Which mapping software?

Our school uses rogaine style orienteering as a means of training, and
also releaving the winter blahs.

I'm working on a new map. Actually I'm cheating. I now have
corrected jpg files of the 200+ square kilometer area we use. I plan
to use this as the background, and overlay on top of it.

I've merged them together using MapMaker3 and now have a single 600 MB
file that covers the area. (whew!)

I have a request in to NASA for SAR based altimetry data (2 m accuracy
on 1 arc second grid)

What software do I need?

A: to turn the nasa data into contour lines?
B: it needs to handle this huge tif file without a 40 second wait
between each click of the mouse. (I probably need to find something
that allows each photo to be a separate layer that I can turn on and
off independently.
C: Once I get the contour layer, the coordinate grid layer, various
point and line symbol layers done, it needs to be able to print the
map as a series of tiles.
D: I would like to print as a postscript file, as I have access to a
roll-feed
printer for the final copy.

So far I've tried OCAD, but it is very slow about printing.
Mapmaker 3 is a trial in progress. So far it doesn't handle large
image files with grace.

I have a trial version of Arcview, but so far I've encountered a
learning cliff. Not an obvious program to use.

OziExplorer is mostly a GPS tool to use with completed maps.

I'm somewhat tempted by manifold.net, but it's going to cost me a
hundred bucks to try it out. (Yes -- no refund for shipping, and I
will not be able to get refunded the GST and duty when it crosses the
border.) It bothers me that there are relatively few manifold
messages on this group.

ArcView should meet all your needs.
ArcView may not be very intuitive, but only when you start using it. After
few days of working everything become obvious.

Marty

600 MB?
I do not think any mapping software can handle in 1 go.
Arcview will definitely stall on that huge amount of data. Manifold
will not even let you load it. You may have more than the 40 sec wait
between click.

ArcView can definitely handle large files, it is your computer specs
which matter. You will need a high end PC for GIS - start with 1Gb of
memory.
Personal Geodatabase limit is 2Gb.

regards

bonnijose@yahoo.com (Jose Bonifacio) wrote in message

I agree with "Mr Completley" - computer specs should be play a role in your
decision. I have opend up large datasets in ESRI w/o a problem, and know
users who have opened up sets 800mb+ in Manifold w/o a problem. Again, I
agree w/ Mr. C - focus on RAM :-)

--

---------------
James Burn BSc, GIS(pg), AScT