Contouring: A Guide to the Analysis and Display of Spatial Data (Computer Methods in the Geosciences) (Hardcover)

~ D. Watson (Author) "It is recommended that the first thing you do is make backup copies of the programs on the diskette..." (more)
Key Phrases: choropleth data, spline gradients, minimum curvature splines (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

...extremely valuable for those interested in contouring algorithms. No other compilation provides such a complete survey of the field. -- John C. Davies, Computers & Geosciences, 1993

...great practical value...to the analysis of change on sea floors for which bathymetric data are available. -- John McManus & Harun Mat Zin, ECSA Bulletin, June 1994

...is unique in its approach to contouring and related topics...the book is extremely valuable for those interested in contouring algorithms. No other compilation provides such a complete survey of the field, nor such a consistent evaluation of the alternatives. -- John C Davis, Geoff Bohling, Computers & Geosciences Vol 19 No 9, 1993

...the book is extremely valuable for those interested in contouring algorithms. -- John C. Davis, Computers and Geosciences, 1991

...the book is extremely valuable for those interested in countouring algorithms. -- John C. Davis, Computers and Geosciences, 1993

...valuable, well written and well illustrated, and covering a vast range of interpolation and contouring topics...will be useful to anyone wishing to understand the underpinnings of the whole contour processing system -- D.H. Douglas, Geomatica, Spring 1994

1993 ...extremely valuable for those interested in contouring algorithms. No other compilation provides such a complete survey of the field. -- John C. Davies, Computers & Geosciences

June 1994 ...great practical value...to the analysis of change on sea floors for which bathymetric data are available. -- John McManus & Harun Mat Zin, ECSA Bulletin

The book is extremely well organized and is useful to both the novice and experience operator. -- ESRISAT, June 1993

There are a few books in this world that are known universally by a single word. Within the domain of those interested in the subject, David Watson's "Contouring" may become one of these, by virtue of being cited, checked, and quoted by those struggling with the problem of representing supposedly continuous surfaces defined by a few arbitrarily distributed data...brings out into the open most of the decisions necessary for developing and choosing interpolation methods for "precise" data, and will be referenced extensively over the next few years. If you are in the business of making those decisions-make sure you can say "Watson says..."! -- Christopher Gold, Computers and Geosciences, 1993

Review

The book is extremely well organized and is useful to both the novice and experience operator.
ESRISAT
John C Davis, Geoff Bohling
...is unique in its approach to contouring and related topics....the book is extremely valuable for those interested in contouring algorithms. No other compilation provides such a complete survey of the field, nor such a consistent evaluation of the alternatives.
Computers & Geosciences Vol 19 No 9
Christopher Gold
There are a few books in this world that are known universally by a single word. Within the domain of those interested in the subject, David Watson's "Contouring" may become one of these, by virtue of being cited, checked, and quoted by those struggling with the problem of representing supposedly continuous surfaces defined by a few arbitrarily distributed data...brings out into the open most of the decisions necessary for developing and choosing interpolation methods for "precise" data, and will be referenced extensively over the next few years. If you are in the business of making those decisions-make sure you can say "Watson says..."!
Computers and Geosciences
John McManus & Harun Mat Zin
...great practical value...to the analysis of change on sea floors for which bathymetric data are available.
ECSA Bulletin
D.H. Douglas
...valuable, well written and well illustrated, and covering a vast range of interpolation and contouring topics...will be useful to anyone wishing to understand the underpinnings of the whole contour processing system
Geomatica
John C. Davies
...extremely valuable for those interested in contouring algorithms. No other compilation provides such a complete survey of the field.
Computers & Geosciences

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 340 pages
• Publisher: Pergamon; 1st edition (November 5, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0080402860
• ISBN-13: 978-0080402864
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,623,997 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Grossly Overpriced, Poorly Produced, December 9, 1999

By	Dr. Richard B. Shepard (Troutdale, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For the money, I expect the very highest quality. This book is on the other end of the spectrum. Three major disappointments:

1.) The book is physically small (6" x 9.25") and only 300 pages in length. For the price, I expected a much larger treatise.

2.) This is the worst production of a book I've ever seen; and I have a lot of specialized, scientific references from many different publishers.

The type face is ugly and very difficult to read. Tiring on the eyes, too. The chapter and section headings have blurred edges on each letter. Perhaps the production manager thought this looked "cute," but it is distracting. The typeface and fonts should not be noticeable by the reader. This one gets in the way.

3.) The programs used in part 1 and provided both by listing and on diskette were written in 1988 in spaghetti-coded BASIC and never updated. No C code, no reference to the fact that even in 1992 (when the book was first published) most readers had PC's with more than 64K RAM and faster cpu's than a 4MHz 8088.

Although the book has been reprinted three times, it has not been updated. The references to published algorithms date back to the mid-1970's and make no mention of modern ones (e.g., "Numerical Recipes in C.")

All in all, this book is terribly overpriced for the value of the content. Yes, this is probably still the best reference for understanding computer contouring algorithms and math, but it should be published in paperback for much less money.

If you need the information, borrow a copy via interlibrary loan and make notes on what information you need.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Content Good but Dated; Production Poor, March 14, 2005

By	Concerned Reader (Worthington, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

In large part, I agree with Dr Shepard. The book is outrageously overpriced and production is poor. But no-one seems to have updated the material into a better form. As suggested, get the book on interlibrary loan, but the diskette is a bit problematic these days! Also assuming the library's magnetic security system hasn't wiped it by now (ours have!).

But that said, it's not a bad book as far as content is concerned. I've used it in classes, although not as a required text! I just hope someone will produce a cheaper, updated version with a CD! One day, when I get time.....