From: Garry Petrie (gp_at_europa.com)
Date: Mon Jan 29 2001 - 06:53:54 CET
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During the last six months I have been very busy updating WinKarst, version 8.0. To late
to add any XML code, but I am tired of working on it, enough and its a done deal. I've
also updated the other two programs I distribute, BasicDEM and GeoMag.
Garry Petrie
**************************************************************************
**** WINKARST VERSION 8.0 ****
**************************************************************************
WinKarst 8.0 is available now. The single most important
improvement is the program can process multiple Digital
Elevation Models in an integrated, seamless manner with
your cave survey data. WinKarst does not require the user
to use multiple programs and complex methods to merge DEM
data with the cave survey. The merging is done automatically.
As always with WinKarst, the merged model is exportable
to cartography or presentation applications. WinKarst is
"shareware" with a 30-day trial period. WinKarst runs on
post Windows '95 operating systems. It is recommended the
computer has a display resolution of at least 800x600 and
set to display more than 256 colors. A fee of $25 registers
a license, previous and subsequent registered users can
upgrade for free. The update includes an updated help file
and online pdf manual suitable for printing.
View the general description at
http://www.europa.com/~gp/winkarst.html
and download at
http://www.europa.com/~gp/software/download.htm
The major enhancements in Version 8.0 are
o File types
- USGS Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS) Digital
Elevation Models
- Older USGS DEM file type.
o Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
- Display the amount of overburden for stations within
a DEM.
- Merge adjacent DEM files into larger model.
- Plot elevation contours.
- Shadow the cave line plot on the surface calculated
from the DEM.
- Include a surface mesh in the three dimensional view.
- External and linked child window displays entire DEM.
- Export contours, surface shadow or mesh as BMP or DXF
files.
- Display DEM boundary in plan views.
- Automatic elevation calculation for control points
within a DEM.
o Processing
- Unique survey names.
- SUR file types are checked for missing data items.
- Corrected bug giving wrong number of voided shots in
a survey file.
- Geographic coordinates represented in double precision
numbers.
o Editor
- Check box for fixed, true declination or void surveys.
- Bound checking for data items.
- Warning for missing data items.
o User Interface
- Several new tool bar buttons.
- Tool bar buttons locked out in incompatible modes.
- Inspection tool displays stations names with the mouse.
- Panning tool provides grip and move panning.
- Smooth panning with scroll tabs or panning tool.
- Selection of a cave or survey from drop down lists on
tool bar.
o Graphics
- Three-dimensional view with directional lighting.
- The cave is enclosed in a box in the three dimensional
view.
For previous users of WinKarst, version 8.0 can be installed
directly over an earlier version and it should assume your
existing registration code. But as a precaution, please write
down your registration code by running the older version
first and accessing the Registration dialog from the Help
pull down menu. Then install the new version.
**************************************************************************
Detailed descriptions
**************************************************************************
o File types
- The USGS had moved all of its digital data to the
Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS), including
elevation and line (roads, rivers, etc) data. The data
is currently supplied by the USGS free of charge for
the entire United States. WinKarst's help file contains
detailed instructions on how to download and unpack the
data. For more details visit the www site:
http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/sdts/
and download data from:
http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/doc/edchome/ndcdb/ndcdb.html
- Users can read the older style DEM format with WinKarst,
including files converted from SDTS to DEM by third party
software (why would you do this?).
o Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
- The amount of overburden for stations within the field
of a DEM is calculated. The value is available in dialog
boxes displaying station information. The plan view
maps can also display the value with station labeling.
A negative overburden value indicates the station is
above the surface.
- DEM files that are adjacent are merged into larger model.
This is only practical for 7.5-minute DEM files. When a
DEM file is read that does not touch the existing model,
the old model is discarded in favor of the newly read data.
- The plan view can plot elevation contours at three
different interval spacing, 20, 40 or 200 feet. If
the display mode is metric, the intervals are 10, 20
and 100 meters. Labels for the contours are randomly
spread across the view. Because the spacing for DEM
data is 30 meters, WinKarst interpolates the contour
lines between the grids.
- The shadow display mode projects the cave line plot
on the surface calculated from a DEM. WinKarst can
show the shadow in any of the map views where the
user can immediately determine where the survey is
close to the surface.
