HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: STGG8004@IRUCCVAX.UCC.IE
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Subject: The price of digital data
Date: 9 Nov 92 16:25:00 GMT
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Envelope-to: gis-l@UBVM.BITNET
X-VMS-To: in%"gis-l@ubvm"

Dear colleagues,

Please bear with me a minute while I have a quick moan...

One of my final-year undergraduate students is doing a project which
involves studying the terrain within a corrie (glacial cirque) in the
Macgillicuddy Reeks (the highest mountains in Ireland). His study area
approximately 5 x 5 kilometers in extent. He is/was very keen on using
digital techniques as part of his study, probably mainly IDRISI but also
possibly Intergraph's Microstation-pc.

From the outset, we were aware that the Irish Ordnance Survey in Dublin
have the whole of the Macgillicuddy Reeks area available on their new
digital database: it was in fact the "pilot study" area that they focussed
on for the new 1:50000 digitally-produced map series. Rather than digitising
from the maps himself (which would be time-consuming, error-prone and also
would open up copyright issues, etc), my student wrote to the Ordnance Survey,
explaining that he was an undergraduate, that his was a purely academic
student exercise, and requesting would they let him have an extract of the
contour data (only the contour data!) for his study area.

After about a month of silence, during which time he and I tried more than
once to contact them by fax, phone, etc. (on each occasion we were passed
to someone different), he has now received a letter saying that yes, he can
have the data, but he will have to pay 200 pounds (Irish pounds... roughly
the same as Pounds Sterling at the moment) for the privilege. Naturally
he queried this, and repeated that he was an impoverished student, but was
told that this 200 pounds INCLUDED a special student discount, and it
reflected the cost of extracting the required data from the database!

It seems an awful lot to me, and I was wondering how it compares to the
cost the British Ordnance Survey would typically charge for a 5 x 5 km
extract of 1:50000 scale contour data? (I know the US has a completely
different system). I would also suggest that such an attitude by the state
mapping agency is hardly likely to win friends and influence people... in
particular students whose career paths may well steer them in the direction
of being the future generation of GIS professional in this country.

[By the way, were we to get our hands on them, the data themselves would
be supplied in UNLDST format (Syscan independent format ASCII files). Does
anyone have any experience or knowledge of the format? How easy is it to
import such data to any of IDRISI, Intergraph Microstation or ARC/INFO?]

Anyway, moan over.... if you have read this far, thanks for staying with me!

Darius Bartlett
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Fri, 6 Nov 1992 07:39:52 CST
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         "(Mark R. Graves)" <graves@ZEN.WES.ARMY.MIL>
Subject:      ARC/INFO or GRASS question

In reply to your request for information:

> I thought that GRASS was only
> a raster GIS, but I have seen a reference that suggests that is is vector
> also.  Could someone straighten this out for me.  I would also appreciate a
>comparison of the features of each program, and their ease of use.

Grass has the ability to drape vector files over raster data layers, but it
has no ability to use the vector data for analysis purposes.  Arc/Info,
being a commercial product is a much more capable package that far outshines
Grass.  On the other hand, for people with limited budgets, it represents
a fine teaching tool.

In terms of user-friendliness, Arc/Info, being a much larger and more complex
GIS, is usually thought of as less "user-friendly".  Howver, through AML, the
ARC Macro Language, it is possible to create customized user interfaces
around applications.   To this point ESRI has taken the position, in my
opinion, that it is more important to provide the users with all of the tools
and flexibility possible, with less emphasis on user-friendliness.

Bottom line, I recommend that, budget permitting, you get Arc/Info.  I
personally believe it is the best system out there, and they have very good
govt. and education discounts.

Back to the subject of X-terminals for a sceond.  We have Arc/Info running
on two Sun SPARCstation (4/330,4/370). We have nine Arc/Info licenses and
everyone in our group has a color X-terminal (TekXpress XP27) in their office.
We are spread out all over the building.
We have experienced NO problems with this setup and have found it to be
a great alternative to buying small desktop Suns.  In fact, we are planning to
get more X-terminals soon.  I would, however, recommend against using X
emulation software on PC's.  We have tried Pc X-Sight and the Hummingbird
PC Exceed package.  The Hummingbird package worked best but speed is unsuitable
for continued use with Arc/Info.

