MrSidd

[GEM]

Is the MSCAD 2008 compatible with MrSIDD image files?

Thanks

[Ed Gasbarre]

Yes it is. However, 2008 has issues handling the .tif files that are created from MrSid. I'm told these issues will be resolved with the next service patch. At this point version 2005 works much better.

Ed

[B. K. Lemons]

Ed, MrSID is a compression technology. TIFF documents are not created from MrSID.

MSCAD 2005 does not support MrSID compressed files. As far as I know, neither does 2008. A search for "mrsid" on this forum will reveal other discussions of this subject within the past year or so. As I recall, MS staff said in one or more of those posts that there are no plans to include MrSID capability in future versions of MSCAD. (The license from Lizardtech, which owns the technology, is probably quite expensive.)

We use quite a bit of MrSID compressed imagery in our work. So do a large majority of others outside the surveying profession, especially those running GISs. MDCAD is what it is and what it is intended to be: surveying CAD software. It's not GIS software. With its lack of capability for supporting MrSID compressed imagery and otherwise, we find ourselves relying on ArcGIS for most of our mapping needs. We do our cogo and plottings in MSCAD, then import the plottings into ArcView, where the plottings can be converted to ESRI shapefiles.

[Glen Cameron]

B.K. is correct - MicroSurvey CAD 2008 does not support MrSid files. The number of raster image formats supported is continueing to be increased by the company that does the raster programming, but they have not added MrSid files as yet. As was mentioned, the cost of licensing the technology may be a factor. If they do add this option in the future, then we will be able to supply it, but no time frame has been even discussed as to if this will even be attempted.

[surveyor6925]

I have been able to use Mr. Sidd files. However, it is intermitant. ie. Cut out the portion of the image I wanted, brought it into the dwg and it printed correctly. Came back to the project several weeks later and althouth the image appeared on the screen, it would not print. Came back several weeks after that and it did print. No changes in OS other than standard updates. No other changes in system. I have no idea!!?

[B. K. Lemons]

Tim, I think what you may be doing is not actually importing or opening MrSID files with MSCAD. To import MrSID or open MrSID files with MSCAD, MSCAD would have to have the capability to decompress them. It doesn't have that capability.

I think what you may be actually doing is using some other software to open (decompress) and view the image file, then cutting (or copying) and pasting a portion of the image into an MSCAD drawing.

With some software packages (some of which may be free), you can open the MrSID image, then save it as a tiff or other format, then perhaps import that into MSCAD permanently. We haven't tried that, because we've already moved to ArcView, which imports most any kind of file (and is "smokin'").

[surveyor6925]

BK, you are correct. I use Mr. Sid to export a specific area as specified by gps coordinates to a tiff file. Usually you also must specify in Mr. Sid a reduced resolution ie 2,4,8,16 etc.:1 if the area is very big. Otherwise the file is to large for Microsurvey to handle. I've used this technique on several ditch jobs for Soil & Water agency. Although the ditch area of interest is only 50 ft wide, it wanders all over hell and creation for 1 - 5 miles depending on the job. You may block out a 5000 ft by 15000 ft area to get the whole project.

[B. K. Lemons]

Canvas X with GIS is good for this. I'm told that a free 15-day trial is available, then can be extended for an additional 15 days. All it takes is an email address. It imports MSCAD, AutoCAD and ESRI shapefiles, too.