- The three-dimensional view can display a surface mesh
calculated from a DEM. WinKarst can create a mesh denser
than the DEM data through interpolation. By a mouse
click and drag process, the user can view cave and
surface mesh from any angle. The mesh is transparent
so the user can see the cave from either side of the
surface.
- WinKarst can launch an external and linked child window
displaying then entire DEM. The DEM in the child window
can have either rainbow or earth tone coloring schemes
and shaded for relief or directional lighting from the
west. The control points in the cave survey are
indicated in the window by white dots and a box
indicates the boundary of the main window. Drawing a
new box in the child window causes the main window
view to jump to the selected area. When the mouse
moves over the child window, the geographic coordinates
and elevation are reported in the main window status
bar. The view in the child window can be exported as
a BMP file.
- When contours, surface shadow or mesh are displayed in
a view, they are exported along with the cave survey
in BMP or DXF files types. Imagine dispensing with
surface surveys for drafting profile maps showing the
surface contour.
- In the plan view the DEM boundary and name are
displayed.
- WinKarst can automatically calculate elevation for
control points of a cave survey within a DEM. If the
DEM data is read after the cave survey is opened, then
the cave is recalculated with the new elevation
information. If the cave is then saved, the new
determination of control point elevation is save in
the file.
o Processing
- WinKarst now requires that survey names are unique.
For previous surveys with multiple surveys with the
same name, they are merged into a single survey when
opened.
- WinKart now checks SUR file types for missing data
items and reports any errors. Please do not forget to
enter some number, e.g. 0.0, for the bearing for
vertical shots, even though the number is not used
in any calculations.
- Version 8.0 corrects a bug, which gave the wrong
number of voided shots in the entire cave survey if
a survey had the "void" label.
- For greater precision a to avoid round off errors,
WinKarst now uses double precision number to
represent geographic coordinates. In cases where
the numbers are displayed, read or written, WinKarst
uses enough digits to accurately retain the value
through processing.
o Editor
- WinKarst allows for three types of attributes for
surveys, fixed, true declination and void. The
previous version did not have a method for changing
these attributes. Now the survey page of the editor
has three check boxes for the attributes. The true
declination is only enabled if automatic declination
is also enabled, allowing for over riding the
automatic value for a particular survey.
- The editor now has bound checking for numeric data
fields. For example, shot lengths less than zero are
not allowed.
- When the user closes the editor by clicking on the
OK button, the survey data is checked for any missing
data items. If a data item is missing, a dialog box
appears to warn the user. The user then has a choice
to ignore the warning or allow the program to jump to
the missing item in the editor.
o User Interface
- WinKarst has several new tool bar buttons. They
include Inspect Tool, Panning Tool, Contours, DEM
Locator Map, Surface Shadow and Surface Mesh. The
Information button returns information about the
plotted object, e.g. survey, cave, etc.
- The previous version did not disable certain tool
bar buttons in the various mapping modes. If the user
pushed the wrong button, the program could crash.
Version 8.0 does a better job of locking out tool
buttons that are incompatible with mapping modes.
- The Inspection Tool is new for WinKarst. When the
Inspect button is pressed, the cursor changes to a
flashlight to indicate the inspection mode is enabled.
When the flashlight is move around the cave survey
line plot, the name of the closest station appears
over the location of the station.
- The Panning Tool is new for WinKarst. When the Panning
button is pressed, the cursor changes to a hand to
indicate the panning mode is enabled. When the user
presses and holds the left mouse button, the hand
grips the map and the map is smoothly panned in the
direction of the mouse movement.
- The previous version of WinKarst only updated the
map while moving the scroll tabs at the end of the
scroll. Version 8.0 now smoothly pans the map as the
tabs are moved.
- WinKarst now has two drop down list boxes on the
tool bar. The first box contains the list of caves in
the survey and the second box contains the list of
surveys in the currently selected cave. Choosing an
item from either box selects the object.
o Graphics
- The three dimensional view of the cave now has
shaded coloring, depending upon the orientation of
the cave wall. Panels on the top of the cave are
bright, while panels on the bottom are dark, with
the sides an intermediate shade. The appearance is to
give the effect of a light from about, e.g. the sun.
- WinKarst now encloses a cave with a box in the three
dimensional view. The box provides the user with more
visual clues as to the orientation of the cave.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Wed Feb 14 2001 - 00:03:54 CET