Notes from the XMap Desk
Someone once said that good things come in threes…or was it trees? (see the XMap Spotlight below). In any case, it is no coincidence that DeLorme’s product offerings for the professional market fall neatly into three distinct but interdependent groups: GIS software; GPS devices; & map data.
Each of these business ventures allows DeLorme to work with a wide variety of users, whether it’s equipping our service men and women with life-saving GPS technology, helping a startup company understand the benefits of an efficient GIS, or collaborating with agencies and organizations to ensure they have the most complete road and street network for their mapping projects.
One of the most gratifying ramifications of delivering an adaptable suite of geospatial products is the fact that we are continually amazed by the wide variety of ways in which the products are put to work. This month we are pleased to share an account of the research being conducted by Ian Browne, a graduate student at Oklahoma State University, on the effects of global warming on small mammals many millions of years ago.
If you have an interesting application for XMap or any DeLorme product that you would like to share, please send us an email at prosales@delorme.com.
|
|
XMap at Work–Using The Earthmate PN-40 and the ESRI Extension in Historic Global Warming Research |
 |
Although it is generally considered to be an early 21st century problem, geological evidence of cyclic global warming and cooling shows that temperature increase affected mammal populations millions of years ago. Ian Browne, a graduate student at Oklahoma State University has been researching fossil beds in the Mojave Desert and offers some words of praise for the role of the Earthmate PN-40 in helping make this hostile environment a little more hospitable.
Read more...
|
|
Where on Eartha |
Given that last month was April, there was some discussion about publishing an April Fool’s version of the Where on Eartha Challenge, in which we would display a fictitious capital and country. Let me assure you, this did not happen; our trusty pushpin was placed in a genuine national capital and one which has been around for several millennia.
To find out where we visited last month and to win a copy of XMap in this month’s challenge, click the satellite image.
|
|
|
XMap Q & A—Which DeLorme Product(s) should I choose if I want to gather data using XMap Forms? |
XMap Forms offers a user-friendly way for mobile workers to collect or edit GIS data on a PC or handheld GPS receiver. This innovative component of the XMap suite has received enthusiastic feedback from both experienced and new XMap users.
For those who have not yet purchased XMap but are interested in utilizing XMap Forms, a common question is, “I like it; what product do I need?” This article addresses this question and explains which combination of DeLorme products is needed to use forms in one or more copies of XMap or on the Earthmate PN-40.
Read more...
|
|
|
COMING SOON
THE EARTHMATE PN-60 |
The latest generation of DeLorme's powerful PN-Series handheld GPS receivers is nearing release |
The PN-60 is scheduled for delivery this summer and offers a wealth of new features and functions: |
- New icon-based user interface
- Superior battery performance and power management
- Elevation profiling
- 3.5 GB of internal storage
- Unlimited waypoint, track, and route saving in GPX format
Combined with the optional SPOT Satellite Communicator, the PN-60w allows you to create Type & Send text messages from virtually anywhere in the world. |
 |
|
Check future editions of the DeLorme Professional Newsletter for release information.
|
|
XMap Advice—Establishing a central XMap database to provide multi-user connections to GIS layers in a network environment |
 |
The XMap GIS suite has been optimized to provide accessible GIS functionality at the jobsite or away from the office. A typical installation of the software includes a local version of Microsoft SQL Server® that is used by XMap to efficiently store and retrieve GIS layers without needing to connect to a network server. This setup works well for standalone users; however, for many small companies, there is a need to develop a more collaborative working environment.
This article describes the simple process of creating and connecting to a central GIS database, allowing everyone in the organization to simultaneously view and, if necessary, edit the same data layers.
Read more...
|
|
Data Flow in XMap GIS Enterprise |
One of the challenges in presenting the capabilities of the XMap Enterprise suite is describing the flow of data and the role played by each of the three versions of the software in this process. It was this challenge that motivated the XMap group to produce a visual representation of this data flow.
At the center of this flow is XMap GIS Enterprise, which incorporates data from numerous sources and develops and manages the distribution process for sending the appropriate data to a mobile workforce and for integrating remotely collected data into a central GIS.
XMap GIS Enterprise Data Flow PDF
|
|
|
XMap Training |
The XMap training calendar is filling up for the summer months so If you or your company would like to participate in a training class, now is the time to make those arrangements.
To talk to a member of the XMap
group about your training options,
email training@delorme.com
or call 207-846-7020.
For more information, go to: www.delorme.com/training
|
|
30-day XMap Trial |
New to XMap? Download a 30-day trial copy at no cost to you, and find out why countless energy companies, emergency responders, government agencies, real estate firms, and many others have chosen XMap for their mapping and GIS needs.
To download your copy today, go to xmap.com/trial
|
|
|
Contact Us |
| Email:
prosales@delorme.com
Phone:
1-800-293-2389
Mailing Address:
2 DeLorme Drive
Yarmouth, ME 04096
If you are traveling to Maine, stop in and see Eartha, the world’s largest rotating globe
|
|
|
|
XMap Spotlight
For those of us living in northern New England, the idea of collecting data on individual trees seems as ludicrous as counting grains of sand on the shoreline. While Maine is over 90% forested, cities such as Washington, DC, justifiably see trees as a relatively rare commodity and one that must be carefully managed. City employees in the nation’s capital have meticulously recorded the location of each tree and collected a variety of attributes such as species and condition.
This month’s XMap Spotlight shows the results of this data gathering process and the pattern created by the various tree species around the DuPont Circle area of the city.
Click the map image to see a full-size image.
The data for this map was downloaded from the extensive DC online data catalog in shapefile format. After importing all of the points into XMap, the data was classified to help distinguish the various tree species in the city. This layer was then overlaid on high-resolution aerial imagery, which was downloaded from the DeLorme Map Library. |
Click to enlarge
|
|
To download aerial imagery or any of the other dataset offerings, subscribe to the Map Library. Learn More
|
|
|
