All I want for Christmas is my ...

[Melissa Records]

> 
> I concur with Ronald E Thomas about the need for more
> extensive documentation/map histories ... daily use leads
> to a large number of maps and reclassifications of maps, and it
> would be nice if these could be organised in some kind of
> `map archiving system' which allows grouping by subject, date
> of production, region etc. and allows the adding of notes
> to maps. 
> 
> Martijn van Leusen
> 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Metadata's time has come ..........

For those of you who don't know, the term "metadata", which
means "data about data" is THE hot buzzword these days.  A
lot of people are getting very interested in it.  One of the
reasons for this interest is that there's now enough digital
data out there so that people can share and/or use data that's 
already been developed rather than having to create new 
digital data themselves.  

If you acquire data from someone else, you need to know 
something about the data.  You want to know who created the 
data, what kind of sources they used, what scales were the 
original maps, what's the quality of the data.  Furthermore, 
the SDTS federal exchange format for spatial data requires 
a quality control report.  So people are becoming aware of 
the fact that metadata is crucial to making appropriate 
decisions about the use of the data.

Those of us at CERL who have been involved with the development 
of GRASS data bases have been discussing the possibility of
an expanded and enhanced "history" file for a long time now.
The history file as it currently exists just doesn't do the
job.  We've created a sort of "make-do" expanded history file
format, that allows users to fill in the blanks.  It's strictly
a UNIX ascii file.  GRASS doesn't recognize it as a GRASS 
file so it's up to the user to manage and edit the file using
UNIX commands, rather than running GRASS programs.  We've been 
keeping the blank form in the user's mapset under a directory 
called "hist.more".  When you want to create an expanded history 
file, you make a copy of the blank (naming the copy after the 
data layer) and then fill it in.  There are two blanks.  One for 
imagery data layers and one for all other data layers.  Following
this message are the blanks.

NOTE:

These blanks haven't been updated in some time.  They may not
be appropriate for your needs.  They aren't meant to be the 
definitive history file format, but are a starting point.  CERL
is working on several projects right now that are looking into
metadata.  The Federal Geographic Data Committee is in the 
process of developing some standards for metadata.  There's some
changes and new capabilities on the horizon.

PS.  

Look over these blanks.  If you have ideas about other information
that should be included in a history file, please let me know.
Thanks.

Melissa Records  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
 
USACERL                             phone:  (217) 352-6511, x447      
Environmental Compliance Modeling   FAX:    (217) 373-7222           
 & Systems Division                                                 
Spatial Analysis & Systems Team     email:  records at zorro.cecer.army.mil  

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



GRASS Map Layer History Report


Layer name:
Location:
Mapset:
Layer title:
Version of GRASS used to create layer:  
Type of layer:
Number of categories:


Window Used to Create Layer

Coordinate system (UTM/State Plane):  
Zone:  
N:  
S:  
E:  
W:  
N-S resolution:  
E-W resolution:  


Cell Layer Information

Columns:  
Total cells:  


General Information about Source Data

Name of source data:  
Date source data was published/created:  
Publisher/Creator of source data:  
Scale of source data:  
Source media (tape, paper, mylar, etc.):  
Condition of source data (good, wrinkled, accuracy problems, etc.):  
Format of source data if tape (ascii/binary, vector/raster, SPOT/DEM/DLG, etc)  
If source data is imagery, SPOT/Landsat identification number:
  (see GRASS Imagery Layer History Report)
If source data is a format other than GRASS, programs used to import data:
Comments:


(Re)compilation of Source Data

Date of (re)compilation:
Name of person/agency who (re)compiled source data:
Procedures/Problems with recompilation:
Hours spent (re)compiling: 
Comments:


Digitizing/Scanning of Source Data

Date source data was digitized/scanned:
Name of person/agency who digitized/scanned:
Digitizing threshold/resolution:
Map threshold/resolution:
Min/Max RMS residuals from registration (list residuals for each map sheet 
  used to create layer):
Procedures/Problems in digitizing/scanning data:
Hours spent digitizing/scanning:
Comments:

Check Plot Information

Window used:
  N: 
  S:
  E:
  W:
Scale:  
Program used to plot:  
   (if mapgen--name of map definition file)
4 registration points:
Accuracy (good, fair, poor): 
Acceptable error threshold (meters on ground):
Name of person/agency who check plotted:
Date check plot was assessed:
Approved by: 
Base Map Information:
  Date: 
  Scale:  
  Publisher/creator of base map:
  Topo sheet name (DMA sheet#):
Hours:
Comments: 


