MICRODEM Download

MICRODEM is a microcomputer mapping program written by Professor Peter Guth of the Naval Academy. The program requires a 32 bit version of Windows such as XP and will run on 64 bit Windows in 32 bit mode.

The program is available in several ways:

• complete MICRODEM install (55 MB) which includes the large help file, sample data files, and the installation of the Borland Database Engine.   We strive to make this version as bug free as possible, but we suspect that bugs may creep in.
• The best way to update the program is to use the option on the Files, Tools menu.  This will close the program and update the executable. You can update the help file with the option to download data files.
  • The current MICRODEM executable (6 MB) requires a "recent" complete install and will be more current than the version in the complete install.  Place this executable in the MICRODEM directory (c:\microdem); if it does not function correctly or complains about missing DLL files, DBF files, or other anomalies, you must do a complete install because yours is not recent enough.
  • The current MICRODEM help file (35 MB).  This is a standard windows help file in CHM format.  If you have problems opening this in MICRODEM, open it from Windows and note the security settings which must be configured for it to operate correctly. You can also right click on the file and choose to unblock it.
• The military icons generator is available as a separate program (1.5 MB) which allows you to create unit icons and paste them into your favorite graphics program.  An improved is included in MICRODEM.

Executing the installation program will create icons on the start menu and two directories:

• c:\microdem
• c:\MapData\ with subdirectories. While you can put this on another drive, it must go into the root directory of its drive.

The program  will create a log of program operations in the file 'microdem_debug_log.txt', in a PetmarTrilobites subdirectory in the Windows temporary directory; the easiest way to get the file is to to open it from the Help menu while the program is still running. You must copy this file immediately after encountering an unexplained crash, because the file is overwritten every time you run the program. Send the file to me and I can better determine what caused the problem. The debug log is not complete, and I may have to add additional debugging messages to the program and have you repeat the error and send a new log until we can isolate the problem.

You can data sets configured to work with MICRODEM.  We are moving the download of data to occur inside the program, which will automatically put the data sets in the correct locations.  See the documentation.

You can still get the following data sets:

• Marine geology and plate tectonics (11.5 MB): this will install a series of GIS databases in c:\mapdata\database, and a digital isochrons of the world.  An HTML file provides the sources for the databases.
• Marine geophysics trainer  (5.5 MB): this will install three data sets in c:\mapdata\mgt.
• ETOPO5 global DEM (11 MB): uncompress in c:\mapdata\dems.
• Climate data base ( 2 MB)--place  in c:\mapdata\database

Last Update: 2/16/2009