Vancouver, BC, November 26, 2008 – Safe Software, the leaders in spatial ETL, today announced that their software platform FME now offers read and write support for CityGML 1.0. This new support enables users to convert CityGML data into the formats their applications use and also allows them to convert their own data into the official CityGML exchange format for sharing with others.
CityGML is the Open Geospatial Consortium’s (OGC) accepted interchange format for the representation of virtual 3D city models. Professionals seeking to leverage this open standard for exchanging data can now use FME to convert and distribute their data to and from CityGML and over 200 GIS, CAD, raster, database, 3D and BIM formats also supported by FME.
Adding to the support for the draft version of CityGML 0.4 that Safe Software introduced in August, this new support for CityGML 1.0 is another step which demonstrates Safe’s commitment to delivering spatial data access to the geospatial industry. By removing the barriers of formats, data models, coordinate systems, and disparate datasets, FME continues to make it possible for data users to access the information they need in the format and structure they require.
"We’re pleased to extend our support to CityGML 1.0 so quickly following the standard’s official adoption," says Dale Lutz, Vice President of Development at Safe Software. "The geospatial industry continues to make 3D and BIM information a growing priority, and we are committed to evolving our support to meet their interoperability needs moving forward."
CityGML 1.0 was adopted by the OGC as an official encoding standard on August 20, 2008. The new specification is a universal information model for the 3D representation of 3D urban objects, and provides a standard format through which users can share urban spatial data.
Organizations interested in converting and distributing CityGML data using FME can try out the FME 2009 beta by visiting www.safe.com/beta or by contacting info@safe.com.
About the OGC
The Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc (OGC) is an international industry consortium of 365 companies, government agencies and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available interface specifications. OpenGIS® Specifications support interoperable solutions that "geo-enable" the Web, wireless and location-based services, and mainstream IT. The specifications empower technology developers to make complex spatial information and services accessible and useful with all kinds of applications. To read the OGC’s press release announcing CityGML as an official open specification, visit www.opengeospatial.org/pressroom/pressreleases/899.
About CityGML
CityGML is a common information model for the representation of 3D urban objects. It defines the classes and relations for the most relevant topographic objects in cities and regional models with respect to their geometrical, topological, semantical and appearance properties. Included are generalization hierarchies between thematic classes, aggregations, relations between objects, and spatial properties. These thematic information go beyond graphic exchange formats and allow to employ virtual 3D city models for sophisticated analysis tasks and navigation in different application domains like simulations, urban data mining, facility management, and thematic inquiries. CityGML is realized as an open data model and XML-based format for the storage and exchange of virtual 3D city models. It is implemented as an application schema for the Geography Markup Language 3 (GML3), the extendible international standard for spatial data exchange issued by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and the ISO TC211. CityGML is intended to become an open standard and therefore can be used free of charge. For more information, please visit www.citygml.org.
About Safe Software and FME
Safe Software powers the flow of spatial data with its software platform, FME. The recognized standard in spatial ETL (extract, transform and load), FME is the only complete solution for data conversion. It delivers the most extensive format support for data translation and integration, and provides unlimited flexibility in data model transformation and data distribution. FME is used by thousands of customers worldwide in a variety of industries including government, utilities, and petroleum. Its powerful data access technology also makes FME the choice of leading GIS, CAD, and database vendors for integration into their own solutions. Designed for true data interoperability, FME unleashes spatial data so people can use it where, when, and how they want to. For more information, visit www.safe.com.