[ANNOUNCE] tcltkgrass

[Gilles Clement]

Dear Netters,

A lot of people are asking about the status of tcltkgrass.  Initially, we
thought we could have a release for mid-May.  Unfortunately, financing for the
project was slightly delayed and we decided to redesign the software almost
completely.  This is why we haven't been able to release any new version so
far.  We've been working on this project for several months now and we believe
our final beta version will be available in September 1994.


This new version is entirely redesigned using object-oriented development
technique and will have a lot of very cool new features such as: an enhanced
bugfree superviewer, a WYSIWYG postscript output for the superviewer, a
completely rebuilded GUI for every GRASS function, a visual interactive
programming environment for GRASS, a new set of converters for vector, raster
and databases, an imbedded RDBMS and georelational link capability and a
simplification of the installation procedure.
 

As promised, the UNIX version of tcltkgrass will be contributed to the public
domain but the long awaited MSWindows version will be a commercial product.
Presently, 8 sites have shown interest in acting as alpha and beta testers for
the new version but we would like to extend that to approximately 20
organisations.

Anybody can have the opportunity to be one of the 20 alpha test sites, provided
that their organisation is active in either development, applications or
education of GRASS and is using either a PC with MS-Windows or a SUN
SparcStation running SUN OS 4.0.x or a DEC DecStation running Ultrix 4.x.  The
alpha version will be available at the end of July.


Of course, the sites using PC's will be provided with a free alpha and beta
version.

For those interested, please contact Valerie DesRoches:
vader at copernic.lasinc.qc.ca



L.A.S. inc.

Gilles Clement, president

p.s.: list of organisations interested in acting as alpha and beta testers:

Organisation	Scientific authority	E-mail
PNFI (Forestry Canada)	Tom Moore	tmoore at pnfi.forestry.ca
DREV (National Defense)	Dominic Roy	droy at jupiter.drev.dnd.ca
CAST (Un. of Arkansas)	Jim Farley	jim at cast.uark.edu
USACERL (US Army)	Kurt Buehler	kurt at zorro.cecer.army.mil
HQ (Qubec Hydro)	Guy Moisan	moisang at envir.hydro.qc.ca
and a few private companies we can't name... :-)