ATLAS FOR WINDOWS
Atlas is a powerful yet easy to use Windows program for making
continental
reconstructions and present day maps. It can draw Phanerozoic maps in 9
projections, with any projection pole desired. You can also display
your
own data - e.g. geological boundaries, oil
fields,
fossils, mineral deposits, hot spots... any
data
you have, Atlas can plot them and project their position back through
time.
Atlas uses the World Vector Shoreline dataset making it a useful
tool for creating present day maps quickly and easily. If you have ever
needed to make global reconstructions, this is
the program for you.
Also available AtlasNow!, a freeware version
that does everything the standard system does but for the present day
only.
Use it to evaluate Atlas or in its own right for present day mapping.
Atlas features include:
- Atlas5 can import and export ArcGis™ format Shapefile data.
- Easy to use 'Windows' interface, giving trouble free output to
any
device
you have installed (e.g. printers, plotters etc.)
- Export or 'Cut-&-Paste' maps into other Windows
applications
for incorporation into reports etc.
- Generate a series of maps differing in age in a variety of
formats
(BMP, EMF or installed printer). Import the result into a suitable
application
and you can make your own animations.
- Wide choice of line styles, colours and text formats
- Display of comments alongside defined data points
- Supplied coastline is derived from the World Vector Shoreline
data in a
reconstructable form.
- Rotation file gives our best synthesis of published data for the
whole
world.
- Easy to use interactive adjustment of reconstructions. Select a
fragment
(plate), click a point on it, then click where the point should be
relocated
to. Finally click a second point and rotate it about the first to
orientate
the new fragment position. Knowledge of Euler poles not required.
- Modified plate positions may be stored as a snapshot of the map
age and
used with any data.
- Generate 'back tracks' showing the motion of a point through
time,
optionally
relative to a second plate.
- 'Ghost' motions i.e. show data at
different
ages
in the same map
- Digitize data direct from the screen using a simple 'point and
click'
routine
- Full technical support
More features
AtlasNow! is as the standard system except:
- It only displays the present day and does not include any
programs or
data
used for reconstructions e.g. rotation files and pre-processor.
- The only data supplied is a very simple world coastline and a
cities
file. It does not accept Shapefile or gridded, etc. data.
What is supplied with ATLAS?
The system is supplied with a comprehensive on-line help file,
detailed global coastlines, sutures, large lakes, 200 m, 2000 m
bathymetry,
(from GEBCO) and geographic grids, all of which are assigned to
fragments
that can be independently moved around the globe. The reconstruction
file
has been updated to use recent Phanerozoic data.
Also supplied are rivers, lakes, cities, political boundaries,
magnetic anomaly data, hotspots, earthquake epicentres,
known
active volcanoes and DSDP/ODP drilling sites. Various image and gridded
(raster) data sets
e.g. etopo5 come with the system and can be reconstructed with CPSL’s
current model. This includes the digital age grid of the world by R.
Dietmar MÜLLER et al.
(www.es.usyd.edu.au/geology/people/staff/dietmar/Agegrid/digit_isochrons.html).
CPSL use public domain data, adding information and re-formatting for
use in their programs where necessary and acknowledge the authors of
all such.
Who uses it?
ATLAS is currently used by oil companies, mining companies, research
institutes,
consultants and universities world-wide.
What do you need to run it?
Any PC running Windows 9x or greater. Atlas requires
approx.
12Mb of free disk space for minimum installation up to about 500Mb for
full
installation including the gridded datasets. Please note the
program will not run on a Macintosh, nor
are there any plans to produce a Mac version.
Can you plot your own data?
Nothing could be easier with Atlas. You can either digitize
data directly from the screen using the mouse, or if your data is
available
in the form of decimalized latitude and longitude pairs it is simple to
create datafiles for plotting. Digitized data can be assigned to
continental
fragments and rotated along with the supplied data.
If you like the sound of Atlas but you have got lots
of
data and cannot afford the time to get it into another system we may
well
be able to reformat it for you. We have been able to get geographic
data
from geological surveys, oil companies, research institutes and
standard
GIS packages such as MAPINFO & ArcView up and running very quickly.
New – Atlas5 can import and export
ArcGis™ Shapefiles. You can either assign the whole file to a
single fragment or include a field specifying the fragment of each
record in the file. For companies, etc. willing to sign a
non-disclosure agreement, CPSL can supply their fragment boundary file,
‘platenet’, as a Shapefile at extra cost. This can be used in ArcGis™
to easily assign your data to CPSL’s fragments so that it can be
reconstructed.
How can you be sure that it's what you want?
Download the AtlasNow! program. This is freeware
and it does
everything
the standard system does except for reconstructions. If you are still
unsure
after that time, call to arrange for a demonstration, or to
receive
an evaluation copy. A small fee may be charged for evaluation copies
(e.g. £50) to cover shipping costs, etc.
ATLAS prices
Price: single machine system at full commercial rate UK - £ 3299
Maintenance agreements and prices for multiple users available
Substantial discounts negotiable for academic collaborators
Please contact CPSL
For more information, contact CPSL
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Atlas
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