DeLorme Showcases its New ESRI GPS Extension and Digital Map Data at ESRI Petroleum User Group
 DeLorme recently exhibited for the first time at the ESRI Petroleum User Group (PUG) conference in Houston, TX. The company previewed an upcoming extension that will enable ESRI GIS software users to export maps for display on its Earthmate PN-40 handheld GPS receiver.
The ruggedized, waterproof PN-40 is capable of displaying aerial imagery, topographic and street maps, GIS layers, points of interest, and nautical charts. The device has a high-visibility 65K-color transflective TFT color screen for readability in any lighting conditions.
Up until now, the PN-40 has been engineered for use with proprietary DeLorme software. The in-progress extension will allow ESRI users to bypass that requirement, while still having access to the receiver's powerful navigation and data collection features.
Long known for its compelling topographic maps, DeLorme is now making its North America Digital Map available for use in ESRI GIS applications. ESRI PUG attendees were able to examine this exceptionally detailed vector data first hand and learn about how it can be delivered in ESRI formats such as shapefile, ArcSDE, and geodatabase.
For more information contact prosales@delorme.com.
XMap at Work
Westport Island Publishes GIS Data to the Web
Long-time subscribers to this newsletter might recall an announcement that was made a little over a year ago about a small town on the coast of Maine that made the decision to embark on a project to apply mapping technology to the management of their municipal data.
Westport Island is a quintessential Maine community. As its name implies, it is surrounded by water, with a single two-lane bridge its only access to the mainland. According to the census figures, its population is a little over 700 people, although, as is typical in this part of the world, this number is bolstered by the influx of summer visitors “from away.” It is fair to say, therefore, that this is a community of modest means; a fact that makes what they have been able to achieve all the more remarkable.
The previously published account of their work described the efforts of a handful of eager citizens to digitize the town’s property boundaries using XMap; a process which had yet to be completed. At that time, the subsequent phases of the project—integrating the town’s tax records and providing public access to the data—seemed a long way off.
Tab Tip - Transferring GIS Data to the PN-20 or PN-40
One of the features of DeLorme’s PN-Series GPS receivers that sets it apart from other devices is its ability to display an incredible variety of map data, both vector and raster. For XMap users, this flexibility means that GIS data can be carried right to the jobsite, wherever that might be. On the PN-Series device, layers transferred from XMap retain their symbology and labels, providing a snapshot of your maps as they were created in XMap and offering a rugged mobile GIS viewer.
 Note that while any current version of XMap can be used to transfer GIS data to the PN-Series device, only the Enterprise and Editor versions have the tools necessary for editing or updating the data.
Before transferring GIS layers from XMap to the PN-Series device, there are several considerations that should be taken into account:
- It is likely that the lighting conditions will be significantly different in the field than in your office, so you may need to adjust the display characteristics of the relevant data layers. A layer whose color or shading is easily discernable on your PC may not be as clear under bright sunlight conditions. Usually darker colors work best on the device.
- If you intend to layer a polygon over an aerial image on the device, you should make sure the polygons are unfilled using the Symbolize Layer functionality in XMap.
- If possible, point data layers should be symbolized using the Earthmate PN-Series symbol set, as the same symbols are preloaded into the device. This ensures that you will see an exact match of the layer as it appears in XMap.
- To enable searching on the PN-Series device, the objects in the layer must be labeled using the relevant attribute field. For instance, if you would like to be able to search for objects by name, make sure that the name field is assigned as the label for the layer. You cannot search for unlabelled objects on the PN-Series device.
- If you would like to be able to control the appearance of labels on the PN-Series device, create a copy of the appropriate layer, adjust the symbology so that the objects on the copied layer are transparent, and assign labels as normal. The result is a layer in which the actual objects cannot be seen but the labels can. Displaying this layer in conjunction with the original allows you to turn the labels on or off as needed by simply choosing not to display the copied layer.
Add Your XMap Map to the Map Gallery and Win a PN-40
 DeLorme is seeking submissions from XMap users for an online map gallery that will showcase interesting and creative uses for the software. This is your opportunity to share your work with the XMap community at large and maybe even win an Earthmate PN-40 GPS receiver for your trouble.
Maps can be submitted in any one of a number of formats:
- A screenshot captured using your computer's Print Screen function
- An image file saved using XMap's Print tab
- A MapShare site created using the MapShare button on XMap's toolbar
- An XMap Web site
In each case, an accompanying paragraph should clearly describe the content of the map and any specific steps that were followed to create it.
The final date for submission is June 30, 2009, however maps will be posted to the gallery as soon as they have been submitted and reviewed by DeLorme staff. Shortly after the deadline, a random drawing will be conducted among those who submitted an entry and the winner will receive an Earthmate PN-40.
If you have any questions or you would like to submit your map for consideration, email mapgallery@delorme.com
We Want to Meet You!
Visit us in these upcoming events:
GITA Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference
Tampa, FL
April 19-22, 2009
Be sure to attend DeLorme's Solutions Spotlight presentation from 9:50 - 10:20 am on Tuesday, 4/21, during which we will demonstrate XMap's data deployment functionality.
Windpower 2009 Conference & Exhibition
May 4-7, 2009
Chicago, IL
Don't forget to sign up for the post-conference training class (see above). If you are interested, email training@delorme.com.
Stop by the DeLorme booth at any of these events and enter to win a drawing for a DeLorme product.
|
Where on Eartha?
As anticipated, there were very few incorrect responses to January’s Where on Eartha challenge. The city and country in question are so unique that there was little likelihood of mistaking them for another location. That said, the number of responses was significantly lower than previous months. The first randomly selected entrant, who identified the city of Male in the breathtakingly beautiful Indian Ocean nation of The Maldives, was Bob Beck, an engineer with the Colorado Department of Transportation. Bob will shortly be receiving a copy of XMap 6 Professional with XMap USA Topographic Data and a USB GPS receiver.
This month we visit a capital city with a little more terra firma underfoot. If you know the name of the city and the strategically significant country in which it is located, send your response to contest@delorme.com before March 15, 2009, and you could be the next winner. Good luck!
XMap 6 Training at AWEA
Planning to attend the Windpower 2009 conference in Chicago? Why not use the opportunity to hone your XMap skills by attending a training class during the morning after the event?
This training session will be conducted at the McCormick Place Convention Center from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm on Friday May 8th and will focus primarily on the application of XMap for wind energy management. Specific topics will include:
- Basic functions of XMap
- Optimizing XMap for efficient file and data management
- Identifying sources of applicable data
- Using GPS with XMap
- Managing your GIS data
- Printing high-quality maps
The class size will be limited to 50 attendees at a cost of $100 per person. Space will be allotted on a first-come, first-served basis. Those who plan to attend are encouraged to bring a laptop; sample files will be distributed at the beginning of the class.
If you are interested in attending, please email training@delorme.com. Closer to the date of the class, additional information and a registration form will be sent to all prospective attendees.
DeLorme Begins Planning for XMap 7
As was noted in January’s newsletter, 2008 was a great year for XMap. XMap 6 was released with an array of new features and functions and we continued to see significant growth in the key markets of energy and natural resource management. In an effort to continue this momentum, the XMap team has started the design and development process for XMap 7.
As a current or prospective user of DeLorme software, you are encouraged to help with this development work by completing the brief survey that you should have recently received in your email inbox. If you did not receive the survey, click here.
Most enhancements to DeLorme software are directly attributable to customer requests, so this is your chance to have your say in shaping the next generation of XMap.
Thank you for your participation.
Did You Know...
Did you know that you can assign a selected map object to an existing class using the Classification menu on XMap's toolbar?
OK, that was admittedly a long-winded and perhaps somewhat confusing Did You Know question. However, as you will soon learn, this feature is extremely useful for quickly and efficiently organizing your data.
Before describing the functionality of the Classification menu, it is worth reviewing the concept of classification itself. Most GIS data layers include at least one attribute that in some way distinguishes the objects in that layer. For example, a layer containing pipelines will likely include an attribute field that denotes the commodity that flows along each section of pipeline.
The process of classification assigns all instances of a specific value to a group or class and represents each class with a unique symbol or line style on the map. This concept is often referred to as thematic mapping and is perhaps the simplest form of spatial data analysis.
Managing data layers often necessitates editing attribute fields and, as a result, reassigning an object from one class to another. The Classification menu on XMap’s toolbar was developed to simplify this process. Instead of manually typing the new value in the attribute table, a selected object can be reassigned to another class by clicking the menu button and choosing the appropriate symbology or line style. As a result, the appearance of the object will be changed and the attribute table will be automatically updated to reflect this change.
To enable this function, the layer in question must be selected from the Active Layer drop-down list in the toolbar and the Edit tool must be used to select the object on the map.
|
