[GRASSLIST:7419] Re: silly question?

[Maciek Sieczka]

From: "M S" <mseibel at gmail.com>

I can't help you much with all your troubles, but as to v.digit - if you are 
thinking of serious and reliable digitizing Grass vectors go for QGIS. As 
you have maybe read before on the list, v.digit is unstable and may give a 
hard time. Also, you cannot pan and zoom the same time you digitize, which 
is a pain.

1. Build QGIS --with-grass (choose 0.7rc, 0.6 is worse).

2. Create a new layer in Grass using v.digit. Quit v.digit.

3. QGIS: "add grass vector layer", "edit grass vector layer"

4. Fairly smililar interface but better - F keys mapped to functions, 
panning (toolbar and "space" key) and zooming (toolbar and mouse wheel) 
during digitizing. Right click to stop zoom/pan, another one to stop 
digitizing. More functional attributes support. And works *stable* (at least 
for me).

5. What's more, to use grass raster for backdrop map, GDAL has to be 
built --with-grass (doable but a pain - first build and install GDAL, then 
GRASS, then GDAL --with-grass). A separate gdal-grass plugin is also 
possible, but I never managed to build it and nobody answered my post to 
gdal-dev asking for help 4 days ago; though I know others are using it.

That might be a pain for a newbie to build it all at first. But if I did it 
then anybody can :). Anyway, first take a week off ;).

Good luck with GRASS.

Maciek

> I've been an <GASP>  E$RI arc/info workstation user for 10+ years, and
> i'm finally (successfully) jumping ship.  from what i read, i see,
> GRASS can do everything workstation can, not to mention its
> plug-ability with Quantum GIS and other open source software.
>
> Does anyone know if there has ever been a document created that is
> somewhat of a HOWTO in a GRASS approach from a workstation mindset?
> The biggest stumbling block for me was, believe it or not, setting up
> the GISDBASE, LOCATION & MAPSET.  once i got that understood stuff
> started falling into place for me.
>
> In other words, is there some document that illustrates tasks
> performed in workstation with corrisponding commands document of how
> to do the same procedures in GRASS?  Also, is there a more thorough
> explanation of what v.digit can do other than
> http://grass.itc.it/gdp/html_grass5/html/v.digit.html ?  v.digit seems
> quite powerful, and i compare it to ArcEdit (by nature of being
> schooled in the "workstation" approach to GIS).  I recognize i can and
> should RTFM, but being so ingrained in that OTHER software's approach,
> it often messes with my thought process, as i often try to relate
> commands from one software's approach to another, which is probably
> not the best thing to do.
>
> some examples are:
> digitizing/editing topologic vector data
> rectifying images
> working with GIS vector database attributes (i.e. table manipulation
> and changing attributes)
> overlaying vector data with attribute information
> cut/fill operations
> cartographic operations for hardcopy maps
>
>
> Its probably a silly question.  But often times i find my self saying
> "i know how to do this in workstation, I know GRASS can do this, but
> how do i proceed?"
>
> anyone else out there transition from that OTHER software company to
> GRASS? and what was the best way you handled the migration?  I cant
> totally throw out everything i know about workstation, but cause the
> concepts are the same.  its the specific commands and methodology that
> often have my head spinning...
>
> cheers to all users and developers!  GRASS is an amazing piece of GIS 
> software!
>
>