Good News For ArcGIS Users!

June, 2004

Dear CaveTools Users,

Larry Fish, author of Compass, has created a new Compass to shapefile export program that completely obsoletes and replaces the CaveTools extension for ArcView.

Larry's Compass to Shapefile exporter can be downloaded from his web site at www.fountainware.com/compass. You'll also be able to download Compass, the popular, powerful, and easy to use cave survey data editing, management, and visualization program, and a variety of other useful tools and utilities.

The Compass to Shapefile Exporter creates both 2D and 3D shapefiles directly from COMPASS Plot files, and includes features not previously available in the CaveTools extension, such as passage wall modeling and other options and advanced capabilities. Better yet, this conversion program can be used to create shapefiles for use in all versions of ArcView and ArcGIS, including ArcGIS 9.0. The Compass site includes a page of resources and information for Compass and ArcView GIS users.

For additional information on cave and karst GIS, visit the ESRI Cave and Karst website at www.esri.com/karst.

Feedback, questions, and comments on cave and karst GIS are always welcome.

Bern Szukalski

CaveTools Author
Manager, ESRI Cave and Karst Solutions