8. Non-US Profiles and Versions of SDTS

Use of SDTS has not been limited to the Unites States. Several nations have formally adopted SDTS, with modifications to the base document, such as removal of State Plane Coordinate System capabilities which are US specific. SDTS is also being used and considered in several other nations but has not yet achieved formal adoption. Current interest in SDTS seems strongest in Asia, the Pacific rim, and eastern Europe.

Versions of SDTS that are modified to meet national requirements are not necessarily the same as profiles to SDTS, but there are some similarities. National versions of SDTS and profiles to SDTS can both prescribe limits and extensions to the base US SDTS standard. If a harmonized, international form of SDTS (with DIGEST, NTF, GDF, S-57, etc.) becomes an ISO standard, then nation-specific profiles to ISO SDTS may not be required, thus improving overall data exchange capabilities.

Australia and New Zealand --

The combined Australia and New Zealand standards group at the Australasian Spatial Data Exchange Centre (AUSDEC) has adopted SDTS with some modifications as AS/NZS 4270 which is a voluntary national standard in both nations. A 1991 draft document for the AUSLIG "profile" to SDTS was developed. SDTS is currently being used within the land information community in Australia. Additional information on this activity is available in "Internationalizing SDTS: An Australasian Experience" by Don Miller and Richard Hume in the July 1994 issue of Cartography and Geographic Information Systems. The current version of AN/NZS 4270 is dated 1995.

South Korea --

In October of 1995 the Republic of Korea selected SDTS as their primary spatial data transfer (Kim & Ryu, 1996). They will also use DIGEST-VPF when required for military purposes to match NATO standards. One or more profiles to SDTS may be part of this decision. A Korean Urban Information System initiative has adopted the Topological Vector Profile (TVP) of SDTS as their transfer standard and has contracted with Laser-Scan for the development of translation tools. The Korean Spatial Data Transfer Standard (KSDTS) is based on SDTS-FIPS 173 with proper change to Korean situations, including the Korean character set (KSC 5601). The TM coordinate system was also added to KSDTS Parts 1 and 4. A modified entity list for Korea replaced Part 2.

Malaysia and southeast Asia --

A group of southeast Asian nations have invited Phyllis Altheide (technical lead of SDTS Task Force in USGS) to provide SDTS training in late September, 1997. More information for this document should be available after that time.

India --

There is some use of SDTS in India, but it is not endorsed at the national level.

China --

Richard Hogan of the FGDC Standards Working Group indicates that China has translated SDTS into Chinese.