Any views expressed within media held on this service are those of the contributors, should not be taken as approved or endorsed by the University, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University in respect of any particular issue.
Digimap is an online map and data delivery service, available by subscription to UK Higher and Further Education establishments. Operated by EDINA at the University of Edinburgh, Digimap offers a number of data collections, including Ordnance Survey, historical, geological, aerial photography, LiDAR, marine maps, land cover mapping, global mapping and census data. For more information about Digimap go to our website: https://digimap.edina.ac.uk Background image Contains OS data (c) Crown Copyright and database right 2022
GeoForum is a free all day event aimed at lecturers, researchers and support staff who promote and support the use of geospatial data and services at their institution. Throughout the day we there will be talks and demonstrations to inform you of current geospatial developments at EDINA and the wider community. It is also an opportunity to offer feedback on the services EDINA provides and discuss geospatial issues with the team.
This year we will be introducing some new features to the Digimap Collections and looking at future developments. Come along to have your say and find out more!
Full details of this years event will and the programme will appear on the GeoForum website when available; you can also find out what happened at last year’s event: GeoForum 2016.
Location: the Geological Society, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD
As part of our continuous work to improve Digimap and make it more user friendly, we recently added a new Contact Us system. The new system is available in all Digimap Collections and guides you to useful help resources based on what it is you want to know:
Contact Us – stage 1
If you are not able to find the answer to your question using the resources then you are asked to complete a short form outlining the problem you are experiencing:
Contact Us – stage 2
If you are logged in to Digimap you have the option to submit the completed form to either the local Digimap support team at your institution or to the Digimap Helpdesk at EDINA. All queries submitted by users who are not logged in to the service are automatically routed to the EDINA Digimap Helpdesk. The details are sent by email, and copied to you so that you have a full record of what was asked. The new system has been available since the beginning of May and is available from the all Contact Us links in the Roam and Data Download clients, as well as the Contact Us link on the footer of the Digimap home page:
Contact Us Link in Data DownloadContact Us Link in Roam
We hope you like using this improved feature, but if you have any questions or comments regarding this or anything else to do with Digimap, please get in touch using the email address below, or try out the new Contact Us form in Digimap!
Canworthy Solar Farm, which became operational in 2014 and covers approximately 55 hectares (~67 football fields)
Aerial Digimap updates
March/April 2017 has been a busy couple of months for the Data Team who have been working hard to process a huge area of updated aerial imagery data from the data supplier, Getmapping. The update consists of around 80,000 individual 1km tiles, all captured in 2015, which is approximately 30% of the country.
Prior to the update just over 50% of the data was from 2013 or later; after the update 77% of the data is from 2013 or later.
This means that more up to date imagery is now available for viewing and download through Aerial Digimap for a significant proportion of the country.
The map below shows the approximate distribution of the updated data.
Click on map to view larger version
This is the first update we have received from Getmapping, but we are expecting another update later this year containing imagery captured in 2016.
Cruise liner in the Firth of Forth
We will add this to the service as quickly as we can to ensure that the most up to date data is always available to Aerial Digimap users. In order to make it clear where the data has been updated, we will add an Availability/Reference Grid to Aerial Download so that users can easily identify if the imagery has been updated in their study area(s). This grid will be added to the system in the next couple of weeks.
We are still investigating the best way to make previous versions of the data available, but in the mean time only the most recent data is available through Aerial Roam and Aerial Download.
Webinar resources
We recently ran a webinar highlighting the data and showcasing a number of potential uses for the imagery. The webinar was recorded in full and is available on our YouTube channel. The slides used during the webinar and a transcript of all questions and answers are available on our help page.
3D model using Aerial Imagery, OS Terrain 5 DTM and MasterMap Building Height Attribute
Data information
The aerial imagery data in the service is 25cm resolution vertical aerial orthophotography supplied by Getmapping PLC, and is the most detailed aerial imagery available for the whole of Great Britain. As well as being a really interesting dataset the imagery also has a number of practical uses across a wide range of disciplines from urban planning and 3D modelling to land use and archaeological studies.
Subscribing
To see if your institution already subscribes to Aerial Digimap, please see our subscribing institutions help page. Information on how to subscribe to the new service is available on the Aerial Digimap Subscription page.
If you have any questions about the service please consult the dedicated Aerial Digimap help pages or contact the Digimap support team using the details below.
Dataset updates in Ordnance Survey Digimap
OS Data Download:
Product Name
OS Publication Date
Code-Point
February 2017
1:25,000 Colour Raster
March 2017
1:50,000 Colour Raster
March 2017
Points of Interest
March 2017
OS Roam:
Product Name
OS Publication Date
1:25,000 Colour Raster
March 2017
The OS data update page is kept up to date with all dataset updates in the collections.