The secret to using X-terminals with A/I is to have a great deal of memory
on your server.  We have 96 MB of RAM on our 4/370 and 64 M<B on our 4/330.
We have a total of 8 Gigabytes of disk space and are adding a 10 GB optical
jukebox to our system.
A/I does NOT create a NeWS client.  In fact, very little software on the market
requires NeWS.

-------


  Mark R. Graves
  Spatial Data Analysis Team
  Environmental Laboratory
  US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station

+----------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| USACE-WES-EN-C             | FAX:       (601) 634-3726             |
| ATTN: Mark R. Graves, EN-C | Voice:     (601) 634-2557             |
| 3909 Halls Ferry Rd.       | e-mail:    graves@zen.wes.army.mil    |
| Vicksburg, MS  39180       |                                       |
+----------------------------+---------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
From: cwb4923@usl.edu (Bennett Chris W)
Subject: Whereabouts of WDBII files?
Organization: University of Southwestern Louisiana
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 14:34:08 GMT

Although I've seen a lot of references to WDBII and its updates, I've
yet to see how to obtain this public domain wonderwork.  Is there
an anonymous ftp site or must the postal service get involved?  Is
there a distribution fee of some sort?  In short, can someone tell
me the quickest, cheapest way to get the World Data Base II files?
Thanks much.

Chris Bennett    (chrisb@usl.edu)
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
From: dmarble@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Duane F Marble)
Subject: Map Projection Bibliography
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 15:20:21 GMT

The following came to my attention while visiting the USGS yesterday.

Snyder, John P. and Harry Steward (eds.), 1988. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF MAP
    PROJECTIONS. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1856.

This contains over 2500 citations, including many historic and non-English
language items.

It may be purchased for $ 5.50 from

     U.S. Geological Survey
     Books and Open File Reports
     Federal Center
     Box 25425
     Denver, CO 80225
-- 
Duane F. Marble			       E-mail: dmarble@magnus.acs.osu.edu
Department of Geography                Telephone: (614) 292-2250
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio 43210                   Fax: (614) 292-6213
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Sun, 8 Nov 1992 09:57:17 PST
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         "(Jim Tenbrink)" <esri!harley!jimt@UUNET.UU.NET>
Subject:      Re: AML question (ARC/INFO)

In response to the question about left-padding a string with blanks...

Will
  &setv x := '   '%x%
work? Or is there a problem with this on the VAX? I'm assuming AML
in question was created by a VAX programmer because of the dollar signs
in the variable names. :-)

Jim TenBrink
(jtenbrink@esri.com)
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Envelope-to: GIS-L@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu
X-VMS-To: IN%"GIS-L@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu"
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Mon, 9 Nov 1992 10:55:00 GMT
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         STGG8004@IRUCCVAX.UCC.IE
Subject:      Re: GIS in elections

> A member of our Department of Politics and I took a look at the possibility
> of using GIS for predicting the effects of 'strategic voting' in the UK
> General Election in the Spring ... but, at the time, decided that the data
> to hand was inadequate for any meaningful analysis ...

I would imagine that there would be quite a potential for political parties
- and local candidate support groups - to use GIS-type techniques as part of
their campaign planning? For example in targetting optimum areas for door-
step canvassing; planning out the campaign trail route; sorting out mail-
shots and poster advertising; maybe even helping predict what the main local
issues in an election might be (e.g. areas with high unemployment may have
different priorities than more affluent areas where crime and social order
are top of the agenda); etc.  I suspect that, if this is done anywhere, it
would probably be in the US of A, but I am only guessing?

We have a general election coming up here in Ireland at the end of the month,
and strangely enough one of the participating party activists was asking me
over the weekend for assistance in setting up an ordinary database and mailing
system for them. Our discussions did then go on to the other types
of applications of computers to handling the campaign. I don't think there
are data available here in Ireland (nor the expertise in the party offices)
to handle GIS yet, but I do think there is potential here....

Darius Bartlett
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Thu, 12 Nov 1992 17:23:00 EST
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         "SCHLESINGER, PETER" <i43_ps02@RED.WHOI.EDU>
Subject: Re: SYSGRAF workstations?

