Q. Do you sell digitizing tablets or know where can I purchase a digitizing tablet?
A. Please review our list of tablet manufacturers for contact information. We have also found that local CAD dealers in your area often carry a full range of digitizing tablets. Please consult your local yellow pages for phone numbers.

Q. Could you please provide me with a list of tablet and Wintab driver manufacturers?
A. Here is a current list of Tablet Manufacturers

ACECAD
Phone: 408 655-1900
email: support@acecad.com
Web Site: http://www.acecad.com/

Altek / Kurta
Phone: 301-572-2555
Web Site: http://www.altek.com/

GTCO/Calcomp / Summagraphics
Phone: 410-381-6688 (GTCO Corporate Headquarters)
Phone: 480-948-6540 (CalComp and Summagraphics Arizona Office)
Web Site: http://www.gtcocalcomp.com/

Genius
Phone: 909-423-2417
BBS: (909) 923-8454
Web Site: http://www.genius-kye.com/

LASICO
Phone: 800-821-9656
(Wintab driver will be available in the near future)

Numonics
Phone: 800-523-6716

WACOM
Phone: 360-750-8882 (800-922-9348 U.S. only)
email: support@wacom.com
Web Site: http://www.wacom.com/

Digitizer Technology
Phone: (425) 868-3246
email: sales@vtablet.com or support@vtablet.com
Web Site: http://www.vtablet.com/

Digitizer Technology offers Windows 95/98 drivers for a variety of digitizing tablets. These drivers are Wintab compatible.

Geodata Computing Services
Perth, Autstralia
Web Site: www.iinet.net.au/~mose/digitize

Geodata Computing Services offer a wide selection of drivers for many tablets

Q. I have installed my digitizing tablet and the Wintab driver, but Didger does not work with the tablet.
A. Connectivity between the digitizing tablet and the Wintab driver often requires certain information that can only be obtained from the tablet manufacturer. If you have installed both the driver and tablet, but the puck on the tablet does not act as a mouse on your screen, you can be assured that the driver is not properly installed. Please contact your tablet manufacturer for proper settings for both the tablet and the driver. In our experience, tablet manufacturers can quickly and easily get you up and running with your digitizer connectivity.

Q. What are the communication parameters needed by Didger for my digitizing tablet?
A. Didger does not require any specific communication parameters. Didger requires only that you use a 32bit Wintab driver that can be obtained from your tablet manufacturer. Please consult our manufacturer list for contact information.

Q. Does Didger support stream mode digitizing? Is it possible to trace a contour line by just keeping a button on the puck pressed while following the line with the crosshair?
A. Didger does support stream mode digitizing. When digitizing in stream mode, it is important to set the vertex tolerance setting. This setting sets the minimum spacing for vertices along a polygon or polyline. When you have set a vertex tolerance value and you are digitizing a polygon or polyline, no two adjacent vertices along the object can be closer together than the specified length (but they can be farther apart than the specified length).

Q. I cannot seem to select the objects on my map. I can select them from the data attribute view, but not the plot view. What am I doing wrong?
A. Make sure that you have the layer set to editable. In order to select the objects from the plot view, the layer on which the objects reside must be set to editable using the View | Layer Manager command.

Q. When I’m importing a vector file with an underlying coordinate system, and I try to change to a new coordinate system in the import dialog box, my map doesn’t look right at all. What am I doing wrong?
A. Do not change the coordinate system of a vector file when importing. Didger reads the projection information from the file itself. Let Didger import the file with the existing projection system. Then, to change the projection, use the View | Change Projection command and select the projection and datum you wish to apply to your map.

Q. I’m trying to create polygons by the locator ID method. I’ve marked all my polygons but when I apply the command, not all the polygons are created, only some of them. How can I get all the marked polygons to become "closed" polygons?
A. The endpoints of your lines are probably not within the snap tolerance value and therefore are not snapped to each other. They must be snapped for the operation to succeed. Increase the snap tolerance from the File | Project Settings | Tolerance tab so that the lines are snapped. Then perform the operation again.

Q. How do I import a second vector file into Didger that has a different projection than the first file I imported? I want the projection system of the first file I imported.
A. Import the first file and accept the projection information displayed in the Define Import Options dialog box. Then use File | Import Vector to import the second file. Check the Apply Datum Conversion check box and click OK. The second file will be transformed to the projection of the first.

Q. I have a map that is larger than my tablet. Is it possible to digitize the objects into one project?
A. Follow the steps below for digitizing from a map larger than the tablet.