Conversion from Import Format to GRASS Format

Date import layer was converted to GRASS format:
Name of person/agency who converted import layer to GRASS format:
Procedures/Problems in conversion from import format to GRASS format:
Hours:
Comments:

Conversion from TIGER Format to GRASS Format

Publisher of TIGER data:
CD-ROM used (state): 
State code: 
County(ies) name(s): 
   code(s): 
TIGER files used: 
UTM zone: 
RIM database name for county: 
Master vector file: 
Number of records in county database: 
RIM database name for installation: 
Number of records in installation database: 
Number of records in Master vector: 


Conversion of Vector Layer to Cell Layer

Date vector layer was converted to cell layer:
Name of person/agency who converted vector layer to cell layer:
Procedure/Problems during vector-to-cell conversion:
Hours spent converting from vector to cell:
Comments:


Analyses, Applications, Reclassification, etc

Date analysis/application was performed:  
Name of person/agency who performed analysis/application:  
Procedure for analysis/application:  
Hours spent on analysis/application:
Reclass rules used:  
Mapcalc equations used:  
Comments:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------





GRASS Imagery Layer History Report


Imagery layer name:
Imagery location:
Imagery mapset:
Target layer name:
Target location:
Target mapset:
Target coordinate system (UTM/State Plane): 


Imagery Window Used to Create Layer

Coordinate system used: x/y
N:
S:
E:
W:
N-S resolution:
E-W resolution:


General Information about the Imagery 

Satellite platform (SPOT 1/2, Landsat 4/5):
Sensor (mss/tm/spot/other):
How many images were used to create this layer:
Publisher of image:
Tape identification (Scene ID#):
Tape density:
Date that scene was taken:
Mission (for tm):
Quadrant (for tm):
Solar azimuth:
Scene orientation:
Incidence angle:
Elevation angle:
Image description:
Title for extracted cell files:
Latitude/Longitude at scene center:
Latitude/Longitude at scene corners:
  NW - 
  NE - 
  SW -
  SE -
Number of rows in scene:
Number of columns in scene:


Image Extraction

Date that image was extracted:
Name of person/agency who extracted image:
Tape window extracted
  First row/Last row:
  First column/Last column:
Tape layout
  Number of tape files skipped:
  Number of records in the remaining files skipped:
Data format
  Format (BIL/BSQ):
  If BSQ, total number of records in file:
  Length in bytes of the longest record on tape:
Band files
  Bands extracted:
  Imagery group (prefixname):       
Problems/Procedures for image extraction:
Hours spent for image extraction:
Comments:


Imagery Manipulations

Date that imagery manipulations were performed:
Name of person/agency who performed manipulations:
Contrast Stretch
  Procedure for the application of a histogram contrast stretch to this file:
Color Composite
  List the files and the assigned colors used for the composite:
  Name of the new composite layer:
Problems/Procedures for image manipulations:
Hours spent for image manipulations:
Comments:


Procedures Used for Rectifying the Image

Date that image was rectified:
Name of person/agency who rectified image:
Coordinate system of control points used to rectify the image (UTM/State Plane):
If using the screen input method, name of target cell map used for reference:
Control points used for rectification:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Image Location of Point     |      Map (Target) Location of Point
-------------------------------|-------------------------------------------
Point # | X (East) | Y (North) | USGS 7.5' Quad Name | Easting  | Northing
--------|----------|-----------|---------------------|----------|---------
        |          |           |                     |          |
        |          |           |                     |          |
        |          |           |                     |          |
        |          |           |                     |          |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall RMS Error for the Control Points:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Target window for rectification
  Current window in target location (yes/no):
    N:
    S:
    E:
    W:
    N-S resolution:
    E-W resolution:
  Smallest window which covers the image (yes/no):
Problems/Procedures for image rectification:
Hours spent for image rectification:
Comments:


Patching the Images

Date that images were patched:
Name of person/agency who patched images:
Procedures/Problems for patching images:
Hours spent for image patching:
Comments:


Creating the Cluster Spectral Signature

Date that the cluster spectral signatures were generated:
Name of person who generated the signatures:
Name of resulting signature file:
Name of seed signature file (for the initial means):
Clustering parameters
  Number of initial classes:
  Minimum class size:
  Minimum class separation:
  Percent convergence:
  Maximum number of iterations:
  Row sampling interval:
  Column sampling interval:
Problems/Procedures for spectral clustering:
Hours spent for spectral clustering:
Comments:


Classification of the Image

Date that the image was classified:
Name of the person/agency who classified the image:
Name of the classified layer that was generated:
Name of the reject threshold layer that was generated:
Color configuration for the classified layer
  List the files and the assigned colors used for the classified layer:
Problems/Procedures for classification:
Hours spent classifying:
Comments: