thrapp@noscvax.UUCP (Gary R. Thrapp) (07/31/85)
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A couple of weeks ago I submitted the following request:
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I am interested in obtaining software to generate
geographic maps on Sun workstations and other micros
of various word sizes. I expect this will involve
a map database and software to access it. The preferred
features are to accept a map center and radius (or
latitude-longitude boundaries) and generate a display
with shore outlines or filled landforms with a lat-lon grid.
If the software used high level generic graphics calls for
lines and polygons it could help for portability.
A while ago I checked into getting a database called
World Databank II, however I was told it took 9 reel-to-reel
tapes to hold it. I am interested in something with
perhaps less resolution but that would fit on micros
with limited storage.
I plan to post a summary of responses I receive by mail.
Thank you.
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Gary R. Thrapp
Naval Ocean Systems Center
San Diego, CA
MILNET/ARPANET: thrapp@nosc
UUCP: {ihnp4,akgua,decvax,dcdwest,ucbvax}!sdcsvax!noscvax!thrapp
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Thank you all for the responses I received. There are some
possibilities here given some work. However my interest
was in a medium resolution map database of a couple of megabytes
or so with landforms and high level source code to display it.
I was considering something simple that could be easily ported
to various micros. If someone knows of such software please
send me mail.
For those who expressed interest in the CIA generated map
database and software, here is the information I have found:
World Databank II, 5 volume set ( > 400 megabytes, perhaps
much more) $660.
CAM Fortran software to access and display
the map database $400.
National Technical Information Service
5285 Fort Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Products 703-487-4600
Sales 703-487-4650
Here is an edited summary of the responses that I received, minus
references to others that I don't have permission to post:
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For ibm-type pc's, you might consider routines from
a company called Golden Software. They have a series of programs,
fairly cheap that take x,y,z coordinates and plot 3-D and topographic
maps. Various rotations, translations, and slices are possible.
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How about World Database I? It's about 5 megabytes.
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I think you can get whatever map information you want, in up to 1/2
kilometer (or better) resolution, from the National Center for
Cartieographic Studies or something. Check in a book called
"Information USA," it's listed there. They can provide it on 9-track
tape in various formats.
If too much resolution is a problem, you can write some programs to
take, for instance, a costal outline and do vector sums until you
reduce it to something reasonable.
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I am writing software to display maps (color or black & white) on Sun
workstations. The software is in C, utilizing the SunCGI low-level graphics
package. CGI is an ANSI Computer Graphics Interface standard currently under
development. Also I am using the the multiple tools/windows, subwindows and
icon facilities (Pixwin) of the Sun workstations.
As for the map information itself, I'm planning on using the US
Geological Survey (USGS) digital cartographic standards. There are two parts
to the standards: Digital Line Graphs (DLG), such as rivers and roads; Digital
Elevation Models (DEM), ground elevations. The DEM is available also in a
modified format (a tighter gridding of elevation points) from the Defense
Mapping Agency (DMA), and also from USGS. I'm currently working with the DLG
attributes only. The USGS has completely mapped the USA with a 1:250,000 map
scale and is slowly digitizing on a 1:24,000 scale. Eventually I believe the
digital standards will apply to overseas maps as well, the DMA is already using
a modified DEM standard.
I plan to allow zooming between 1:250,000 and 1:24,000 scale maps,
panning, toggling of features, etc. The software will be mostly mouse driven
with an eye toward easing the usage by non-typists. Various dynamic features,
such as military units, will be represented by icons (standard military
symbols) which can be manipulated by a mouse.
In general most of the software will be portable to other systems,
the only exception will be the Pixwin features of the Sun workstations. I am
using the ANSI CGI and the USGS DLG/DEM standards with regards to portability
to, and compatabilty with, other machines and/or software.
As for the storage of data on micros, that will be a problem. I found
that maps are very detailed, dense pieces of information. I suggest that
the map data base be eventually stored on optically encoded disks (giga-bytes).
