Manifold System makes it easier to get started in real mapping. A first-rate tool is easier for both professionals and beginners.  Are you experienced?  See the Manifold System Release 5.00 Overview.

Highlights: 

Built for Windows using Microsoft dialogs   Manifold includes actual Microsoft code for standard dialogs and interfaces.  You already know how to use many Manifold dialogs (such as color setting and font selection), so the system is easier to learn. 

Many GIS programs that sell for thousands of dollars and are said to be "for Windows" in fact use non-Windows dialogs or Windows 3.1 style dialogs that are ten years out of date. 

Let's take some simple examples to make it clear what we mean:

The image on the left shows the Color Palette dialog used by ArcView 3.2, a GIS program from ESRI that sells for well over a thousand dollars (yes, that's over a thousand dollars per license!).

To the experienced Windows "power user" who has long ago used Windows 98 or NT and is now moving to Windows XP, this looks like something a high-school student author of shareware might cook up.  (See the Windows Sanity Test for specific technical crimes legacy GIS vendors commit even as they say "we support Windows.")

Despite the very high price, this "windows" dialog is as far from the usual Windows color picking dialog as Windows 2000 is from Windows 3.1 or from Mac.

Pictured at right is the standard Windows dialog used by Manifold.  It's the standard Windows color selection dialog we all know and love.  Note how it utilizes the Custom Color boxes the way all modern Windows dialogs do.

Because Manifold uses the standard Windows color dialog, any changes you make to your Display settings in the Windows Control Panel will automatically be incorporated into Manifold's color options.  

Change your Windows Color Palette setting to 256 colors?  No problem.  Change it back to True Color? Manifold will adjust automatically.  Install a new graphics card with more colors?  Once again, Manifold will adjust automatically. 

Is it possible to use a non-standard dialog to pick colors in a mapping program?  Sure!  However, a modern GIS program will have hundreds of small dialogs that pop up in various parts of the program. If all of those are different than modern Windows standard, it's that much more to learn.  With Manifold, familiar dialogs mean one less thing to learn, and a lot less to break when Windows evolves from '95 to '98 or NT to 2000 and XP.

Here's another example: Why spend thousands of dollars for software when the vendor hasn't bothered to upgrade it from some goofy Windows 3.1 look-alike? At left is the upper left portion of ArcView 3.0's menu and toolbar.  Whoa! Is this a living fossil or what?

This image is from a JPEG and not an actual screen shot, so it is not as clear as we would like to make it.  However, it shows perfectly clearly the old-fashioned buttons and toolbars ArcView uses.

At right is the totally modern Manifold interface. Notice the modern "railbar" style toolbars and modern tool-tips. Manifold has all the latest and coolest Windows toolbar capabilities: dock or undock the toolbar into a floating toolbar, rearrange toolbars, automatically save and restore different toolbar configurations with a single click, pop-up context menus in all views and on toolbars... the works!

Check out the font setting dialog at left. Unlike other GIS systems, Manifold uses the standard Windows Font dialog so you can use any font installed on your system.  This particular example was clicked open by right-clicking on a label to pop up a context menu, and then choosing "Format Label" and then changing the Font.

These are simple, visual examples.  Manifold has hundreds of places where it uses Windows standards in deeper, more sophisticated areas where other GIS programs do not.  For example, Manifold uses Microsoft Active X scripting and includes Visual Basic Scripting and Javascript.  Other systems require one-of-a-kind proprietary languages such as ESRI's "AML" or "Avenue" languages or MapInfo's "Map Basic."   If it takes your GIS vendor years to catch up to a simple, common-sense thing like VB, perhaps you need a more intelligent GIS vendor.

We think that using Microsoft's languages is a much smarter idea than using oddball proprietary languages.  There are thousands of books published world-wide on Visual Basic, and tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of third party objects and other support resources for people scripting in Microsoft standard languages.  If you've never written applications scripts before, it makes much more sense to learn to do so with a standard Microsoft language. 

Let's be open about this: in five or ten years there are likely to be more people who know Sanskrit or ancient Sumerian than are using ESRI's AML or Avenue. The rest of the world will be using Visual Basic, Javascript, Visual C++ and their descendents.  Why invest in a dead language?  How employable will you be having invested your most important career-building years into dead, proprietary languages?

