imported tif is black

[kscolfer]

I am using map 2005 on windows xp. When I insert (Map/Image/Insert) a tif image (DRG) downloaded from seamless.usgs.gov it is completely black. Any ideas on how to fix this? The image size is approximately 9mg.

[Jmurphy]

Can you view the tif in an image editor/viewer?

[kscolfer]

You mean like Microsoft Office Document Viewer? No I cannot. I get a message saying that Microsoft Office Document Viewer does not support this type of file...

[Jmurphy]

Sounds like you either have a bad download or the TIF format is a compress format LZW. Try
http://www.irfanview.com and download the viewer, you might be ale to convert it to another format.

[kscolfer]

Wow,

I don't even remember posting this question in November last year(!!). I just experienced a repeat of the problem. Searched AUGI for a relevant thread, and found my own. Talk about the twilight zone!

Anyway, I still can't view DRG's dl'ed from the USGS seamless server. They appear as black. Tried Irfanview, still black. Opened them in photoshop, messed with the contrast and managed to get a grayscale image that demonstrates that the drg is in there somewhere, but still can't seem to make it look like the 24K topo I dl'ed.

Thanks for the assistance, JMurphy, but I'm still lost. Any other ideas?

[Jmurphy]

Are you still using 2005?

[kscolfer]

Murph,

Yes, still using 2005. I have 2007 in a box but not installed yet (if I can just get caught up, I'll install it, but its been over a year since I've been caught up!!!). However this problem is not isolated to CAD. The drg's are black in every program I open them in. Its also not an isolated problem simply with one drg file, It happens with every drg I download. I know the data is in the file, I just need to figure out what to do to "release it". But I'm barely a CAD guy, much less a raster guru! Thanks for the response!

[Jmurphy]

I would say it's the d/l that may be messing you up. I d/l a couple of them from the same site you did and some of the tif's were black and one of them was even part colored (the way it should be) and one corner of it all black. I'm thinking the way it creates the DRG on the site is not overlapping the correct files to create the seamless file.

[kscolfer]

Murph,

Wow, so maybe its not my technique for a change? That would be cool. Guess I'll try a few more and see what happens. Thanks for the help!

[kscolfer]

Murph, You were right! I successfully grabbed one this morning. Perhaps when the server is busier it messes up the dl's? Anyway, thanks much for the help!