Create the polygon coverage which is necessary to export a point coverage using SDTSEXPORT

Summary

The SDTSEXPORT command requires that a polygon coverage be provided which represents the bounding extent of the points being exported. This article provides the sequence of steps necessary to create the polygon coverage.

Procedure

1. Describe the CITIES point coverage, making note of the XMIN, YMIN, XMAX and YMAX coordinates.
   
   

   Code:
   Arc: describe cities
                   Description of DOUBLE precision coverage cities
   
                                   FEATURE CLASSES
   
                                       Number of  Attribute     Spatial
   Feature Class          Subclass     Features   data (bytes)  Index?   Topology?
   -------------          --------     ---------  ------------  -------  ---------
   POINTS                                     22       110
   
                                  SECONDARY FEATURES
   
   Tics                                        4
   
                                      TOLERANCES
   
   Fuzzy   =                 0.002 N          Dangle  =                 0.000 N
   
                                  COVERAGE BOUNDARY
   
   Xmin =                   18.430            Xmax =                   39.688
   Ymin =                   40.630            Ymax =                   52.245

   
   
   
2. Use the GENERATE command to create a polygon coverage called BOUNDINGBOX which uses the XMIN, YMIN, XMAX and YMAX values of the point coverage.
   
   

   Code:
   Arc: precision double double
   
   Arc: generate boundingbox
   Copyright (C) 1982-2002 Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.
   All rights reserved.
   GENERATE 8.3 (Wed Dec 18 08:17:08 PST 2002)
   
   Generate: polygon
   Enter polygons.
   Terminate Polygons by entering END at X,Y: prompt.
   Terminate input by entering END at ID,X,Y: prompt.
   
   ID, {AUTO | X,Y}: 100
   X,Y: 18.430,40.630
   X,Y: 39.688,40.630
   X,Y: 39.688,52.245
   X,Y: 18.430,52.245
   X,Y: 18.430,40.630
   X,Y:
   (Label for ID 100 placed at 29.059,47.154)
   
   ID, {AUTO | X,Y}:
   Generate: quit

   
   
3. BUILD the BOUNDINGBOX coverage.
   
   

   Code:
   Arc: build boundingbox poly
    Building polygons...

   
   
4. Copy the projection definition from the point coverage to the polygon coverage.
   
   

   Code:
   Usage: PROJECTCOPY <COVER | GRID | FILE | TIN> <source>
                      <COVER | GRID | FILE | TIN> <target>
   Arc: projectcopy cover cities cover boundingbox

   
   
   

   Note:
   Topological Vector Profile (TVP) is a subset of the Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS), and TVP only allows the following external reference systems and units. If the data is in any other coordinate system than those listed below, the coverage must be projected before running SDTSEXPORT.

   
   
   

   GEO  - Lat/Long   GEOGRAPHIC          /* Geographic (latitude and longitude)
   SPCS - meters     STATEPLANE          /* State Plane Coordinate Systems     
   UTM  - meters     UTM                 /* Universal Transverse Mercator
   UPS  - meters     UPSTEREOGRAPHIC     /* Universal Polar Stereographic

   
   
5. Use SDTSEXPORT to export the point coverage CITIES using the BOUNDINGBOX polygon coverage as the <in_dataset>.
   
   

   Code:
   Usage: SDTSEXPORT <TVP | POINT | RASTER> <in_dataset> <out_transfer_prefix>
                     {in_point_cover} {out_DD_transfer} {Conv_Ctrl_File}
   Arc: sdtsexport tvp boundingbox suf1 cities