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AgWare is excited to present UAAR 2006®. With this release we have split the ClickFORMS report generator and the DataLog into separate programs. They will be referred to as UAAR ClickFORMS® and UAAR DataLog®. This change gives AgWare more opportunities to expand and enhance the UAAR DataLog while continuing to provide the most complete library of forms for rural appraisals. Please click on the below link and it will send you to our fully revamped website where you can examine every part of the new UAAR DataLog.
By Bob Nielsen, Certified Professional Soil Scientist
In the March/April issue of “ASFMRA News,” Chad Hertz, AFM ASFMRA Technology Committee Chairman wrote an article describing USDA-NRCS newest web base application “Web Soil Survey.” Since that news article, there have been questions from those of you who have tried out or are using Web Soil Survey in your appraisal business. http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/
Like most GIS Web base applications, there are “Tips and Tricks” that make using this application easier and less of a technology challenge. Some of these “Tips and Tricks” are:
1. Web Soil Survey (WSS) supports most of the common Internet browsers. For those using Microsoft Windows XP, Web Soil Survey will work on Internet Explorer 6.0 or greater, Netscape 7.2, Mozilla 1.7.5, or Mozilla FireFox 1.0. I prefer FireFox but I have also used MS Internet Explorer. For those using Macintosh computers, the recommended browser is FireFox 1.0 or greater.
2. Screen resolution: The optimal screen resolution for WSS is 1024 x 768. It has been tested on screen resolutions as low as 800 x 600 and as high as 1080 x 1024. I prefer the optimal setting because WSS has a fuller screen, better graphics and is easier to use. Also, the saved graphics are of higher quality.
3. Which brings up a trick! If you want to save an aerial photo of the subject or a soil map with the mapping unit symbols and photo background, right click on the map and save the map as a picture in jpg format. The quality and resolution of the saved picture are dependent on the screen resolution setting, the higher the screen resolution the better quality of the saved picture. This is a quick way to capture an aerial picture or a soil’s map of the subject.
4. If more information is needed or you require a tabulation of the soils on the subject property, then use the “Create Printable Document” button on the upper right hand corner of the map window.
5. You may have noticed or will soon notice that the AOI (Area Of Interest) boundary may not match what was drawn on the aerial photograph background or that the AOI boundary seems to shift after it has been drawn. This projection problem depends on where in the UTM zone the AOI falls. In the center of each UTM zone, the problem is minimal; at the edges, it is larger. There is no trick or tip for this problem, but NRCS is very aware that this problem exists and is working on a fix that will be in the next release.
6. Information about the layer is available by using the information button (blue circle with i in the center). This feature is useful in determining the date of the aerial photograph. To identify the date the aerial photograph was created, click the layers tab and click on the Orthophotography layer. The layer is now active and is highlighted looking like this Orthophotography. Then click on the identify button and click anywhere on the aerial photograph. The date of the aerial photograph will appear in the “Identify Results” box located below the map.
7. Currently the AOI (Area Of Interest) is limited to no more than 10,000 acres. If the subject is larger than the limit, then dividing the subject into multiple parts may be helpful. This limitation will be removed in future releases, but map scale and presentation (report printing) are issues that are size dependent.
NRCS is soliciting user feed back and suggestions on how to improve Web Soil Survey. If you have suggestions for improvement or find constraints with using WSS, please send them to me at bob@soilgeograhy.com and I will forward them to the WSS design team. Also, if you find “WSS Tips and Tricks” useful, I will continue developing them for future newsletters. I will also answer your specific questions related to using WSS at my email address above.
Many of you have asked about pulling an Excel sheet into your appraisal report. This process is relatively simplistic once you have done it a time or two. To revisit this process click here for a step-by-step look at how it is done: Copying Excel into a Report.
Please mark your calendars for AgWare’s 2006 Annual User’s Meeting.
The dates will be Thursday, October 5th and Friday, October 6th. We will be having the meetings in Denver Colorado at the LaQuinta Inn & Suites by the Denver International Airport. The meetings will start on the 5th with an Enterprise session from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and then the main meeting will run from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM with a Happy Hour to follow. We will start back up on the 6th at 8:00 AM and we will conclude at 4:00 PM.
If you would like to make your reservations, please call the LaQuinta at 303.371.0888 and let them know you will be with the AgWare Meetings. Room rates are $88.00 per night for a double room and $98.00 per night for a king room. Click here to register for the meeting or go to our website at www.uaar.net and click on News & Events and then Calendar of Events - you will then see the registration link.
We would like to hear any comments about our program or advancements that you would like to see in the program, so please email any ideas to us at Annual Meeting Comments.
The following are the AgWare seminars for 2006. Please fill out the attached registration form and fax it back to us at 605-787-6163 or contact us at 605-787-7871 if you are interested in attending. Other seminars may be added based on interest. All training dates listed are the UAAR® two-day classes.
**Please note additional training may be added during the year. ASFMRA Chapters frequently request training in conjunction with their chapter meetings, which we happily do. If there are 10 or more individuals interested in your area please contact us and we will assist you in organizing a seminar.
**Continuing Education hours are between 14 and 16 hours based on your state. For more information on our seminars please contact AgWare at 605-787-7871 or see our website at www.uaar.net and click on the News & Events link.
We would like to know what you think of the newsletter along with any comments and ideas for future issues. Comments
AgWare, Inc.
PO Box 138
Piedmont, SD 57769
Phone: 605-787-7871
Fax: 605-787-6163
Email: agware@uaar.net
Website: www.uaar.net
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