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Abstract This paper describes a means for linking field and object representations of geographical space. The approach is based on a series of mappings, where locations in a continuous field are mapped to discrete objects. An object in this context is a modeler's conceptualization, as in a viewshed, highway corridor or biological reserve. An object can be represented as a point, line, polygon, network, or other complex spatial type. The relationship between locations in a field and spatial objects may take the form of one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, or many-to-many. We present a typology of object fields and discuss issues in their construction, storage, and analysis. Example applications are presented and directions for further research are offered.
Cova et al. (Sun,) studied this question.