Why is google maps aerial coverage for East Lothian poor?

Google Maps Poor Dunbar
Google Maps Poor Dunbar

Poor aerial coverage over parts of East Lothian continues to be a problem with Google Maps.  Some deserts have higher quality imagery available.

It’s almost useless at low resolutions and not available at high in and around Dunbar. Recent good quality imagery exists and is licensed by the folks at Bing, so why hasn’t Google bothered to update?

Continue reading Why is google maps aerial coverage for East Lothian poor?

Map Maker Post Code Tool

To use the utility you must run Map Maker Pro and then open the program MMpostcode.

MMpostcode is located in Map Utilities (alongside the Map Data).

You may need to re-import the postcode data occasionally, but it should be retained from one session to the next.

The data is kept in Map Data > Code-Point Open > data

Choose from the UK data set CSV or EH Post Codes.

Enter the postcode and click Go To.

Post codes are represented as Markers, which can be saved as a .dra file (Menu > Markers > Save markers as … ).

OS Licence

OS Open Data
OS Open Data
Ordnance Survey has recently opened up access to a number of products with the launch of OS OpenData on 1 April 2010, under the ‘Making Public Data Public’ initiative.

Here’s what they say on the website:

OS OpenData will support digital innovation, democratic accountability and social engagement, and will enable business, government, communities and individuals to benefit from easier access to the use of Geographic Information (GI).

There is a specific licence that covers the use of the OS OpenData products.

Changes: (1) there is NO charge for OS OpenData products and (2) we will have much greater re-use rights under the new licence terms than were previously available for 1:50 000 Gazetteer data.

Check this link out to find out about the new licence regimes, including the Public Viewing Service Licence.

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/opendata/licence/index.html

30 second guide

Arc Explorer is Easy to Learn
Arc Explorer is Easy to Learn

Each workstation is currently configured independently, but with a similar setup:

  • Map Maker I is the main community facility
  • Map Maker II is being used by Sue, use the Map Maker profile.

Viewing maps or selecting a view to copy into a presentation or publish to a website is quite easy.

Printing good quality basic maps is quite easy.

Creating basic maps with your data is quite easy, but requires considerable discipline.

Using other people’s data, querying and customising views can be difficult.

Making maps of publication quality, with keys can be quite difficult.

Start by reading View Maps with Arc Explorer (Java version)

New data sets and updates

Mapping Updates

MapWindow GIS Open Source Software (New!)

Update Tatuk Viewer (much improved!)

Update Mapmaker (Now With Postcode Finder!)

ArcGis Explorer Update (Minor Improvements, incl. Bing Underlay)

OGR2OGR / FWTools (a utility to get shape files into kml and vice versa)

Updated base projects with some of the following new data sets from Ordnance Survey:

1:50 000 Scale Gazetteer – GB | Data type: Point Data | CSV

MiniScale – GB | Data type: Raster | TIFF-LZW (With or without GRid with or without relief)

OS Street View – NT | Data type: Raster | TIFF-LZW

OS VectorMap District – NT | Data type: Raster | TIFF-LZW

OS VectorMap District – NT | Data type: Vector | ESRI Shape

1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster – GB | Data type: Raster | TIFF-LZW

OS Locator – GB | Data type: Point Data | ASCII text, Colon separated

Code-Point Open – GB | Data type: Point Data | CSV (Post Code Data)

Have fun!