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Hi List,

I am working with the NDVI dataset for Africa from Clark University, which
is provided in Clark Labs Hammer-Aitoff projection.  I need to extract
values from these data for locations corresponding to points in a vector
file.   Here is where I run into problems:  

1. There appears to be no direct way to perform an attribute query on the
raster data, using these values to update the attribute tables associated
with my vector point locations.  (in other words, for each location in my
point layer, find the value in the raster layer I'm interested in and plug
that value into a field in the point layer's attribute data.)

2.  Because this is an easy task to perform in ArcView, I thought to export
the data and do the query there.  Here, however, I run into another set of
problems: 
 a)  I cannot export the data in the Hammer-Aitoff projection - the Idrisi
export modules fail for some reason.  Why?  There is no reason why this
shouldn't work, right?
 b) I can export the data after it has been reprojected into decimal
degrees.  BUT, I have some new problems here too, mostly related with my
ignorance and insecurities about how the PROJECT module does its work:  if I
accept the new bounding coordinates (min and max x and y), I have to
manually recalculate the # of rows and columns in order to avoid distortion
in the pixel dimension in other GISs. (Idrisi appears to effectively stretch
the grid matrix between the bounding coordinates, whereas ArcView, for
example, takes an origin [lower left corner] and calculates position from
there using a uniform pixel dimension - this means that some dd data that
displays properly in Idrisi, is very distorted when displayed in ArcView.)
By doing the manual recalculation of row and column #s, I can get my data to
appear normal and properly positioned, BUT... is there a way to
describe/quantify the distortion produced by doing this (which is also going
to vary across the geographic extent of my data) -?  I feel uneasy about
this.

Ok, here is the final problem:
3.  A work around to problem 2a above is to import the idrisi raster files
directly into ArcView using ArcView extensions.  Here, however, my data do
not display coincidentally with data in dec.degrees that has been projected
within  ArcView to Hammer-Aitoff.  It seems apparent to me that the "Clark
Labs Hammer-Aitoff projection" has some defining parameters that are not
part of ArcView's definition of the Hammer-Aitoff projection.  But, what are
these differences? 

(In the way of background to this projection issue: the .ref file for the
Idrisi data contains the following information:

ref. system : Clark Labs Hammer-Aitoff Grid for Africa
projection  : Hammer Aitoff
datum       : WGS84
delta WGS84 : 0 0 0
ellipsoid   : Mean Sphere
major s-ax  : 6370977.000
minor s-ax  : 6370977.000
origin long : 17
origin lat  : 1
origin X    : 5000
origin Y    : 5000
scale fac   : 1.0
units       : km
parameters  : 0

The ArcView dialog for selecting the Hammer-Aitoff projection has only one
option for adjustment: specification of a central meridian.   I have
experimented some, but there appears to be no straightforward offset, like a
simple linear shift or something, and I lack enough knowledge of projections
to know what I need to do to get my two datasets coincident within ArcView.
Has anyone had to do this?)

OK, I realize that this bundle of questions deals with quite different
issues.  They're really only related because of my particular situation
(i.e., if I could solve problem 1, I would face problems 2 or 3; etc.).
Sincere thanks in advance for any and all help on one or more of these
problems. 

Regards to all,

jc

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