[Xastir] Tiger maps?

[terrylj2 at embarqmail.com]

This may be a bit off topic but I have looked and have yet to find if jpg files can be converted to shapefiles or a raster file. Any advice?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Dale Seaburg <kg5lt at verizon.net>
Sender: xastir-bounces at lists.xastir.org
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:48:51 
To: xastir<xastir at lists.xastir.org>
Reply-To: Xastir - APRS client software discussion <xastir at lists.xastir.org>
Subject: Re: [Xastir] Tiger maps?

  On Sun, 5 Sep 2010, Curt, WE7U wrote:

    On Sun, 5 Sep 2010, Michael Lewis wrote:

> Would I be missing any other files because the towns don't show up 
> when I zoom in closer? Or would that be a setting in Xastir it's self?

   Could be either.

   I don't have Tiger2009 installed here, but have Tiger2008.  I just
   selected each file in a county directory one-by-one and didn't see
   city names show up either, but did see the yellow filled areas
   representing those towns.


When I was messing with TL 2008 offline maps, I had to diddle with the 
dbfawk files to get the towns and county names to appear the way I 
wanted.  But, it has been too long since I've played with them to 
remember which shapefile/dbfawk pairs I had messed with.  One place (on 
the internet - maybe on the TL site?) had the full meaning of the 
shapefile  names, and what the basic data was in each.  That gave me the 
clue for which dbfawk files I needed to edit.

It took a good bit of trial-n-error to get the right combination.  I 
played with zoom level values and color values.   I also had to fiddle 
with the layer level priority file (can't recall the name for it either) 
to get the town yellow fill-in to drop below the town street level 
detail so I could see the streets again.

Sorry for not remembering the detail of filenames, etc.  I am living 
proof of "If you don't use it, you lose it" adage.  Too busy this past 
year and a half with Windoze stuff to keep myself Linux/Xastir 
active/current.  It *just works* on my TC1100 laptop as a fixed station 
(KG5LT) with almost NO assistance from me.  Even through power outages!  
Can't say that for a Windoze machine...

I might add one word of advice: before editing any dbfawk file, make a 
backup *first*.  I learned that the hard way, groan.

I'll be glad when I finish my current Windoze project so I can 
experience the OSM excitement.  That sounds really neat.  A big thanks 
to Jerry et. al. for their hard work getting that going.

73 - Dale.  KG5LT


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