Author: ecls

New Ordnance Survey Digimap Licence Agreement

ecls/ / Access, Digimap News, New Features

We are pleased to announce that a new Ordnance Survey licence agreement for Digimap is now available.

The new End User Licence Agreement (EULA) can be viewed in the Digimap Help Pages. As part of the new licence arrangements, end users need to agree to the EULA to access the Ordnance Survey data through the Digimap Service. Initially this will need to be done every time you access the collection via a popup after you select an application, however we are working on a new registration system that will mean you only need to do this once.

There is also an updated list of FAQs for the licence.

However, if you have any questions relating to the licence please do not hesitate to contact the Digimap support team.

  • Email: edina@ed.ac.uk
  • Phone: 0131 650 3302

What’s changed in the new agreement?

See below for key changes. Supplementary information is available from the EULA, the Ordnance Survey website and the EDINA helpdesk.

1. The following new products have been introduced to the Digimap Ordnance Survey collection under the new licence:

  • OS MasterMap® Integrated Transport Network Layer™ (ITN) Layer Urban Paths Theme.
  • OS MasterMap® Topography Layer will also contain the Sites Layer.
  • OS Terrain® 5, introduced as the new high resolution height dataset, replacing Land-Form PROFILE®.
  • PointX Points of Interest (PoI).

These will be made available through the Digimap service as soon as possible.

2. Changes to image publication size restrictions for external use

Image publication size restrictions have changed significantly with many being removed. Please refer to the Your Obligation/Restrictions section of the EULA, specifically Clause 5.1.4 and 5.2.

3. Public sector data sharing rights

In certain situations, it is now possible for you to share Digimap Ordnance Survey data with government departments and for government departments to share their Ordnance Survey data with you. For further details please see FAQs 27 & 28 in Licence FAQ section and consult the EULA Clause 4.

4. Authorised Data Handler

Where a Digimap Authorised User needs to use Ordnance Survey data in a secure data service, the new Digimap Licence now permits that via a separate Digimap Data Handler Agreement. Please see EULA Clause 3.1.4.

5. Educational navigation product/service

For Educational Use, you are now permitted to build Educational navigation apps. See the EULA, Clause 3.4 for the scope of what is permitted.

6. Use of YouTube and Twitter

You may now publish Ordnance Survey data, in line with strict terms detailed in EULA Clause 5, on YouTube and Twitter.

7. There is a change in the copyright notice that must be included on any maps

You must include the following acknowledgements on any display or reproduction of the Ordnance Survey Licensed data:

© Crown Copyright and Database Right [insert date]. Ordnance Survey (Digimap Licence)

Where the date to be inserted should be the current year.

For HE institutions:

If you are responsible for your HE institution subscribing to Digimap Ordnance Survey Collection you should already have received an email from Jisc Collections detailing how your institution can agree to the new Sub-Licence. Full details can be found on the Jisc Collections website.

If you have any further questions then please contact the Digimap Support team:

  • Email: edina@ed.ac.uk
  • Phone: 0131 650 3302

 

 

Visualising OS MasterMap® Topography Layer Building Height Attribute in AutoCAD Map 3D and InfraWorks

ecls/ / Data Changes & Additions, Digimap News, Help, New Features, Of Interest

Update 12/02/2015: The contents of this blog post have been moved to the Digimap Help system and can be found at the following location (link opens in a new window):

http://digimap.edina.ac.uk/webhelp/digimapgis/index.htm#autocad/building_height_attribute/bha_in_autodesk.htm

For an overview of Building Height Attribute please see the following page (link opens in a new window):

http://digimap.edina.ac.uk/webhelp/digimapgis/index.htm#bha/bha.htm

InfraWorks visualisation
OS MasterMap® 1:2,000 Raster draped on top of OS Terrain™ 50, with buildings from OS MasterMap® Topography Layer extruded on top using Building Height Attribute data.

Visualising OS MasterMap® Topography Layer Building Height Attribute in QGIS

ecls/ / Data Changes & Additions, Digimap News, Help, New Features, Of Interest

Update 12/02/2015: The contents of this blog post have been moved to the Digimap Help system and can be found at the following location (link opens in a new window):

http://digimap.edina.ac.uk/webhelp/digimapgis/index.htm#qgis/building_height_attribute/bha_in_qgis.htm

For an overview of Building Height Attribute please see the following page (link opens in a new window):

http://digimap.edina.ac.uk/webhelp/digimapgis/index.htm#bha/bha.htm

QGIS 3D visualisation with trees
OS VectorMap® Local Raster draped on top of OS Terrain™ 50, with buildings from OS MasterMap® Topography Layer Building Height Attribute and Positioned Non Coniferous Trees extruded on top

 

OS MasterMap® now available in File Geodatabase format from Digimap

ecls/ / Data Changes & Additions, Digimap News, Help, New Features, Of Interest

To get the most from OS MasterMap data it is usually best to convert it from its supplied format, GML, to a format better suited to the software you are going to use it in. For our CAD users Digimap has been offering the DWG format for several months (see previous blog post); now we are offering a format that makes the data easier to use in GIS software.

