Hi Warren > You would have to licence (at a cost) the MFAL (MapInfo File Access > Library).
There is a free alternative to that: MITAB. see http://mitab.maptools.org/ 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: "Warren Vick, Europa Technologies Ltd." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "'Mapinfo-L'" <mapinfo-l@lists.directionsmag.com> Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 16:29:54 +0100 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. 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: 18290
