MIMEE

Geodesical Converter for PALM


"Mimee, why did you disappear from the ship ?
 Because you, as the navigator, did not return,
my friends are in trouble."
(Leiji Matsumoto)



    Mimee is a Palm program which can convert geographical coordinates between various datums and formats. Coordinates formats supported are :

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

    Mimee have been successfully run on PalmOS 3.5 POSE Emulator and on a Palm Tungsten T3 (PalmOS 5).

HOW TO USE MIMEE

1- Install :

Install following files at next hotsync :
    - Mimee_eng.prc : program (english version)
    - Datum.pdb : datums database
    - Grilles.pdb : grid database

Mathematic library Mathlib is also required. If it is not already installed, please download it on http://www.radiks.net/~rhuebner/mathlib.html. Then install MathLib.prc on you Palm.

2- Quick start :

    - Select input (system1) and output (system2) grid and datum with scrolling lists.
    - Enter input coordinates in system 1 column. If 'Popup keyboard' box is checked, a virtual keyboard will appears when a field is tapped.
    - If UTM grid is selected, enter UTM zone number and choose N or S (North or South).
    - Tap 'Run' button.
    - 'Cancel' button clears all fields.

3- Fields definition :
    - E : East plane coordinate or Longitude or X geocentric coordinate
    - N : North plane coordinate or Latitude or Y geocentric coordinate
    - he : ellipsoidal height or Z geocentric coordinate
    - UTM : UTM zone number(appears only if UTM grid is selected).

4- Input and output coordinates format :
    - West longitude and South latitude must be negative
    - Degrees and decimal Minutes : DD.MMmmm
        18°06.356' is written 18.06356
    - Degrees-Minutes-secondes : DD.MMSSsss
        18°06'03.356" is written 18.0603356
    - Input numbers must contain only the following characters : - . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

5- UTM Lock :

    It is possible to force the result to be calculated in a given UTM zone. This could be useful when you are located near the border between two UTM zones. To do this enter the chosen zone number in System 2 UTM field, then check the 'lock' box.

INPUT MODES

Graffiti :
- 'Enter' and 'Tab' move cursor to the next field
- 'Space' run computation.

Virtual keyboard on graffiti area :
- 'Enter' and 'Tab' move cursor to the next field
- 'Space' run computation.

External keyboard (tested with Palm wireless keyboard) :
- 'Enter' and 'Tab' move cursor to the next field
- 'Space' bar run computation
- 'Cancel' clears all fields.

MENUS


Save Favorites : save current datums and grids. They can be loaded later with the button 'Globe'
Copy to Clipboard : Copy the result to the clipboard.

TOOLBAR

Globe : load datums and grids formerly saved with "Save Favorites" menu
Up arrow : display the first items of scrolling lists (WGS 84 and D.dddd)
Left arrow : move result to System 1 column and invert system 1 and 2
Copy : copy highlighted field to clipboard
Paste : paste clipboard content to selected field
Information : short help.

GRIDS AND DATUMS


    Databases are in Pilot-DB format. They can be edited on the Palm and the PC with open source softwares Pilot-DB and DB-Editor, available on http://pilot-db.sourceforge.net/. It is possible to delete, edit or add grids and datum, but :
    - new column must never been inserted between existing columns, and existing columns must never been deleted.
    - all parameters, including numerics, are in text format.
    - the following grid formats are currently supported :
. Tranverse Mercator (TM).
. Conic (CO)
. Oblique Mercator (OM)
. Grads (GR)
    - datums transformation parameter signs are local to WGS 84. Ellipsoïd name is optional, but the column should not be removed. All informations after rZ columns are optionals.
    - Mimee will take into account only the 239 first datums and the 45 first grids of the databases.
    - when changes are made on databases with Pilot-DB, run function "Rebuild all" before to use Mimee (crashes observed if not run).
        

WARNINGS


- This program is experimental and is not intended for professionnal use. The use of this program  and of the results given is under the sole responsability of the user.

- Datum shift computation is made with a simplified 7-parameters Helmert transformation. When rotation angles are higher or equal to 1E-4 radians, transformation will no longer be reversible.


CHANGES

1.0 beta :
    8 july 2004 : release

1.01 beta :
    18 july 2004 : alphabetical search supported on scrolling lists (works only on sorted                part of the lists).
    30 july 2004 : input mode with graffiti and keyboard improved.

1.02 beta :
    27 august 2004 :
. computation error for longitudes above 90° or below -90° fixed (thanks                to Trevor Mobbs)
. some improvement in datums.pdb on Australian datums.
    28 august 2004 : release.

2.0 :
    9 september 2004 :
. correction of UTM computation for longitudes -6°, 0°, 6°, and for latitude 0°
. improved display of 0 result, [nan] and [inf]
. Menu and toolbar added
. added record a favorite transformation
. added copy result to clipboard
. added inverting system 1 and 2
. Parameters and values now kept between sessions
    18 october 2004 :  . UTM lock added.
    14 november 2004 : release

3.0 :
    30 june 2005 : added an alert and no computation for unsupported projection
    1st july 2005 : added conic projection
    2 juillet 2005 : added geographical coordinates in grad
    4 juillet 2005 : added Oblique Mercator projection
    15 august 2005 : release.

LICENSE

    This program is free. The author will be pleased to receive any comment and suggestions from users in order to improve Mimee. Please don't forget to tell me the name of the device and the OS version on which Mimee works.


Pierre Brial
harlock@ool.fr
St-Gilles-les-Hauts, 15 august 2005