HOMS COMPONENT

GEOREFERENCED INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM - SPRING

1.   Purpose and objectives

     To be a free-distribution geoprocessing tool for the development of Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

2.   Description

     SPRING (from its name in Portuguese: Sistema para Processamiento de Informações Georeferenciadas) is a 2nd generation geographical data base for UNIX and Windows, with the following characteristics:

     * Operates as a seamless geographical data base with a large volume of 
       data, without being limited by tiling schemes, scale and 
       projection, maintaining objects identities on the whole data base.

     * Supports both raster and vector data and integrates remote sensing
       data into a GIS with image processing, digital terrain modelling,
       spatial analysis and data base query and manipulation.

     * Provides an easy-to-use and powerful environment, with a combination
       of menu-driven application and a spatial algebra language (LEGAL,
       from its Portuguese name: Linguagem Espaço-Geográfica baseada em
       Algebra).

     * Works with the same functionality on desktop PCs and on
       high-performance RISC workstations.

     * Contains innovative algorithms for spatial indexing, image
       segmentation and TIN (Triangular Irregular Networks) generation with
       breaklines that warrants appropriate performance to the applications
       and complements traditional image processing and spatial analysis
       methods.

     * Data base is unique. The data structure is the same on desktop PCs
       and on RISC workstations.
        

3.   Input

     Point data, such as hydrological and meteorological data from georeferenced stations, and spatial data derived from satellite images, aerial photographs or radar images. 

4.   Output

     Thematic maps, such as isolines maps, spatialization of point data, etc.

5.   Operational requirements and restrictions

     For its operation, SPRING needs a system with minimum 32 Mb of main memory. The minimal installation of SPRING requires 50 Mb disk space. It is recommended to reserve at least 500 Mb for the data banks to be created by the user. Peripherals such as digitizer boards, HPGL compatible plotters 
and PostScript printers are supported and can be integrated into the system.

6.   Form of presentation

     SPRING 3.0 is available via CD-ROM or from the Internet. To install it, follow the instructions on the Installation Manual or on the web page.
 

7.   Operational experience

     SPRING has been used extensively in various applications in Brazil and other countries. Examples can be found in the software tutorial. SPRING 3.0 was tested on the following setups:

     * SUN SPARC workstations using Solaris 2.4 or higher;

     * IBM RISC/6000 workstations using AIX 3.2.5;

     * Silicon Graphics workstations, series IRIS 4D, using IRIX 4.0; 

     * Hewlett-Packard workstations, series HP-700, using HP-UX 9.0;

     * Dec Alpha workstations using OSF/1 version 3.2;

     * IBM PC compatible microcomputers.
 

8.   Originator and technical support

     INPE-Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais of Brazil (Brazil's National Institute for Space Research).

9.   Availability

     On-line via the INPE website: http://www.dpi.inpe.br/spring

10.  Conditions of use

     Subject to copyright laws regarding reproduction and distribution, its free distribution being allowed. All the online documentation can be used for direct reproduction or the generation of derived products, as long as INPE's copyright is mentioned clearly through an explicit statement in the text.

Last updated: 27 APR 00)
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