Converting a GIS map to a GIF

Making Gif's from GIS maps

by Keith Larson


(Editor's Note: The process below was used to make the maps on the Verde River Watershed Home Page. An example of one of these maps appears as a "land ownership map" on the Verde River Watershed Home Page.

For more information contact Keith Larson, USNRCS)


To convert maps (or images) to .GIF files for use on the world wide web

Setting up:

Using a Sun Workstation you go into the snapshot utility under programs. (Other systems will most likely have a similar utility to capture a window)

Set up the map or image into a window. It is best to keep the pagesize relatively small (something like 8.5 by 11 or 8 by 10)

The process:

Then you use the snapshot utility by specifying Window as your snap type, your choice for snap delay (if desired), and press the SNAP button.
This produces a Sun rasterfile. You then must save this file using the SAVE button with the extension .RAS

Alternative #1

If you have xv, you can use that for both image conversion to a .GIF while staying in the UNIX environment. You will probably want to use the CROP feature. If you do not have xv you can download it via ftp from ftp.cis.upenn.edu in the /pub directory.

Alternative #2

If you have Paint Shop Pro on a DOS system, the file will need to be converted to a DOS system. So on a UNIX workstation like the Sun, one way to do this is to mount a floppy disk using in /pcfs as superuser. Then you can use a UNIX cp command to move it to the /pcfs directory (and subsequently the floppy as well). Finally, type eject;eject from the superuser prompt and you have a DOS floppy with the Sun rasterfile on it. From this point you will go into Paint Shop Pro on a DOS system and OPEN the file. You can then do any editing you may wish to do to refine the image. Then you can use SAVE AS and save the image as a .GIF file.

Now you have your finished .GIF file ready to place onto the World Wide Web

Participating agecies can ftp these .GIF files to ftp.sedona.net using an anonymous login. Please place the .GIF file in the incoming directory and contact Keith Larson or John Parsons.


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