Creating Maps in Google Earth

A guide has been created that demonstrates how you can use Google Earth and Google Maps to create customized maps. Learn how to add your own geospatial features onto these online sites. If you're interested in a hands-on workshop or would like assistance converting your files to Google's KML format, please contact Eva Dodsworth.

Creating Maps in Google

City of Ottawa Vector and Image data

The University Map Library has recently received a collection of municipal datasets and orthoimages from the City of Ottawa. The 2005 orthoimages are full-colour, 20 cm resolution, comprising of 55 MrSID images in total, covering the City of Ottawa and parts of the City of Gatineau. For more information please visit : http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/locations/umd/digital/Image_Ottawa2005.html

The vector datasets are available at two different scale: 1:2,000 and 1:10,000. The larger-scale layers provide coverage of the urbanized area within the City of Ottawa and are dated 2004. The smaller scale layers cover the entire City of Ottawa and are dated 2008. For a complete list of features please visit : http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/locations/umd/digital/ncr_vector.html

Recommended GIS Software

The Map Library routinely updates it's recommended list of GIS software for its users. The most recent addition is the open source product MapWindows GIS.

From the website : http://www.mapwindow.com/

MapWindow GIS 4.0 Open Source Software
The MapWindow application is a free, extensible, geographic information system (GIS) that can be used in many ways:

As an alternative desktop GIS
To distribute data to others
To develop and distribute custom spatial data analyses
MapWinGIS ActiveX Control

At the core of the MapWindow application is the MapWinGIS ActiveX control. Using this control, you can program custom mapping functionality directly into your own software.
Open source component (free distribution)
Complete GIS API for shapefile and grid data
Many built in GIS functions

MapWindow includes standard GIS data visualization features as well as DBF attribute table editing, shapefile editing, and grid importing and conversion.

MapWinGIS ActiveX includes a GIS API for shapefile and grid data with many built in GIS functions.

The Map Library has updated its Recommended Software guide at :
http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/locations/umd/digital/gissoftware.html

GRCA now offers online downloads of SWOOP 30cm orthoimagery

The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) is now offering the most recent orthoimagery available for our local area - the SWOOP colour 30cm collection which is available for download from their website : http://grims.grandriver.ca/imf/imf.jsp?site=grca_datadis&ddsid=6479e

Orthoimagery is available for the entire GRCA boundary and the user can define their own geographical extent of interest (within the boundary) and download the image as a jpeg 2000 image format.

For distribution purposes, GRCA applied a 40:1 compression to the original data and mosaiced to create 2km x 2km tiles.

SWOOP imagery is becoming freely available on the internet, but until now has only been available for viewing from sites such as The Region of Waterloo Locator. Having public access to the actual images is exciting news for both scholars and the community at large.

For those interested in crisper resolution, the University Map Library has 12 cm resolution for areas within the Region of Waterloo.

City of London 2007 Orthoimagery

In Feburary, 2008, the Map Library acquired from the City of London a MrSID orthoimage encompassing the City of London. This 1.1 GB image is in full colour with a resolution of 15 cm. http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/locations/umd/digital/LondonOrtho2007.html