[Freegis-list] some FreeGIS updates.

[Matt.Wilkie]

Hi Jan, listers; here are a couple of updates for the FreeGIS site.

PROJECTS:

Community Mapping Network
http://shim.bc.ca/

"What is the CMN Project Directory?

The purpose of the Community Mapping Network Project Directory is to make
valuable information about community mapping projects around the world
available to both local and international communities. For each project the
geographic location, and in some cases specific features of the project
sites are shown on an interactive global atlas. A detailed description about
each project is also available that provides the projects' goals, methods,
and status. Each project in the atlas has an associated descriptive report
that includes important contact information and organization name. Viewers
are encouraged to contact the organization to ask questions about the
projects or to find out how they can get involved. Since many of the
community mapping projects are ongoing, information found in this directory
is constantly being updated."

-the intended scope of the project is global, but at the moment it seems the
only one which is well developed is for British Columbia, Canada (the link
given above)

-is built on proprietary closed-source technologies (Autodesk MapGuide),
however the interesting part, for me anyway, is the ability of users to add
their own geographic data to the database

-there is a lot of money and resources involved in this, it really is
unfortunate they chose a closed technology. Mayhap with public pressure they
can be at least persuade to conform to the OpenGIS Specification or
something.

-even if the technology stays closed, the value of the public database is
great.

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Free Geospatial Data in Canada
Homepage: http://www.freedata.ca/ 

Please update the description to something like: 

This site is dedicated to the issue of public access to government
geospatial data across Canada. It is a place to discuss, issues, educate,
coordinate and encourage change. Promotes the idea of free distribution of
canadian governmental geographic data. Free in this case basically means at
no charge though more comments are being made on the importance of "liberty"
as well as "no charge".

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SOFTWARE:

Virtual Terrain Project (VTP)
http://vterrain.org/

There have been a lot of changes since the last FreeGIS update (Oct-2001).
The most interesting recent changes (May and June 2002) are:

* fixes to the USGS DEM reader to support all three varieties
* greatly improved support for international Datums
* support for Rottger's CLOD algorithm. This is an exciting new option which
is much faster than any previous implementation.
* import buildings (structure layers) from SDTS-DLG "Manmade features"
files.
* added support for reading MicroDEM format DEM files.
* support in VTBuilder for importing from compressed files. Now when you get
a SDTS file which is tar'd and gzip'd, you don't have to uncompress it and
hunt for the *CATD.DDF file. Just drag and drop the .tar.gz file(s) right
into VTBuilder!
* upgraded to GDAL version 1.1.7 and libpng 1.2.2

http://vterrain.org/Implementation/changes.html 


cheers,

-- Matt Wilkie 
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Geographic Information Section,
Information Management and Technology,
Yukon Department of Environment
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