[wellylug] Possible project of interest?

[Brent Wood]

Happy NY Linuxers...

(A bit late, but I'm just back from sea since Dec 27th)

I have a (sort of) Open Source project in mind. I'd like to go through 
the NZOSS with it, but figure I'll ask around here first.

LINZ have a digital vector set of data covering NZ. Basically every 
feature (road, graveyard, lake, river, railway, golf course. quarry, 
waterfall, etc) on their 260 series maps is available.

This data can be used to build elevation models, road maps, etc... using 
Open Source GIS & mapping software. Mapinfo have been sponsoring GIS in 
schools with commercial software, and NIWA & others have been sponsoring 
regional school science fairs. Students often choose environmental 
subjects & try to draw maps as part of their project.

This data could be supplied free, once reformatted, bundled with OS GIS 
& mapping software.

If this is purchased in a typical "GIS" format, there are licensing 
restrictions on onselling/supplying the data to 3rd parties. The 
followiong quote from LINZ is about the data provided in LINZ's native 
"LSLIFF" format

"The cost of NZTopo in LSLIFF is $1500 incl GST.  It can be obtained
from the Map Centre.  There are no additional conditions placed on a
purchaser with regard to reselling.  It is yours to do with as you
wish."


Given that I can provide the data & the data format description, I'm 
looking for people with C skills to write a reformatter to a more 
useable GIS format. (The reason I suggest C is that shapefiles are 
probably the obvious format to use, despite being proprietary, and the 
Open Source shapelib library could be used, along with USGS proj, which 
would hopefully simplify things a bit)

Is anyone here interested in such a project, or able to provide 
support/resources which could be useful?



Brent Wood