If you're right, can any of our Intergraph members, staff, users, or whatever,
enlighten us as to the ability to convert SISGRAPH workstation data to a
format which would be compatible with either ERDAS or IDRISI raster, or the
ARC INFO vector Generate format, or DLG-optional format?
Peter Schlesinger
The Woods Hole Research Center
i43_ps02@red.whoi.edu
ps. we don't have intergraph systems here, nor unix boxes.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Tue, 10 Nov 1992 10:59:01 CST
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         "(Tracy Bowlin)" <bowlin@ECOL.LTER.ISU.EDU>
Subject:      Mapping fire Scars

Greetings from Idaho

I am looking for information regarding mapping fire scars in arid environments
 using landsat and GIS. Any help is welcome



Tracy Bowlin
Remote Sensing/ GIS analyst
Idaho State University
Box 8007
Pocatello, Idaho 83209-8007
Internet: bowlin@ecol.lter.isu.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Via:      UK.AC.PLYM; 11 NOV 92 11:14:56 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Wed, 11 Nov 1992 11:17:21 LCL
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         "A.R.HOLMES" <P03302@PRIME-A.PLYMOUTH.AC.UK>
Subject:      Using GIS in a study of Soil Erosion

      Adrian Holmes,
      Department of Geographical Sciences,
      Room 708, Davy Building,
      University of Plymouth,
      Plymouth,
      PL4 8AA


      E-Mail: A.R.HOLMES@UK.AC.PLYMOUTH.PRIME-A

Tel. (+44) (0)752 233074  Fax: (+44) (0)752 233054
I am new to GIS and would very much appreciate some information as to where
I should look for using GIS for my project "Gully Erosion" in Spain.


I am interested in the use of terrain analysis in investigating the processes
of gully erosion with the potential of building a GIS model. Primary data
sources are aerial photos and field survey and laboratory work.

Has anyone else used GIS in this area of study? Any and all information
gratefully received.
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
From: sidell@swine.cs.uiuc.edu (Jeff Sidell)
Subject: Needed: Indonesia Data Set
Summary: need data set of Indonesia
Keywords: indonesia data set
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 23:46:38 GMT

Hi,

I would like to get a hold of a data set descriping the
geography of Indonesia to use as test data for a project
I'm working on.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


_____________________________________________________________
Jeffrey P. Sidell                          |                |
Database Group                             | "Here we go!"  |
Department of Computer Science             |      J. Sidell |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |                |
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Databases are the future of computing because, 
when you think about it, what else is there?"
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
P1-Message-Id: DE*DBP*TU-DRESDEN;dfnserv-tud291921109090923-GLf
X400-Trace:   DE*DBP*TU-DRESDEN; arrival Mon, 9 Nov 92 08:09+0000 action Relayed
X400-Trace:   DE*DbP*GmD; arrival Mon, 9 Nov 92 08:15+0000 action Relayed
X400-Trace:   de*dbp*GMD; arrival Mon, 9 Nov 92 09:16+0100 action Relayed
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Mon, 9 Nov 1992 03:17:29 -0500
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         hoffmann@URZDFN.KARTOGRAPHIE.TU-DRESDEN.DBP.DE
Subject:      RE: participate in gis-l

----------------------------------------------------------
Use this CPGIS-L message for handling with GIS-L listprocessor...

FH-TUD
----------------------------------------------------------------------
RFC-822-Headers:
Received: from DEARN by DEARN (Mailer R2.08) with BSMTP id 3417; Mon, 02 Nov 92
 03:20:11 MET
X-To:         cpgis-l@ubvm.bitnet
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Netters,

Some of our new members or old friends wanted to know how to send message
through our CPGIS net or temporaly sign off from our net. The following
message is for that purposes.

(1) send your msg. to

    CPGIS-L@ubvm.bitnet [for those who use bitnet]

    or send your msg. to
    cpgis-l@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu [for those who use internet]

    Note: By default, you will receive copies of any mail you send out to the
          net. If you cannot receive the msg. you send, you may not send your
          msg. out at all.

(2) send your message by "reply" command
    If you reply a CPGIS mail, your mail will send to every netter
    automatically.

