[Qgis-user] importing a SHAPEFILE (multipolygons?) into GRASS format in QGIS 0.8

[mariate at forwild.umass.edu]

Hi.
I've looked through the previous messages posted on the list and I haven't
found anything similar, but sorry if this is a repeated question.

I am working with the "QGIS 0.8 preview 2 in windows". I am developing some
QGIS-GRASS tutorials, and that's why I want to convert shapefiles to GRASS
format.

I used the GRASS plugin to import a shapefile of the countries of the world
into GRASS. It takes a while but it works. It is only that the original
shapefile had about 251 "polygons" (lines in the attribute table: 251, one for
each country) and now the GRASS format has more than 2000 polys (a line for
every little island in the ocean, etc)

I tried to read about GRASS format, I tried to use several GRASS comands
to "dissolve" or "generalize" the polygons (v. extract) (v.reclass), I tried to
find some "multipart" or "multipolygon", or "region" comand to "collapse" back
this file into 251 countries, and treat each collection of polys that are part
of a country as a "unit". Is this possible in GRASS?

I obviously need to educate myself a lot, and I am trying! I was even able to
run GRASS comands from the QGIS-GRASS tools "console", what is really great!
(By the way, I had to go back and use QGIS 0.8 preview 1 for this, as the
preview 2 version had some files missing). But I am at a dead end, and I need
help with this!

I will appreciate any urgent :) help!
THANKS!

Maria Fernandez.
University of MAssachusetts. Amherst. MA