working in conic projection

[Simon Cox]

I would like some advice regarding working in projections other
than lat-long or UTM.

I have been assigned a project compiling a number of continental scale
datasets for Australia.  It would probably be easiest to use Lat-Long
as my base reference system.  However, displaying or printing Australia
in rectangular coordinates based on LL is fairly ugly - everything is
squashed and stretched sideways.  Furthermore, many of the source data
are found on hard-copy maps in conic projections - usually with standard
parallels at 18oS and 36oS.  Thus, digitising these would be best done
into a system that understands this projection.

When establishing a new location, GRASS gives the option "other projection"
but when you choose this, you are pretty much left on your own.  Is this
any different to using "x,y" - ie a plain vanilla cartesian system?
If it _is_ something smarter than this, then how do I use it?  Ie, how do
I specify the limits of a region, and what units should I use for
the distance measurement?  Where is the documentation?

The data will be a combination of raster and vector.  I guess (to repeat)
I would be happiest referencing this using lat-long, but displaying in
a simple conic, and being able to input from source material in simple
conic.  Is GRASS really the tool for me here?

I'm sure I am being very naive, but this is a real problem and people
are expecting a solution!

Cheers

Simon Cox

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___________________________________________________
      __  L     Dr Simon Cox			
   ,~'  L_|\    VIEPS Department of Earth Sciences, 
,-'         \   Monash University, Clayton Vic 3168        
(            \  Australia
\    ___     /          Phone +61 3 905 5762
 L,~'   "\_x/           Fax   +61 3 905 5062
           u    simon at artemis.earth.monash.edu.au
___________________________________________________