On Thu, Feb 24, 2011 at 6:52 AM, Dr. F. Patrick Graz <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi all, > I just had a quick look at the hyperlinks that were provided by the original > posting. The collections seem quite useful. Many of these are, however, > already included in QGIS e.g. in the ftools or the home range manager. > > While an ecological toolbox would be quite a useful thing, it can also lead > to some confusions / errors. For instance, using another GIS package I > obtained different results from two different buffering pluggins. So which > one is correct? Also remember, that ArcGIS was (apparently) originally > produced because Arc/INFO (7.x) and ArcView 3.2 produced different outcomes > in calculations. > > I would suggest as an alternative that a set of "how to's" is produced > (maybe in conjunction with the qgis web-site) that shows how the different > analysis tasks are carried out. This way we a) increase the utility of the > exiting pluggins is enhanced and b) if there are errors in a pluggin they > are more readily identified.
You are raising good points - but I think with an howto, the problem is not solved for ecologists. I am an ecologist myself, so I am allowed to say that most of the ecologists I know would like to have one menu which gives them all routines for an analysis, without having to read through an howto, install several plugins, dig into different menus, ... But to avoid duplication, these already implemented routines should definitely not be re-implemented in a new plugin. But: I am not familiar with the plugin structure, but is it possible to create dependencies? I.e. my suggestion would then be tio have one "Ecological Toolbox" plugin, which consists of analysis methods not implemented already, plus is dependent (i.e. loads, installs, ...) several other plugins which contain ecological analysis methods. All these methods (internal and in other packages) are then all displayed under one menu "Ecological toolbox". This would avoid duplication and bring many different ecological methods in one menu. By the way: this approach could be used for creating other Toolboxes / Metaplugins which simply install other plugins and create menues in which these are grouped under one topic. Cheers, Rainer > > Regards, > > Patrick > > ------------------------------------------ > Dr. F. Patrick Graz > Snr. Researcher, > Multidisciplinary Research Centre, > University of Namibia > > > **************************UNAM DISCLAIMER*********************************** > *This e-mail is strictly confidential and intended only for use by the > addressee unless otherwise indicated.* > ******************************************************************************* > > > _______________________________________________ > Qgis-user mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user > -- NEW GERMAN FAX NUMBER!!! Rainer M. Krug, PhD (Conservation Ecology, SUN), MSc (Conservation Biology, UCT), Dipl. Phys. (Germany) Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology Natural Sciences Building Office Suite 2039 Stellenbosch University Main Campus, Merriman Avenue Stellenbosch South Africa Cell: +27 - (0)83 9479 042 Fax: +27 - (0)86 516 2782 Fax: +49 - (0)321 2125 2244 email: [email protected] Skype: RMkrug Google: [email protected] _______________________________________________ Qgis-user mailing list [email protected] http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user
