From: johnson@RHEA.ARC.AB.CA
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: maps and digitizing software
Date: 7 Oct 92 15:43:39 GMT
Reply-To: johnson@RHEA.ARC.AB.CA
Organization: Alberta Research Council

In article <alistair.718310309@sun.bdc.ubc.ca>, alistair@bdc.ubc.ca (Alistair Blachford) writes:
>	I need to get some maps (coastlines) onto a Mac.  The south
>Pacific is the area of interest.  Any archives or products out there?
>If not, I'll have to make them, and I'd like to know what digitizing
>software and hardware people recommend.
>	Thanks for any info,
>Alistair Blachford
>Biosciences Computing Unit         |    Email: alistair@bcu.ubc.ca
>University of British Columbia     |    Phone: 604-822-2645
>Vancouver, Canada, V6T 1W5         |    Fax:   604-822-2416

An exciting new product for mapophiles is now available - the
Digital Chart of the World, a complete coverage of the world, built
from 1:1,000,00 ONC (Operational Navigational Charts).  It includes
coastlines, political boundaries, rivers, lakes, roads, railroads,
a gazeteer, and even elevations.

Best of all, it's public domain data, so you can freely use whatever
you extract.  It also includes the source code for the viewing program!

The "a-little-bit-bad" news: It costs US$200.
The really bad news: the software for it runs only on PCs (so far).
In Canada, contact:
   Products and Services Division
   Surveys, Maqpping and Remote Sensing Sector
   Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
   Room 400
   615 Booth Street
   Ottawa, Ontario
   K1A 0E9
   Tel: (613) 995-0314
   Fax: (613) 995-6001

and, from comp.infosystems.gis:
>
>	To order the DCW package by mail, send to:
>
>	USGS Open File Section
>	Box 25286
>	Denver, CO 80225
>	303-236-7476
>
>	Payment (check, money order, purchase order, or Government account)
>	must accompany order.  Make all drafts payable to the Department of
>	the Interior -- U. S. Geological Survey.
>
>	The DCW package can also be purchased over-the-counter from any
>	Earth Science Information Center by check, money order, purchase
>	order, Government account, credit card, or cash.  Missing or
>	defective material will be replaced free if reported to the office
>	that took the order, by telephone or in writing, within 90 days of
>	purchase.
>
>	Cost $200 per package.
>
>	Includes 4 CD ROMs, 3 5.25 and 3.5 floppies containing various
>	source and executable files for VPFVIEW, a program for displaying
>	the data on the PC.
>
>You need DOS 3.1 or higher, CD-ROM Extensions 2.0 or higher. 80[23]86 with
>80[23]87, VGA or EGA and arrow key, mouse, 30MB hard drive with at least 20
>percent free 1MB RAM, CD ROM drive.
>
>I was told that the FASTEST way was to order it from Denver.  I sent in my
>check on 8/21 and received the package today from UPS.
>
>I believe that DoD components can order directly from DMA, although I don't
>know how.  That information is probably classified, and I don't have either
>a clearance OR a need to know. :-)
>
>There's apparently also a version of VPFVIEW in process for the Sun SPARC,
>with public availability estimated to be within the next couple months.
>(That's what I'm looking forward to!)
>
>-- Karl --
>
>Karl A. Nyberg				karl@grebyn.com
>Post Office Box 497			Grebyn Corporation
>Vienna, VA 22183-0497 USA		+1-703-281-2194

I'm eagerly awaiting the Mac version of this myself.

Mark Johnson
Alberta Research Council
johnson@arc.ab.ca
(403) 438-7560