Smart Data Compression is a compressed
GIS
A geographic information system (GIS) consists of integrated computer hardware and software that store, manage, analyze, edit, output, and visualize geographic data. Much of this often happens within a spatial database; however, this is not ...
dataset format developed by
Esri
Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., doing business as Esri (), is an American Multinational corporation, multinational geographic information system (GIS) software company headquartered in Redlands, California. It is best known for ...
. It stores all types of feature data and attribute information together as a core data structure. The SDC format was used in Esri products such as ArcGIS StreetMap, ArcIMS Route Server, RouteMAP IMS, ArcGIS Business Analyst, and the ArcMobile
SDK.
The SDC file format is no longer supported by Esri software since ArcMap 10.2, although later versions of ArcMap can convert SDC data to a geodatabase. ArcGIS Pro does not support the SDC format at all.
Compression ratios range from 8x to 20x depending on the data source and structure. SDC data is optimized for rapid map display, accurate routing, and high-performance geocoding.
Smart Data Compression is a proprietary format. The FAQ for ESRI's RouteServer IMS notes that additional datasets for that application must be prepared by an ESRI subsidiary at additional cost.
The SDC technology was developed by Software Technologies, ESRI partner in Russia.
Tele Atlas and NAVTEQ provide North American commercial street datasets in SDC format. This data was prepared using the Data Development Kit Pro (DDK Pro), which ESRI licenses to select vendors.
[
The term Smart Data and idea was coined and created by Dr. James A Rodgers professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and James A George, Circa ]
Notes
Data compression
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