[Freegis-list] ArcInfo to Free conversion

[Adrian Custer]

On 09 Jan 2001 11:42:34 -0600,  wrote:
(BTW, as far as we know ArcInfo 8 objects are all but unusable
> without the $10,000 SDE add-on!) 

Ah, that makes more sense to me as far as pricing goes.

Otherwise, there is no training to be lost,
> because nobody here has any training! (Maniacal laughter in background...)

This allows you more flexibility

> Previous work was done by a self-taught employee who left before really sharing
> any expertise. My experience with ArcInfo is minimal and I basically do heads-up
> corrections on existing parcel maps. 

ArcView doesn't satisfy those needs? 

Yes, our basic mission is to get parcel
> data out--probably over the Web. 

There are tons of Java based viewers if that's what you want. However, a
serious approach to this would require you to put some work into the
system. And at that point, the person putting in the work should be able
to use Free software.

One or two other employees will have to
> actively use the data to overlay, e.g., a soil map and then calculate the new
> areas of the different soil types inside a land parcel. 

Classic arcview, just a simple overlay. I suspect GRASS can do this
really easily as well.

That's as far as others
> will be involved: one or two interactive users doing low-level user stuff, and
> many others looking (drilling down into) at parcel maps on a Web page or in a
> Windows app. But doesn't tcl/tk run native on Windows? That's the impression I
> get from ActiveState ActivePython. Can GRASS (running on Linux) be a server to
> Windows clients?


so it seems you have:
-2 users/maintainers doing overlays, both currently semi-trained
-many users who want to see maps.

Sounds like you could get a GRASS system to do this. The maintainers
generate, modify and unpdate parcels. Since they are only two it really
doesn't matter what software/os they use (as long as they are willing to
learn about computers in general). 

The more general users should have access to a web server that can take
the data and subset it for the location they want. Mr. Netler reffered
to some urls that probably have the relevant information.

Do consider what your needs will be four years down the road though. A
GIS is a "system" meaning that humans will be involved with it and
changing it over time. As it becomes more useful, more uses of it arise.
--adrian