GRASS 6.0: [ Status | Features | Screenshots | Download | Documentation | Development | Report bugs ]

GRASS 6.0.x status

• See also the Roadmap.
• See also the Old GRASS modules porting status to 6.0.
• 22 Feb 2006: GRASS GIS 6.0.2 released - bugfix release - Announcement
• 6 January 2006: GRASS GIS 6.0.2RC4 released - bugfix release - Announcement
• 3 January 2006: GRASS GIS 6.0.2RC3 released - bugfix release - Announcement
• 3 January 2006: GRASS GIS 6.0.2RC2 released - bugfix release - Announcement
• 29 December 2005: GRASS GIS 6.0.2RC1 released - bugfix release - Announcement
• 22 August 2005: GRASS 6.0.1 released - bugfix release - Announcement
• 8 August 2005: GRASS 6.0.1RC2 released - bugfix release - Announcement
• 3 August 2005: GRASS 6.0.1RC1 released - bugfix release
• 10 March 2005: GRASS 6.0.0 source code released - Announcement
• 4 February 2005: GRASS 6.0.0beta2 source code released - Announcement
• 12 January 2005: GRASS 6.0.0beta1 source code released - Announcement
• January 2005: Development continues in GRASS 6.
• 9 Nov 2004: GRASS 5.7-CVS no longer requires 5.3-CVS source code, all required code has been merged into 5.7 CVS repository
• 17 June 2004: GRASS 5.7.0 source code released - Announcement
• 11 Sep 2003: GRASS 5.1 renamed to GRASS 5.7, see roadmap

GRASS 6.1-CVS status: See draft Announcement

GRASS 6.0 features

• New Vector Engine (geometry):
  • Support for 2D/3D vectors (see screenshot) (CAD drawings, TINs), visualization supported in NVIZ
  multiformat - also virtual map supported from external data sources (SHAPE-file, PostGIS) without the need of data conversion (through OGR library with 'v.external');
  • Export/Import to PostGIS;
  • spatial index build on the fly - 'v.build' (was: v.support) significantly accelerated;
  • category index to accelerate attribute queries;
• Database Management Interface (attributes):
  • Attribute storage in DBMS for compatibility with industry standards (SQL based interface for PostgreSQL, mySQL, ODBC, dBase)
  • multiattribute - attributes saved in dBase files (default) or saved in external DBMS
  • multilayer - features in one vector may represent one or several layers and may be linked to one or many external tables
  • forms library implemented for user friendly query dialogs
  • Linear reference systems supported (LRS, yet to integrate)
• Applications/Misc:
  • SQL queries/selects/extractions supported by vector modules
  • interactive attributes updating is supported through the forms library (d.what.vect lets you modify directly the attached attributes)
  • Vector network analysis: Shortest path, Traveling salesman (round trip), Allocation of sources (subnetworks), Minimum Steiner trees (starlike connections), and isodistances (from centers)
    (e.g. shortest path, see screenshot) - based on DGLIB (Directed Graph Library), costs may be assigned both to nodes and arcs (and also different in both directions of a vector line)
  • new v.digit with GUI (screenshot)
  • import and export of any OGR supported vector format (Shapefile, TIGER, MapInfo and GML2, PostGIS and DGN)
  • GUI generated on runtime and display manager (screenshots)
  • i18n: support for multiple languages (messages partially indicated and translated)
  • multiple GRASS sessions: a user can start more than one session at the time
• Interoperability
• Raster and vector data interoperability is granted through the GDAL/OGR libraries which implement interfaces to OGC standards and common GIS data formats
• Volume visualization
• NVIZ now supports volume (voxel) visualization
• Large File Support for raster maps
Experimental!
• GRASS 6.0 experimentally supports reading and writing large files (> 2GB, LFS support) if it is possible in your operating system. If you compile with -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64, you should be able to have raster maps which are larger than 2Gb. Note that the support currently only applies to the core raster I/O code. Individual programs may or may not work with large files - please report.

GRASS 6.0 screenshots

• Screenshots GRASS 5.1-5.7
• Screenshots GRASS 6.0

GRASS 6.0 Downloads

• Software: See download page
• Manuals: See documents page
• Sample data: sample data sets page

GRASS 6.0 Documentation

• User Manuals: HTML
• Draft GRASS 6.0 tutorial
• GRASS 6.0 Draft Programmer's Manual

GRASS 6.0 development

• Description of new vector engine:
  • GRASS 6.0 Vector architecture description: PDF (252 kb, presented at Open Source Free Software GIS - GRASS users conference 2002)
  • GRASS 6.0 Draft Programmer's Manual
  • New GRASS 6.0 vector API (3D vectors, DBMS support, optional 64bit support)
  • Figure of GRASS 6.0 architecture
  • Figure of GRASS 6.0 attribute management (native format and OGR support)
  • GRASS 6.0 vector modules upgrade status
• Compiling own GRASS 6.0 modules or changed modules: simply run "make" in the appropriate directory and "make install" in the top source directory (or read INSTALL for a simpler method).
• Further delopment tasks:
  • Code cleanup, clones removal, etc.
  • GRASS as Web server application (client/server architectures)
• GRASS/QGIS integration.
• Feel free to contact and join the GRASS Development Team!