[GRASSLIST:3528] Re: help with integrating models?

[Markus Neteler]

On Fri, Apr 12, 2002 at 05:59:40AM -0600, Roger Miller wrote:
> On Friday 12 April 2002 00:57, Alex Thorn wrote:
> 
> > I am a graduate student and UC Davis, working on a
> > Masters in Agronomy.  For my research project, I am
> > interested in constructing a spatial model of
> > waterfowl
> > migrations, including their use of flooded rice fields
> > as habitat.  My goal is to represent this system by
> > integrating a bird behavior model into a GIS.
> 
> The only way I know of to interface a model with the GIS is through 
> compatible file types.  GRASS offers "ascii" formats for raster files, vector 
> files and point data.  The simplest interface requires that your model write 
> data in those formats or that you have a third set of programs that converts 
> data from the model format to the GIS ascii format.  You also need routines 
> that move data from the GIS ascii formats to your model's formats.  A far 
> better but more demanding method is to write programs that use the GRASS 
> libraries and can read data in your model's output format and write it in a 
> GRASS native format, and visa versa.

Please note that there is the 'libgrass' library:
http://grass.itc.it/related_projects.html
 -> libgrass

It allows to directly read/write GRASS raster files in other applications.
In future it will be extended to GRASS vector files.

You can see it working here:
 http://grass.itc.it/start.html
where MapServer directly reads GRASS raster data:

MapServer <--> GDAL <--> libgrass <--> LOCATION data

Cheers

 Markus Neteler