Introduction
VDatum is a software tool developed by the National Ocean Service that allows users to transform geospatial data among a variety of geoidal, ellipsoidal, and tidal vertical datums. The VDatum software can be applied to a single point location or to a batch data file. The goal is to develop a seamless nationwide VDatum utility that will facilitate more effective sharing of vertical data and also complement a vision of linking such data through national databases. Future plans for improving VDatum and its use are outlined in more detail below.
Present VDatum Tool Availability
Areas Where VDatum is in Development (Dates tentative)
Software Improvements Recently Released
The Geoid03 model was added as an optional geoid model to the previous Geoid99 model. Menu options were also adjusted to be more user-friendly, and the number of points that the software can handle was increased. Some of the improved menu options include a more flexible input file format, the ability to select new regions of interest without restarting the program, and the ability to input a location in UTM coordinates.
Original Software Interface:
Improvements with the New Software Interface:
Other VDatum Enhancements Planned for the Future
- Supporting LiDAR (.LAS) data format
- Supplying uncertainty estimates for the transformations
- Extending of the datum transformation fields further inland
- Supporting State Plane Coordinates
- Supplying FGDC-compliant metadata
Click here for the VDatum tool and VDatum information!
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