Converting Mapping Data, Use of Mapping Data

[Arbmatic]

I promised one or two people that I would write this so here goes.

 

In terms of using mapping data, nearly all the mapping data commonly available is open source these days, including the OS. In fact the OS openly encourage the use commercial use of their map data. There are one or two exceptions and it is always worth checking. The most common file formats are ESRI Shape Files, Raster (most commonly Tiff Files) and Some form of Text File (ASCII files usually). These can be loaded into most commonly available free GIS systems like Google Earth. The non-image files like ASCII and ERSI Shape are best loaded by converted to a kml file structure using one of the free online tools like Shape2KML.

 

They can be converted back using, KML2Shape. Even if people are using other GIS systems and send you files from MapInfo AutoCAD etc there are free online converters. So you can in effect decide which system you like best and stick with that and work in data from other sources by using data converters.

 

The Free version of Google Earth is now open source as well so there are now only a few license restrictions based on the degree of use but even we haven't reached the kind of limits they talk about. Google's business model now seems to be one of developing Googe Earth Pro to make people want to buy a licence for that, rather than restricting Google Earth.

 

So why is kml becomming popular? Well the easy answer is that it is easy to use with Java Script, which is what Android uses. and also xml which both iSO devices and ANdroid can use, so there is cross platform compatability.

 

This is a bit technical I now and I have tried to make it understandable but if you have questions fire away.

[sloth]

Thanks for that I am now going to try and decipher all those random letters which are apparently file types and work out the differences between them!

So in essence, having been given for instance an autocad topographical survey, it can be converted for use with just about any program and then back again with added data?

Interesting that OS are encouraging commercial use by open source. All LA maps I see say copied under license.

Ta

[Arbmatic]

A couple of links to look at

 

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/opendatadownload/products.html

 

And

 

Free on-line GIS data format and coordinates converter

 

Of course you can always convert to jpeg and work with a plan viewer as well.

[markiesla]

Just a quick note to clarify. Some of the OS data is covered by the Open Data initiative. The detailed mapping (MasterMap) i.e. individual gardens, houses, roadside etc must be licenced (and paid)for use. This is the sort of data which would be used to support planning applications and typically produced at a scale of 1:50 through to 1:2500.

 

Always worth checking as Arbmatic says :-)