Calling the Computer Savy; Way off-topic

[Good Hope]

Hello,

I am attempting to open some zipped files (which have been unzipped) containing soil maps. However, I am having problems opening the "spatial" information.  A message pops up saying that my system is not properly configured to view the file and that it may look "wrong."  (It does.  )  Clicking on help brings me to the page on "How do I view graphic/spreadsheet/word processing files in an archive?"  It seems I do not have the correct program, but I do not know which program that would be.    The files all seem to be different file types (DBF, PRJ, SBN, and SBX were the first four).

I can paste the contents of the "read-me" file here if anyone thinks they can help.

Thank you,
Sofia (Good Hope's daughter)

P.S. On second thought, I think this should be done through pm's, because the posts might become very long and the thread is so off-topic.  Thanks.

[Good Hope]

Well, the problem seems to be that I do not have Microsoft Access.

Sofia

[loki]

I deal with soil, radar and a few others types all the time, if you need help exporting these to a text file.

[cricket36580]

do a search on the ms website for an Access reader.  You won't be able to change the sheet but you should be able to view it.  Otherwise you have to buy the program...cost s about $150.  Too bad you aren't closer, I have a free version...

[Nicole]

Did you want to look at the actual map? Or just the database associated with it? Cuz if you want to see the map, you'll need like, ArcView or something.

[Good Hope]

Did you want to look at the actual map? Or just the database associated with it? Cuz if you want to see the map, you'll need like, ArcView or something.

That is correct.  I later found this website (http://soildataviewer.nrcs.usda.gov/), which mentions that either ArcView or ArcGIS must be installed to view the maps.  I think the database might have helped also, although the maps probably would have been easier to use, but I don't know.  However, since I don't have any of the program sand am not aware of any free versions for the others, I am just working around it.

BTW, where are those programs (ArcView and ArcGIS) sold?  I don't need the maps now, although they would have been nice to have, but I might really need them later.

Thank you for all your help. 

Sofia

P.S. An interesting website I found when looking for free versions of WinZip: http://www.oldversions.com  I was able to get a 21 day trial of an old version that worked fine for unzipping the files.  Since it was just a trial, I deleted the program, along with the files that I could not view.    I thought it was a good idea, since they were useless to me without Microsoft Access, but maybe it wasn't.

[loki]

it seems we have a few other people here  in the meteorology field?

[Nicole]

Sophia,
 You can request a trial version of ARCGIS 9.0 from ESRI. They are the people that make it. Just go to their website, I think that it is like, www.esri.com or something. You'll have to dig around a bit, but there is a place to request a trial. You can buy it there, too. But, its an expensive program. The other thing is that it has kind of a steep learning curve associated with it, but there are lots of good tutorials and the trial version comes with a whole disk that's just tutorials. If you just want to "view" maps, you shouldn't have any problems, its when you want to manipulate them that some skill comes into play.

Loki,
 No, not meterology. GIS. I'm a student at Indiana University, and I want to do GIS when I graduate. I'm a map dork. My major is Environmental Management and my minor is Geography. I love maps! I've had several GPS/GIS internships, and its definitely what I want to do! What do you do? Do you work for NOAA or something?

Good luck, Sophia! PM me if you've got any questions! I'd love to help! Or, if you want to e-mail me the file, I can display it and take a screen shot or something for you, so you can look at it!
Nicole

[loki]

actually NCAR, and have a neighbour who works for ESRI.

[Good Hope]

Well, I just lost everything I was typing.  I'll pm you, Nicole.

Thank you for all of your help.

Sofia

[Nicole]

OOH! Cool, Loki! You must live in California, then? I'd love to work for ESRI when I get out of school, but I probably won't have any programming ability. I'll probably end up working for EPA or something.

[loki]

Actually, Boulder CO. Don't worry you can learn to program quickly. After undergrad I only knew c++(barely) in grad school picked up IDL, fortran, a little perl. Astronomy/physics was my field, weird where you end up.

[Nicole]

Ha! Yeah, it is. I've always been an environmentali st, and swore I'd never sit in an office all day. But, with GIS, I guess that I'll probably be doing alot of that! I just enjoy it so much! I don't think I could get into programming, though. I am already FREAKING OUT about dealing with databases...Or acle, Access..I hate them! hahaha! Way too logical for me!

[loki]

Actually one of our guys is using arcgis to map polar research data for an online field catalog. A little programming a little field work. Of course the "field" being the icebreaker USCGC Healy for 3 months.