Common Questions & Answers

The TatukGIS Developer Kernel (DK) is a full-fledged GIS development component (SDK) supporting a number of development platforms. The TatukGIS Editor is a ready-to-use, highly customizable, professional GIS desktop application developed/compiled from the DK and sharing many of its features and characteristics. The Editor contains a built-in scripting IDE exposing, within the Editor, the full DK object API for implementing custom features or additional functionality. In many situations, either product could be used to develop the same custom application or solution.

The relative advantages and disadvantages of the Editor versus the DK for custom GIS development are described in knowledge base item KB10868.

The TatukGIS Editor and free Viewer products are similar, based on the same source code. The Editor includes four key areas of functionality not supported in the free Viewer.

• Creating and editing map data (vector geometry and attributes, raster maps, SQL database layers), including merging map layers, importing data into a layer, exporting data from a layer, joining a layer to a database, translating between data formats, topological error review...
• Built-in scripting environment with extensive object API, making the Editor highly customizable and extendable.
• Integrated 3D map rendering features (DTM's and draping, 3D vectors, M and Z values, flood simulation, light/shadow control, texturing, volumetric lines...)
• Layer rectification to correct distortions from vector and raster map layers and transform to a coordinate system.

A feature-by-feature comparison of the Editor and free Viewer products is available at Editor/Viewer Features.

The Editor requires the purchase of a license which includes 12 months of maintenance (product updates/upgrades, e-mail support, user forum). The license maintenance is renewable. The Viewer is a free product (for use free of charge pursuant to terms of the TatukGIS license agreement). User support for the free Viewer is not available (though thoughtful user feedback is welcome).

The free Viewer is highly useful for defining the appearance characteristics (colors, fills, line styles, labels, symbols, transparencies, scaling, coordinate system presentation, layer priority...) for a map layer or a multi-layer map project and saving as a project file.

Help:

• Extensive integrated help files documenting every menu item and default feature provided under the product's Help/Help menu and also on-line.
• Product tutorials provided on-line.
• 30+ pascal/basic source code scripts provide excellent tutorials how to use the Editor's programming features to customize the user interface or add new features. Some of the scripts provide ready-to-use features, e.g., the GPS script, batch coordinate conversion script...
• TatukGIS Editor Training Kits. (3rd party resource)

Support:

• Frequent product updates to fix software bugs relating to supported features. Report bugs to TatukGIS support.
• Product updates and upgrades provided without charge to customers with active maintenance.
• Consideration of customer requests for new features/functionality.
• User support via e-mail.
• Licensed user forum.
• Product training or workshops, telephone support, etc. can be arranged from TatukGIS VAR partners.   

There are two evaluation options for the TatukGIS Editor product.

1. The Editor trial version contains the full feature set of the commercial version with the following use limitations:

• 10-day trial period from time of installation.
• 25 minute session limitation (after which the program closes and must be restarted).
• License agreement forbids use of the trial version for any purpose other than evaluation.

2. The free TatukGIS Viewer product is the same as the Editor (same source code), but without the features for editing/creating/saving data, customization (scripting), and 3D map presentation.

Therefore, free of any time limitations, the free Viewer can be used to evaluate many aspects of the Editor product, including compatibility and performance with all supported data types, the 3,000 pre-defined coordinate systems with on-the-fly map reprojection and rotation, visual layer properties control, scale control, legend control and layer management, attribute data grid, spatial/topological selection, SQL queries, map navigation, mini-map, saving projects…

Also, take into consideration that the Editor is not a high priced product, i.e., the purchase of a single-user license to perform an even deeper or more extended evaluation than is possible with the trial version does not represent a great financial risk.

The free TatukGIS Viewer may be redistributed to others under the following rules:

• Only the most recent product version may be redistributed.
• Redistribution must be with the full, original setup procedure.
• Redistribution must be done on a free-of-charge basis.
• If packaged with map data sold to others, users of the redistributed product must be informed that the TatukGIS Viewer is an unsupported, free product and any user support (which is likely to be data specific) is the responsibility of the map data vendor (not TatukGIS).

The free Viewer (unlike the TatukGIS Editor) cannot be customized or altered because:

• The Viewer does not support creating or running scripts.
• The license forbids making changes or customizations to the Viewer.
   

The TatukGIS Editor supports a number of SQL database map layer formats, including advanced 3rd party spatial database formats such as Microsoft Spatial Server, Oracle Spatial/Locator & Oracle GeoRaster, ESRI ArcSDE & ESRI ArcSDE Raster, PostGIS, and MapInfo SpatialWare. SQL based map layer formats are useful for multiple user, enterprise type situations. The support includes viewing, editing, querying, export, conversion between formats and other operations.

A matrix of supported SQL based formats and database engine compatibility is presented in Knowledge Base item KB10639.

Guidance on connecting the TatukGIS Editor (and other TatukGIS products) to each supported SQL layer type is presented in Knowledge Base item KB10765 and in the on-line Editor tutorials.