Layers

Avenza PDF Maps 1.4 has more new features for you to explore. One new feature is the ability to import your own KML points for use on a map. These points can represent anything from your favorite restaurants to GPS waypoints of your weekend hike. If you have MAPublisher, you can take full advantage of this feature by creating your own points with your own attributes. In this example, we'll be exporting points of interest to a KML/KMZ file from a Toronto map that we created in MAPublisher.

Adobe Illustrator documents with GIS data can be exported to georeferenced PDF files thanks to the MAPublisher Export Geospatial PDF feature. A geospatial PDF is an Adobe Acrobat file that contains geospatial coordinates. With coordinates, users can view and interact with the PDF to find and mark location data. MAPublisher exports all the MAP Attributes data in an Adobe Illustrator document into the geospatial PDF. Attribute values can subsequently be accessed and searched in Acrobat 9 (and 8 with limitations).

If you are using an existing Adobe Illustrator file that was created without the use of MAPublisher, then it does not contain any geographic parameters. The following step will enable you to georeference your Adobe Illustrator document and ultimately create an attribute-rich, accurate scale and world grid structure for your map. Please familliarize yourself with the main MAPublisher functions and in particular those in the MAP Views section of the MAPublisher User Guide (chapter 4) before proceeding.

Before beginning to georeference an Adobe Illustrator file, you must be in posession of the following information:

• The map scale in the Adobe Illustrator file (e.g. 1:25,000 etc.)
• Details of the coordinate system the data is in (e.g. World Robinson projection, WGS84 geodetic system, WGS84 UTM Zone 32 N, etc.)
• The XY coordinates of one tie-in point in the coordinate system on the map in the Adobe Illustrator document
• Finally, the MAP rotation angle value.

When first creating a map, very often you will find yourself having to align GIS data, especially if it is found or supplied by various sources. You might find that the coordinate systems assigned to each of the datasets might be different. This can prove challenging for many cartographers and GIS users. However, with MAPublisher, you can transform and align your datasets to one coordinate system very easily using the MAP Views panel.

MAPublisher 8.4 introduces two new related features: to import supported image formats directly from the MAPublisher Simple and Advanced Import dialog boxes and the Image MAP Layer feature type. To import a georeferenced image into the current MAPublisher 8.3 (and earlier) requires you 1) to create a new MAP Layer for an image to be placed, 2) use File > Place to place an image into the Adobe Illustrator document, and 3) to use MAPublisher Register Image to align with the vector work. With MAPublisher 8.4, these steps are streamlined and it will be much simpler to deal with georeferenced image files.

Below is the Simple Import dialog box. The new Format option, Image, is added to the drop-down list. Supported images include: PNG, JPG, TIF, GIF, JP2, PSD, PDD, and BMP.