From elio.spinello@csun.edu Tue Apr 20 08:36:13 1999 Received: from mxu3.u.washington.edu (mxu3.u.washington.edu [140.142.33.7]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.9.3+UW99.02/8.9.3+UW99.01) with ESMTP id IAA13540 for ; Tue, 20 Apr 1999 08:36:12 -0700 Received: from dodo.prod.itd.earthlink.net (dodo.prod.itd.earthlink.net [207.217.120.99]) by mxu3.u.washington.edu (8.9.3+UW99.02/8.9.3+UW99.01) with ESMTP id IAA06622 for ; Tue, 20 Apr 1999 08:36:12 -0700 Received: from marie (pool726-cvx.ds61-ca-us.dialup.earthlink.net [209.179.194.216]) by dodo.prod.itd.earthlink.net (8.8.7/8.8.5) with SMTP id IAA03971 for ; Tue, 20 Apr 1999 08:36:09 -0700 (PDT) Reply-To: "Elio Spinello" From: "Elio Spinello" To: Subject: Re: convertability from e00 files Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 08:40:53 -0700 Message-ID: <01be8b44$2c4f8b00$d8c2b3d1@marie> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0021_01BE8B09.7FF0B300" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.71.1712.3 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.71.1712.3 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0021_01BE8B09.7FF0B300 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Our approach has always to have a number of programs available and pick = the best tool for the job. Typically for development of custom programs = we use ESRI's MapObjects OCX. For most projects where high quality maps = are required together with spatial analysis we use Atlas GIS, also by = ESRI. For projects with less of an emphasis on maps but needing more = sophisticated spatial analysis we use ArcView. Elio Spinello ++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D= =3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D+++= + Elio Spinello, MPH Department of Health Sciences California State University, Northridge 18111 Nordhoff St. Northridge, CA 91330-8285 Voice: 818-831-7607 Fax: 831-9078 elio.spinello@csun.edu Home Page: http://www.csun.edu/~hchsc018 =3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D= =3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D= =3D=3D=3D -----Original Message----- From: Richard E. Hoskins To: waphgis@u.washington.edu Date: Monday, April 19, 1999 9:00 PM Subject: convertability from e00 files =20 =20 There is a common argument that its a good idea to get one type of = GIS software because everyone else is using the same thing and therefore = one is guaranteed of interconvertibility. Also that since all the free = data is in that format then it will just be easier if everyone has the = same software. I have always had a problem with this viewpoint because = why should I have to buy a $1200 package when a $400 package will do, = just to keep with some defacto standard that I cannot afford to support? = =20 I did a little experiment. I downloaded ESRI ArcInfo export files = (.e00) from 12 different free GIS data web sites. USGS, WA State Fish & = Wildlife, etc. I tried to convert them with Caliper Corp Maptitude 4.02. = which has as an option on the ordinary file/open menu, e00 files (not an = special "import" ) The files range in size from ~ 20kb to 37 Mb. I had a = 100% success rate. I had a little trouble with getting the coordinate = system straight once, but tech support pointed out that I needed to look = at the site's metatdata more carefully. There may be some glitches I = can't see or recognize, but it looks like all 12 files were translated = correctly. =20 Now in that same package I made a map with death certificate data = from Excel, Super Fund sites in a dbf format from EPA's Landview III = CDROM, census tracts from Caliper, TIGER street files from MapInfo = (WESSEX), Zipcode boundaries from Claritas, land use e00 files from the = WA State Fish & Wildlife, and a registered TIF I got from Johns Hopkins = Applied Physics Lab. One does not just open the file and get a coverage = right away, one has to convert it to Caliper's format and then assemble = the map. Not a big deal. Maybe Intergraph's GeoMedia does that = on-the-fly.=20 =20 I am doing the same thing in MapInfo right now, all is going pretty = smoothly. Doing it in Manifold was a little trickier, but its clear I = really don't know how to use the package very well. Their tech support = pointed out my problem in a hurry.=20 =20 My point is not to push Caliper's stuff, but to show (informally) = that it may be quite possible to have a variety of platforms in the same = shop and have them talk to each other without a lot of difficulty. Not = long ago these interconverting coverage programs were pretty fragile. = But I think that has changed.=20 =20 For health GIS people, we need to leverage what other people have = done. We cannot afford to re-invent coverages that others have bigger = budgets for and greater skill to develop. And since we most always have = miniscule budgets, we need to use what will do the job and we can afford = (much less what we like).=20 =20 Dick Hoskins ------=_NextPart_000_0021_01BE8B09.7FF0B300 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Our approach has always to have a number of programs = available=20 and pick the best tool for the job.  Typically for development of = custom=20 programs we use ESRI's MapObjects OCX.  For most projects where = high=20 quality maps are required together with spatial analysis we use Atlas = GIS, also=20 by ESRI.  For projects with less of an emphasis on maps but needing = more=20 sophisticated spatial analysis we use ArcView.
 