Although Shapefile is still the most commonly requested GIS format it cannot handle the large file sizes (over 2GB) that could be requested from the Data Download service; an area of 100km2 in an urban centre would exceed this limit.  We therefore turned to the File Geodatabase format that works in the two most commonly used GIS software applications, ArcGIS and QGIS. There is more information about Geodatabases on Wikipedia here: Wikipedia -ArcGIS Geodatabase

To select the File Geodatabase format, add some MasterMap to your basket in Data Download. Once in the basket you can click the down arrow in the Format column and change it from the default GML to File Geodatabase:

File Geodatabase in Data Dowload

Geodatabase formats are the recommended formats  for use in ArcGIS software, being the most efficient for data storage and analysis. The format supports the use of .lyr files for styling the data and EDINA has provided some for the MasterMap data downloaded from Digimap.

The data can be added to a map in ArcGIS and QGIS in the usual way, though in QGIS you need to use Add vector layer –> Directory rather than a Database as you may assume.

Opening a Digimap File Geodatabase in QGIS

Styling information for both ArcGIS and QGIS has been provided by EDINA in .lyr and QML formats, these can be found at the bottom of Digimap’s help page for OS MasterMap. These representations give enough information to view the data in a style that OS MasterMap is commonly viewed in. The help page also contains a link to the official Ordnance Survey SLD styling information, please see the PDF that comes with the SLD files for information on how to use them.

There are help pages for adding styling information here:

If you require any help on using File Geodatabases from Digimap or any other dataset or format then please get in touch:

  • Phone: 0131 650 3302
  • Email: edina@ed.ac.uk

Visualising OS MasterMap® Topography Layer Building Height Attribute in ArcGIS and ArcGlobe

ecls/ / Data Changes & Additions, Digimap News, Help, New Features, Of Interest

Update 12/02/2015: The contents of this blog post have been moved to the Digimap Help system and can be found at the following location (link opens in a new window):

http://digimap.edina.ac.uk/webhelp/digimapgis/index.htm#arcgis/building_height_attribute/bha_in_esri.htm

For an overview of Building Height Attribute please see the following page (link opens in a new window):

http://digimap.edina.ac.uk/webhelp/digimapgis/index.htm#bha/bha.htm

BHA data in ArcGlobe

Ordnance Survey Maps Updated: September 2014

ecls/ / Data Changes & Additions, Digimap News, New Features

Even though we update our mapping data throughout the year we still make a large number of changes over the summer.

Along with the general updates to MasterMap and a few other products the biggest change over the summer has been to swap the 1:10 000 Scale Raster maps to VectorMap Local Raster maps in Digimap Roam. Ordnance Survey have retired the 1:10 000 data, so we have removed it from the online maps, though you do still have a couple of options if you are a fan of the product:

  1. You can view the VectorMap Local data styled to look like the 1:10 000 maps at two zoom levels in Roam; remember that on the Map Content tab you can remove the contours for a very close representation of the mapping.
  2. We still make the 1:10 000 data available in Digimap’s Data Download interface, and will continue to do so for at least this academic year.

The table below details all of the latest changes we have made showing the currency dates of all Ordnance Survey datasets in Digimap.

Digimap Roam

Ordnance Survey product Data Currency Last updated in Roam
OS MasterMap® Topography Layer May 2014 July 2014
OS VectorMap® Local July 2014 September 2014
OS VectorMap® Local Raster July 2014 September 2014
1:25 000 Scale Colour Raster March 2014 March 2014
1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster June 2014 July 2014
Meridian™ 2 January 2014 March 2014
OS Terrain™ 50 July 2013 October 2013
OS VectorMap® District Raster September 2014 September 2014
Strategi® January 2014 March 2014
1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster June 2014 September 2014
MiniScale® January 2014 February 2014

