Mapping software

[markf]

I am looking into creating a sort of trail map. Ideally it would be a perspective of the topography with aerial/satellite photo applied and topo lines shown. I have looked at Delorme Topo USA and National Geo Topo. Both of these have the capability to create this kind of thing. The problem is that neither seem to be able to output anything larger than about 1,000 pixels. I need to make a 36" wide map for display at the trail head and then some smaller folded ones to carry. I feel that I need at least 3,600 pixel wide output.

 

Does anyone have any experience with this or can recommend software that I should look at that could produce this?

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Ernest Burden III]

Look at what GoogleEarth can do. It may have good coverage of the area you want to show, or it may not. Hit or miss. Generally, you would be limited to what you could screen-capture and assemble in Photoshop with the free version. The 'Pro' version has the ability to output higher-res images, I think.

 

For a more professional approach, I would look at GlobalMapper. I own it, love it, though it's not the most intuitive software to use.

[markf]

Thank you for your reply Ernest!

 

I also looked at Maptech. That allows high res output and looks like it may be a good product. I called them and found out that, unfortunately the 3D views are not able to be exported as high resolution image files. Only the plan view can export as high res.

 

GlobalMapper looks very good. I have looked around the website and at the user manual and a bit on the support forum. It seems that it would allow for high res 3D view export, but I can't tell for sure. I have sent an e-mail (they don't list a phone #) to their support asking about this.

 

I'm starting to look at a demo of Google Earth Pro to see what that offers.

 

 

Below is what I asked the Global Mapper support. This better explains what I'd like to do. It may be too much to ask and I may end up doing the thing as a 2D/plan view topo map.

 

>>I would like to create a map with the following features. I'd like to have a 3D (perspective) view of an area of topography from a 7.5 minute (1:24,000) USGS map. I'd like to have contour lines and aerial/satellite photography overlaid on the topography. I'd like to be able to add some waypoints from a GPS unit and draw or generate a line between them to indicate a trail(s). I'd like to be able to match an AutoCAD .dwg survey file to the topography so as to locate future building footprints and road.

 

Finally I'd like to be able to output the image as a jpg or tiff or other image file. This would need to be relatively high resolution like at least 3,600 pixels in the wide dimension. Ideally 5400 pixels would be even better.

 

The end result would be a 36" wide trail map display of the area. This would be an raster/image file that would also have some text and logo and etc added in Photoshop.

[Ernest Burden III]

The guy who writes GlobalMapper is great, usually quick to respond. If you do end up buying it, be sure to mention that you heard about it here.

 

I have not used GM to directly render anything. I have used it to read in the soup of GIS formats. I might start with a DEM heightmaps (now called SDTs or similar, I think) and align aerial photos and sometimes topo lines, either raster or vector. Then I output 3D meshes and 2D images that go on them into more standard formats and use a regular render program (Cinema4D in my case) to set up perspectives, lighting, whatever I need. Then there is no issue about output resolution.

[markf]

Ernest,

 

The guy was quick to respond. Below is his reply:

 

>>Yes, you should easily be able to do that in Global Mapper. You can load your data with the File->Open Data File menu command or pull in online sources (like USGS topos and imagery) using the File->Download Online Imagery menu command and all will overlay. You can use the Digitizer Tool to draw new features, and even load something like a DWG then position it by right-clicking on the layer in the Control Center and selecting the option to modify the layer position.

 

All that can be exported to numerous formats, including JPG or TIFF, using the export options at whatever resolution you need.

 

I sent him a thanks and told him that you had recommended the product to me. Sounds like I may use it. Thanks again!

[Maptitude]

The Maptitude mapping software (MappingSoftware.com) can also create 3D map views & with the drape functionality would permit you to view the scene with USGS topography (which can be downloaded via one of the imagery tools.) The same is true for aerial/satellite photography, and the Surface Analysis toolbox can create contour lines. Maptitude can read in data from a GPS and "connect the dots" for you. Finally Maptitude supports many formats including DWG and can output the image at varying resolutions.