Hi Karma:
Just a note from across Puget Sound ...
We use nautical charts all the time in MapInfo, because they provide our
fisheries biologists and Tribal fisherman an authoritative, accurate,
familiar raster backdrop of depths, shoreline, intertidal zones ... good stuff.
The tool to use in MapInfo is available for about $150 from Tony Cooley at
Data Directions http://members.aol.com/mapdata/
The nautical charts themselves are available in regions (for instance, all
of Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca are in Region 15) of the
Maptech/BSB nautical chart CD's from marine chandlerys such as West Marine
or Crow's Nest, or our choice Captain Jack's Software Source in Port
Ludlow www.capjack.com
I find on-screen digitizing easier than pulling out the big digitizing
tablet. We have an older Summagraphics Summagrid3 - you may be tempted to
save a few bucks and buy a used table, but make sure you have software
driver support for it. There are some good buys out there.
There is also detailed digital bathymetry available from NOAA from their
hydrographic surveys, on CD for about $215 for the entire US coastline. It
can be downloaded on the Internet as well, but it's not exactly easy to get
into a useful form. The GEODAS site looks good but is pretty much of a
confusing mess:
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/mggd.html
Tom
>Would anyone like to give advice on reliable digitizers available on the
>market. I am considering spending in the $3,000 to $5,000 range? I need to
>digitize information primarily from navigational charts and maybe scanned
>documents. I primarily work with MapInfo, however, I also can work form
>ArcView too. Also does anyone know of a good source to purchase back-lit
>drafting tables?
* - * - * - * - *
Tom Curley
Suquamish Tribe GIS Program Manager
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed
with the things you didn't do than by the things you did."
-- Mark Twain
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