Furthermore, land management problems have become more complicated because new, more sophisticated weapons require more maneuver and training range area. To fulfill these complex land use planning and land management requirements, tools are needed to store, combine, analyze, and display multiple map elements. Users can input new data through digitization or the use of a scanner, with a screen pointing device, from a floppy disk, or from computer tapes. New data can also be created by selecting data elements from existing files for analysis. Hardware configurations vary from a table-top to rack mount machines, depending on the platform available and the needs of the users.
Ports are underway to other machines.
Data files can be developed for large or small geographic regions at any scale desired within the limits of the original source documents and the storage capacity of the hardware. Analysis and display operations can be performed for an entire geographic region, or for any user-defined area within this region. Copies are available to the general public through several distribution sites. Electronic communication between user sites can be accomplished over the Internet computer network. An Interagency Steering Committee and user group organizations in both Europe and North America have been established to guide planning and development of future system capabilities.