1. Divide the map into enough sections so that each will fit on the digitizing tablet. For each section, define between 3 and 256 calibration points.
2. Place the first section of the map on the tablet and go to File | New | Tablet Digitizing. Calibrate the tablet according to the instructions for calibration.
3. Digitize all the objects on that portion of the map. Save the work in a PJT file using File | SaveAs.
4. Go to View | Project Limits and change the X and Y limits to reflect the dimensions of the entire project area.
5. Move the map so the next section is on the tablet. Go to Digitize | Tablet Calibration and click the Next button to go to Step Two.
6. Clear the existing calibration points by clicking the Delete Point button. Type in the calibration points for this section of the map and complete the calibration of the tablet.
7. Digitize all objects on this section of the map and save the file.
8. Continue in this manner until you've completed the project.

Q. How do I convert my Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) data to Latitude/Longitude data?
A. Didger 3 can convert data between 23 different coordinate systems, including UTM and Lat./Long. To use Didger to convert UTM data to Lat/Long data, please follow the steps below.

1. Import the data file using File | New | Import Data.
2. Select the appropriate delimiters so that your data are separated into the fields you wish.
3. Click the Import button and the Define Import Options dialog opens.
4. Set the Coordinate Space Type to Projected and change the Map Projection Category to UTM.
5. Then you will need to set the System to the zone in which your UTM coordinates are located and click OK. Your data will display in the plot window.
6. Next, go to View | Change Projection and change the Map Projection Category to World/Continental. The System should then report Unprojected Lat/Long.
7. Click OK and the data will appear in Lat/Long.
8. Go to File | Export and select DAT as the file type. Once exported your UTM data will be in Lat/Long.

Q. I am having a problem printing ("Out of global memory" error, only a portion of the map prints, etc.).
A. You may be able to work around the problem by changing some of the printer settings. Different printer drivers have different settings, but here is a list of the most common remedies:

• Turn off print spooling.
• Change the print mode to "raster" or "bitmap" to reduce the printer memory requirements.
• Change the printer driver to use the computer's memory instead of the printer's memory.
• PostScript drivers often require more memory than non-PostScript drivers for the same printer. Change drivers if possible and test the print results.
• Check for other compatible printer drivers in your printer documentation. For example, the HP LaserJet 4 driver could be used with the LaserJet 5 printer.
• Enable the Page Protect mode if available.
• Verify the version of your printer driver and possibly update it. For example, the HP DesignJet 750C driver version 4.33 requires 80% less memory than version 4.11
• Turn off View | Auto Redraw to free up additional memory.
• Resample the bitmaps in a graphics program (Corel Draw, Paint Shop Pro, PhotoShop) to reduce the number of pixels and color depth in the bitmaps.

If the remedies above do not help, please contact technical support with the exact nature of the problem, your operating system (i.e. Windows 98), the printer model, and the print driver version number.

Q. How can I digitize a graph that has a non-linear X axis, but has intervals of linearity?
A. Didger 3 was not designed to easily handle non-linear axes. You have two options when it comes to digitizing non-linear axes:

1. You can digitize it into one PJT file. You will have to digitize a section with a linear portion of the X axis, then change the project limits (to reflect the entire project), move the map, recalibrate the tablet, and digitize another section that has a linear portion of the X axis. This file will make a linear X axis, ranging across the entire X axis min/max values, and your digitized objects will be spread across it.
2. You can digitize the profile into a number of PJT files - each one containing a section of the profile that has a linear X axis.

Q. How can I resample my well log in a raster project? The option is grayed out.
A. The Tools | Resample Polylines command is not available with raster projects. If you have a raster project, export the polyline(s) to a vector file format (like DXF or GSB), then import the vector file back into Didger into a vector project and perform the resampling.

Q. How can I export the Data Attributes table to a data file?
A. In Didger 3, bring up the Data Attributes table and activate that window. Then go to File | Export Data Table.

Q. I just want to move my object very slightly. How can I nudge an item over?
A. To nudge an item with the cursor, click on an object and hold down the mouse button. Press the arrow keys several times (more than 10) to move the object.

Q. I georeferenced two bitmaps in Didger 3 raster projects and exported them both as GeoTIFF files. I import one into a vector file and want to tile it with the second bitmap. I try to import the second bitmap but get the error that “A projection system is already in use by the project” and that Didger will be unable to import the georeferenced bitmap. What is wrong?
A. You can get this error if the two bitmaps were georeferenced using different projection parameters. Make sure you calibrated the bitmaps with the exact same Projection, Projection Settings, and Datum before exporting the bitmaps.

Q. When exporting to a SHP file, how can I export the Z values in numeric form?
A. In Didger 3, The Primary ID is exported as both the ID0 attribute and the ZLEVEL. The ZLEVEL is exported in numeric format so you can use it in ArcView.

