Still looking for new ways to confuse myself and my students. Kevin may have answered this question for me a couple weeks ago in Bismarck, but my memory is getting worse all the time, so I'll ask again.
Is there a relatively simple GIS program out there that will interface with Access databases? In an effort to drag the students and myself into the modern era, I am interested in showing them how you can make the data you collect electronically work for you, rather than just take up disk space.
Thanks, Bob U.

Reply to post by Bob Underwood, on February 25, 1999 at 11:15:21:

Bob, I haven't researched the PC based end of the spectrum in a few years but the popular product was at that time was MapInfo in Troy, NY. It was built around dBASE file formats which should be compatible with Access (Microsoft acquired FoxPro to get a headstart on building Access and FoxPro was built on FoxBase which was a dBASE clone/superset; Microsoft still markets FoxPro for more powerful application building).

There may be even simpler GIS programs out there.

The big noise in GIS is ArcInfo and ArcView, it's PC version. These are powerful, but NOT easy. I sat in on a two day training session and was barely familiar with some of the menus. If your students will be self employed it's probably overkill. If they'll be going to work for government agencies or big companies it appears to be the standard, so maybe that's what they should learn.

American Forests' CityGreen is built on ArcInfo.

Does NDSU have a remote sensing lab, or geography program, or civil engineering program, or cartography program? They might be able to help you?

Check with Kevin again, but I think ACRT has developed or licensed a stand-alone GIS for its Tree Manager software.

Reply to post by Scott Cullen, on February 25, 1999 at 11:15:21:

ArcInfo and ArcView are the standard GIS programs (as stated in Bob's message). Both are expensive and are memory hogs.

If you want something inexpensive that students would find useful after the class is over, you might look into MapInfo or StreetMap USA. Both are similar. With StreetMap (by DeLorme), a pentium laptop computer, and a $200 handheld GPS unit (such as Garmin 12 XL) your auto or backpack will be equipped with a state-of-the-art satelite navigation system. It imports and exports text database files, that are compatible with any data base or spreadsheet programs. It's a lot weaker than ArcView for actual data manipulation. It might be useful, affordable, and interesting for teaching practical GIS concepts, I would think.

DeLorme also distributes TopoUSA (50 and 150 foot contour interval), and PhoneUSA (a phone number database).

Reply to post by Paul M Davis, on February 25, 1999 at 20:09:50:

Paul,

In my pro bono capacity we worked closely with Dr. David Bloniarz at UMASS in implementing a "community volunteer" conducted inventory. David's pilot projects determined that very good locational data were recorded by physical entry of 'eyeballed' tree location on paper base maps. "Let's see, the curbcut is there, the fire hydrant there, the lot lines there and there the tree must be about here." These can then be digitized into a GIS if appropriate. The problem, as I understand it, with the consumer or even mid-range GPS units is that the accuracy may be only 15 meters In an urban setting with 25 or 50 foot lot frontages that may mean redigitizing a lot of GPS locations to put the trees where they really are. So the low end units can be good teaching tools, or roughing in tools, but not necessarily good data colection tools.

Reply to post by Scott, on February 26, 1999 at 17:34:52:

Good point Scott, the $200.00 units are intended to keep the state from calling out the search and rescue unit when people like me visit the Smoky Mountains but they are not sufficient for a tight inventory or map. If you dont mind trees in side-streets and such they are fine.

The units that require a base station and can decode the satalite info and transmit the corrections to the mobile unit will hit sub-centimeter but they come in at $20,000.00 plus. Got to do alot of trees for that amount of change.

Wayne

Reply to post by Bob Underwood, on February 25, 1999 at 11:15:21:

This page provides links to a number of GIS and GPS pages.

Reply to post by Wayne Cahilly, on February 27, 1999 at 05:54:33:

I represent a company that specializes in GPS/GIS data collection. We spent over $30K on our equipment to get sub-decimeter (10 cm) accuracy. We have just recently completed a tree survey for a Southern California golf course and got excellent results. We are putting our information into ArcInfo for the client, however, we found the same difficulties when learning the software. It does get easier the more you use it.
One thing to look into is a software called Canopy by a company called Natural Path in Missoula, MT. It is a dBASE software based in FoxPro and has specialized information regarding tree inventories.
Give me a call if you would like some more information.

Eric Tusler
Sweeney & Associates, Inc.
909-694-5728