Q3 is the new FEMA digital flood insurance data products. It is a seamless county-wide database. The final Q3 products will be available for both vector data such as ArcInfo coverage, FEMA DLG, MapInfo format as well as metadata, and raster data such as scanned panel maps later next year. This paper will discuss the Q3 data model, data capture, and data conversion. It will focus on how to implement the automation process using different programming techniques for a large database design and data production line. It will also examine different mathematical and statistical models for checking and fixing both topological and attribute errors, such as one-node polygons, counting the true vertex for polygons, and sliver polygons, as well as the validity of attributes. Finally, it will discuss the Q3 delivery format such as ArcInfo coverage, DLG file, and MapInfo format-differences and solutions.
Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1841) Typically organizations that are embarking on the implementation of a GIS program search out systems which appear to have beaten the odds to become a "successful installation". All to often this research avoids asking the critical questions revolving around organizational acceptance and focuses more on asking "How much does it cost?" and "What are the immediate benefits?". Enter Attila the Hun. Attila has long been considered an ominous character and an unlikely candidate to model ones management skills after. However, when one sets aside the barbaric characterization attached to his name, managers will discover an individual possessing excellent managerial and leadership skills. The premise of this paper is to explore the obstacles Attila the Hun encountered and the methods he used to lead a nation as an analogy to implementing technology. Attila will share his views on building consensus, developing an effective training program, and establishing an enterprise GIS.
Post liberation Kuwait is facing many challenges, particularly with reduced economic circumstances and a transformed population structure and work force. There is now a more urgent need to establish a systematic database using computer technology and to relate urban data together, than recognized before the invasion. The new Third Kuwait Master Plan Project will guide the development of Kuwait over the next twenty years, using GIS technology as a tool for the preparation of development plans and for urban management. Policies and proposals will be presented through GIS in an easy-to-access form which can help guide day-to-day decisions. This paper outlines some of the methodologies and experience gained through the 3 KMP GIS Project in Kuwait.