Hello Jim, Since all ESRI GIS technology is available in component form, there is no technical reason why you need ArcView/Editor/Info installed either. It's not ESRI's fault that Safe chose not to integrate a Personal Geodatabase support component into their translators, but opted to hook into a full ArcGIS installation instead.
As for MIF/MID and Shape, that's pretty apples and oranges. MIF/MID is purely an exchange format, Shape is effective for exchange plus can be used effectively without translation. They share a lot of problems from being "old" formats. E.g. No Unicode support. Regards, Warren Vick Europa Technologies Ltd. http://www.europa-tech.com -----Original Message----- From: Jim Henry [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 13 February 2005 17:37 To: 'Warren Vick, Europa Technologies Ltd.'; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: 'Mapinfo-L' Subject: RE: MI-L RE: Ang. RE: MI-L Ang. RE: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? You do not need to own a copy of MapInfo to use the FME translators as sold by FME. To convert geodatabase with FME you have to own arc. I see this being very different. I also see Mid/Mif as a much better exchange format than shp, though it is seldom seen in data exchange settings. Jim Henry > -----Original Message----- > From: Warren Vick, Europa Technologies Ltd. > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 11:30 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: 'Mapinfo-L' > Subject: MI-L RE: Ang. RE: MI-L Ang. RE: MI-L GeoDatabase > convert to MapInfo? > > Hello Mats, > > Well, I have no clear favourite between the technology > families but I know their relative strengths well. > > Your mention that ESRI does not licence their format.... > neither does MapInfo. As far as I know you, there is no > off-the-shelf licence that gives you access to the TAB file > set format. You would have to licence (at a cost) the MFAL > (MapInfo File Access Library). I believe this is integrated > into the UT. > > So, as stated, ESRI are doing nothing that MapInfo don't is > the same, or at least similar, manner. > > Regards, > Warren Vick > Europa Technologies Ltd. > <http://www.europa-tech.com/> http://www.europa-tech.com > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 13 October 2005 15:56 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: 'Mapinfo-L' > Subject: Ang. RE: MI-L Ang. RE: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? > > > > > Hi All! > > I see the ESRIelites are closing ranks. > Please, before you venture further, try and see the point we > were trying to > make. > The question was not about the morality of software vendors using > proprietary formats. > Neither are we talking about which is the better, or more > useful of tab, > shape, geodatabase or whatever. > > The thing is the demand from ESRI that you license some of > their software > only for the reason that another software should be able to > use their file > format. > Normally, the other software, for instance FME would have > licensed the use > of a proprietary format, and has obviously been able to do so > for many other > proprietary formats. > ESRIs unwillingness to license their format in the same way is only > disobliging and greedy. > > Hälsning / Best regards Mats.E > ________________________ > FB Engineering AB > Södra Förstadsgatan 26 > 211 43 Malmö > > Tel: 040-660 25 50 > Mobil: 0705-27 60 27 > Fax: 040-660 25 99 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.fbe.se > > > > "Warren Vick, Europa Technologies Ltd." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > 2005-10-13 16:26 > > > Till > "'Mapinfo-L'" <mapinfo-l@lists.directionsmag.com> > > Kopia > > Ärende > RE: MI-L Ang. RE: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? > > > > > > > > I don't think this problem is specifically an ESRI issue. As > far as I am > aware, MapInfo never published the format for TAB file sets - it was > reversed engineered by someone. ESRI have published the > Shapefile spec' for > some time. Also, since I work with both technologies, I can > say that ESRI is > doing more on interoperability products and services than > MapInfo is. Both > ESRI and MapInfo are commercial companies and I can't blame > them for trying > to make some money out of the data formats that they develop. > I think it's > unrealistic to expect that moving data between formats is done free of > charge. Until a full function open spatial data format > exists, vendors will > no doubt continue to develop their own. > > I've noticed a few messages here recently that vilify ESRI > but often the > same issues are closer to home too. > > Regards, > Warren Vick > Europa Technologies Ltd. > http://www.europa-tech.com > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mats Elfström [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 13 October 2005 15:04 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: 'Mapinfo-L' > Subject: MI-L Ang. RE: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? > > > Hear, hear! > > Rant or not, Jim is right. > I have seen this before, and ESRI was involved then as well > (What I am about > to describe may have changed now but was a fact when the > question evolved) > Some time ago, Bentley announced a collaboration with ESRI so > that the > MicroStation GIS add-on Geographics would be able to use ESRI > data without > external conversion. This seemed like a good idea until it > turned out that > this functionality required a valid ArcGis license on the > machine. I spite > of much agitated debate on the relevant Bentley newsgroups, I > don't recall seeing any change to this policy. > And as someone pointed out back then, if he wanted to do GIS on a > workstation that has ArcGis, why use Geographics? > > Best regards Mats.E > ________________________ > FB Engineering AB > Södra Förstadsgatan 26 > 211 43 Malmö > > Tel: 040-660 25 50 > Mobil: 0705-27 60 27 > Fax: 040-660 25 99 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.fbe.se > > > > "Jim Henry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 2005-02-13 15:44 > Sänd svar till > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Till > "'Mapinfo-L'" <mapinfo-l@lists.directionsmag.com> > Kopia > > Ärende > RE: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? > > > > > > > Flavio et al, > > I think you have hit on the crux of ESRI's plan for ultimate > domination. > To > use a product like FME to translate an ESRI GeoDataBase, ESRI > requires > that > you have a legal Arc license on the machine. So much for Open GIS. Non > compatibility has always been ESRI's underlying plan for > ultimate product > success. No need for technological excellence or user friendliness. > > I am amazed at how far so many major government agencies have > been led > down > the path of creating all their mapping assets in proprietary, > non-open > data > formats. Open information is a thing of the past in so many > ways today. > > Sorry for the rant. > > Jim > > James C. Henry > > JCH GeoInfo Solutions > 2726 Croasdaile Drive > Suite 207 > Durham, NC 27705 > > (919)493-9339 v. (waiting for transfer) > (919)321-1515 temporary virtual number > (919)321-4903 f. > (919)819-8307 m. > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > www.jchgis.com > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Flavio Hendry [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 2:18 AM > > To: Neil Havermale; Mike Smith; Bagwell, Ross; Mapinfo-L > > Subject: RE: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? > > > > Hi Neil > > > > Newer Shape files come along with Projection in a PRJ file (I think > > from ArcGIS 8 on); don't know if MapInfo supports it directly, FME > > (and therefore the UT, which is an FME subset should). There is no > > metadata and especially there is no lines types, colors or even text > > in the file (all handled through project files, in MapInfo slang = > > Workspaces). Shape is extremely limited: only points, multipoints, > > lines and areas and the column titles all uppercase limited to ten > > characters (dBASE III or so). However shape can be 3D. > > Geodatabase can handle a lot more, such as text, network > > topology and more. Best to translate is the FME ESRI Suite > > (www.safe.com), however for Geodatabases you need as well > > ArcGIS installed. > > > > Mit freundlichem Gruss / Best Regards > > Flavio Hendry > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > TYDAC NEWS http://www.tydac.ch/german/index.php?menu=News_actual > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > ############ Mit freundlichen Gruessen / Kind Regards > > ############ mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ############ > > TYDAC AG - http://www.tydac.ch #### #### > > Geographic Information Solutions #### #### > > Luternauweg 12 -- CH-3006 Bern ############ Tel +41 (0)31 > > 368 0180 - Fax +41 (0)31 368 1860 > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com > > | To unsubscribe, e-mail: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > For additional commands, e-mail: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Message number: 18248 > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Message number: 18258 > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Message number: 18261 > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message number: 18271 --------------------------------------------------------------------- List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message number: 18279
