flexible Unterstützung 
verschiedener Datenformate bei der Datenübernahme (IMPORT) und Datenabgabe (EXPORT) von Originalhóhendaten 
und daraus abgeleiteten Produkten, die Einbringung von nicht-geometrischer Datenbeschreibungsinformation (z.B. 
Genauigkeit, Datenerfassungsmethode, Nutzungsberechtigte, ...), die effiziente blattschnittfreie Verwaltung größter 
Datenmengen und die Selektion und direkte Nutzbarkeit der Daten durch Geländemodellapplikationen zu nennen. 
Schließlich wird noch kurz über den praktischen Einsatz der vorgestellten Lösung beim Bundesamt für 
Landestopographie (Schweiz) und beim Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen (Österreich) berichtet. 
1. INITIAL SITUATION DTM technology since many years in the field of research 
and education but also in developing DTM applications. 
National land surveying authorities or comparable Examples are SORA (software for the digitally controlled 
institutions of many countries have already built up DTMs production of analog orthophotos; Loitsch, Otepka, 
to cover the entire territory of their country or are at least 1976), TOPIAS (software for archiving topographic data; 
working to complete the creation of a country-wide DTM. Loitsch, Kraus, 1986), and SCOP (software for creating, 
Some other countries are already engaged in quality ^ maintaining and applying DTMs; IPF, 1994). Starting 
improvement of their existing basic DTM. Several from these experiences a new product (SCOP.TDM) for 
different methods are used to compile the data. Accuracy storing, managing and archiving topographic data and 
varies within the range of a few decimeters and some derived products has been developed and will be 
meters. Because lots of man power, financial and presented in this paper. 
technical resources have been invested to collect these 
topographic data, it is quite proper to claim maximum 
benefit from exploiting this data pool. For this reason it is 2. DATA COMPILATION 
absolutely necessary to provide best conditions for DTM 
production by an efficient and well-suited data ^ Several methods are used by the national authorities to 
organization offered by an appropriate software solution. compile the topographic data. A few typical examples 
from national surveying authorities will be given. 
The Institute for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing at 
the Vienna University of Technology has been engaged in 
160 
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B2. Vienna 1996 
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