Glossary

attributes

Tabular data that describes the characteristics of a feature. For example, the number of lanes and pavement-type belonging to a road feature. See also feature, property.

Autodesk Infrastructure Map Server

A software platform for distributing spatial data over the Internet or on an intranet. Exists in two versions: Open Source (supported by the community) and Enterprise (supported by Autodesk). (www.osgeo.org)

Autodesk Infrastructure Studio

The Infrastructure Map Server component that handles all aspects of collecting and preparing geospatial data for distribution on the Internet (except custom coding).

blocks

In AutoCAD or Autodesk Map, compound objects that have been saved for reuse in the drawing or in multiple drawings, for example, a North arrow. In Infrastructure Map Server, blocks are converted into symbols when they are loaded. See also symbol.

credentials

The user ID and password needed to connect to a database.

data store

In FDO, a collection of feature classes contained in a single data storage location. The data store consists of an integrated set of objects, which are modeled by classes or feature classes defined within one or more schemas. Data stores can be either file-based, such as SDF, or a database, such as Oracle Spatial.

Display Manager

In Autodesk Map, the component that handles the styling and theming of features in a DWG file.

Display Manager element

A set of features that has been assigned a specific style or theme in Display Manager and which can be selected individually for loading into Autodesk Infrastructure Studio.

display map

A map presentation, consisting of Display Manager elements, that can be stored in a DWG file.

Drawing service

The service that allows low level access to DWF data stored in a resource repository as part of a drawing source.

drawing source

One of the two types of resources created by loading file-based data. Drawing sources are stored in the repository in DWF format and retain any styles or themes already applied to the source data. Compare with feature source.

drive alias

In Autodesk Map, the mechanism that points to the folder where attached DWG files are stored.

DVD Browser

The program that appears when you insert the product DVD, and which provides access to installation instructions and other information.

DWF

Design Web Format. An Autodesk file format for sharing 2D, 3D, and spatially-enabled design data.

DWG

The Autodesk file format for storing 2D, 3D, and spatially-enabled design data.

expression

An automatic calculation used to specify values for URL, tooltip, and feature labels. For example, you might create a text expression that specifies a state name and population for a label. To express the population in millions, you might apply a number expression that divides the population value by 1,000,000.

FDO

Feature Data Objects. An Autodesk software standard and general purpose API for accessing features and geospatial data regardless of the underlying data store. See also feature, feature class.

FDO provider

An implementation of the FDO API that provides access to data in a particular data store, such as an Oracle or ArcSDE database, or to a file-based data store, such as SDF or SHP.

feature

An abstraction of a natural or man-made real world object. A spatial feature has one or more geometric properties. For example, a road feature might be represented by a line, and a hydrant might be represented by a point. A non-spatial feature does not have geometry, but can be related to a spatial feature which does. For example, a road feature may contain a sidewalk feature that is defined as not containing any geometry.

feature class

A schema element that describes a type of real-world object. It includes a class name and property definitions. Commonly used to refer to a set of features of a particular class, for example, the feature class “roads” or the feature class “hydrants.” See also schema.

feature join

A relationship that joins one feature source to another, similar to a relational join in a database.

Feature service

The service that allows low level access to SDF 3 data stored in a resource repository as part of a feature source.

feature source

One of the two types of resources created by loading file-based data or by connecting to a spatial database. Feature sources are stored in the repository in SDF 3 format or as database connections and contain raw geometry only. Compare with drawing source.

generalization

In a load procedure, a method of reducing the number of vertices in the source data by a specific percentage.

Infrastructure Map Server

The Autodesk Infrastructure Map Server component that hosts the Infrastructure Map Server services and responds to requests from client applications through TCP/IP protocol.

layer

A resource that references a feature source or a drawing source. The layer contains styling and theming information, and a collection of scale ranges.

Load procedure

A saved script for reloading file-based data. You can use load procedures to automate the updating of resources on the server. They capture the location of the source files, the conversion rules, and where to put the resulting data on the server.

map

A resource that references a collection of layers and displays them within a consistent coordinate system and extents.

Mapping service

The service that creates the view of a map in response to requests from the clients.

