Richard: >All of these (I think) are valid Maptitude files, All GIS layers have >several files and at least one for the topology of the polygons and at >least one for the data & attributes, and others. > >Peter (Caliper wizard) any ideas?
I'll try. Maptitude works with two basic types of files: - Settings files, that remember how to recreate a window - Data files, that contain the geographic or tabular data used in those windows A workspace (.wrk) is a setting file for a group of windows, while a .map file has settings for a map window, a .dvw for a dataview window, etc. Geographic data sets in Caliper formats come in two types: - Standard (.dbd) - Compact (.cdf) Each of these extensions represent the main file for the geographic data set. Compact (.cdf) have fewer additional files and standard (.dbd) have many other files, such as some of those that you listed. Maptitude knows which files should be in the set, and the Tools-Geographic Files command knows how to manage the set when copying, renaming, deleting, etc. When you open a map it has pointers to the geographic data sets needed to display each layer. If a geographic data set is not where the .map file thinks it is, you are given a chance to find it. When you resave the .map file the new pointers are stored. If a .map file has the same file name as a geographic data set, and all the files are in the same folder, you might get confused, but Maptitude won't. When you use the File-Open command and choose a file type, just the files with the appropriate extensions are listed in a folder. The tabular data for a geographic data set will share its file name, and have an extension appropriate for its file type: .dbf for dBase, .bin for fixed-format binary, etc. There can also be a set of files associated with the tabular data, such as a dictionary file (.dcb for fixed-format binary, for example) and an index file (.bx for fixed-format binary). Again, Maptitude know how to manage these sets of files. Some final things on workspaces: - When you close Maptitude, it saves a workspace with everything as it was when Maptitude closed. The QuickStart dialog box has a Restore the Previous Session choice that opens this file, so you can start where you left off. - When you save a file, such as a workspace, Maptitude adds it to the list of the most-recently-used files at the end of the File menu. You can just pick a recently-saved workspace from there, without having to remember where you saved it; but you should keep track of where you file things! - If you rename, move, or delete some or all the files in a geographic or tabular data set, Maptitude probably not be able to use that data set. So, use Maptitude to manage them, and everything will go smoothly. All of this is well covered in the User's Guide, if you want to learn more. Good luck! Peter ---------------------------------------------------------------- Peter Van Demark Director of GIS Products and Training Phone: 617-527-4700 Caliper Corporation Fax: 617-527-5113 1172 Beacon Street E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Newton MA 02461-9926 Web site: http://www.caliper.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $4.98 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Q7_YsB/neXJAA/yQLSAA/C5grlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Maptitude/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
