Chapter F

CD-ROM Development

By Chris Polloni¹, Laura Hayes¹, and Frank T. Manheim¹

¹ USGS

INTRODUCTION

This CD-ROM is a new type of digital product combining research data with information for a wider public.  It has placed special emphasis on linking contaminant information and other sediment properties of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin with supportive information and user-friendly electronic tools. The data and images on this CD-ROM are delivered to the user through a variety of public-domain and commercial software applications via the standard desktop computer interface. The data are formatted for mapping and display in ways that are compatible with desktop Geographic Information System (GIS) tools such as MapInfo, ArcView, LandView IV and ArcExplorer (Polloni and others, 1998; Polloni and DiGiacomo-Cohen, 1998). 

MapInfo was the primary GIS development and analysis tool for this project. Project files for both MapInfo and ArcView have been archived and are included for users who have compatible software (see Data Visualization). LandView IV and ArcExplorer can be downloaded directly from this CD-ROM, and each can serve as a stand-alone mapping application to display and query the data. The CD also incorporates a training video on collecting vibracores in Lake Pontchartrain. It was adapted from a video using Asymetrix software. Finally, the CD was equipped with automatic opening capability.

SEQUENCE OF DEVELOPMENTS

The first CD-ROM produced for this project (Kenwood and others, 1996) was designed as a web-compatible product with imagery and database information that was viewed through the user's browser. One of the primary components of this CD-ROM was the environmental and geological bibliography. It also included a map atlas that was out of print.

Subsequently, a prototype CD-ROM (Polloni and others, 1998), which used LandView III as the map viewer, was produced. The goal was to integrate scientific data collected around the lake and provide the user with a map viewer to display selected data layers. LandView IV can be used with the latest version of the sediment database included on this CD-ROM. It has the benefit of incorporating large databases of Federal and State information with a simple mapping system. However, we have found that other free software may be easier to integrate with the existing database and GIS layers.

The sediment database was developed in Microsoft® Excel and then migrated to Microsoft® Access to accommodate relational structures and permit complex querying (see appendix D of the Sediment Database section to download the database). The mapping software tools accept database files (Excel, Access, DBF files, tab-delimited files) as data sources.

With support from Asymetrix Inc., a demonstration video has been developed and included on this CD-ROM. Sediment sampling equipment and techniques are shown through this video of USGS scientists using a vibracore in Lake Pontchartrain. See the section Vibracore Sampling for more details.

Finally, an automatic menuing system, AutoPlay, was included for CD-ROMs runnning under the Windows operating system. The master was then republished for the MacOS to permit use of the CD-ROM in both operating systems.

DISCUSSION

The inclusion of mapping tools allows users to generate custom maps using all or any subset of the data and to develop new displays to test the data. The interactive nature of the interface allows users to query the database, explore new relationships, perform additional analysis, and draw their own conclusions. The users may also query web connections to supplement the knowledge and data presented here and build resources to facilitate decision-making in today's complicated world.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The GIS tool "ArcExplorer" included on this CD-ROM is available on the web as free public-use software and should be downloaded from the web to assure that the latest version is obtained (ArcExplorer). The web is also a good source for tips on how to use the GIS tools and guidance on troubleshooting. An earlier version of this CD-ROM, including additional educational materials, is also available on the web at http://pubs.usgs.gov/openfile/of98-805/ .Users are encouraged to correspond with the authors through e-mail to ask questions and provide input on matters that relate to this publication.

REFERENCES CITED

Kenwood, C.M., Manheim, F.T., Polloni, C.F., and Williams, S.J., 1996.  An environmental and geological bibliography for Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-527, 1 CD-ROM.

Polloni, C.F., and DiGiacomo-Cohen, M.L., 1998, Visualizing Long Island Sound data layers using geographic mapping tools, in Long Island Sound environmental studies, Poppe, L.J. and Polloni, C.F., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-502, 1 CD-ROM.

Polloni, C.F., Manheim, F.T., McIntire, A.G., 1998, Interactive electronic publication of chemical-environmental data from Lake Pontchartrain Basin: Exploration of applications with LandView III, the new interagency database/map query system: Basics of the Basin Research Symposium, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, May 12 and 13, 1998.