[gdal-dev] How do I open vector files (e.g. shp) using GDAL

[Smart, Gary]

Oh - I see.  I can open them now and wander through their layers and vector points.  Thank you.

I don't suppose there is a utility/convience function to 'rasterize' the information within a 2D vector file (e.g. vector map) by any chance (i.e. rather than drawing them using OpenGL or something)?

Gary

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Even Rouault [mailto:even.rouault at mines-paris.org]
> Sent: 20 July 2009 22:03
> To: gdal-dev at lists.osgeo.org
> Cc: Smart, Gary
> Subject: Re: [gdal-dev] How do I open vector files (e.g. shp) using GDAL
> 
> Le Monday 20 July 2009 22:51:13 Smart, Gary, vous avez écrit :
> > I understand that GDAL can open vector formats as if they were a
> > dataset?
> >
> 
> No, not exactly. GDAL is for the raster formats. OGR is for the vector
> formats. They have each their concepts, API and notions. See the OGR
> documentation : http://gdal.org/ogr/
> 
> >
> >
> > E.g. I read that it is possible to pass the GDALOpen either a single
> > .shp file (in which case it treats it as if it only had one layer) or a
> > directory containing multiple .shp files - which presumably it opens as
> > multi layered?
> >
> >
> >
> > However, whenever I try to open vector files in this way (directory or
> > file) I get...
> >
> >
> >
> > ERROR 4  - blah blah is not recognised as a supported file format"
> >
> >
> >
> > I am still new to all this (having only just conquered raster formats)
> > so I suspect I am doing something pretty dumb.
> >
> > Perhaps someone can help?
> >
> >
> >
> > Gary
>