Hi Flavio, Yes, I know about MITAB. But, as I mentioned, this was the result of reverse engineering and you can't give MapInfo credit for that!
Since Bill found FWTools, it seems to me that the MapInfo vs. ESRI positions are identical. There are format support solutions using their official technology, which costs (one way or another) or open source resources that people have created. Regards, Warren Vick Europa Technologies Ltd. http://www.europa-tech.com -----Original Message----- From: Flavio Hendry [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 14 October 2005 07:43 To: Warren Vick, Europa Technologies Ltd.; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 'Mapinfo-L' Subject: re: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? Hi Warren > You would have to licence (at a cost) the MFAL (MapInfo File Access > Library). There is a free alternative to that: MITAB. see http://mitab.maptools.org/ Mit freundlichem Gruss / Best Regards Flavio Hendry ---------------------------------------------------------------- TYDAC NEWS http://www.tydac.ch/german/index.php?menu=News_actual ---------------------------------------------------------------- ############ Mit freundlichen Gruessen / Kind Regards ############ mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ############ TYDAC AG - http://www.tydac.ch #### #### Geographic Information Solutions #### #### Luternauweg 12 -- CH-3006 Bern ############ Tel +41 (0)31 368 0180 - Fax +41 (0)31 368 1860 ---------------------------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: "Warren Vick, Europa Technologies Ltd." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "'Mapinfo-L'" <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 16:29:54 +0100 Subject: MI-L RE: Ang. RE: MI-L Ang. RE: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? > Hello Mats, > > Well, I have no clear favourite between the technology families but I > know their relative strengths well. > > Your mention that ESRI does not licence their format.... neither does > MapInfo. As far as I know you, there is no off-the-shelf licence that > gives you access to the TAB file set format. I believe this is > integrated into > the UT. > > So, as stated, ESRI are doing nothing that MapInfo don't is the same, > or at least similar, manner. > > Regards, > Warren Vick > Europa Technologies Ltd. > <http://www.europa-tech.com/> http://www.europa-tech.com > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 13 October 2005 15:56 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: 'Mapinfo-L' > Subject: Ang. RE: MI-L Ang. RE: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? > > > > > Hi All! > > I see the ESRIelites are closing ranks. > Please, before you venture further, try and see the point we were > trying to > make. > The question was not about the morality of software vendors using > proprietary formats. > Neither are we talking about which is the better, or more useful of > tab, > shape, geodatabase or whatever. > > The thing is the demand from ESRI that you license some of their > software only for the reason that another software should be able to > use their file > format. > Normally, the other software, for instance FME would have licensed > the use > of a proprietary format, and has obviously been able to do so for > many other > proprietary formats. > ESRIs unwillingness to license their format in the same way is only > disobliging and greedy. > > Hälsning / Best regards Mats.E > ________________________ > FB Engineering AB > Södra Förstadsgatan 26 > 211 43 Malmö > > Tel: 040-660 25 50 > Mobil: 0705-27 60 27 > Fax: 040-660 25 99 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.fbe.se > > > > "Warren Vick, Europa Technologies Ltd." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > 2005-10-13 16:26 > > > Till > "'Mapinfo-L'" <[email protected]> > > Kopia > > Ärende > RE: MI-L Ang. RE: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? > > > > > > > > I don't think this problem is specifically an ESRI issue. As far as I > am aware, MapInfo never published the format for TAB file sets - it > was reversed engineered by someone. ESRI have published the Shapefile > spec' for > some time. Also, since I work with both technologies, I can say that > ESRI is > doing more on interoperability products and services than MapInfo is. > Both > ESRI and MapInfo are commercial companies and I can't blame them for > trying > to make some money out of the data formats that they develop. I think > it's > unrealistic to expect that moving data between formats is done free > of > charge. Until a full function open spatial data format exists, > vendors will > no doubt continue to develop their own. > > I've noticed a few messages here recently that vilify ESRI but often > the same issues are closer to home too. > > Regards, > Warren Vick > Europa Technologies Ltd. > http://www.europa-tech.com > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mats Elfström [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 13 October 2005 15:04 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: 'Mapinfo-L' > Subject: MI-L Ang. RE: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? > > > Hear, hear! > > Rant or not, Jim is right. > I have seen this before, and ESRI was involved then as well (What I > am about > to describe may have changed now but was a fact when the > question evolved) > Some time ago, Bentley announced a collaboration with ESRI so that > the > MicroStation GIS add-on Geographics would be able to use ESRI data > without > external conversion. This seemed like a good idea until it turned out > that > this functionality required a valid ArcGis license on the machine. I > spite > of much agitated debate on the relevant Bentley newsgroups, I > don't recall seeing any change to this policy. > And as someone pointed out back then, if he wanted to do GIS on a > workstation that has ArcGis, why use Geographics? > > Best regards Mats.E > ________________________ > FB Engineering AB > Södra Förstadsgatan 26 > 211 43 Malmö > > Tel: 040-660 25 50 > Mobil: 0705-27 60 27 > Fax: 040-660 25 99 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.fbe.se > > > > "Jim Henry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 2005-02-13 15:44 > Sänd svar till > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Till > "'Mapinfo-L'" <[email protected]> > Kopia > > Ärende > RE: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? > > > > > > > Flavio et al, > > I think you have hit on the crux of ESRI's plan for ultimate > domination. To > use a product like FME to translate an ESRI GeoDataBase, ESRI > requires > that > you have a legal Arc license on the machine. So much for Open GIS. > Non > compatibility has always been ESRI's underlying plan for ultimate > product > success. No need for technological excellence or user friendliness. > > I am amazed at how far so many major government agencies have been led > down > the path of creating all their mapping assets in proprietary, > non-open > data > formats. Open information is a thing of the past in so many ways > today. > > Sorry for the rant. > > Jim > > James C. Henry > > JCH GeoInfo Solutions > 2726 Croasdaile Drive > Suite 207 > Durham, NC 27705 > > (919)493-9339 v. (waiting for transfer) > (919)321-1515 temporary virtual number > (919)321-4903 f. > (919)819-8307 m. > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > www.jchgis.com > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Flavio Hendry [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 2:18 AM > > To: Neil Havermale; Mike Smith; Bagwell, Ross; Mapinfo-L > > Subject: RE: MI-L GeoDatabase convert to MapInfo? > > > > Hi Neil > > > > Newer Shape files come along with Projection in a PRJ file (I think > > from ArcGIS 8 on); don't know if MapInfo supports it directly, FME > > (and therefore the UT, which is an FME subset should). There is no > > metadata and especially there is no lines types, colors or even text > > in the file (all handled through project files, in MapInfo slang = > > Workspaces). Shape is extremely limited: only points, multipoints, > > lines and areas and the column titles all uppercase limited to ten > > characters (dBASE III or so). However shape can be 3D. > > Geodatabase can handle a lot more, such as text, network > > topology and more. Best to translate is the FME ESRI Suite > > (www.safe.com), however for Geodatabases you need as well > > ArcGIS installed. > > > > Mit freundlichem Gruss / Best Regards > > Flavio Hendry > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > TYDAC NEWS http://www.tydac.ch/german/index.php?menu=News_actual > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > ############ Mit freundlichen Gruessen / Kind Regards > > ############ mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ############ > > TYDAC AG - http://www.tydac.ch #### #### > > Geographic Information Solutions #### #### > > Luternauweg 12 -- CH-3006 Bern ############ Tel +41 (0)31 > > 368 0180 - Fax +41 (0)31 368 1860 > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com > > | To unsubscribe, e-mail: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > For additional commands, e-mail: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Message number: 18248 > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com > | > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Message number: 18258 > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com > | > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Message number: 18261 > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message number: 18290 --------------------------------------------------------------------- List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message number: 18294
