The Modelo Topográfico Nacional geographic database built in PostgreSQL/PostGIS from the technical specifications of the Direção-Geral do Território.
The context
Producing reference cartography takes more than a graphical representation of the territory. It takes a common structure that determines how the different geographic elements are organised, described, related and updated.
The work
Within the DIPIGeo/RECART project, the Direção-Geral do Território defined new technical specifications for the Modelo Topográfico Nacional, the national topographic model. In 2018, Waymotion was contracted to turn those specifications into an operational geographic database.
The work consisted of creating the model in PostgreSQL/PostGIS, covering themes such as toponymy, altimetry, hydrography, transport, buildings, land use, infrastructure, public services and urban equipment. Different levels of access were also configured for administering, editing and consulting the information.
The database structure came with a commented SQL script, allowing the DGT to recreate and deploy the model in a controlled way. The data needed for testing was loaded and functional checks and validation of the solution were carried out.
Development took place in close collaboration with the DGT’s technical staff. Regular meetings and interim versions allowed the technical options to be examined, the model to be validated progressively and the implementation to be adjusted to the needs identified over the course of the project.
What it left behind
Completed in February 2019, the work created a structured technological base for organising topographic information according to common rules. It is a reference that shows Waymotion’s ability to turn complex geographic specifications into consistent, reusable data models, ready to support territorial information at national scale.