Data Download

Ordnance Survey product Data Currency Last updated in Data Download
OS MasterMap® Integrated
Transport Network™ (ITN) Layer		 May 2014 September 2014
OS MasterMap® Topography Layer May 2013 September 2014
OS MasterMap® Topography Layer Raster June 2013 October 2013
Backdrop Mapping
* 1:10 000 Scale Raster June 2013 October 2013
OS Street View® April 2014 April 2014
1:25 000 Scale Colour Raster March 2014 March 2014
OS VectorMap® Local Raster July 2014 September 2014
OS VectorMap® District Raster September 2014 September 2014
1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster June 2014 July 2014
1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster June 2014 June 2014
MiniScale® January 2014 January 2014
Land and Height Data
* Land-Form PROFILE® November 2009 September 2011
* Land-Form PROFILE® DTM November 2009 September 2011
OS Terrain™ 50 July 2014 September 2014
OS Terrain™ 50 DTM July 2014 September 2014
* Land-Form PANORAMA® November 1993 September 2011
* Land-Form PANORAMA ® DTM June 2006 September 2011
Vector Data
OS VectorMap® Local July 2014 September 2014
OS VectorMap® District September 2014 September 2014
Meridian™ 2 January 2014 February 2014
Strategi® January 2014 February 2014
Boundary and Location Data
Boundary-Line™ May 2014 May 2014
Code-Point® August 2014 September 2014
Code-Point® Open August 2014 September 2014
Code-Point® with polygons April 2014 July 2014
OS Locator™ May 2014 May 2014
1:50 000 Scale Gazetteer June 2014 June 2014

* Land-Form PANORAMA®, PROFILE® and 1:10 000 Scale Raster products have been withdrawn by Ordnance Survey and are no longer updated.

Other Updates

Remember there have also been substantial changes made to the Geology and Marine data holdings in recent months:

Please also note that there are a lot more formats available than before so you may not have to convert the data after you have downloaded it:

It is now easier to see which formats are available for the data product you are downloading and change it if you need to, this blog post shows you how:

Please let us know if you have any questions about the new data or any other changes and additions to the Digimap service

  • Email: edina@ed.ac.uk
  • Phone: 0131 650 3302

 

Digimap Download Basket Updates

ecls/ / Digimap News, Help, New Features

We have updated all the new style Download interfaces in Digimap to make it easier to change the options for the data you have selected. When you have added some data to your basket you can now see more clearly what can be changed; the version (date and style), the format and the layers.

New Download Basket

Where these options are highlighted in blue with a ▼ next to them you can click them and get a drop down menu with the alternatives.

New Download basket with open menu

Make the changes you need, add a name,  then click on the Request Download button to order your data.

 

We have also made a slight change to the Product Information pages for some of the data products too.  Where the data is available on tiles you can now click a Show Grid button to see the tile outlines on the map.  When you make a selection on the map you will get all the grid tiles that are partially or entirely within your orange selection area.

How to View a Grid in Data Download

This feature is particularly useful for data products like the 1:10,000 and 1:25,000 scale geology data and the Marine HydroView Charts, where the data isn’t a continuous coverage and your selected area may contain no tiles. When you click the Show Grid button it will also automatically open the menu from the right of the map which allows you to change the grid shown or switch it off.

Remember, you open the Product Information panels by clicking on the blue Info links in the list of data products to the left of the map.

Please let us know if you have any questions about these changes or anything else:

  • Email: edina@ed.ac.uk
  • Phone: 0131 650 3302

Geology Digimap: Detailed 1:10,000 scale geology data now available to download

ecls/ / Data Changes & Additions, Digimap News

We have now added detailed 1:10,000 and 1:25,000 geological mapping data and 1:625,000 hydrogeological data to Geology Download. The mapping data is the most detailed geological mapping available from the British Geological Survey (BGS), consisting of four polygon layers:

  • bedrock geology (‘solid’);
  • superficial deposits (‘drift’ or Quaternary)
  • mass movement (mostly landslide)
  • artificial (or man-made ground)

…and one linear features layer, including:

  • thin beds (such as coal seams and fossil bands)
  • faults
  • mineral veins
  • some landforms

The products cover around 30% of the UK most of the which is provided by the 1:10,000 scale data (approx 28% of the UK), as the coverage is not complete we have added overlays to Geology Download to guide you to the areas where it can be found. The BGS have more map tiles in production for this dataset and we will add them to the service as they become available to us. The coverage of the data can be seen in the Download interface below as the dark blue areas of Great Britain.

Geology Download showing 1:10,000 scale data availability

The 1:25,000 has a much smaller coverage, but with little overlap with the 1:10,000 it makes a good companion dataset to fill in the gaps. The 1:25,000 data also fills the gaps in the 1:50,000 data in Wales, again the coverage can be seen in the interface below as the dark blue areas.

Geology Download showing 1:25,000 scale data availability

Grids / Overlays for Geology DownloadTo access the coverage maps click on the double arrow to open the Show Grid / Overlay panel on the right side of the map; you can then add the grids to the map to see where data is available. We highly recommend you do this before selecting your area for download as it is not possible to add data to your basket if you choose a product with no coverage for your that area. If you find that the Add to Basket button remains grey after you have selected your products it probably means that one or more of them do not have coverage for the area you have chosen.  If you click on the grey button an error message will tell you which products are unavailable, either remove these from the order or switch on the overlay and choose a different location that has the data.

