Shapefiles for fractals (for GIS applications)

[eshterakelmi]

Hi everybody,

I am doing a research on the efficiency of the application of fractal analysis methods to road networks. In order to verify my methodology, I need to apply it a few well-known (ie with known fractal dimension) fractals within GIS environment. Does any of you know of existing GIS shapefiles for known fractals (preferably Greek Cross and/or Sierpinski Triangle, etc.)?

Thank you.

[JohnVV]

the "shape file" depends on your gis software
i use the NASA/USGS program ISIS3 and it uses "plate" files
a 32bit floating point image in "simple-cylindrical" map projection with values in meters for the radians
--- an example , asteroid "Lutetia" ( 8bit jpg of 32 bit float)--


the NAIF toolkit also used this format as of version 64
but in the new version ( 65), is moving to a binary  ( 3d )"cubemap" format that is somewhat like a 3d mesh point cloud


for a "sierpinsk" image
gmic can make a square that is 2048 on a side

Code:

gmic 2048,2048,1,1 -sierpinski 10 -o sierpinsk.png 

[eshterakelmi]

Hi John,

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the softwares you have mentioned. I use ArcGIS 10.2. I need the fractal shapefile be an already-projected one (ie in Projected Coordinate System) and not in Geographic Coordinate System, otherwise its shape will change after projection. Any other thoughts?

[JohnVV]

arcGIS can use IDL  and also use GDAL
 import a 32 bit image as a DEM and add the mapping info in arcGIS or using GDAL

it would be using a "plate" shape file


"Projected Coordinate System"
there are many ,many,many for that
ranging form some custom dtm's for a city to the USGS standard for the usa
or other ones for what ever country  

If i had to guess one of the many versions of a equalarea rectangular projection if NOT near the north or south pole


Unless by "shapefile" you MEAN a polygon GML file
then gdal can export to that

One of the many the ArcGIS forums might be a bit of a better place to get help


i do not do much work on the Earth datasets and arcgis is rather expensive and dose not do what i need .

i use the above isis3 and GRASS with FWtools-3 ( a python wrapper for the GDAL tools)


as to a already mapped image

try this
Export a DEM of the area you are working on as a RAW image
switch it for a image of a "sierpinsk"
and import that RAW back into ArcGIS as that DEM

every gis program has a way to do that built in to it

that way you can work on something outside the program and import it back in

[eshterakelmi]

That is a good idea. I will go for it. Thanks.