MI SDTS format - Dragon Slayers Wanted (fwd)

[Frank Warmerdam]

Rich Shepard wrote:
> 
>   Anyone with the time, knowledge and interest to work on a data translator?
> This would be a tremendous benefit to the GRASS community as well as those
> folks still stuck in MapInfo and the like.
...
> Bill Thoen says:
> If we must have this format rammed down our throats, I would like to see it
> so easy to use that federal state, county and municipal governments would
> prefer to use it when offering their data to the public than E00 (a
> proprietary format) or MapInfo TAB (another proprietary format), or anything
> that requires expensive, proprietary software. Now that Sol Katz is no
> longer with us, who do we have out there who will step up and provide public
> support for this public format?  If you think you might be interested, take
> a look at this data format beastie at http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/sdts/.

Rich,

First, isn't there already some SDTS support code for GRASS somewhere?  I
believe that CERL wrote a grass to SDTS translator, and one of the SDTS
prototype datasets on the USGS site is generated from GRASS. 

Second, I am quite familiar with SDTS, and would be willing to assist in
writing a GRASS module to import it.  I have an SDTS reading library already
implemented, and a prototype SDTS to Shape program available.  See my 
SDTS project page for more information. 

  http://gdal.velocet.ca/projects/sdts/index.html

Third, from having done the v.in.shape module for GRASS, I learned that I don't
quite get the GRASS data model for vectors.  In particular, what the 
appropriate way is to associate multiple attribute fields with vectors.  If 
there is someone who needs SDTS data, and is willing to work with me on it,
that would help alot.  

Best regards,

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