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Some of you may be familiar with this new CD-ROM product from PhD
Associates, but most of you won't of heard about it.  I received a copy
of the CD-ROM and accompanying software on MOnday and I have now had a
chance to evaluate it, although not exhaustively by any means.
 
Many of us have probably been quite frustrated by the original DCW on
multiple CDs.  THere were a number of problems: it ran very S_L_O_W_L_Y;
the interface was not particularly well designed, and it was virtually
impossible to extract files from the database to import into GIS and
desktop mapping packages.
 
In my opinion, DCW in ASCII is an improvement in some ways.  It costs
$159 US ($195 Canadian) and consists of a single CD-ROM with an
accompanying viewing program (called MapIt) on diskette.  The datafiles
are flat ASCII and they are compressed; the data are organized into 5
degree tiles.  Using MapIt installed on the hard drive, a patron can
specify a particular archive (e.g., P05N020E.ZIP--in this example the
southwest corner of the tile is at 5 degrees north, 20 degrees east),
unzip it, then plot the coverages of interest.  MapIt allows some
elementary customizing such as changing the colour plots (of both text
files and line files).  But there is no zoom in or zoom out capability.
A user can then save the resulting map as a bitmap image (bmp).  Or
he/she might want to bring the ASCII files into a mapping package such as
MapInfo, AutoCAD, or IDRISI.   A simple conversion utility is available
for $24.95 US ($29.95 Can) to convert to ASCII files that each of these
packages will recognize.  I purchased the MapInfo utility and it works
just fine; the conversion takes about 30 seconds. It converts DCW's LLP
and LLT files into MIF and MID files.
 
Plots take no time at all.  However, I find it a bit of a nuisance to
have to
select a file, choose a colour, plot the file, go back and clear out the
previous file, select another file, choose another colour, and so on--but
this is basically what we had to do with the original DCW.  The matter of
greatest concern to me is that DCW in ASCII does NOT include any area
files, but only point, line and text files.  So, for example, there is no
vegetation.    But one does get: cities and towns (including outlines of
the larger centres, points for the smaller ones, and names), lakes,
rivers, coastlines, contours, spot elevations, roads, railroads,
pipelines, powerlines, cultural features, etc.
 
This product can be ordered from PhD Associates in Calgary.  The name of
my contact and the fellow who created with ASCII files is Frank Thirkettle.
  PhD Associates
  Discovery Place One
  Suite 100, 3553 - 31 Street NW
  Calgary, Alberta  T2L 2K7
  403/289-8198   (609/737-6565 in US)
  fax 282-1238   (609/737-3963 in US)
  email (Frank):  [log in to unmask]
 
 =============================================================================
Richard Hugh Pinnell
Head, University Map and Design Library, University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada  N2L 3G1
Phone: 519/888-4567, extension 3412
Fax:   519/746-8476
Email: [log in to unmask]
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