[Xastir] USGS DLG "Optional" format and shapefiles

[Tom Russo]

Before I go off and waste time writing a converter (which might never get 
finished... sigh), does anyone on this list know how to convert USGS DLG
"Optional" format vector layers into shapefiles (without owning a copy of
ArcView --- it's apparently easy that way)?

There are two quads (count 'em, TWO) in my local area for which road layers 
updated after 1972 are only available in Optional format instead of SDTS, 
and while I have the files I can't seem to find any converters that aren't 
Avenue scripts for ArcView, or commercial products for $150.  I could 
conceivably pull them into GRASS and export them to shapefiles, but GRASS's 
support for multi-category vector layers is abysmal --- once I import it into 
GRASS I pretty much lose all the entity labels defining feature type in any 
way that would wind up in the exported shapefile.

Anyone know of a simple converter?  I hate to dig into the DLG standard
deep enough to write a converter for two lousy files.  Alternatively, does
anyone on the list own a copy of ArcView and have enough spare time to 
run DLG2SHP.avx on two files?

-- 
Tom Russo    KM5VY   SAR502   DM64ux          http://www.swcp.com/~russo/
Tijeras, NM  QRPL#1592 K2#398  SOC#236 AHTB#1 http://www.qsl.net/~km5vy/
 echo "prpv_a'rfg_cnf_har_cvcr" | sed -e 's/_/ /g' | tr [a-m][n-z] [n-z][a-m]