R2V Automates Mapping For Mine Clearance Mission in Cambodia 
Able Software's R2V for Windows is currently being used by
the Cambodia Mine Action Center (CMAC) to create GIS databases
and rebuild automated map printing capability for land mine and
unexploded ordnance clearance programs in Cambodia. The CMAC is
the national organization responsible for coordination of
landmine and unexploded ordnance clearance programs in Cambodia.
All database input, output, and management are conducted entirely
by this organization.
In January 1996, PBS screened a documentary on NOVA which
dealt with land mines in Cambodia, and in which CMAC's mined area
information system was demonstrated. Cambodia does not have the human or material resources to generate and print
maps. Most of Cambodia's skilled topographic mapmakers were killed
or fled during the long conflict. Hence, the labor-saving aspect
of using computers to create maps is important here.
CMAC and the Geographic Department of the Council of Ministers
(Royal Cambodian Government) are attempting to use R2V for Windows to leap directly into the computer mapping era, by
creating digital map data from 1971 USDMA (United States Defense
Mapping Agency) topographic maps (1:50,000 scale). Current
efforts are underway to raster-scan and convert to vectors the
elevation contours, hydrographic features, and transportation
infrastructure.
CMAC is raster scanning the separates at 400 dpi using a
CONTEX FS-8000 large format scanner (B/W). Raster to Vector
conversion is performed using the R2V software. The unedited
vectors are saved to CD-ROM and provided to the Geographic
Department of the Council of Ministers who are responsible for editing (cleaning up) the vectors and assigning relevant
labels using R2V. The Geographic Department has recently purchased
one copy of R2V for Windows and one set of PC ArcINFO. At the
present time, the joint project is concentrating on elevation
contours, hydrographic features, and transportation routes. Once
scanned, converted, and edited, the map data will be used by the
Geographic Department to layout map separates for use in
printing. In this manner, the Department will gradually obtain
both the data and the skills necessary to use digital data for
map printing and distribution to support GIS activities.
Meanwhile, CMAC benefits from access to cleaned and labeled
digital map data.
Mr. Michael Sheinkman, Technical Advisor of CMAC, states,
"I provide training and advice to enable the CMAC Database
Unit staff to scan and convert the data to ArcINFO format coverages. I am very pleasantly surprised by how fast and easy
R2V for Windows is to use. R2V's Line Editor package is easy to
use to clean up the vectors. CMAC had purchased another software
package from a different vendor in1993, but was not satisfied
with the results. We are highly satisfied with R2V. It does what
it claims to be able to do. With a Pentium 75 processor and 32-MB
RAM, conversion of an 8-MB image takes only a few minutes."
Able Software's R2V for Windows software is a fully
automated, raster-to-vector conversion system with functions for
both vector data and raster image editing. It is designed for
production type map digitizing. A large number of scanned maps
can be converted automatically with a single command. According
to Dr. Yecheng Wu, president and founder of Able Software,
"We have been working closely with the users of R2V since
the start to make the software easy to use and effective to
convert from all raster image sources, including scanned maps,
aerial photos, and satellite imagery at a high accuracy
level."

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