Only Manifold is Designed for Windows XP

When installed in Windows XP, Manifold System Release 5.00 automatically configures the "look and feel" of the product to match Windows XP.  5.00 qualifies 100% for Microsoft's Designed for Windows XP software qualification program!  Applications meeting the Designed for Windows XP criteria must meet key requirements that assure the software will run correctly on Windows XP.  Requirements include: Support for fast user switching between users; Support for new visual styles; Performance of primary functionality and maintain stability; All kernel-mode drivers that the application installs must pass verification on Windows XP; Applications perform Windows version checking properly; Applications do not attempt to replace files that are protected by Windows File Protection; Applications do not require a reboot unnecessarily.

Image above: A column formatting dialog for table windows in Manifold seen in XP automatically uses the modern XP look for controls.

For more items to check between Manifold and other GIS systems, see our Windows Integration Sanity Test page.  This includes our famous "living fossil" picture of a Coelacanth that was inspired by Arc/INFO's ancient user interface.  MapInfo fans might also wish to check out our  Manifold 4.50 vs MapInfo 5.0 comparison, which includes the famous rotating skull-and-crossbones.png.

Superb Documentation

Users agree Manifold's documentation is super: it's comprehensive, lavishly illustrated and well hyper-linked and indexed so that any topic is easy to find.

In comparison, other GIS systems have very poorly illustrated documentation.  Manifold has over 2700 color illustrations.   Manifold has numerous, step-by-step examples and sample web sites created with Manifold IMS (Internet Map Server) on CD showing both simple and sophisticated uses.  Other systems rarely have complete, step-by-step examples and case studies.

Manifold provides all documentation online within an extensive Help system including over 900 topics that are indexed and hyperlinked.  Using Help it's easy to search either the index or by key word.

The documentation system has also been provided in printable form on the Manifold CD.  Over 2440 pages long, the documentation has been organized into a Microsoft Word .doc document plus a Table of Contents and an Index.  Pagination has been carried throughout so that any part of the Table of Contexts and Index and any part of the doc may be printed with pagination to match. The Word document includes all illustrations.  The illustrations at left show how to move a map object by dragging any of the edit handles. 

Reads Numerous Map Formats

Manifold System can read over 80 different map and database formats, including:

• DLG (Digital Line Graph) - Detailed maps of the United States.
• SDTS (Spatial Data Transfer Standard) - 1:25,000-scale maps of the entire United States.
• VPF (Vector Product Format) - US Military maps from DMA and NIMA providing very detailed, high resolution maps of the entire world.
• TIGER/Line  - US Bureau of the Census high resolution maps of civic boundaries, named places, streets with street names and addresses, Zip and Zip+4 coding and more.
• DEM (Digital Elevation Module) - Terrain elevation data for US.
• Gtopo30 DEM - Terrain elevation data for the entire world.
• ESRI .e00 and "shapefile" formats - Formats used by ESRI GIS products.
• MapInfo MID/MIF - Format used by MapInfo GIS products.
• AutoCAD .DXF - Nearly universal CAD exchange format.
• GeoTIFF - The industry standard for georeferenced images.
• USGS DRG (Digital Raster Graphs) - Used for images of scanned paper maps.
• USGS DOQ (Digital Ortho Quad) - The world's largest collection of detailed, inexpensive aerial photos from USGS.
• SPOT - High resolution satellite photos.
• BIL - ESRI Grid surface files
• Northwood Grid
• Satellite photo and remote sensing formats used with Landsat, AVHRR, CEOS and many more.
• Microsoft Access .mdb - Database format and used for mapping or networking as well.
• Text formats - A wide variety of text formats.
• ODBC Database and Spread Sheet files - Reads almost any data source, including Access, Btrieve, DB2, INFORMIX, INGRES, InterBase, NetWare SQL, Oracle, Paradox, PROGRESS, SQLBase, SQL Server, Sybase, as well as spread sheet formats such as Excel and Lotus 123.

Each format or database type that Manifold can read opens the door to a vast library of maps and data sets available in that format. Illustration above right shows polar aspect Orthographic projection using the Digital Chart of the World.

Easy Editing of Maps and Images

Using a mapping program with poor editing features is like using a word processor that doesn't allow inserting new text or that doesn't have a search and replace capability.  Manifold has the widest and easiest-to-use range of editing commands, with by far the most powerful and comprehensive set of image editing commands of any desktop GIS. The illustration at above left (click on the thumbnail for a full sized image) shows the power of professional graphics arts style editing commands used in Manifold to create a composite image from several layers using sophisticated transparency effects.

Manifold's image editing capabilities are rivaled only by professional graphics arts programs like Adobe PhotoShop.  Images in maps are used for backgrounds, in combination with surfaces to provide a better sense of reality and for artistic effects like drop shadows.  The image at right shows the use of images to create drop shadow effects that set off part of a map.

