ABSTRACT
Using the GSDM is primarily a matter of choosing to do so. The technology is already in place, and all equations and procedures are in the public domain. Although the GSDM contains no new science, it does represent a different way of organizing and storing spatial data. The intent in defining the GSDM was to begin with the assumption of a single origin for 3-D data and, from that, to build a collection of procedures that can be used to handle 3-D spatial data more efficiently. Due to overlaps with existing practice, the decision to use the GSDM need not be “all or nothing.” For many, the transition to using the GSDM will lie between two extremes.
