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Interactive maps< are a fantastic way to present geographic data to your visitors. Libraries like Google Maps and Open Street Maps are a popular choice to do this and they excel at visualizing street-level data. However, for small-scale maps, SVG maps are often a better option. They are lightweight, fully customizable and are not encumbered by any licensing restrictions.
It’s possible to find a number of SVG maps released under permissible licenses in the Wikimedia Commons. Unfortunately, it’s likely that you will eventually find these options lacking. The map you need may not exist, may be out of date (as borders change), or may not be well-formatted for web use. This article will explain how to create your own SVG maps using Natural Earth data and open source tools. You will then be able to create SVG maps of any area of the world, using any projection, at any resolution. As an illustration, we will create an SVG world map.
The process will require us to:
first published week of: 10/05/2015
We’ve recently launched our OS Photofit competition, giving you the chance to see your photos on the latest covers of our paper map ranges. This isn’t the first change we’ve made to our map covers, you can chart their history in this short video:
Our most iconic maps, the pink OS Landrangers and the orange OS Explorers, have been used by walkers, cyclists, climbers and many more for decades – but maybe not for as long as you would think.
A selection of maps from the 1930s, including the Ellis Martin covers
While OS was founded back in 1791, and we published our first map in 1801, maps for the general public didn’t seriously take off until after the Second World War. Although interestingly, some of our best-remembered map covers predate this period, with their beautifully illustrated covers by Ellis Martin. After the war. experimental maps at the familiar OS Explorer Map 1:25 000 scale (2½ inches on the map being equivalent to 1 mile on the ground or 4 cm to 1 km) were produced with the idea that students could use them to learn about geography and that if this was popular, it could be extended and made more widely available for outdoor enthusiasts too.
The origins of the OS Landranger series go back to 1801 and the map of Kent which was produced at one-inch scale, with the whole of Britain being completed by 1887. These were followed by a number of series with different formats and specifications until 1945 when the New Popular Sixth Series was started, each sheet covering an area of 40 x 45 km and incorporating the National Grid. The need to conform with the government’s metrication programme in the 1960s saw the birth of the 1:50,000 scale map, with the First Series of 204 sheets published in two blocks, in 1974 and 1976. continued…
first published week of: 02/23/2015
ACD Systems today released a new complete geographic information system (GIS) version of its popular Canvas illustration product. Canvas X Ultimate 16 includes a powerful set of GIS-based features and commands that support a range of geospatial data formats, defining complex map projections and performing advanced property operations. The new 64-bit architecture enables users to quickly open and work with documents containing over one million objects. With support for DPI settings and high resolution monitors, this advanced software is an essential tool for GIS professionals in the oil & gas and energy sectors, aerospace, automotive, education and government industries.
"The new Canvas X Ultimate 16 product is an important addition to our new Canvas X product line," said Doug Vandekerkhove, President of ACD Systems. The 64-bit architecture combined with new DPI settings for high resolution monitors offers users a faster and more streamlined technical illustration experience. Canvas X Ultimate 16 is an essential tool for GIS professionals in the oil & gas and energy sectors, aerospace and automotive industries, education, and government.
first published week of: 02/02/2015
I think we can all agree that 3D is quickly becoming a dominant data type. Drones and LiDAR scanners are widespread. 3D cameras and printing are all the rage at tech fairs these days. Augmented reality is… well, a reality. And don’t even get me started on what people are doing with Minecraft.
Esri users looking to embrace this trajectory are well equipped. In this post we’re going to focus on Data Interoperability, an FME-based ArcGIS extension that lets you work with over 100 Esri and non-Esri data formats. If you’re unfamiliar with Data Interop, check out my last blog post for an overview of its functionality and the top 6 ways data pros are using it. For a deeper look into everything we’re about to cover (including demos), tune into our LiDAR, 3D, and BIM webinar on August 12th.
Esri natively supports the most common point cloud format, LAS, and the compressed version zLAS. Of course, point clouds come in a wide range of formats. With Data Interop it doesn’t matter if your data is in XYZ, Oracle Spatial, RIEGL, ZFS, TerraScan, ASTM E57, or otherwise. You can import any data for LAS use in ArcGIS and automatically generate the necessary .lasd file. Data Interop also makes it easy to export your data to any of these formats.
Using the range of transformers available, you can apply reprojection, clipping, tiling, thinning, and many other processes to your point clouds. Check out my post on working with LiDAR to see some examples of what’s possible. continued…
first published week of: 08/03/2015
Airbus Defence and Space has officially launched its WorldDEM Digital Terrain Model (DTM), a highly accurate standardized representation of bare Earth elevation that can be made available for any point on the globe. This addition completes the WorldDEM portfolio enabling Airbus Defence and Space to provide both surface and terrain elevation information, in support of global customer projects.
The WorldDEM DTM is derived from the WorldDEM product (Digital Surface Model) by removing all man-made features and vegetation. The unrivaled quality of the original WorldDEM product combined with a sophisticated editing process guarantees highly precise and consistent terrain information. While surface features (e.g. built-up areas, vegetation) are reliably removed, characteristic terrain features such as ridge lines or mountain crests are preserved.
- Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) based on WorldDEM are now commercially available
- WorldDEM DTM can be delivered for over 90 Million km² of the Earth’s landmass
The WorldDEM DTM provides an excellent foundation layer for a wide range of applications such as civil engineering (e.g. road design, Earth work calculation), the management of natural resources (e.g. flood modeling), mapping (e.g. derivation of contour lines) as well as military mission planning (e.g. vehicle traffic-ability analysis, 3D terrain visualization).
WorldDEM is based on data acquired by the high-resolution radar satellites TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X, which started synchronous data acquisition in December 2010 and completed coverage of the Earth’s entire landmass twice over in mid-2013. The satellites covered more complex terrain areas with a third and fourth acquisition campaign to ensure consistent high quality and accuracy of the final product. WorldDEM provides the first global, single-source, high-precision Digital Surface Model and has established a new standard of global elevation models.
first published week of: 04/20/2015
Amazon's delivery drones or 'unmanned aerial vehicle' (UAV) will deliver goods by tracking the mobile GPS data of the buyer.
The details of Amazon's delivery drones have emerged after the online major filed patents with the US Patent Office, detailing how the drones would work.
According to the patent, the drone will be able to track the delivery location through the data from the user's smartphone GPS location, and deliver the goods even if the mentioned location is changed.
It was also revealed that the drones' vehicle management system will include a processor, radar, sonar, and cameras to provide smooth transportation of goods.
The document added, "The UAV may receive inventory information and a destination location and autonomously retrieve the inventory from a location within a materials handling facility, compute a route from the materials handling facility to a destination and travel to the destination to deliver the inventory."
The delivery drones will also be capable of communicating with each other regarding weather and traffic conditions.
Amazon is planning to introduce different types of drones, which will suit the requirements of different kinds of products. continued…
first published week of: 05/11/2015