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This won't help with a Sun, but it might give you someting
to look into: Software Concepts, Stamford CT (203-357-0522) sells
a low-priced graphics program for the IBM-PC that is supposed to
provide a 3-D world map. It costs $69.95 and fits on one disk.
The features seem impressive for this package - turning the globe
N, E, S or W, zoom, etc. It also does some distance calculating and
plotting.
All this info from an articel in PC Week of a few months
ago.
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We have the NCAR graphics package up and running on our Suns. One of the
routines is called SUPMAP, and its purpose is to draw maps in various
projections centered at various points. It may have all of the capabilities
you need. My only experience with it is running the test program provided
by NCAR to see if it worked as expected (it did). The map database is about
1Mbyte. I don't know how hard it would be to port the NCAR package to other
micros. The thing is written in Fortran 66, but is very machine dependent,
and we had to hack hard to get it to work on the Suns and the Vax.
****************************************************************sean@ukma.UUCP (Sean Casey) (08/06/85)
In article <1040@noscvax.UUCP> thrapp@noscvax.UUCP (Gary R. Thrapp) writes: >A couple of weeks ago I submitted the following request: >etc etc... Someone recommended: > World Databank II, 5 volume set ( > 400 megabytes, perhaps > much more) $660. Just think, very soon all this will fit in a 5 1/2" cd disk drive. You could have a complete world map in your car or airplane. I can see it now. Tie it in to a Loran-C and have a scrolling map constantly displayed of your current position. Neat! Sean -- - Sean Casey UUCP: sean@ukma.UUCP or - Department of Mathematics {cbosgd,anlams,hasmed}!ukma!sean - University of Kentucky ARPA: ukma!sean@ANL-MCS.ARPA
Samuel@SU-SUSHI.ARPA (Sam Hahn) (08/09/85)
The japanese are already experimenting with an auto-route assistance system. A car display shows present location, destination, and optimum route, with information on traffic conditions factored in. This was in the newspaper a few weeks ago. -------
Ralph.Hyre@CMU-CS-C.ARPA (Ralph W. Hyre Jr.) (08/09/85)
And don't forget about the Etak car navigation system, which is supposed to be available now. Supposedly accurate to 50 feet. (This system was featured in the June '85 issue of Popular Science). - Ralph Hyre -------
rk9005@ucsfcca.UUCP (Dick Karpinski) (08/11/85)
In article <2022@ukma.UUCP> sean@ukma.UUCP (Sean Casey) writes: > >> World Databank II, 5 volume set ( > 400 megabytes, perhaps > >Just think, very soon all this will fit in a 5 1/2" cd disk drive. You could >have a complete world map in your car or airplane. I can see it now. Tie it >in to a Loran-C and have a scrolling map constantly displayed of your current >position. > I have seen commercial gear, about to be offered at about $1500/car which gives the scrolling map with the next few street names shown and the route to your destination highlighted. Said to save about 10% for delivery vehicles in both time and gas. Thus pays for the system in a year or so. The interesting point was that they had to develop their own maps. No existing available maps were sufficient in accuracy for the system. When installed, the self contained where-am-I system uses wheel sensors most of the time, but corrects by assuming that you mostly drive on the road and turn at corners. It stores its map on (cheap) mag tape, which is fast enough. Amazing, commercial, inexpensive, and with lo-tech data storage. Dick -- Dick Karpinski Manager of Unix Services, UCSF Computer Center UUCP: ...!ucbvax!ucsfcgl!cca.ucsf!dick (415) 666-4529 (12-7) BITNET: dick@ucsfcca Compuserve: 70215,1277 Telemail: RKarpinski USPS: U-76 UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94143
rick@seismo.UUCP (Rick Adams) (08/15/85)
Actually the World Databank II is really only about 20 Mbytes. It comes on 5 tapes and looks like 400 Mbytes of data because, as delivered, it has everything in fixed length records of ascii characters. Once on your target machine, by writing binary floating point numbers instead of the characters, you can get it down to a reasonable size. You can reduce it even smaller by throwing out the rivers and state/privince boundaries. ---rick