Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 15:14:03 -0800 (PST)
From: gp@scic.intel.com (Garry Petrie)
To: cavers (Cavers Forum)
Subject: Texas Description of WinKarst
Message-ID: <9503142314.AA17212@rs016.scic.intel.com>
--General--
1. Name & version of program: WinKarst
2. Written by: Garry Petrie
3. Year completed: March 1995
4. Price: Free via internet, $5 direct mail.
Feedback on usability requested
5. Available from: Internet ftp site: gserv1.dl.ac.uk
and speleology.cs.yale.edu
or directly:
Garry Petrie
19880 NW Nestucca Drive
Portland, Oregon 97229
6. Thumbnail description:
- Mapping/plotting program for use with MicroSoft's Windows.
- Complete and integrated familiar graphical user interface.
- Fastest performace of any DOS or Windows based cave mapping software.
- Hundreds of features including interactive loop closure and z-sorted passage
dimensional polygon drawing.
- "Double clicking" on objects brings up a window describing that object.
Surveys, stations, loops and caves maybe selected.
- 92 specific operations
7. System requirements & capabilities, including peripherals:
Any compatable PC running Windows in enhanced mode (386 or better processor).
8. Can use math coprocessor: Can use 80387 or better.
9. Printer/plotter drivers available:
Supports any printer installed under Windows.
10. Advantages of program:
Extremely user friendly and easy to use. Mouse driven with pull down menus,
keyboard accelerator keys and tool bars. Employs Multiple Document Interface
(MDI). Can view cave data graphically and/or texturally. Selecting items in any
window will automatically update all other views of the cave. Can simultaneously
open multiple graphical views of the cave. Can simultaneously open multiple
cave surveys, each with multiple text or graphic views. All views can be tiled,
cascaded, moved, iconized or resized. Loop closure has adjustable parameters
and blunder detection. Loops can be color coded relative to their expected
closure error, red for the worst, violet the best and displayed graphically.
During any time comsuming operation, progress meters show percentage towards
completion.
11. Possible disadvantages of program:
Current release does not allow for editing the survey data. However, the data
file format is ASCII and can be edited with a text editor such as Windows's
WRITE program. Documentation of the raw data formate is available and examples
are provided.
12. Data management style (one file, hierarchical, etc.):
Single file with one layer of include files.
13. Data entry screen can be customized:
Not implemented yet.
14. Station name auto prefixing/suffixing:
Not implemented yet.
15. Input/output units:
Not implemented yet.
16. File import/export:
Currently three file types, SUR, KST and PLT are recognized. The SUR file
type is an ASCII file compatable with and described by DOS KARST. The KST
file type is a reduced data binary file, also compatable with DOS KARST.
The PLT file type is an ASCII character reduced data file and is compatable
with and described by COMPASS.
17. Database/inventory features:
Not implemented yet.
--Data Processing--
18. Maximum number of vectors:
Limited only by system RAM and Window's swap disk space. Caves with 20,000
shots can be handled without every accessing disk, other than initial loading,
on typical PC's
19. Type of loop closing:
An iterative method described as simulated annealing. An simultaneous process
which is iterated until an acceptable improvement has been achieved. No shot
is adjusted more than user specified amounts. Loops exceding a user specified
blunder limit are not closed.
20. Processing speed (slow, medium, fast):
Processes data very fast due to very optimized sorting and comparison routines.
Data can appear in any order and extensive results and statistics reporting is
available.
21. Statistical error analysis:
Actual and expected loop error is reported. Loop list is sorted by the ratio
of actual to expected error, highlighting the worst closure errors. Un-closed
error vectors are graphically displayed as dashed lines between stations. Loop
shot sequences can be selected and viewed either graphically or texturally.
Other facts such as number of stations, shots and surveys, extremes of the cave,
length of the cave and its surveys, the length and number of shots in loops,
the number of shots connecting any station, the location of any station and
more are immediately available.
--Graphics--
22. On-screen graphics:
Expects a Windows graphics mode supporting at least 256 colors, at least
typical VGA. Will run in any higher graphics modes supported in Windows.
Plots are either line with station attributes or z-sorted polygons based on
passage dimension (LRUD) data. Cave name and mouse position within the
drawing is reported in the bottom status bar of the window.
23. On-screen scale & north arrow:
Not implemented yet.
24. Map rotation:
Not implemented yet.
25. Oblique/profile views:
Profile only viewed from the south. Profile can be displayed with the plan
view immediately below or separately.
26. Perspective view:
Not implemented yet. Once rotation is implemented, two views of the cave
could be opened and viewing crossed eye will result in 3D effects. It is
also possible to create two caves with artifical, but slightly different
magnetic declinations and simultaneously view them to create 3D effects.
27. Attributes/colors:
Color by depth, color by survey and color by loop. All stations can be
displayed using five different symbols types, keyed on survey or loop, or
just stations at junctions and deadends, or lists of stations can be displayed.
Station name and elevation can be optionally displayed. Size, color and font
type of the station text can be users selected. Black or white background color.
28. Coordinates/GIS features:
Not implemented yet.
29. Cross-sections:
Profile views can be displayed as north/south sorted polygons based upon LRUD.
30. Clipping:
Not implemented yet.
31. Positioning of title, scale on plot:
Not implemented yet.
32. Quadrangle plotting:
Not implemented yet.