(3) sign off from CPGIS net by sending the following command to
    listserv@ubvm.bitnet (for those who use bitnet)
    or
    listserv@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu [for those who use internet]

    signoff cpgis-l

(4) subscribe from CPGIS net by sending the following command to
    listserv@ubvm.bitnet [for those who use bitnet]
    or
    listserv@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu [for those who use internet]

    subs cpgis-l YOURNAME

(5) you also can check the name list of our CPGIS-L group by sending following
    command to
    listserv@ubvm.bitnet [for those who use bitnet]
    or
    listserv@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu [for those use internet]

    review cpgis-l

Warning: If your question is specific for someone, please don't use reply
         command.

Note: If you have any question about our cpgis net, please send mail to cpgis
      net manager account ESRIXIA@UBVMS.BITNET.


Fuxiang Xia
SUNY at Buffalo

e-mail:

esrixia@ubvms.bitnet or
esrixia@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Envelope-to: GIS-L@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Mon, 9 Nov 1992 11:58:44 +0100
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         Frans.Rip@CGI.RPV.WAU.NL
Subject:      CPGIS-L

CPGIS-L ??
Frank Hoffmann relayed an how-to-sign-up message for CPGIS-L
What is it ? Did I miss an announcement ? Is it a supplement to GIS-L, or a
list dedicated to ArcInfo- or GRASS-users ?

Frans Rip, W.A.U., NL.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Tue, 10 Nov 1992 21:04:44 PST
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         Josh Graae <graae@WILEY.GEOG.UCSB.EDU>
Subject:      vectorizing raster data

Hello,

	I am a member of the Gap Analysis of California research
team, and this is my first time on the net, so please forgive any
breaches of protocol.

	My question is this:  can anyone suggest a reasonably
efficient way to vectorize scanned 15 minute quad sheets (single
color vegetation polygo
tried using the IMAGEGRID command to create a binary grid in Arc and
then create a vector coverage from that with the GRIDLINE command.
Unless I use the thin option with GRIDLINE, Arc gives me the error
message <software limit encountered, too many vectors, bailing out...>
etc...  When I use the thin option, too many arcs are sacrificed and
the output is unsatifactory. The polygons that were scanned are composed
of dashed lines, so naturally this represents quite a load of data.

 	Is there perhaps another software package (or program) that can
handle high volume raster to vector conversion and allow the result to
be converted into an Arc line coverage.  I have access to Erdas, Grass,
Idrisi, Atlas, ER Mapper, Autocad and of course, Arc/Info.  All are current
releases.

	My final goal is to display the coverage over a TM image as a
backcoverage in Arcedit.  Any suggestions?

	Any help will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

				    Joshua Soren Graae
				    Biogeography Lab, U.C.S.B
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
From: miller@utklib.lib.utk.edu (Tamara Miller)
Subject: Libraries & GIS
Organization: University of Tennessee Library
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 17:56:50 GMT

FYI  

The November 1992 issue of American Libraries has a nice article, with 
color graphics, about GIS and its uses.  The article is understadable and 
in layman's terms (for the most part). I have found it helpful in explaining 
GIS to folks who are only beginning to explore computers, graphics, and/or 
cartographic matters.

********************************************************************
Tamara Miller
millert@utkvx
miller@ utklib.lib.utk.edu
*********************************************************************

Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Apparently-To: gis-L@ubvm.bitnet
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Sat, 7 Nov 1992 09:43:23 CST
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         "(PC_USR)" <idpt227@TPTS1.SEED.NET.TW>
Subject:      participate in gis-l

Hi,
Could somebody put me on this mailing list or someone tell me how to get
on it?  Thank you!
    F.C. Sun / RITI Taiwan Inc. (idpt227@tpts1.seed.net.tw)
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Mon, 9 Nov 1992 14:31:15 CST
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         "(Alan Rea)" <gwdokokl!ahrea@MAILHOST.ECN.UOKNOR.EDU>
Subject:      Re: GIS in elections

I've heard that the 1980 Reagan campaign made extensive use of GIS and
demographic data to target direct mailings to neighborhoods, and to
'adjust' the message appropriately.

ahrea@gwdokokl.UUCP (Alan Rea) * "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those
 "opinions are my own..."      *  who falsely believe they are free" -- Goethe
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Mailer: Mail User's Shell (7.2.3 5/22/91)
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Thu, 5 Nov 1992 17:50:16 -0500
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         "(Keith C. Clarke)" <kclarke@RESDGW6.ER.USGS.GOV>
Subject:      Re: Use of GIS in Epidemiology and Public Health
              Public Health" (Nov  3,  2:11pm)

