MAPINFO to GRASS ?

[Malcolm Williamson]

On Fri, 15 Dec 1995 dmitruk at lisd.env.gov.ab.ca wrote:

>       Hi all. I was wondering if there is a way to import MAPINFO data
> into GRASS. Anybody done it, if so how do you do it. And another question has
> anyone imported IDGS files into GRASS without translating them into DXF forma
t?
> Thank in advance.
> 
> -- 
>  Lorne Dmitruk                        Standard disclaimers apply.
>  dmitruk at lisd.env.gov.ab.ca           Political Correctness is the 
>  dmitruk at worldgate.com                McCarthyism of the 90's
> 
I'm not familiar enough with MapInfo to help, but here are some thoughts 
on the IDGS files:

1. (Most desirable) If you have access to the provider of this data, and 
they are running MGE, rather than just MicroStation, then they have some 
other options for export formats. The most desirable would be an ASCII 
format produced by ASCII Loader (which is now a free product to MGE 
customers). Another export possibility is DLG format.

2. If you have access to ArcINFO, it has an import module for IGDS 
format. You can then ungenerate the coverages in Arc and use v.in.arc to 
import the files into GRASS (I've done all of this).

3. Intergraph should be coming out with an SDTS translator in the near 
future; this might be the easiest way in the long run to import 
Intergraph data into GRASS (see the ftp site at moon.cecer.army.mil for 
GRASS SDTS code, courtesy of David Stigburg).

Remember, IGDS is a *CAD* data format, and not well suited to GIS data. 
You may find many topologically unacceptable elements in the file. Good 
luck, and let me know if I can be of further help.

        -Malcolm
--
Malcolm D. Williamson - GIS Specialist           E-mail: malcolm at cast.uark.edu
Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies      Telephone: (501) 575-6159
Ozark Rm. 12                                        Fax: (501) 575-5218 
University of Arkansas              
Fayetteville, AR 72701