Q. When I am digitizing a line on-screen and then mess up, how can I reverse the line a little and then go on (so I don't have to stop and then redigitize the line all over again)?
A. In Didger 3, if you are digitizing a line, and then decide you want to redigitize the last little bit, simply right-click repeatedly (with the left mouse button still held down) until your line is back where you want it to be, then continue digitizing in the normal fashion. Each time you right-click, the digitized line will back up to the next vertice on the polyline.

Q. I imported a georeferenced bitmap into a vector file. The vector file I want to overlay it with is in a different projection. I want to change the projection of the bitmap, but the View | Change Projection menu has changed to View | Projection Settings. How can I change the projection of my bitmap?
A. You cannot change the projection of a bitmap imported into a vector project. To change the projection of your bitmap, import it into a raster project, specifying the georeference information. Once the bitmap is imported, go to Image | Convert Image Projection to convert the image projection to that of the vector file. Once the projection is converted, export it again as a GeoTIFF.

Alternatively, you can import the vector file into a new vector project and use the View | Change Projection command to change the vector file projection to that of the bitmap. Once the vector file is changed, you can use File | Import Bitmap | Into Vector Project and import the georeferenced bitmap.

Q. I have a bitmap imported into my project and when I use the Create Surfer Base Map command, the bitmap image isn’t transferred into Surfer. What is wrong?
A. The Create Surfer Base Map command only supports bitmaps that are imported into a vector project. If you have a bitmap imported into a raster project, it will not be exported into Surfer. If this is the case, export the bitmap as a GeoTIFF and import it into a vector project and use the Create Surfer Base Map command.

Q. My Create Surfer Base Map command is grayed out. I have Surfer installed, what is wrong?
A. There could be a couple reasons why this command is grayed out. Make sure you have Surfer 7 installed on your computer. This command will not work with Surfer 6. This command will also be grayed out if you have a raster project which only contains a calibrated bitmap and no digitized objects. In this case, the command will be grayed out since there are no objects to export to Surfer.

Q. I have a bitmap imported into my project. I want to warp it, but the command Image | Warp Image is grayed out. What is wrong?
A. The Image | Warp Image command is only available in raster projects where the image has been calibrated with linear axes, and no objects have yet been digitized on the image. Make sure you have imported the image into a raster project and go to Image | Calibrate Image. Make sure your image is calibrated with linear axes (not logarithmic). If there are any digitized objects on the image, delete them prior to using this command.

Q. I have a bitmap imported into my project. I want to change the projection, but the command Image | Convert Image Projection is grayed out. What is wrong?
A. The Image | Convert Image Projection command is only available in raster projects where the image has been calibrated with a projection, and no objects have yet been digitized on the image. Make sure you have imported the image into a raster project. Go to Image | Calibrate Image and make sure that there is a projection specified in Step One. If there are any digitized objects on the image, delete them prior to using this command.

Q. I drew a polyline on my raster project and when I select it, I can't edit the coordinates in the Coordinate Manager?
A. You can only edit the coordinates in the Coordinate Manager of objects imported into a vector project. In a raster project, you can view the coordinates in the Coordinate Manager, but you cannot edit them.

Q. How can I save the coordinates in the Coordinate Manager?
A. There is not a Save option for the Coordinate Manager, but you can simply select the object you want to save the coordinates for and go to File | Export, in the Export dialog, check the check box in the lower left for Selected objects only, and export it as a Golden Software Data (*.dat) file.

Q. I drew a polyline on my raster project and when I select it, the File | Export LAS File is grayed out?
A. To export a polyline to an LAS file, the polyline must be resampled (Tools | Resample). Polylines cannot be resampled in a raster project. To overcome this:

1. Export the polyline to a DXF file.
2. Go to File | New | Import Vector and import the DXF file into a vector project.
3. Select the polyline and go to Tools | Resample and resample the polyline.
4. Select the polyline and use the File | Export LAS File command.

Q. I calibrated my raster image in a raster project, exported it with georeferencing information. When I try to import it into a vector file I get an error that it is not properly georeferenced?
A. The reason why you are getting the "The selected bitmap has not been properly georeferenced" error message is because the raster image is not rectified. If you are georeferencing an image in a raster project for use in a vector project, you have to use the Image | Warp Image command in the raster project prior to exporting it as a GeoTIFF.

Q. How can I change the number of decimal places in my Graticule or Grid?
A. The decimal places for the graticule or grid is controlled under the Numeric Display Format found by going to File | Project Settings under the General tab. If a graticule or grid is already created, you must change the Numeric Display Format, then recreate the graticule or grid.

Q. I want to select all the polylines and points in my project. I go to Edit | Criteria Select and choose to select Object Type (Polyline) And Object Type (Point), but nothing gets selected. What is wrong?
A. The And condition is designed so that the second criteria is a subset of the first criteria. To select using two separate criteria, use the Or condition. For example, choose to select Object Type (Polyline) Or Object Type (Point).