See: The Use of remote sensing and GIS in UNICEF's dracunculiasis
(Guinea Worm) eradication effort, by Clarke, K. C. et al.
Preventative Veterinary Medicine, 11, (1991), pp. 229-235.
Call me at 703-648-4549 if you are interested in this paper.
I'll be out at GIS/LIS next week.   KC.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Sat, 7 Nov 1992 11:38:59 RIO
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         hernani chaves <HERNANI@BRUERJ.BITNET>
Subject:      help on e.mail

Dear Neters:

    I need to get in touch via e.mail with these fellows. If anyone
can send me their e.adresses or some one that works in the same institurions
i will be very Thanfull.

   the fellows are
        Pat S. Chavez, jr. that wors in USGS at Flagstone AR  USA
   and
        Pierre Leymarie  with CNRS - INRIA at Sophia Antipolis - France


    hernani chaves

                   GEOLOGIA: 15 ANOS NA UERJ
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Hernani A.F. Chaves - Geologo                                     +
+  LABCG - Laboratorio de Analise de Bacias e Correlacao Geologica  +
+  DEP. GEOLOGIA E GEOFISICA - UERJ RJ                              +
+   Rua Sao Francisco Xavier, 524 Sala 4007 Bloco A  Maracana       +
+   CEP 20550 Rio de Janeiro RJ   - BRASIL                          +
+         <HERNANI@BRUERJ.BITNET>                                   +
+         VOICE +55 (21) 254.6675                                   +
+         FAX   +55 (21) 242.7183                                   +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: ymzhang@copper.denver.colorado.edu (Mike Zhang)
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Subject: Re: GIS in elections
Date: 8 Nov 92 23:53:57 GMT
Organization: University of Colorado at Denver

In article <CC9162B75FFFE31A0D@MAX.U.WASHINGTON.EDU> VERITAS@U.WASHINGTON.EDU writes:
>I am sure that most people on this list felt that comment on those pretty
>maps was not in order.  The maps were of course simply presentation graphics, in
> no way related to the simplest GIS.
>
>			Charlie Hendricksen  veritas@u.washington.edu
	Actually, Washington state lagislature is doing the redistricting
now. They use some semi kind GIS software to generating the district map
and "voting result".


Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Envelope-to: GIS-L@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu
X-VMS-To: IN%"GIS-L@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu"
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Fri, 6 Nov 1992 10:59:00 GMT
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         STGG8004@IRUCCVAX.UCC.IE
Subject:      Gauss-Kruger map projection (was map coordinates in Poland)

>  It is Gauss-Kruger projection and use every 6 degrees longitude columns
>  and 4 degrees lattitude rows projected. The characters used for describing
>  rows (belts,zones) of Poland territory are "M" and "N'.

Piotr's reply about Polish coordinates, from which the above is taken,
awakens ancient memories: I am sure that I once read, or heard, that the
calculations needed to solve the equations for creating the Gauss-Kruger
projection constituted one of the first applications (successful applications?)
of the world's first commercially available electronic computer (something
I believe was called the Univac or similar). Can anyone confirm this, or
put my admittedly failing memories to rights?

Darius Bartlett, DJB@IRUCCVAX.UCC.IE
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Wed, 11 Nov 1992 10:04:01 -0500
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         "(Eric Fielding other acct)" <fielding@GEOLOGY.TN.CORNELL.EDU>
Subject: Re: DEM of Iceland

The only "good" DEM of Iceland that I have seen is the one from the US
Defense Mapping Agency (DTED), and they have become much more restrictive
with their data in the last year.

			++Eric Fielding
eric@geology.cornell.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Mailer:     Pegasus Mail v2.3 (R3).
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Wed, 11 Nov 1992 16:14:17 EST
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         JMONAGHAN@CATHAR.JCU.EDU.AU
Subject:      GIS textbooks

Can anybody recommend a reasonably priced and informative GIS
textbook that can be used by second and third year undergraduates.

The current edition of Burrough is a bit dated. OUP have said a new
edition is coming out next year. Meanwhile is there anything of
comparable quality around ?

Yours

Jim Monaghan
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis