U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GSMCAD, A NEW COMPUTER PROGRAM THAT COMBINES THE FUNCTIONS OF THE GSMAP AND GSMEDIT PROGRAMS AND IS COMPATIBLE WITH MICROSOFT WINDOWS AND ARC/INFO by Van S. Williams1 , Gary I. Selner1, and Richard B. Taylor1 Open-file Report 96-007 Although this program has been used by the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty (expressed or implied) is made by the authors or the U.S. Geological Survey as to the accuracy and functioning of the program and related program materials, nor shall the fact of distribution constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the U.S. Geological Survey in connection therewith. Any use of trade names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey. This report has not been reviewed for conformity with the U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards. 1Denver, Colorado 1996 GSMCAD, A NEW COMPUTER PROGRAM THAT COMBINES THE FUNCTIONS OF TH E GSMAP AND GSMEDIT PROGRAMS AND IS COMPATIBLE WITH MICROSOFT WINDOWS AND ARC/INFO By Van S. Williams , Gary I. Selner, and Richard B. Taylor GSMCAD is a Windows 3.1 to Windows 95-compatible computer program developed as part of the 10th generation of the GSMAP family of U.S. Geological Survey computer programs written by Gary I. Selner and Richard B. Taylor (1993). Its primary function is digital compilation of geologic maps. It is intended to greatly increase the ease of use, capabilities, and speed of editing GSMAP format files, and to implement a reasonably seamless connection to the ESRI ARC/INFO geographic information system programs. It continues the GSMAP philosophy of encouraging digital compilation by allowing the geologist to work in his/her own office where notes, samples, air photos, and other reference materials are nearby, and without need of hardwired connections to Unix computers. At the same time it offers many geologists already trained in GSMAP a bridge to the capabilities of ARC/INFO and options to release their data in a variety of widely recognized formats. Digitizing, labeling, placement of symbols, general editing, correcting topology, attributing of lines and symbols, tagging of polygons, and output of page-size figures and draft maps to open-file standards can be efficiently done on GSMCAD. The actual building of polygons, GIS analysis of data, and publication quality output is probably done more efficiently in ARC/INFO, although the GSMAP system does have some of those capabilities. GSMCAD, as the name implies, functions as a CAD program operating on GSMAP format files. It is the result of porting parts of Selner's Qbasic, DOS-based GSMAP computer code to the Windows environment using the Visual Basic 3.0 programming system. The primary improvements over the DOS- based system are a more user-friendly work environment, increased efficiency and speed of most common tasks through shortcut keys and faster computer algorithms, increased flexibility and options for output to printers and plotters by using windows drivers, and the integration of capabilities from a variety of programs into a single program. Development of GSMCAD and the rest of the GSMAP system offer substantial advantages to the U.S.G.S.. It builds on a substantial world-wide training effort over the last 10 years and allows that training to function as a base to step up to competency in ARC/INFO. It facilitates integration of geologists not connected to any network and those with marginal computer skills into the digital data production effort. It can be distributed freely throughout the Survey and to cooperators within the U.S. and throughout the world, especially in developing countries, as has always been the case with the GSMAP system. Documentation for the program has been compiled into a context-sensitive on-line hypertext help file (GSMCAD.HLP), that can be viewed and printed while running the program or by using the WINHELP.EXE program. There is no paper manual , but additional information on the structure and manipulation of GSMAP databases is available from the manual for GSMAP system 9 in Open-File Report 93-511. Beta versions of the program have been released to experienced GSMAP users for field trials for one year prior to this first official release. The program is distributed either on a high-density 3.5 inch computer disk, or as a single self-extracting archive file (GSMCADIN.EXE) available for downloading over the internet. The program is distributed either on a high- density 3.5 inch computer disk, or as a single self- extracting archive file (GSMCADIN.EXE) available for downloading over the internet. One `anonymous ftp' site for downloading is on a USGS system named greenwood.cr.usgs.gov (137.177.48.5) in a directory named /pub/open-file-reports/ofr-96-0007. Running GSMCADIN.EXE causes it to produce the same set of compressed files included on the disk. The program must be installed from within Windows in the usual way. Under the FILE menu, select RUN. In the dialog box type the full drive and path to the installation files plus the word "setup". By default a GSMCAD directory will be created for the program files (some files will also be added to the windows directory if necessary). Maximum disk space needed is less than 2 MB. In addition to files necessary to run GSMCAD, the installation also includes copies of GSMUTIL.EXE (DOS utilities for manipulating GSMAP database files), GSMGIS.EXE (DOS program to convert between GSMAP format and various GIS formats), and HPGLUTIL.EXE (DOS utility for registering HPGL plots to basemaps in pen plotters). Sample AML (ARC macro language) programs are included that can be run from within ARC/INFO to convert the ARC generate files exported by GSMCAD to ARC/INFO coverages, and to create colored geologic maps from those coverages. After initial installation, GSMCAD can be updated by downloading the newest versions of the files GSMCAD.EXE and GSMCAD.HLP into the GSMCAD directory. Reinstallation is not necessary. To hear the oral prompts given by GSMCAD for changing codes while digitizing, the computer must either have a sound card and speakers or have the PCspeaker driver installed. That driver is included on the distribution disk in the speaker directory. If needed, it must be installed as a new driver using the drivers option under the Control Panel. It is not automatically installed by the setup program. Digitizing with standard GSMAP settings for the digitizing tablet works as usual, but using other settings makes additional options available. If the digitizer is set on continuous binary mode, the cursor will track the position of the keypad on the tablet, much like a mouse cursor. Also it becomes possible (but not necessary) to digitize in continuous mode without holding down the zero key. Points are taken in the range of .03 to .3 inches apart depending on the curvature of the line. To signify binary mode, the config9.dig file in the GSMCAD directory must include the word KEYPADB rather than KEYPAD. Only the GTCO high resolution binary format is supported, but that is emulated by many modern digitizers. A Calcomp 9500 series digitizer works well using the same settings recommended for other CAD programs in GTCO mode as listed in the table of menu settings for selected graphics packages. The format must be format 23 (9500 Format #5) set by soft switches in the format area (on off on on on). The mode should be RUN (off on off off off off) for continuous digitizing. REFERENCES Selner, Gary. I., and Taylor, Richard B., 1993, System 9, GSMAP, and other programs for the IBM PC and compatible microcomputers, to assist workers in the earth sciences: U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 93- 511, 363 p. Address questions, comments, and suggestions to: Van S. Williams (303) 236-1289 U.S.G.S. MS 913 DFC Box 25046 Denver, CO 80225-0046 vwilliam@usgs.gov