OpenGIS Agent

The component of the Web Server Extension that implements a number of the OpenGIS web-mapping protocols to expose the services offered by the Infrastructure Map Server to standards-based OpenGIS clients.

package

A compressed file that can speed up the process of loading data onto the server. Large source-data files can be zipped up in this file format and saved to a network location or copied to a CD.

print layout

An XML template for customizing the appearance of printed maps.

property

A single attribute of a class. A class is described by one or more property definitions. For example, a Road feature class may have properties called Name, NumberLanes, or Location. See also feature class.

query

In Autodesk Map, executable statements that retrieve specific objects, for example, a layer-based query that displays only the objects on the layers that contain state and district boundaries.

raster catalog

A list of image files and their lower-left and upper-right coordinates. Infrastructure Map Server scans the catalog file to find the images that correspond to the area being viewed, and then sends only the data for that area.

reference point

For a symbol, the point that controls the position of a symbol over a feature in a map. The default reference point is the center of the symbol.

Rendering service

The service that creates the final map image for the HTML viewer from input provided by the Mapping service.

resource

A feature source, drawing source, or application component that is stored in the resource repository and which can be reused and shared.

resource repository

An XML database that stores the resources created by loading file-based data or by connecting to databases.

Resource service

The service that manages repositories and resources.

schema

The definition of multiple feature classses and the relationships between them. The logical description of the data types used to model real-world objects. A schema does not reference the actual data instances (a particular road or land parcel), rather it is metadata. See also feature class.

SDF (SDF 3)

Spatial Database Format. The current version of the SDF format. It is the native format for Infrastructure Map Server and GeoREST. Each SDF 3 file can contain multiple feature classes or types of data stored in tables with attributes and geometry.

SDF 2

The previous version of the SDF file format. It was the native file format for Autodesk MapGuide 6.5 and earlier. Each SDF 2 file generally contained one feature or type of data, for example points, lines, polygons, or text.

services

The software modules that reside on the Infrastructure Map Server and which implement its core functions. See also Site service, Resource service, Drawing service, Feature service, Mapping service, Rendering service, and Tile service.

sheet

In a DWF file, a plot layout containing a specific view of the original data.

site

The collection of servers that process Infrastructure Map Server requests.

Site Administrator

A Web-based application, installed with Infrastructure Map Server, for managing a site and its servers.

Site Explorer

The tree view in Autodesk Infrastructure Studio that displays the resources stored in the resource repository.

site server

The server that contains the resource repository.

Site service

The service that provides basic site-related functionality, such as enumerating users and creating user sessions.

spatial context

The general metadata or parameters within which geometry for a collection of features resides. In particular, the spatial context includes the definition of the coordinate system, spheroid parameters, units, spatial extents, etc. for a collection of geometries owned by features.

styling

The process of assigning display characteristics (such as line color, line pattern, fill color, fill pattern, and so on) to a feature (points, polylines, polygons). See also theming.

symbol

A bitmap or vector image that is used to represent a point.

symbol lbrary

A collection of related symbols. Image files are converted into symbols when they are brought into the symbol library. The symbol library is stored in the resource repository.

task bar

In the viewers, a pane that contains tools and controls for specific tasks, such as searching or buffering.

theme

In Autodesk Map, pre-defined thematic elements stored in the Display Manager, for example, a theme that colors district polygons according to their population.

theming

The process of styling features according to an attribute value. See also styling.

Tile service

The service that supports smooth pans and zooms in the viewer.

tooltips

Pop-up boxes that contain information about the features in the map.

viewers

Provides a means of viewing a map in a web browser. Includes three types: Basic Layout, Flexible Web Layout, and Mobile Viewer (available in Technology Preview). Works in Microsoft Internet Explorer 8, Mozilla Firefox 3.6, Apple Safari 4 or 5, and Google Chrome 7 or 8 browsers. It works with Microsoft Internet Explorer, running on Windows, or with Internet Explorer or Firefox on other operating systems, such as MacOS or Linux.

WebAgent

The component of the Web Server Extension that processes requests and forwards them on to the server.

web layout

A template for customizing the appearance of the viewer and for specifying which toolbar commands will be available.

Web Server Extension

The Infrastructure Map Server component that exposes the services offered by the Infrastructure Map Server to client applications over the Internet or on an intranet using HTTP protocol.

web surround

The extra functionality that is automatically built for a web layout, which resides outside of the map itself.

zero-client viewer

See HTML viewer.