Announcing multi-criteria analysis module

[Ferdinando Villa]

Hello,

	I just finished programming a GRASS module to perform
	multi-criteria concordance and discordance analysis on
	map data. You specify variables (from raster layers) 
	with optional reclass rules, and a set of scenarios 
	consisting in priority values for each variable. The 
	program outputs a "concordance map" or "discordance map"
	for each scenario, expressing how much each existing
	configuration of values resulting from the data fits
	into the specified scenario.

	I wrote the program thinking the idea was new (as you
	may guess I am not an experienced GIS-man) for a small
	application, and discovered that IDRISI already has
	something similar. Sure the idea is not new and my hopes
	for a new publication vanish; nevertheless, I don't think
	GRASS has one such module, so at least I can provide an
	useful service to the GRASS community. At present the
	program uses some libraries I developed under contract
	so I cannot provide sources right now (but I will as soon
	as possible); it is C++ and does not quite adhere to
	GRASS programming standards. At the moment I can provide
	SunOS 4.1.x binaries and minimal documentation to anyone
	who is interested. I'd be interested in proposals to make
	the tool more useful and maybe work on some collaborative
	publication.

	I work for free at the Institute as Italians usually do;
	I usually visit here every day so I am quite prompt in
	responding to email. Please get in touch if interested
	in obtaining the program. When everything is polished up 
	and copyright issues are solved, I'll upload the sources
	to moon.cecer.army.mil.

	With best New Year's wishes to you all.

	ferdinando
-- 
Ferdinando Villa, Ph.D. 

Institute of Ecology                     Direct phone: +39-521-905615
University of Parma                               FAX: +39-521-905402
Viale delle Scienze           Home phone (voice mail): +39-521-604013 
43100 Parma, Italy                   e.mail: villa at eagle.bio.unipr.it