Dear MapWindow Community,

January 16, 2006 represented one year since MapWindow GIS was released as open source software!

This is an exciting landmark for the MapWindow Team, so I wanted to give you a brief list of some of the key new developments in the project:

• The MapWindow GIS 4.0 desktop application...
  
  
  • Now supports over 3,000 projections!
  • Is now international! Check the status of your language.
  • Includes GIS Tools  for raster and vector projection, clipping, and merging.
  • Supports GeoTIFF and several additional file formats.
  • Loads faster and is more stable than version 3.0.
  • Includes a VB.NET/C# scripting interface for writing scripts.
  • Can be extended with plug-ins written in any .NET language.
  • Is rapidly being adopted by many agencies and universities as a platform for distributing data, models and research tools.

• The MapWinGIS ActiveX control...
  
  
  • Now runs in Microsoft Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Delphi, and any platform that supports COM.
  • Includes the GDAL open source libraries for a variety of file formats
  • Includes the PROJ4 library for projections
  • Includes the GPC polygon clipping library
  • Is faster and more stable (yes we found those memory leaks!)
  • Is available in a streamlined open source installer that can be included with your software
  • Is free to download, use, and redistribute!

• And at www.MapWindow.org you can...
  
  
  • Download MapWindow and plug-ins
  • Post questions on an active discussion forum
  • View and contribute to source code
  • Read and add to the WIKI-based documentation
  • Join the MapWindow Developer Team
  • Subscribe to and from dynamic lists to track code, bugs, and discussions

• Upcoming events...
  
  
  • There will be several MapWindow related talks at the AWRA Spring Specialty Conference in Houston, Texas in May 2006,
  • Also at the iEMSs Environmental Modeling Software Conference in Burlington, Vermont in July 2006,
  • Possibly at the FOSS Geoinformatics 2006, Lausanne, Switzerland in September 2006,
  • And hopefully elsewhere (let me know!)
  • If you would like to meet as a user community at any of these venues, please contact me.

Thank you to all who have contributed time, code and energy to this project!

Sincerely,

Daniel P. Ames, PhD
MapWindow Team Leader
Department of Geosciences
Geographic Information Sciences Lab
Idaho State University-Idaho Falls Campus
http://www.isu.edu/geology/
http://www.hydromap.com/
http://www.mapwindow.org/