If you have any questions about the dataset updates or Digimap please contact us:
The Digimap team are hosting a free webinar, on Wednesday 26 April 2017, from 1-1:30pm.
3D model showing bedrock geology of the Cuillin hills in Skye with Aerial Imagery draped over OS Terrain 5 DTM.
The session will give an overview of how to create 3D models in common GIS and CAD packages (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS and AutoCAD) using data downloaded from Digimap.
The session will look at the datasets available from Digimap that are of use for 3D modelling.
You will also have the opportunity to ask questions on any aspect of Digimap.
Registration is required – please note that spaces are limited, so it’s advisable to register early.
Aerial Digimap was only launched at the end of last year but the response from the Digimap Community has been amazing. The service already has thousands of active users who have created hundreds of thousands of screen maps. Users have downloaded tens of thousands of square kilometres of this data, for use directly in reports or GIS and CAD software.
Data updates
Whilst we’re excited to see such a high level of usage of the new service, behind the scenes our Data Team are currently processing the 2015 data which will be available in the service early next month. This is the first update we have received from the data supplier, Getmapping, and contains updates to around 80,000 tiles. This is a significant update as it covers roughly 30% of the country providing more up to date imagery for a large proportion of Great Britain. The map below shows the likely distribution of the updated 2015 data.
Click on map to view larger version
Webinar resources
We recently ran a webinar highlighting the data and showcasing a number of potential uses for the imagery. The webinar was recorded in full and is available on our YouTube channel. The slides used during the webinar and a transcript of all questions and answers are available on our help page.
3D model using Aerial Imagery, OS Terrain 5 DTM and MasterMap Building Height Attribute
Data information
The aerial imagery data in the service is 25cm resolution vertical aerial imagery supplied by Getmapping PLC, and is the most detailed aerial imagery available for the whole of Great Britain. As well as being a really interesting dataset the imagery also has a number of practical uses across a wide range of disciplines from urban planning and 3D modelling to land use and archaeological studies.
Subscribing
To see if your institution already subscribes to Aerial Digimap, please see our subscribing institutions help page. Information on how to subscribe to the new service is available on the Aerial Digimap Subscription page.
If you have any questions about the service please consult the dedicated Aerial Digimap help pages or contact the Digimap support team using the details below.
We have updated a number of key datasets in Jan/Feb 2017 in the Ordnance Survey collection of Digimap. These updates bring the datasets available from Digimap inline with the latest versions published by Ordnance Survey. Of particular note are the updates to the two most detailed mapping products available from Ordnance Survey: OS MasterMap Topography Layer and OS VectorMap Local.
OS VectorMap Local showing WestminsterOS MasterMap Topography Layer showing Westminster
OS Data Download:
Product Name
OS Publication Date
Integrated Transport Network (ITN) Layer
December 2016
OS MasterMap Topography Layer
December 2016
OS MasterMap Water Network Layer
January 2017
OS VectorMap Local
January 2017
OS VectorMap Local Raster
January 2017
MiniScale
January 2017
OS Terrain 5 Contours
January 2017
OS Terrain 5 DTM
January 2017
OS Open Names
January 2017
Code-Point with polygons
January 2017
Code-Point Open
February 2017
OS Roam:
Product Name
OS Publication Date
OS MasterMap Topography Layer
December 2016
OS VectorMap Local
Jan 2017
OS VectorMap Local Raster
Jan 2017
MiniScale
January 2017
The OS data update page is kept up to date with all dataset updates in the collections.
If you have any questions about the dataset updates or Digimap please contact us:
The tables below list the datasets that were updated in December 2016 and at the very start of January 2017. The most significant change is the addition of OS Open Map – Local to Roam, which was covered in an earlier blog post. The other updates bring the data available up to date with the most recent versions published by Ordnance Survey.
Cold Christmas, 1:25,000 Colour Raster
OS Data Download:
Product Name
OS Publication Date
1:25,000 Colour Raster
December 2016
1:50,000 Colour Raster
December 2016
Points of Interest
December 2016
OS Roam:
Product Name
OS Publication Date
OS Open Map – Local
December 2016
1:25,000 Colour Raster
December 2016
1:50,000 Colour Raster
December 2016
OS VectorMap District
September 2016
The OS data update page is kept up to date with all dataset updates in the collections.
If you have any questions about the dataset updates or Digimap please contact us:
OS Open Map – Local (OML) was recently added to the Digimap Roam application, giving users the ability to create maps online with a detailed, vector open dataset. OML is the most detailed vector mapping product available from Ordnance Survey as Open Data. We have added this dataset to the following map views in Digimap Roam:
Map View
Default Print Scale
Neighbourhood View
1:10,000
Street View
1:5,000
Detailed View
1:2,500
The dataset is rich in features and includes detailed building outlines and Car Charging Points, which are sourced from the National Charge Registry.