It's easy in Manifold to create shapes that automatically use any combination of points, lines or areas, to edit existing shapes,  to add "instant data" when inserting new objects, and in general to do any cartographic operation with ease using modern methods.

Intense and Easy Projections

Manifold's projection converter is not limited to a fixed selection of projections and projection parameters as is MapInfo.  Choose from hundreds of basic projections (and thousands of variations) organized by convenient presets, with variables for all key parameters to create  an infinite number of projections.  All projections work is accomplished automatically with a simple dialog.

There is no other GIS at any price that has the full roster of drawing, image, surface and table editing capabilities that Manifold provides.

Point and Click Analysis

Manifold provides hundreds of analytic functions that are encapsulated into a point and click Transform toolbar.  Operators in the toolbar are point-and-click "black boxes" that do mathematical, logical or database analysis, or that perform editing operations in images, drawings, surfaces and tables. Manifold includes point-and-click operators for numerous geometric, networking, editing and utility tasks that are essential for effective work in GIS, including many operators that old-fashioned GIS programs like MapInfo or ArcView cannot perform.  For example, in Manifold it is a one-click operation to create a polygonal area from an enclosed boundary line.  MapInfo has no such capability.

Many features that are either impossible to do or that require experts hours of time in systems such as Arc/INFO or MapInfo are one-click operations in Manifold.  For example, the Spatial SQL commands integrated within the Transform Toolbar shown above right can be duplicated with a sophisticated enough script program; however, few people are willing to write a program just to find all items in the map that are adjacent to particular object.  In Manifold, these are all point-and-click commands.

Manifold lets you select objects in the map in a variety of simple, intuitive ways and then apply a operator to them.  For example, one could draw a mouse cursor box to grab all counties in a particular area and then choose the Buffer Zone operator and press Apply on the toolbar to create buffer zones for those counties. 

Managing database tables is made extremely easy by Manifold point-and-click operators.  Simple tasks like changing all values in a string field to upper case, lower case, title case, etc., used to require sophisticated SQL update queries or scripting.  With Manifold such tasks are easy, point-and-click operations.

Despite their very high prices, old-fashioned GIS packages do not have the full range of sophisticated operators packaged in such a simple and easy-to-use interface as does Manifold. Even if you aren't a GIS guru, you'll still be able to use these functions because they are safely tucked away in point-and-click toolbars.

Everything is Included

Other mapping products sell a core system and then charge extra for features that many users will require.  For example, sophisticated spatial SQL is a mind-numbingly expensive (tens of thousands of dollars) capability in some systems.  In Manifold, it's included. 

MapInfo requires an extra fee to purchase "Map Basic" for scripting capability.  Manifold includes full scripting capability at no additional for both Visual Basic Scripting or Javascript (with PERL and Python as free downloads) by default, including a complete scripting editor,  a cool drag-and-drop forms creation system that allows visual configuration of forms with a wide range of standard Microsoft controls and much more.

Other systems charge extra for converters.  Manifold includes numerous converters that are pricey options (such as the TIGER/Line and SDTS converters) with other systems.  To get you started, the system includes a vast array of maps and data sets on the Manifold CD.

Manifold includes the industry's coolest Internet Map Server (IMS) at no additional charge.  Manifold IMS is built right into Manifold System so you can create cool mapping projects in the Manifold WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) environment and then publish them as interactive web pages with a few mouse clicks.  No programming required! Primitive map servers that don't even include a GIS and that require expert level programming to get running work slower than Manifold IMS and cost many thousands of dollars. 

Mexico (above left)  - A demonstration Manifold IMS web page  that shows a map of Mexico with layers using zoom ranges to control which layers come on upon zoom in. Shows labels as a layer.  The "high compatibility" template is used to create a site that will work with older Internet browsers.

Finally, Manifold includes items that are unavailable at any price with other systems.  Manifold exclusives such as the GPS Console, ViewBots, Active Columns, Decision Support System, "More Like This" technology and the Transform toolbar are many years ahead of other systems.  They are all included!

A Steal at Twice the Price! - Manifold System Release 5.00 Professional is priced at only $245: that's the best deal ever in GIS!   The data alone on the Manifold CD sells for hundreds of dollars from other vendors.   Plus, the spectacular image manipulation, surface and 3D terrain, spatial, networking, and topological commands included in 5.00 Professional often sell for thousands of dollars from other vendors.  Finally, the Manifold Internet Map Server built into Manifold 5.00 easily outperforms other map servers that sell for thousands of dollars. 

Call 800-556-5919 today to order your copy of Release 5.00 Professional, or teleport right away to the Manifold.net Online Store to buy a copy right now!