Elio Spinello
 
++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D= ++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D= =3D=3D++++
Elio=20 Spinello, MPH
Department of Health Sciences
California State = University,=20 Northridge
18111 Nordhoff St.
Northridge, CA = 91330-8285 
Voice: 818-831-7607  Fax: = 831-9078
elio.spinello@csun.edu
Home= Page: http://www.csun.edu/~hchsc018<= BR>=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D= =3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D++++=3D=3D=3D=3D+++= +=3D=3D=3D=3D 
-----Original = Message-----
From:=20 Richard E. Hoskins <rhoskins@home.com>
To: = waphgis@u.washington.edu = <waphgis@u.washington.edu>=
Date:=20 Monday, April 19, 1999 9:00 PM
Subject: convertability = from=20 e00 files

There is a common argument that its = a good idea=20 to get one type of GIS software because everyone else is using the = same=20 thing and therefore one is guaranteed of interconvertibility. Also = that=20 since all the free data is in that format then it will just be = easier if=20 everyone has the same software. I have always had a problem with = this=20 viewpoint because why should I have to buy a $1200 package when a = $400=20 package will do, just to keep with some defacto standard = that I=20 cannot afford to support?
 
I  did a little experiment. I = downloaded=20 ESRI ArcInfo export files (.e00) from 12 different free GIS data web = sites.=20 USGS, WA State Fish & Wildlife, etc. I tried to convert them = with=20 Caliper Corp Maptitude 4.02. which has as an option on the ordinary=20 file/open menu, e00 files (not an special "import" ) The = files=20 range in size from ~ 20kb to 37 Mb. I had a 100% success rate. I had = a=20 little trouble with getting the coordinate system straight once, but = tech=20 support pointed out that I needed to look at the site's metatdata = more=20 carefully. There may be some glitches I can't see or recognize, but = it looks=20 like all 12 files were translated correctly.
 
 Now in that same package I = made a map=20 with death certificate data from Excel, Super Fund sites in a dbf = format=20 from EPA's Landview III CDROM, census tracts from = Caliper,  TIGER=20 street files from MapInfo (WESSEX), Zipcode boundaries from = Claritas, land=20 use e00 files from the WA State Fish & Wildlife, and a = registered TIF I=20 got from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. One does not just open = the file=20 and get a coverage right away, one has to convert it to Caliper's = format and=20 then assemble the map. Not a big deal. Maybe Intergraph's GeoMedia = does that=20 on-the-fly.
 
I am doing the same thing in = MapInfo right now,=20 all is going pretty smoothly. Doing it in Manifold was a little = trickier,=20 but its clear I really don't know how to use the package very well. = Their=20 tech support pointed out my problem in a hurry.
 
My point is not to push Caliper's = stuff, but to=20 show (informally) that it may be quite possible to have a variety of = platforms in the same shop and have them talk to each other without = a lot of=20 difficulty. Not long ago these interconverting coverage programs = were pretty=20 fragile. But I think that has changed.
 
For health GIS people, we need to = leverage what=20 other people have done. We cannot afford to re-invent coverages that = others=20 have bigger budgets for and greater skill to develop. And since we = most=20 always have miniscule budgets, we need to use what will do the job = and we=20 can afford (much less what we like).
 
Dick=20 Hoskins
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