[GRASS-user] USGS SDDS DEM to Grass HOWTO??

[David Adam]

I'm missing some secrets for downloading DEM data from the USGS SDDS 
(Seamless Data Distribution System) into GRASS. 
I'm using GRASS-6.2.1 as a downloaded binary for Fedora Core 6.  I would 
like to download DEM data for various areas and import the data into 
GRASS, with each area going into a separate location.
I've tried various formats for downloading the data (ArcGrid, geotiff, 
BIL).  I get everything in a single zip file, put it in its own 
directory, and unzip it, which produces a set of files including both 
data and metadata.  I can set up a location using the "Define new 
location using georeferenced file" option, and the new location exists 
when I restart GRASS, but I have been unable to get the actual data to 
import, either through the gui or directly with a call to r.in.gdal 
(which brings up the gui anyway).  I have tried specifying each of the 
files in the data as the file to import, but none of them seems to work.

Is there a HOWTO available for this process?  If not, can anyone point 
me in the proper direction?  Any help will be much appreciated...

TIA,

david
Lake County, California
(just north of the Napa Valley)