MAPGEN question

[Gerald I. Evenden]

The local MAILER bounced this reply, so I am hoping that the addressee
will find it here.  Since I cannot answer some of the questions, maybe
a GRASS guru can supply additional information.

>From: dcmr6!bdatyd at relay.nluug.nl
>Subject: MAPGEN problems
>To: gie at charon.er.usgs.gov
>Date: Thu, 17 Jun 93 14:12:18 METDST
>
>				Utrecht (the Netherlands), June the 17th 1993
>Dear sir,
>
>Some time ago, I asked the GRASS email group about information about
>the usage of MAPGEN in GRASS. You reacted, being the author of MAPGEN,
>but said that other persons had more experience with GRASS.

I can only discuss MAPGEN as I distribute it because I do not have
direct experience with changes and "value added" material that has
be put in the GRASS version.

>However, no other reactions came, and therefore I would like to repeat
>part of my questions, and I hope you can give an answer on these
>particular issues: 
>- Please could you indicate the order of steps to be taken to plot a
>map with MAPGEN (I do not have a recent manual, and I am only aware
>of the possible commands, not of the proper usage of them. Maybe you
>have some newer manual?)

The best starter's manual for basic MAPGEN is available

		USGS Books and Reports Sales
		Federal Center, Box 25425
		Denver, CO  80225
		USA
		(303) 236-7476

and titled: "User's Manual for MAPGEN (UNIX version): a method of
transforming digital cartographic data to a map,", G.I. Evenden, J.M.
Botbol, USGS Open-File Report 85-706, 58p.  It is out of date but
still can be used as a guide as long as details are extracted from
current man file pages.

Other documentation material for graphics and cartographic projection
parts of the system can be obtained from charon.er.usgs.gov in the
form of PostScript files.  See README on that system.  But, what is
on charon may not match what is distributed by GRASS.

>- Do you know a way to get around the usage of M.SETPROJ ? MAPGEN
>indicates an error that the projection is not set. However,
> for this particular use the projection of the map is totally
> irrelevant. Could you otherwise indicate some information about the
> amount of parameters and the range of values of them associated with
> the possible projections in m.setproj (the GRASS 4.0 Manual does not
> give an indication of the parameters required by m.setproj), or
> provide me some adresses of persons having more experience with
> m.setproj ?

m.setproj is not mine, thus I do not know what it does.  MAPGEN itself
only requires that a program called "mapdef" be executed to establish
a map definition file that is referenced by overlay generating
MAPGEN procedures.  The map definition file contains cartographic
projection information as well as graphical control.

By virtue of its name, m.setproj may be an interface to program
proj's parameters which is executed by program mapdef.  But that is
just a guess.  Program proj is well documented in charon's ftp but
it is a different version than that currently in GRASS.

>I would very much appreciate your help, because I have not so far not
>succeeded in overcoming these problems, despite a lot of work. Thanks
>in advance.  
> 
>Sincerily yours, 
> 
>Marc Groenenboom 
>bdatyd at dcmr.nl

Sorry, but confusion reigns.  I had hoped that some GRASS expert
would have added something to the post that you noted.

I can assist with MAPGEN as available from charon, but I am at
an extreme disadvantage when discussing GRASS's version.

Again, my apologies.

Gerald (Jerry) I. Evenden   Internet: gie at charon.er.usgs.gov
voice: (508)563-6766          Postal: P.O. Box 1027
  fax: (508)457-2310                  N.Falmouth, MA 02556-1027