Q. I have calibrated my bitmap in a raster project. I want to overlay a vector and data file on top of it, but these commands under the File menu are grayed out. How can I do this?
A. If you have a bitmap in a raster project, you cannot import any additional files into the raster project. To overlay a vector or data file on top of a bitmap, export the calibrated bitmap from the raster project as a GeoTIFF. Import this GeoTIFF into a vector project. Once the bitmap is imported into the vector project, you can overlay vector and data files on top of it.

Q. I try to select an object in my project, but whenever I click on it, another nearby object gets selected instead. How can I select the object I want?
A. Sometimes it is difficult to select objects that are near to each other. If you click on an object to select it and another object gets selected instead, hold the Ctrl key down while clicking. The Ctrl key will allow you to scroll through the selection boxes until the correct object gets selected. Alternatively, you can also select the object in the Data Attribute View.

Q. I have a map in Transverse Mercator projection. I go to Tools | Coordinate Conversion and specify a Georeference operation. I enter in my new coordinates in meters, choose Affine as my georeference method and click OK. My map looks very bad now! What am I doing wrong?
A. If your project has an associated map projection, the values you enter under the Georeference operation must be in units of latitude and longitude.

Q. When I export my file as a WMF to insert into Word, the WMF file has really low resolution. How can I make it look better?
A. Didger 3 is a step toward the phasing out of the Windows Metafile format [*.WMF]. This is in response to Microsoft Windows (along with numerous applications) doing the same thing. Essentially, the WMF format is 'outdated' in comparison to the EMF format. To export a high resolution metafile, export to an Enhanced Metafile format [*.EMF].

Q. All the projection information is lost when I import my georeferenced bitmap into a raster or vector project using an ESRI World file. What am I doing wrong?
A. Didger can import TIFF files with ESRI World file [*.TFW] georeference information, but the projection information is lost because the ESRI World file does not contain projection information. You can remedy this by setting the projection parameters of your image in Didger and exporting the image as a GeoTIFF. To do this, follow these three steps:

1. Import the file into a raster project, using the georeference information from the ESRI World File.
2. Go to Image | Calibrate Image and specify the projection parameters. Click Next until you finish the calibration process without changing anything else.
3. Go to File | Export and export the file as a TIFF file saving the spatial reference information in GeoTIFF Format.

Q. I am trying to use my GPS unit to digitize on top of my raster image. I have the image imported into a raster project, but the Enable GPS command is grayed out. I have checked all communication settings and can find no problems.
A. The GPS Digitizing feature is only available with vector projects. Georeference your raster image, export it as a GeoTIFF, and then import it into a vector project. Once the image is loaded into a vector project, the Enable GPS command will be active.

Q. How can I export my file as a GeoTIFF?
A. To export as a GeoTIFF file, follow these instructions:

1. Go to File | Export and choose to Save as Type: Tagged Image (TIFF) (*.tif). Type in a file name and click Save.
2. The Tagged Image (TIFF) Export dialog will pop up.
3. In the bottom section, choose the radio button next to Save spatial reference information in and then check the check box next to GeoTIFF format. Click OK.
4. The file will be exported in GeoTIFF format.

Q. My map is projected in the Mercator projection and I want to export it to a BLN file with units in Lat/Long. How can I do this?
A. Projected maps can only be exported in Lat/Long coordinates if the project is a raster project. If your map is in a raster project, simply go to File | Export, choose BLN as the file type, enter the file name, and click Save. The Export Options dialog pops up. Click on the Projection Options tab and choose to export in Lat/Long (dec. deg) and click OK. The BLN file will contain the coordinates of your project in Lat/Long degrees.

If you are in a vector project, the only way to export in Lat/Long coordinates is if your projection is set to Unprojected Lat/Long. Go to View | Change Projection and set the Category to World/Continental Projections and set the System to Unprojected Lat/Long and click OK. Then go to File | Export and export the file. If your vector project is in any projection other than Unprojected Lat/Long your file cannot be exported in Lat/Long (dec. deg) units.

Q. My map is projected and I export it in units of feet. When I import it into MapViewer, it looks a little distorted and it doesn’t overlay with my MapViewer maps. What is wrong?
A. MapViewer, and possibly other applications, only imports projected maps with units in meters. There is not an option to specify input data units. Therefore, the map coordinates in feet are being viewed by MapViewer as meters and causes shapes to be distorted and for it not to line up correctly with the MapViewer maps. We suggest you export from Didger using meters if you are going to use the projected map in MapViewer.

Q. Does Didger work with Windows 2000 and Windows XP?
A. All Golden Sftware products work with Windows 2000 and Windows XP. There have been no problems reported.