-------- Original Message --------
Subject: FW: [geonet] Topos on CDs-followup
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2004 09:46:02 -0400
From: Gooden, Angela (goodenam) <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
------------------
Perhaps others can chime in on this query concerning copyright.
Angela
-----Original Message-----
From: Conrad Kartanas [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2004 4:39 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [geonet] Topos on CDs-followup
Hello
Is copyright an issue for anyone here? I'm not very familiar with
these products, so if I purchase these for our Library and let our
engineers cut and paste them into their reports, would that be something
that these organizations allow for no additional charge?
-Conrad
Conrad Kartanas
Library & Information Resources Manager
Shannon & Wilson, Inc.
400 North 34th Street - Suite 100
Seattle, WA 98103
ph. 206-695-6718
fax 206-633-6777
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>> "Gooden, Angela (goodenam)" <[log in to unmask]> 6/24/2004
11:50:14 AM >>>
Hello,
Per requests from a few folks, here is a summary of the responses
(with
names/affiliations removed)that I received.
This spring we purchased several of the TOPO! states from National
Geographic here at Miami University to provide GIS users with access
to
topographic maps in an easy to use digital format. To utilize the data
with ArcGIS, National Geographic sells an extension that enables users
to
utilize the topographic and DEM data within ArcGIS. We will be buying
this
extension this month to provide full access to these CDs.
The TOPO! CDs do not require GIS to be useful. I have been using the
TOPO!
CDs to create topographic maps of various areas for demonstrations and
examples and the software is easy to use. Our (Map Librarian) has
also helped at least one student use this resource to cover a gap in
our
paper topographic map collection. If you or anyone on campus plans on
digitizing topographic maps I would recommend purchasing the TOPO
series
instead since the scans are crisp and all the topographic maps have
been
joined together to provide a seamless transition from one topo map to
another.
Response 2 ............
We have 3 sets of the National Geographic Topo! series (New England
down
through VA). Although I haven't explored them myself, the patron's
report
they are easy to use and they like the output. We had a patron printing
out a series of sheets last week and the quality (partly due to the
color
printer) was excellent.
I would recommend this as a way to provide topographic access to states
for
which you don't collect the paper or can't have the paper due to space
considerations. An oversized, color printer would be preferable, ours
can
only do 8.5 x 11 which means a lot of individual sheets (but they will
fit
into a report or notebook very well).
I am planning on buying another 5 states this year.
RESPONSE 3
We are a map dealer that sells the National
Geographic, the DeLorme, and the Maptech state topo map series. All
three
have the same basic features - total coverage at multiple scales, can
generate cross-sections/profiles of routes, connect to a GPS receiver,
etc. Of the three, we have found the NGS TOPO series to be the easiest
to
use and the DeLorme the hardest. Our customers seem to like the NGS
series
as well, as we've had no complaints and we sell as many NGS as we do
DeLorme and Maptech combined.
We offer discounts on purchases of multiple states (or multiple copies
of a
single state).
RESPONSE 4
We have begun to purchase these CDs recently. They are great! They
are
easy to use for everybody. The imagery and the software to view them
are
both of high quality. As the title says, they are truly seamless.
That
is, the borders of the quadrangles have been cropped digitally and
matched
up to each other, so that at the 1:24,000 level you have a single map
image for the whole state. Bibliocartographic information is given
for
each quad when you right click on a portion of the image. It is
possible
for a user to customize a map, say to use a portion of one or more
than
one quad for their own map. NG has enhanced the maps by adding shaded
relief, which can be turned off or turned on as preferences or needs
require. The software is very simple to use for even a novice at
digital
map imagery.
There have been so far only two occasions with users, since we
acquired
the first discs in April and got them cataloged in May of this year.
One
of the users simply wanted to see a quadrangle we didn't have, so the
Middle Atlantic set provided the West Virginia sheet he wanted. He is
not
a GIS user at all, but he found it easy to use to find and view the
area
of interest.
The second is a student working on a project, in which he and his
partner
need a map image of their study area. This makes that possible. He
is
proficiennt enough at GIS that he found what he can do here quite
simple,
indeed.
Installation of the software is easy. It provides regional mapping at
three levels of scale. The smallest level is based on a National
Geographic atlas map of the U.S. The next is a regional level, and
may
use a larger NG atlas plate, or in some cases a National Atlas of the
U.S.
regional map. The third level is very interesting, a pleasant
surprise
the first time I saw it. It's based on the 1:500,000 State map series
of
USGS. Fourth level is the 1:100,000 topo sheets, and finally, fifth
level
is the 1:24,000 (7.5-min) quads.
We hope to eventually have a full set of the U.S., and at the price we
should be able to do that before too very long. Another goal is to
purchase the $500 GIS extensions software set, which will provide
additional compatibility with ESRI ArcGIS, and an implied use license
for
25 users. I think it is great set, and NG has risen
tremendously in my estimation with this set.
RESPONSE 5
Personally we really like the quality of the maps and ease of use. We
were purchasing the similar Delorme Topo products but after seeing the
Natl. Geo. Topos we quit buying Delorme.
Having said that, I should point out that we have not had much use of
these products by our patrons. I think it is because they are not well
known. We are thinking about inviting people in for a demo.
We also purchased an ArcGIS plugin from them called TOPO for ArcGIS
which unlocks digital elevation data from these same CD's that is
pretty
nice.
Angela
At 10:12 AM 6/15/2004 -0400, you wrote:
>Greetings,
>I'm interested in finding out who has access to the National
Geographic
>Maps' TOPO CDs.
>http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/press/stateseries.cfm
>
>Do you like it? Do your users find them easy to use?
>Angela
>
>Angela M. Gooden
>Head, Geology-Physics Library
>240 Braunstein Hall
>University of Cincinnati
>Cincinnati, OH 45221-0153
>Tel.513-556-1582
>Fax 513-556-1930
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