This CD-ROM was designed for computers equipped with a CD-ROM reader, mouse, and either the Windows or Macintosh operating system. It can be read with any HTML-compatible browser, like Netscape or Internet Explorer. With Windows, the Autoplay menu should automatically open on inserting the CD-ROM into the drive. Alternatively, the Table of Contents can be displayed by opening the file "start.htm" located at the root directory of the CD-ROM.

LandView IV Installion under Windows:

LandView IV Installion for the Macintosh:

Also contained in this readme file:

   TIPS ON BROWSING THIS CD-ROM
   FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)
   QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS (CONTACT INFO)
   DISCLAIMER

TIPS ON BROWSING THIS CD-ROM

The document is divided into two main parts.

• Scientific Research and Assessments
• Multimedia and Educational Resources

Together, these parts contain 12 sections that can be clicked on and searched from the Contents table. The first page of each section contains a drop-down menu at the bottom listing all the sections plus Home page and the Participants page. This is a convenient way to go to another section without using the back arrow in the browser to get back to the home page. Some sections have multiple pages like a print publication. Any page beyond the first one has an arrow at the bottom to facilitate navigation to other pages within that section. Address information for participating organizations is listed at the top following the preface.

The Science sections provide historical information, shipboard, field, and remote sensing studies. Included is a comprehensive sediment database and geochemical and environmental review of sea-floor sediments. The Sediment Database is accessible from Appendix D in the section Sediment Database and Geochemical Assessment of Lake Pontchartrain Basin. Also accessible from this section are GIS layers and metadata and GIS Project files.

FAQS about this CD-ROM

1.  Will this CD work on any platform?

This CD was designed on a PC with Windows 9x/NT/2K/XP or Mac OS in mind. Most features should work on any platform, but there will always be exceptions.
A few known limitations:

• ArcExplorer only runs on Windows.
• The Autoplay start menu does not work on a Mac.
• Most of the file names conform to the 8.3 convention. A few file names exist with longer names and any links to them through a browser may not work on a Mac but should still open by directly double-clicking on the file.

2.  Do I have to have software to view the GIS layers?

No, you can install the LandView IV software included on the CD for both the Mac and Windows operating systems, or ArcExplorer for Windows. If you already have MapInfo or ArcView installed, there are more format options available for download and viewing.

3.  Where can I get the free software mentioned?

• ArcExplorer: http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/
• RealPlayer: http://www.real.com/player/
• Adobe Acrobat Reader: http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html
• WinZip: http://www.winzip.com/download.htm
• StuffIt Expander: http://www.aladdinsys.com/expander/

4.  I successfully installed the LandView IV already, but now I am having problems getting the program started or seeing data.

There is no link to start the software from the HTML documents. The program itself is on your hard drive if you successfully installed it already, and the data reside on the CD-ROM. Find Database (Mac OS) or Database.exe (Windows) on your hard drive and double-click it to start. Make sure the Lake Pontchartrain Basin CD is in the drive so that all the data are available from within LandView IV.

5.  When I click on a link to a text file or an Excel file, it appears in my browser, but how do I save the file to my hard drive?

If it is already showing in your browser, on the Mac OS choose File-Save As from the menu. In Windows, you can right click on the link to the file and choose Save Link As(Netscape) or Save Target As (Internet Explorer).

6.  Why does ArcView (or MapInfo or ArcExplorer) ask repeatedly, "Where is...?" when I try to open the GIS project files?

Project files (.aep, .apr, or .wor) are text files that contain references to the individual GIS layers that appear in the project. These references are set up to be relative path names, and therefore, the project automatically looks for those files in the same location as the project file exists.

You will run into problems if a project file is saved to a hard drive and the GIS layers are still on the CD. The application will not be able to find the layers, since the project file is instructing it to look on the hard drive also. The project files must be run from the CD, or all the layers and the project files must be copied to hard drive.

You also may experience problems opening the project files from the hyperlinks. This is because some browsers use a "temp" directory on your hard drive to temporarily place the project and run it. Again, this physically separates the project file from its GIS layers. If this happens, try the link from another browser, if possible. Or, navigate to the CD drive's file list and open the project files from there (instead of through the HTML links).

Make sure you have the most recent version of the RealPlayer (http://www.real.com/player). If it still does not work, try accessing it from a different browser. Or, check to be sure you have the most recent version of your browser.

8.  Why don't the drop-down menus at the bottom of the pages work?

Since the menus that allow you to select and go to a different page use a JavaScript, you need to have a Java-enabled browser. Some older versions of web browsers are not Java-enabled, so check to see if there is a more recent version available. Also ensure that the settings of your browser are enabled for JavaScript.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

Questions or suggestions about the content of this CD-ROM may be directed to:

DISCLAIMER

This Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) publication was prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, products, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe on privately-owned rights. References to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, does not constitute or imply its endorsement by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency.