Unlimited Imagery and USGS Quad Maps for XMap
Purchase XMap 6.2 for 20% off the normal price and take advantage of DeLorme's new Map Library.
How much would you be willing to pay for up-to-date, high-quality aerial imagery for the entire U.S.? What if we included over 50,000 7.5-minute USGS quad maps scanned and seamlessly geo-referenced? How about satellite imagery for every state and NOAA navigational charts for the U.S. coastal waters?
How does under $30 sound?
 DeLorme’s innovative Map Library subscription service, which is available through the Netlink tab in XMap 6, offers unlimited access to all of these map datasets and more for a full year. Simply select the grid tiles that cover your area of interest, choose the type of data, and submit your order. Your custom dataset is usually available for download within minutes and is automatically displayed in XMap.
What makes this deal even better is that all of the imagery, USGS maps, and other downloaded datasets are saved on your local hard drive and are yours to keep. There is no need to pay a monthly charge to download more data or to maintain an internet connection to see the datasets on the map. You could be on the road or at the jobsite and you will still be able to display the imagery, maps, or charts in XMap.
If you haven’t already upgraded to XMap 6, the availability of the Map Library subscription service provides enough reason to do so by itself. However, the latest version of XMap also offers an array of functional enhancements and improvements to many components of the software including:
- Shapefile importing at the XMap Professional level
- Improved data administration functionality in XMap GIS Enterprise
- Append and replace options when importing GIS layers
- Redesigned GPS navigation screen for optimized in-vehicle use
As with all previous versions of XMap, XMap 6 represents a unique amalgamation of powerful GIS data management, GPS-enabled navigation, and visually stunning cartography.
XMap at Work
Texas General Land Office Uses XMap and the Earthmate PN-20 to Help with Hurricane Relief
 In the early hours of September 13 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall as a category two storm to the east of Galveston, Texas. In the preceding days, Ike had wreaked havoc on the islands of Hispaniola and Cuba before heading northwest across the Gulf of Mexico. The impact on the coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana was catastrophic with over 100 people losing their lives and an estimated $24 billion in damage.
In preparation for the storm’s imminent landfall, Texas Task Force One, the state emergency response organization comprised of more than 300 emergency personnel from 60 agencies and departments across the state, set up their Command Center in Houston. Among those who responded were GIS specialists from the Texas General Land Office (GLO), who brought with them DeLorme’s XMap software and Earthmate PN-20 GPS receivers.
One of the lessons learned during the response to Hurricane Katrina, which hit Louisiana three years earlier, is the important role played by GIS in such emergency operations. During a disaster, a substantial amount of spatial information is collected, processed, and shared among countless responding agencies. The technology that allows this data to be efficiently managed must not only be sufficiently powerful and capable, but must also be straightforward enough for responders of all skill levels to utilize quickly and effectively. A key benefit that XMap brings to the emergency operations process is that it can be rapidly put to work to help in the recovery effort.
One of the first tasks undertaken by the Information Systems/Business Automation/GIS specialist from the GLO was training other GLO response team members on the use of the PN-20 for simple field data collection. Their job was to quickly create a database of damaged and destroyed properties based on the precise coordinates of each structure. They were also instructed to photograph what remained of each building as a first step in the recovery and rebuilding process.
XMap Q&A - I noticed that some of the sample maps on the DeLorme Web site include symbols that are not available in my version of XMap. How can I get these symbols?
On occasion, DeLorme customer service representatives are called on to clarify that the images and sample maps on the xmap.com pages do not always reflect what new XMap user are likely to see immediately after they install the software. These images are intended to represent simulations of how the functionality of XMap can be applied within certain industries and for particular applications. The process of composing these maps typically involves utilizing data from a variety of sources, and often it entails creating custom symbology that is more applicable for representing the features on a particular map. It should also be noted that all of the sample maps have been created using the tools that are readily available to all XMap users.
XMap includes a variety of symbol sets that can be assigned to represent points on the map. These range from simple pushpins and flags to more complex symbols representing outdoor pursuits, which were inherited from Topo USA, DeLorme’s recreational software title. XMap also offers a feature for creating custom symbols, which was the source for many of the symbols used on the aforementioned sample maps. Creating custom symbols is a fairly straightforward process:
Tab Tip - Efficient Project Management in XMap
Anyone who has had the good fortune to attend a DeLorme-hosted XMap training class will be well aware of the emphasis placed by the instructor on project management in XMap, and on the need to fully understand the functionality of the Map Data tab. Typically a training class will include a sizable amount of time covering the basics of XMap’s file management system and will offer advice for making your XMap experience more productive and efficient.
Before offering some suggestions as to how best to use the Map Data tab, it might be wise to provide a brief introductory explanation as what a “project” actually is.
 A project is a file that stores certain settings within XMap and records a specific map view that can be reloaded at later date. Projects, which are assigned a .xmp suffix, are saved in the Projects folder in your DeLorme Docs folder which, for XMap 6 users, is in “My Documents” on your local computer, and for XMap 5 and previous users, is at the root of your local hard drive (typically C:\DeLorme Docs).
Projects are typically intended for local use only and should not be shared or sent to another user. As we will soon discuss, a project may contain references to additional files that are stored on the host computer and these will not be available after the project file is transferred and opened on another machine. For sharing the contents of a project file, the Map Data tab includes the Transfer File function, which has been covered in previous Tab Tip articles.
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Where on Eartha
In April, our Where on Eartha journey found us in one of the world’s smallest countries. The principality of Monaco is less than one square mile in size and, with a population of over 30,000, is not surprisingly the world’s most densely populated sovereign nation. While most visitors are familiar with the Monte Carlo quarter with its famous casino and opulent lifestyle, the official capital city, also called Monaco, covers the entire extent of the country.
One of the relatively few respondents who correctly solved the Where on Eartha challenge and the winner of last month’s drawing is Bruce Hodgson from Minerva Central School in Wevertown, NY. Bruce will shortly be receiving a copy of XMap Professional and a USB GPS receiver.
If you would like a chance to win the challenge this month, take a look at the image below and try to guess the name of the country and capital city denoted by the red pushpin. Send your response to contest@delorme.com no later than June 15, 2009.
Transfer your ESRI Maps to the PN-40 with the New Earthmate
PN-40 Extension
The Earthmate PN-40 GPS Receiver can extend the range of an ESRI-based GIS to locations where conventional GIS data viewers simply cannot reach. Enclosed in a rugged waterproof case and boasting an ultra bright screen, the PN-40 is at home in virtually any environment or under any conditions. Under the hood, the device features a super sensitive chipset and a dual-core processor for quick and reliable signal acquisition and virtually instantaneous map rendering.
Initially designed to work exclusively with DeLorme software, the PN-40 offered users of XMap and Topo USA the ability send maps to the device, collect waypoints and tracks, and exchange this data with the PC software. Now this functionality is available to ESRI software users through the Earthmate PN-40 Extension.
This straightforward tool offers two key functions:
- It allows maps to be captured in ESRI software and transferred to the device
- It offers the option to save downloaded tracks and waypoints, along with any field-collected comments, in shapefile format
Using the PN-40, field technicians and mobile professionals now have a perfect complement to an office-based GIS. Pertinent maps can now be viewed in their locational context where they are needed most: at the jobsite.
For more information or to order, click here.
DeLorme Sees Surge in Interest in XMap after Windpower 2009 Conference
While it’s unlikely that all of the estimated 24,000 who attended the recent Windpower 2009 conference in Chicago actually stopped at the DeLorme booth, it sure seemed like it.
We had a great time speaking with both current XMap users, who shared countless tales of how the software has helped them run their businesses more efficiently, and prospective users who hopefully learned why XMap has become the mapping application of choice in the wind energy business.
In recent years, XMap has been adopted by wind energy companies of every size to plan, construct, and manage hundreds of wind projects all over the U.S. and beyond. XMap is used for:
- Optimal site determination using wind resource data and other pertinent layers
- Property acquisition or leasing
- Terrain analysis using XMap's topographic maps and 3-D map rendering
- Turbine placement derived from GPS-collected data
- Environmental and community impact analysis
- Transmission planning
- Infrastructure construction
If you are interested in the wind industry, please visit www.xmap.com/wind to read more.
Training Reminder
Are you getting the most out of your DeLorme software? Are there buttons or tabs that you have never used because you’re not sure what function they serve? Do you want to maximize your return on investment?
Why not consider a Web-based or onsite training class conducted by a DeLorme product specialist for yourself and your colleagues? DeLorme training programs are customized to meet the needs of those being trained, focusing on the aspects of the software that are most appropriate for your specific requirements.
For more information or to arrange your training class,
click here.
We Want to Meet You!
Visit us at these upcoming events:
National Association of Search and Rescue
Little Rock, AR
May 28 - 30, 2009
GeoGathering
Estes Park, CO
June 8 - 9, 2009
ESRI User Conference
San Diego, CA
July 13 - 17, 2009
GITA Oil and Gas Conference
Houston, TX
September 13 - 17, 2009
Stop by the DeLorme booth at any of these events and enter to win a drawing for a DeLorme product.
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