GRASS/QGIS (was Re: [Aust-NZ] NZ Towns)

[Alister Hood]

Sorry, didn't realise this list was configured for replies to go to
the sender but not the list :(


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alister Hood
> Sent: Monday, 15 November 2010 2:30 p.m.
> To: 'Peter'
> Subject: RE: [Aust-NZ] NZ Towns
> 
> Hi Peter,
> Learning Grass is fine if you have the time and actually need it, but
> QGIS is so extremely user-friendly that you might be better off
> figuring out why it wouldn't install.
> The one cause of failed QGIS installs that I'm aware of is using the
> osgeo installer (instead of the standalone version) to install to a
> path containing spaces (e.g. "C:\Program Files").  This wouldn't have
> been your problem by any chance?
> 
> Regards,
> Alister
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: aust-nz-bounces at lists.osgeo.org [mailto:aust-nz-
> > bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Peter
> > Sent: Monday, 15 November 2010 2:02 p.m.
> > To: aust-nz at lists.osgeo.org
> > Subject: Re: [Aust-NZ] NZ Towns
> >
> > Indeed, i eventually concluded that the secondary sources that are
> > freely available are all unreliable. The geographic placename
> register
> > from linz is two years out of date, and its regions are not TLA
> regions
> > but land districts. LINZ also has an up to date electoral districts
> > file, which i was able to use to get tla districts from for some
6000
> > odd places. The geonames dataset is based on the geographic
> placenames
> > dataset, and has the region field mostly empty. It has partial
> > population fields, ( about a quarter maybe), and approx coords. I
> found
> > the google geocoder coords to be quite a bit more accurate. I
suspect
> > the geonames coords are someones attempts to shift the linz place
> label
> > coords by half the label width or something.
> >
> > Anyway the only real solution is as you say is go back to the
primary
> > GIS data. Attempts to bodge together old secondary sources only
> > introduces yet more noise into the dataset.
> >
> > FWIW my excel spreadhsheet is here if its any use to anyone.
> > http://www.zoneblue.org/files/nz-towns.zip
> >
> > Which served my immediate purpose, but i do need to get more
> organised
> > GIS wise.
> >
> > I have no real fondness for large java or .NET frameworks which are
> > needed for the main GIS packages. As for open source, QGIS would not
> > install, Grass did (brought a bucket load of stuff with it too), so
i
> > guess ill try learning it.
> >
> > Thanks for your help guys.
> >
> > Peter
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Gavin Treadgold wrote:
> > > On 2010-11-12, at 13:16 , Robert Coup wrote:
> > >> On Fri, Nov 12, 2010 at 11:12 AM, Peter <webwiz at pl.net
> > >> <mailto:webwiz at pl.net>> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>     I have blown an inordinate amount of time trying to merge
> > various
> > >>     online sources to get a listing of towns in NZ. Ideally this
> > list
> > >>     would have town , district/city/unitary council, region, and
> > >>     population or area. This would allow me filter by towns above
> > >>     certain sizes for various web app uses.
> > >>     GPS coords would also be good but i can get those from google
> > >>     geocoder.
> > >>
> > >> Getting area or boundaries will be harder. Possibly the Fire
> Service
> > >> suburbs dataset (available for $0 but under onerous terms) will
> > help,
> > >> or look at meshblocks/area-units and their populations from the
> > census
> > >> database and try and derive from that?
> > >
> > > Much of the boundaries you should be able to get from Statistics
> New
> > > Zealands digital boundaries.
> > >
> > >
> >
>
<http://www.stats.co.nz/browse_for_stats/people_and_communities/geograp
> > hic-areas/download-digital-boundaries.aspx>
> > >
> > > Cheers Gav
> > >
> >
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