[comp.databases] using relational databases to store 3D information

beverly@ai.cs.wisc.edu (Beverly Seavey) (08/03/89)

I'm looking for pointers into the literature on the use of
relational databases to store information on spatial configuration
of 3-dimensional objects. Word from one of the retrograde fuddy-duddies
of the biological database world is that it is "impossible". I take
this to mean that there is probably some very neat work being done in
this area, but it isn't being done in Basic, FOTRAN, or Wordstar. :-)
The objects that we want to store info on are proteins in 3R. They may be considered to be connected jointed segments with between 20 and ~200 segments. Any pointers?

donovan@hpindwa.HP.COM (Donovan Hsieh) (08/04/89)

/ hpindwa:comp.databases / beverly@ai.cs.wisc.edu (Beverly Seavey) / 10:06 am  Aug  2, 1989 /


> I'm looking for pointers into the literature on the use of
> relational databases to store information on spatial configuration
> of 3-dimensional objects. 

I have read several research papers addressing the issue of storing geometric
data in the database system (not necessary relational model). The following
two might be helpful for you :

	1. An Analysis of Geometric Modeling in Database Systems
	   Alfons Kemper & Mechtild Wallrath
	   ACM Computing Surveys, Vol.19, No.1, March 1987

	2. Modeling and manipulating Objects in Geoscientific Databases
	   Udo W. Lipeck & Kari Neumann
	   Entity-Relationship Approach
	   S. Spaccapietra (Editor)
	   Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (North-Holland)
	   @ ERI, 1987


Donovan Hsieh
Hewlett-Packard
Business Network Division