[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I've spent considerable time in processing this data format with MapInfo and (sorry
>to offend anyone with the following) ARCInfo / ArcView . It has been my experience
>that although there are work-arounds for getting the map / graphic aspects of the
>data into MapInfo, you will not get the ALL of the proper corresponding attribute
>data UNLESS you use ARCInfo running on NT / Unix platforms.
Well, naturally. The USGS developed that format with one of their
goals being that it work with their installed base of Arc/INFO
systems. (Of course, the official goal was to produce a open,
public format to facilitate data transfer between all federal
government agencies.) But in either case ESRI had a strong
interest to get in early to ensure that one of their major
customers (the USGS) could use this format on Arc/INFO software.
The USGS has a strong interest in ensuring that the software they
use will be able to handle the SDTS format, so they turned to
ESRI for assistance. Working together, the USGS gets help on the
development, and ESRI gets ahead of the GIS pack. The format is
now pretty much available to the public; there's lots of free
USGS data out there for online snarfing; the USGS can read and
write the format using their leased software, and ESRI leads the
pack in SDTS support. All goals met on paper, but what about the
spirit of the thing? We who don't have Arc/INFO available are
left holding the short end of the stick.
This alliance was no secret collusion. The process has been open
right from the start to anyone who wanted to get involved. ESRI
may have been dragged into it early on by USGS requests, but what
would tell one of your major customers? That you're not
interested? So ESRI gets the jump on everyone here, and it takes
competitors and third-party developers two years to bring other
translators to market, and these all cost hundreds of dollars.
Some still don't have a decent translator. SDTS is a very
difficult format to fully support, and IMHO, it's reach exceeds
its grasp, but still there ought to be a good PUBLIC translator
out there so that the PUBLIC and all the other non-federal govt
agencies can get some use out of it. As it is, your tax dollars
went into this development and for whatever reasons, if you still
can't use it unless you lease Arc/INFO for $20 grand, then you
are just paying your tithe to ESRI.
If we must have this format rammed down our throats, I would like
to see it so easy to use that federal state, county and municipal
governments would prefer to use it when offering their data to
the public than E00 (a proprietary format) or MapInfo TAB
(another proprietary format), or anything that requires
expensive, proprietary software. Now that Sol Katz is no longer
with us, who do we have out there who will step up and provide
public support for this public format? If you think you might be
interested, take a look at this data format beastie at
http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/sdts/.
- Bill Thoen
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