Main
Steps to work with SPRING
In order to start any
task in the SPRING System there is a sequence of logical procedures that has
to be followed. The main steps are described bellow:
0. Starting the SPRING System : To start the SPRING System type "./springport" in a command
terminal
( version ) in the Spring installation directory, or select Start - Programs - Spring - Spring in a system.
1. Define a Database = you have to provide a name and
a path. The system will create in the specified location a folder, where the
data base will be physically stored. Everything related to this data base
will be stored inside this folder. After creating a Database it is necessary to activate
the Database so
you can use it. It is not possible to have more than one database active at
the same time.
2. Define Thematic Categories and Classes = each data type handled by the
SPRING system has to belong to a category. Each category belongs to a data
model (Thematic, Numerical, Image,
Cadastral, Network and Object). The user doesn't need to
define all the categories at once, because we usually don't know everything
required to reach the objective. At any time it is possible to add or to
define new categories. The Thematic model category requires a class
definition. The thematic class defines the visual - the way the points, lines and areas will
be shown on the screen (color, shading, filling, etc).
3. Define a Project = a project really defines a
physical working area. The user has to define a name, projection and a
rectangle area in order to define a project. A sub directory, under the data
base folder, will be created, and all the data related to a region will be
stored in this place. The project will be created only if a data base is
active, but the categories don't need to be defined. The user can define as
many projects as necessary, but it is not possible to have more than one
project active at the same time.
4. Create an Information Layer =
information layers (ILs) are
stored inside a project, a soil map, a road map, an image, etc, all from the
same common area are stored in the same sub-directory corresponding to the
current project. In order to create an IL it is required to define a name, a
category, a scale (for thematic, numerical or cadastral IL), and resolution
(for numerical or image IL). Notice that it is required to have an active
data base and project to create an IL. Again, it is possible to define as
many ILs as necessary but only one can be active.
5. Data Editing = data in the SPRING system can
be represented in a matrix and/or vector format, depending on the model
(category) it belongs to. In order to edit points, lines and areas in the
vectorial format one can use a digitalizing table to transfer data from a map
to the computer, or import data from other formats or software. Matrix data
can read images stored in specific formats, can interpolate numerical matrix
grids or even convert vectorial to matrix data.
Once the data (ILs) is edited, it is possible to get others by analysis,
cross information, etc, using specific software functions or a map
programming language.
6. Printing a map = It is possible to send the data
from an IL to either a printer or a plotter.
7. Stopping the SPRING System : If you want to stop the SPRING System you
can follow one of the options below:
click twice on the
box in the Control menu, or
click once on the
box from the Control menu to display its menu and next click over the option Quit, or;
click over File in the main menu and select Close . Answer YES in the
confirming window.
See also:
The
SPRING working environment
About
the SPRING
Introduction
to the UNIX operating system
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