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GIS file format

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A GIS file format is a standard of encoding geographical information into a file. They are created mainly by government mapping agencies (such as the USGS) or by GIS software developers.

Metadata often includes:

  • Elevation data, either in raster or vector form (e.g., contours)
  • Shape layers, usually expressed as line drawings, for streets, postal zone boundaries, etc.
  • Coordinate system descriptions and datums describing the precise shape of the Earth assumed by the coordinates.

Popular GIS file formats:

  • USGS DEM - US Geo Survey Digital Elevation Model
  • BIL - Binary Interleave
  • GTOPO30 - Large "complete Earth" coverage filesets
  • XYZ - Simple point cloud
  • GeoTIFF - TIFF variant expressly for GIS data
  • NTF - UK Ordnance Survey
  • ASC - Simple ASCII text point cloud format
  • UKOS DXF Contour - Contour elevation plots in DXF format
  • ESRI SHP (Shape) - Cartographic vector data with database table lookup association (using DBF and SHX files)
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