GEology Download Products in July 2014In addition to the 1:10,000 and 1:25,000 scale mapping datasets we have also added the BGS OpenData 1:625,000 scale digital hydrogeological data to Geology Download. This data can be used to indicate the aquifer potential of an area in generalised terms. Areas are categorised into one of three groups:

  • those in which intergranular flow in the saturated zone is dominant
  • those in which flow is controlled by fissures or discontinuities
  • less permeable formations including aquifers concealed at depth beneath covering layers

The 1:625 000 scale data may be used as a guide to the aquifers at a regional or national level, but should not be relied on for local information.

The addition of these new datasets brings the total number of different BGS products in Geology Download to 14.  We hope to add the detailed mapping datasets to Geology Roam later in the year as well as some of the other types of data as overlays or basemaps.

If you have any questions about the new datasets or any requests for geology data we don’t yet have then please get in touch:

  • Email: edina@ed.ac.uk
  • Phone: 0131 650 3302

Marine Digimap: New Data, New Downloader

ecls/ / Data Changes & Additions, Digimap News, New Features

Marine Digimap has updated datasets in its brand new Marine Download facility.  The new interface provides a single place to get both Hydrospatial data and charts. The Hydrospatial data is now the newer Hydrospatial One dataset from SeaZone which also provides access to much higher resolution gridded bathymetry data, one arc second instead of six.  The Charted Raster dataset has been replaced with Hydroview Charts; these are still the same scanned Admiralty Charts though they are much more recent and include some small scale charts covering whole oceans (still not for navigation though!).

Version of Marine Downloader Launched in July 2014

Marine Download overlays listMarine Download works in the same way as Data Download, Environment Download and Geology Download; you select your area, pick your products and download the  data. The main difference is with datasets as these don’t all form continuous coverage of the UK Coastal waters. We have therefore included overlays that show where the tiles of each dataset can be found. These are very useful when choosing your data, just open the “Show Grid / Overlay” menu on the right of the map and pick the overlay for the data you are selecting.

Remember there can be a lot of overlap between the Hydroview Charts and also large areas with no data, you will get all the charts that present for the area and scale band that you choose. If there is no data for the area you have selected then you will not be able to add anything to the basket, if you try you will get an error message informing you of the products with no coverage.

For a full description on how to use the new interface, have a look at the help page: How to use Marine Download

List of Hydroview Charts in Marine DownloadThe data in Marine Download is broken into three categories, Hydrospatial, Hydroview Charts and Bathymetry. In the Hydrospatial category the same themes as before can be found, the Hydroview Charts are broken up into categories depending on their scale including those extra charts with wider ocean or global extents.

The old interfaces for downloading data, Hydrospatial Download and Charted Raster Download, will be withdrawn in the coming weeks, if you have teaching materials that include them then please update these as soon as possible.

 

If you have any questions about the new download or the withdrawal of the old interfaces then please get in touch:

  • Email: edina@ed.ac.uk
  • Phone: 0131 650 3302

Digimap Roam: Printing PDFs from Chrome

ecls/ / Digimap News, Help

We are getting a few reports from users experiencing issues when printing PDF maps using Chrome web browser. Unfortunately, the map watermark and any semi-transparent annotations are being printed as solid filled features. We have discovered that this occurs when the PDF is viewed and printed from within the Chrome browser, using Chrome’s in built PDF plugin.

We have investigated this problem and discovered that the bug is with Chrome and occurs with all PDFs with semi-tranparent layers not just those created by Digimap. The problem only happens on Windows computers with versions of Chrome released since the end of April (Chrome 34.0.1847 onwards).

Digimap users with Chrome should see a warning when they open the Print… window, informing them about the problem.

Print interface showing chrome alert

As the alert message suggests you can disable the plug-in to prevent it from opening PDFs or you can use the following workaround.
Printing from Chrome alternative method

  • Create your printable map as normal it will appear at the bottom of your web browser.
  • Don’t click the file name to open the PDF, click the little arrow and choose ‘Open with system viewer’.
  • Providing it is installed on your machine, the map will open in Adobe Reader which will print the semi transparent layers correctly.

We hope that the issue is resolved by Google who develop the Chrome browser, it has been reported to them. Should you wish to disable the plug-in entirely then you can follow the instructions with the image below. You can also download the map as a file to your computer, and then open it directly with Adobe Reader, this is usually the best option anyway as it allows you to print the PDF multiple times or store it if you don’t want to print it just yet.

Disabling Chrome PDF plugin

  • Type Chrome://plugins into the web address bar in chrome, this opens a list of all the plug-ins you have installed for Chrome.
  • Scroll down to the Chrome PDF Viewer on the Plug-ins page and click on the blue “Disable” link.
  • You will no longer have the option to view PDFs in the web browser.
  • Use this page to reactivate the plug-in if you want to reverse the change in the future.

 

If you need any assistance with opening your PDF map, please contact the EDINA helpdesk:

  • Email: edina@ed.ac.uk
  • Phone: 0131 650 3302