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Modular Dispersal in GIS (or MDiG) is a framework for modelling the spread of a species' population distribution through time. The software is built upon the powerful open-source GIS platform GRASS and provides a simulation manager that can automate analysis across replicates and occupancy maps.

MDiG has been used in a variety of published applications and was developed as result of Joel Pitt's PhD thesis on modelling invasive species spread over heterogeneous environments.

More about MDiG...

Get MDiG

For Windows you can download this installer which bundles GRASS 6.4 with MDiG: MDiG 0.3.2 Windows installer.

• If you are not running Windows 7, you may need this update from Microsoft: vcredist_x86.exe.
• If you want to be able to generate animated gifs, you'll need the convert utility that is provided as part of ImageMagick.

For Ubuntu/Linux - Use git to get this repository.

> git clone [email protected]:ferrouswheel/mdig.git

you can also get the repository using https://subversion.apache.org/

> svn co https://github.com/ferrouswheel/mdig ./mdig

You'll need to install the requirements mentioned in the README file yourself, and then compile the dispersal modules as mentioned in grass-modules/README. More details available here

If you are a researcher interested in using MDiG, then feel free to [email protected] or send a message to the mailing list. Depending on what you need I may be able to assist you, or you could sponsor development for particular features. Note, any development I do, sponsored or otherwise, will be released publicly and open-source.

Documentation

• Important: Upgrading
• Install guides:
  • Installation on Linux
• User Guide - covers how to create a model file, configuration of MDiG, running and analysis.
• Cookbook - How to carry out various tasks that often come up in relation to MDiG, GRASS, and dispersal models.

Development

Currently MDiG was developed as part of my PhD research at Lincoln University. Although I somewhat maintain MDiG, most of my time is spent on applying the model to case studies for contract work. I'll try and fix bugs and develop the software further as I get the chance. Users should submit bugs on the open-source developer site Launchpad.

• Redesign of MDiG - A number of major reworkings that would improve MDiG, now that it's use and functionality is better defined.
• Todo List
• Parallel processing - plans for client server operation.
• Filesystem layout - Description for the new layout of MDiG related files.
• Version History - List of changes/features from version to version.