pre-release version 0.9 (September, 2001)
© Pedro Pereira Gonçalves (pedro@inovagis.org)

Original File adddimensions.htm
Abstract This page describes how to create DIMENSIONS in the Server.
Author Pedro Pereira Gonçalves (email)
Last Change
History 2001-10-18 : File Created
Index Page GIServer tutorial
Important Links: OpenGIS : home page and Web Map Server specification 1.1.0 (pdf , rtf)

The definition of dimensions simplifies the acces to spatial information with multiple dimensions (like Time, Elevation , or satellite bands). The dimensions can be user defined (like number of band or wavelength) or standard ones like time (ISO8601) and elevations. This definitions is useful for access to satellite images, information collected at several heights (like atmospheric ozone) or to the access environmental models (e.g. forest fire spread model).

With dimensions we allow the definition of a more intuitive access to the data sets where only a known dimension is changing without forcing the client to know our name convention. Dimensions are declared in the n-Dimensional Series and in the Virtual n-Dimension Series data connections. When requesting a dimensional dateset please remember that according to OpenGIS 1.1.0 WMS spec every dimension should have the prefix DIM_ with the exception of TIME and ELEVATION.



From the available dimensions it is necessary to choose the correct dimensions of our dataset and the order of request.

In this Version your files in the must follow a rigid name convention:
  • All files must be of the same type (check out the File Extension property),
  • All files must have the same File Prefix.
  • The file name must be named with the dimensions values.

Example #1

A dataset has a TIME dimension, with the prefix c:\data\cloud and of IDRISI IMG type. If the file has the dimension value of 2001-10-01 you have to name the file:
   c:\data\cloudTIME2001-10-01.img

Example #2

A dataset of NOAA images have 5 raster files for the equivalent image bands for each date. So we will have two dimensions: the TIME and the BAND. A NOAA scene from 2001-10-01 should be called
   c:\data\noaaTIME2001-10-01BAND1.img
   c:\data\noaaTIME2001-10-01BAND2.img
   c:\data\noaaTIME2001-10-01BAND3.img
   c:\data\noaaTIME2001-10-01BAND4.img
   c:\data\noaaTIME2001-10-01BAND5.img

In the next release of GIServer it will be possible to use a database table for finding the correct file to access.


See also: GIServer Parameters

This is a old historical version of the inovaGIS site For updated info about GIServer please go to http://giserver.terradue.com/