Calibrating a scanned map with MAPC2MAPC software and Upload to a GPS receiver

In two previous post, we demonstrated how to convert scanned maps to KMZ format and add onto a GPS receiver using google earth on one hand and ExpertGPS software on the other. As part of our efforts at bringing the viewers as many viable options as possible, we demonstrate how to do same with the mapc2mapc software.

We are in no way advertising MAPC2MAPC software!!!!!!!

Task
Prepare a scanned paper map in Jpeg and cut a tile layer to use as a base map.
Calibrate the scanned paper map
Convert it to Garmin custom KMZ to use on a GPS receiver.

Procedure
Crop out the portion of the scanned map using Microsoft Office Picture Manager.


Launch MAPC2MAPC software. Go to File > Load image for calibration > Select from North/South/East/West. see the option red boxed.

For the demo, LatitudeLongitude is selected. Datum is WGS84.


For the North west corner dialog box, fill in the geographic coordinates.


For the South east corner, fill in the corresponding geographic coordinates.


The software processes the calibration of the scanned image and saves as map.


Click on the view(red boxed) and a view of the calibrated map will open.


Next the calibrated image is converted to a KMZ file for the Garmin. If it’s a Magellan, its RMP format (red boxed). we will see that in later posts.


In the blue highlight are the instructions that confirm the KMZ file has been processed.


Connect the GPS receiever and navigate to the folder where the KMZ was saved, copy and save it in the Garmin E drive > Garmin Folder> custom map folder. The demo KMZ is
oyo.kmz.


Power up the GPS receiver and check for the uploaded KMZ map on the basemap. See a screen shot of the map on map page of the GPS receiver.

Using the Dissolve tool in QGIS 2.8.1

GO THE DEMO VIDEO PAGE AND CLICK ON THE TITLE OF THE TOPIC AND WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DEMONSTRATION

Task
Use the dissolve tool to aggregate Parcels that lie within the Low Tariff block of a Utility Coy.

Steps
- Select by Location for Parcels within the Low Tariff Block.
- Use the Dissolve Tool in QGIS 2.8.1.

Procedure

Go to Vector > Research Tool > Select By Location for Parcels within the Low Tariff Block.


In the Select by Location, input the Parcels layer that are completely within the selection features. Click Ok. See the selected parcels highlighted in yellow.


Go To Vector> Geoprocessing tools > Dissolve.


Fill in the details in the Dissolve dialog window and Click Ok. See the new layer-DissolveParcLowTariff in red box added in the Layers window.


In this short few steps, the demo has shown how Parcels within a Low Tariff block were fused using the Dissolve tool.

Applying the Dissolve geoprocessing tool in ArcMap 10.2

GO TO THE DEMO VIDEO PAGE AND CLICK ON THE LINK TO THIS TOPIC TO WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO DEMO OF THIS TUTORIAL

The dissolve tool is quite useful when wanting to aggregate polygons that share similar attributes.
The post will demonstrate how to use the dissolve tool to fuse together landed parcels within a Utility coy low tariff jurisdiction.

Steps
-Do a Select by Location to filter out Parcels that lie completely within the Low Tariff block.
- Use the Dissolve tool to aggregate the Parcels boundaries into one feature layer.

Procedure

1. Do a Selection by Location of Parcels completely within the Low Tariff Block Selected Parcels are in blue highlight).


Click on Geoprocessing > Dissolve.


In the Dissolve dialog window, select the input layer- Parcels and set an output file- DissolveParcelsLowTariffdirectory. Click OK


A new layer –DissolveParcelsLowTariff is processed and added to the Table of Contents.


In this short few steps, the dissolve tool has been used to fuse all the Parcels completely within the Low Tariff Block.
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Using the intersect geoprocessing tool in qgis

GO TO THE DEMO VIDEO PAGE AND CLICK ON THE LINK TO WATCH A

YOUTUBE VIDEO DEMO

Task
The demo will use two line feature layers- Major roads and Rail line to show the practical application of using the Intersect geoprocessing tool for identifying suitable areas along a rail line that would suitable to build rail crossings, rail to bus platforms and rail crossing signs.

Note

The buffers are for demonstration purposes alone, it may not be necessary to use buffers to explain use of the intersect tool.

Steps
- Placing a 0.0055dd buffer around the Major roads.This buffer distance represents the right of way along both sides of the major road.
-Placing a 0.0055 buffer around the Rail line.This buffer distance represents the right of way along both sides of the rail line.
- Intersect the two buffers to delineate the suitable sites along the Rail line.

Procedure DOUBLE CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO GET A CLEARER RESOLUTION 

Placing the Rail line and Major roads Buffers
The layers (red boxed) to process are the Rail line and the Major roads. Go to Vector > Geoprocessing tools > Buffers

A Buffer dialog box will pop up. Fill the details and use a buffer distance of 0.0055dd. In this dialog box, the buffer for the Major road is processed.

A new polygon layer MajorroadBuffer is added to the Layers window. A Buffer is placed around the Major roads layer.

Follow the same process for the Rail line layer. Observe that a new polygon layer- RaillineBuffer is added on to the Layer window.

To carry out the Intersect, Go to Vector > Geoprocessing tools > Intersect.