OS Open Map – Local showing Coventry City Centre
Ordnance Survey first released OML as a beta product in March 2015 and Digimap users have been able to download this dataset via the Data Download application since April 2015. The October 2016 release of OML marks the end of the beta period and provides the first main version of the dataset.
OML is intended to be used as a detailed basemap on which to visualise your own data and is designed to be an alternative to OS Street View, which will be withdrawn in March 2017 by Ordnance Survey.
The cartography team at Digimap have worked hard to implement a consistent style with that of the smaller scale VectorMap District product, ensuring a familiar look and feel between the two Open Data products. Contours from the OS Terrain 50 product are included when viewing the data in Roam, to give greater context especially in rural and hilly areas.
OS Open Map – Local showing Canary Wharf
Further information on the new dataset can be found on the Digimap help page or the Ordnance Survey website. We hope you like the new data, if you have any questions about the dataset or Digimap please contact us:
As well as releasing the new OS MasterMap Water Network Layer earlier this month, we have also updated a number of datasets available in the Ordnance Survey collection. Most notably this month we have updated OS Open Map – Local, the most detailed OpenData product available from Ordnance Survey. OS Open Map – Local was initially released as a beta product in March 2015. The October 2016 release of Open Map – Local marks the end of the beta period and provides the first main version of the dataset.
The first main release of Open Map – Local has a few changes over the prevous beta version, including:
enhancements to the features included in the Important Buildings feature class
creation of a raster version optimised for display at 1:10,000 scale, this will be the replacement for OS Street View which is no longer updated and will be withdrawn by OS in March 2017
OS Open Map – Local (Raster) Birmingham city centre
OS Open Map – Local (Vector) Birmingham city centre
The tables below list all the datasets that were updated this month.
OS Data Download:
Product Name
OS Publication Date
OS MasterMap Water Network Layer
October 2016
OS MasterMap Sites Layer
October 2016
OS VectorMap Local
October 2016
OS VectorMap Local Raster
October 2016
OS Terrain 5 DTM
October 2016
OS Terrain 5 Contours
October 2016
OS Open Map – Local (Raster)
October 2016
OS Open Map – Local (Vector)
October 2016
Code-Point
November 2016
Code-Point Open
November 2016
OS Roam:
Product Name
OS Publication Date
OS VectorMap Local
October 2016
OS VectorMap Local Raster
October 2016
The OS data update page is kept up to date with all dataset updates in the collections.
If you have any questions about the dataset updates or Digimap please contact us:
We are pleased to announce the addition of two new datasets to the Digimap Ordnance Survey Collection, which are available to download through the Data Download application. Both these datasets are detailed network datasets and form part of the OS MasterMap family of products. The datasets should prove useful for individuals carrying out detailed network analysis using the road and river network of Great Britain.
OS MasterMap Highways Network
OS MasterMap Highways Network is a new dataset from Ordnance Survey which provides the most detailed road network dataset available for Great Britain. The new Highways Network product is a replacement for OS MasterMap Integrated Transport Network (ITN), which will be retired at some point in the future. Highways Network was built using ITN as the base network and then further improved adding information from other authoritative sources including the National Street Gazetteer (NSG) and local authorities in England and Wales.
OS MasterMap Highways Network with OS MasterMap Topography Layer (raster version)
Highways Network is provided in GML format as a single, national dataset covering the whole of Great Britain. This is a large dataset and is available through Digimap as a single download of 1.1GB in size.
Ordnance Survey have produced a number of supporting documents that are available for download directly from their website. We recommend that you consult these before using the data.
Current version: June 2016
OS MasterMap Water Network Layer
OS MasterMap Water Network Layer is a new network dataset from Ordnance Survey that represenets the centrelines of watercourses including flow direction and suplementary information.
OS MasterMap Water Network Layer on top of aerial imagery for an area of the Scottish Highlands
OS MasterMap Water Network Layer is provided in GML format in 5 x 5km tiles. Water network features that cross tile boundaries are included in all tiles that they cross, so the data is called ‘hairy data’ due to the presence of these ‘hairs’ around the edge of each tile. This means that some processing is required to de-duplicate the features that cross tile boundaries if your order contains data from more than one 5 x 5km tile.
OS MasterMap Water Network Layer is projected in the ESPG 7405, which is a British National Grid projection that also includes the Z value using Ordnance Datum Newlyn.
Ordnance Survey have produced a Getting Started Guide which describes the process of importing the Water Network Layer in to common GIS packages.
