Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!uunet!bionet!msukbs.bitnet!GORENTZ
From: GORENTZ@msukbs.bitnet
Newsgroups: bionet.software
Subject: Digitizing areas
Message-ID: <8906191818.AA04227@net.bio.net>
Date: 19 Jun 89 19:16:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@NET.BIO.NET
Lines: 16

The digitizing you describe is a subset of what is done by the input modules
of GIS (Geographic Information System) software.  My impression is that it is
non-trivial, although some of the better GIS products have the added
complication of being able to deal with base maps that have some
error associated with the reference points, and use "rubber-sheeting"
techniques to straighten out distortions.  We are in the process of
purchasing ARC/INFO from ESRI, which I believe is one of the "better" GIS
products for this sort of thing.  This stuff is not cheap.  The most
expensive software purchase the Michigan State University computer lab ever
made was for ARC/INFO on a VAX 8650.  It's a lot less for workstations or
PCs, but it's still a 4-digit price.

John Gorentz
Kellogg Biological Station
Michigan State University
Bitnet:  Gorentz@MSUKBS