In the Intersect dialog box, fill in the buffer polygon layers- Rail line and Major roads. Give a name to the output shapefile-IntersectRoadRail.

The new shapefile is added after the processing. Observe that the resultant polygon represents the areas  along the Rail line where the Major roads intersect. The IntersectRoadRail represent the zones along the Rail line that would suitable to build rail crossings, rail to bus platforms and rail crossing signs

Annotation describing the suitable zones.

Using the Intersect geoprocessing tool in ArcMap 10.2

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO DEMO OF THE PROCEDURE OR GO TO DEMO VIDEO PAGE

Task
The demo will use two line feature layers- Minor roads and Rail line to show the practical application of using the Intersect geoprocessing tool to identify suitable areas where rail crossings and rail warning signs can be placed for the minor roads.

Note

The buffers are for demonstration purposes alone, it may not be necessary to use buffers to explain use of the intersect tool.

Steps
- Placing a 0.0032dd buffer around the Minor roads. This buffer distance represents the right of way about the minor road.
-Placing a 0.0015dd buffer around the Rail line.This buffer distance represents the right of way about the rail line.
- Intersect the two buffers to delineate the areas along the Rail line to place rail crossings and rail warning signs for minor roads.

Procedure
Two line feature layers- Minor roads and Rail line will be buffered.

To buffer, Go to Geoprocessing Tools > Buffer (another option is to use the ArcToolBox > Analysis Tools > Proximity> Buffer

A Buffer processing window will open. Fill in the Layer to be processed and the output file name. For the Demo, a buffer distance of 0.0032dd is used. Click OK

A new polygon layer –MinorRdbuff (blue highlight) is added into the Table of Contents.The buffer polygons are placed around all Minor roads.

Repeat same for the Rail line layer. For the Rail line layer, the demo uses a buffer distance of 0.0015dd. A new polygon layer- raillinebuff (blue highlight) is added to the Table of Contents and a polygon layer is placed around the Rail line.

To do the Intersect, Go to Geoprocessing> Intersect.

In the Intersect geoprocessing window, select the buffer polygon layers, as in the case of the demo- MinorRdbuff and raillinebuff. Name the output file.

After the processing, a new polygon layer- InterSecRailRoadStop (blue highlight) is added. This is the result of the Intersect between the buffer of the minor road layer and the buffer of the rail line.

The brown areas along the rail line layer indicate suitable areas where rail crossings and rail warning signs can be constructed for the minor roads.

Using Buffer feature in QGIS

GO TO THE BLOG DEMO VIDEO PAGE AND WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO DEMO

Task
The demonstration will simply show how to place a buffer zone around a  feature layer and the practical application of using GIS to estimate the effect of a flood when the dam water are released.

Steps
- Digitize the Dam and Lake as polygon features.
- Use Vector geoprocessing tool to place a buffer zone around the water body.
- Use openlayers to load the google satellite base map.

A polygon feature layer- dam is digitized. We intend to place a 0.0052dd buffer around it to assess and estimate the physical damage a flood plain of that size will cause.


Go to Vector > Geoprocessing Tools > Buffer(s)


In the Buffer window. Fill in the buffer distance (in the case of our demo, 0.0052dd) and take the default segments to approximate and set a destination for the file. Set ID as the Buffer distance field. Browse for a destination for the output shape file


A buffer polygon layer is created around the Dam. See the layer in the Layers window.


To complete the assessment , we need to add the satellite image of the area so as to ascertain the physical environment that falls within the buffer zone that was created.
Go to Web > Openlayer plugin > Google Maps > Google Satellite or you may choose any other web map service or engine of choice.An internet connection is required to do this download.


The Google satellite image is then loaded in as a layer, an internet connection is required for the loading. The final map shows quite a sizeable number of houses and streets will be affected within the buffer zone. This map can then be given to ground assessment teams to guide their work.



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Buffer feature in ArcMap 10.2

GO TO THE DEMO VIDEO PAGE AND WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO DEMO

Task
- Place a buffer zone of 1000m around a polygon feature layer- dam.
- Convert the buffer zone layer to KML format.
- Open the Buffer zone.kml in Google Earth Pro so as to assess the physical environment that falls inside the buffer zone layer.

The Table of Contents has four layers. The Layer the buffer will be placed around is the Dam layer.


To place a buffer around the Dam layer, the ArcToolBox is launched.


In the ArcToolBox, Click the Analysis Tools >; Proximity > Buffer


The Buffer tool window opens. Our input features is the Dam. the buffer range is 1000m or 1km.


A buffer polygon layer is added to the Table of Contents. See in blue highlight. A buffer zone is placed around the Dam feature.


The Buffer zone is now created and placed around the Dam. In order to assess the physical environment that falls within the buffer zone, the buffer polygon file is converted to KML and opened in Google Earth Pro.

Conversion from Layer to KML format using ArcToolBox . Launch ArcToolBox Go To Conversion Tools > To KML > Layer To KML.


Fill in the details and ensure the box Clamped features to ground is checked. Click Ok and processing is done.


Launch Google Earth Pro (if you have Google Earth, try and download Google Earth Pro, it is now a freeware). Open the Buffer KML file.
The map of the physical area that would be affected by releasing the dam waters 900m-1000m around the dam can be produced for assessment.


thank you for viewing the presentation. Feel free to send your comments.