Importing PICT/TIFF files:summary and thanks

[Agustin Lobo]

Thanks a lot to everyone who answered my question on how to import PICT/TIFF
files to grass4.0. Here I try to summarize and comment the different alternatives.

First, let me state the problem: to import PICT/TIFF files in a way as automated
 as possible. 

1. The only satisfactory way to import any file to grass4.0 is r.in.ascii, because
it is the only program that creates all supporting files without messing up the 
user. Unfortunately there is not pbm utility able to convert PICT/TIFF files to
ascii, so no way to use r.in.ascii.

2. The alternative is to import the raw binary file. This can be done either 
converting the PICT/TIFF file to binary way pbm or just saving as such if the software used for digitizing supports this format (Adobe PhotoShop does). Then 
the problem is that you have to run r.support to create the supporting files and directory structure, which has to be done interactively. If you have just one image, this can be done wth little pain; for any number higher than 1, though, this becomes an absurd waiste of time.

3. The intermediate solution: to create an auxiliary raster with the same name 
using r.mapcalc, then copy the binary file to the cell directory: the so imported binary file overrides the auxiliary and takes advantage of its supporting files and directory structure. This can be automated in a script without too much 
pain.

4. The good solution: write r.in.pict and r.in.tiff: for this the information 
provided by Pat Dunlavey is a good start point. Anybody on the p list would do it?

Thanks again,

Agus
Importing PICT/TIFF:summary