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What’s New in MAPublisher 11.5?

We are excited to announce the release of MAPublisher version 11.5, the latest update to our MAPublisher extension for Adobe Illustrator. 

MAPublisher v11.5 introduces several compatibility upgrades, support for importing vector basemaps from custom tile sources, new functionality for using the Join Table feature with existing MAP Layers, a new Split Line path utility, and other performance improvements and bug fixes.

Here’s what you can expect with the latest MAPublisher v11.5 release:

Compatibility upgrades

We’ve been hard at work this fall, and we’re delighted to share that MAPublisher 11.5 is fully compatible with Adobe Illustrator 2025 (version 29), which was released this October. MAPublisher 11.5 also supports the newly launched macOS Sequoia (version 15) and FME Form 2024 (version 2024.1).

Import Vector Basemaps from custom tile sources

We’ve heard your requests and are thrilled to announce that MAPublisher now supports importing Vector Basemaps from PBF file-based custom tile sources like Mapbox, Esri, and OpenStreetMap! You can access this feature under the “Service” option within the Import Vector Basemaps dialog box. You can add your service by clicking the green plus/+ button next to the drop-down list. This will open up a new window called “Edit Tile Service” where you can give your service a name, provide its URL, set a preferred style if desired, and select whether or not you wish to import unstyled art.

You might also notice that the Configure Vector Basemaps option has moved from the Vector Basemaps button on the MAP Toolbar to its own dedicated button, “MAP Basemap Styling,” located under Thematic Tools.

Visit our Vector Basemaps support page for​​ more detailed information on importing vector basemaps from custom tile sources, including URL formatting!

Join Table now supports tables from existing MAP Layers

The Join Table tool—available from the MAP Attributes panel—has also been enhanced with new functionality in MAPublisher 11.5. The “Source type” option now lets you select either an external file or the new “MAP Layer” option, enabling you to join tables directly from an existing MAP Layer. This layer can be sourced from within your active document or any other currently open document in Illustrator.

Split Line action added to Path Utilities

Split Line is a new option added to the Action menu of the Path Utilities tool. This action splits a selection of lines into two separate segments at a specified length. This length can be measured from either end of the line and can be set as either relative (i.e. as a percentage of the total line length) or absolute (i.e. at a specified distance in selected units).

The Split Line action is an ideal solution for tapering only the endpoints of lines, such as at river mouths. This circumvents the limitation of Illustrator’s native Stroke properties, which automatically taper paths evenly from start to end. With this utility, you also have the option to store the output in a New Layer, allowing for easy selection and batch styling of all end segments.

Other performance improvements

Lastly, you can expect to see improved performance in the following areas:

Improved order of operations on import

In MAPublisher 11.5, we have fixed an issue where data was being simplified before any spatial filtering was applied. Now, the spatial filter is applied first, and art is only simplified if the remaining data exceeds Illustrator’s limit of 32,000 points per path.

Attribute table and projection performance improvements

You should also look for smoother and quicker software performance when working with files containing a large number of features and attributes. These enhancements can be seen in multiple areas, including coordinate system reprojection, applying stylesheets, deleting art, moving art between layers, and splitting layers!

MAPublisher 11.5 is Available Now!

If you would like to learn more about the new MAPublisher v11.5 features or have any questions, please check out our Support Centre.

MAPublisher v11.5 is immediately available today, free of charge to all current MAPublisher users with active maintenance subscriptions and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users. Download here.

Avenza Releases MAPublisher 11.5 for Adobe Illustrator

Toronto, ON, November 5, 2024 – Avenza Systems Inc., producer of the Avenza Maps® app for mobile devices and geospatial extensions for Adobe Creative Cloud®, including Geographic Imager® for Adobe Photoshop®, is pleased to announce the release of MAPublisher® version 11.5 for Adobe Illustrator®. This version introduces several compatibility updates, importing Vector Basemaps from custom tile sources, the ability to use the Join Table feature with existing MAP Layers, a new Split Line path utility, and several performance enhancements and bug fixes.

MAPublisher cartography software seamlessly integrates more than seventy GIS mapping tools into Adobe Illustrator to help users create beautiful maps from geospatial data. Import industry-standard GIS data formats and make crisp, clean maps with all attributes and georeferencing intact using the Adobe Illustrator design environment.

New features of MAPublisher v11.5 for Adobe Illustrator include:

  • Adobe Creative Cloud 2025 compatibility: MAPublisher now supports Adobe Illustrator 2025 (version 29.0) on both Mac and Windows
  • macOS Sequoia compatibility: MAPublisher also officially supports the new macOS Sequoia (version 15) update
  • FME Form 2024 compatibility: MAPublisher now supports the recent FME 2024.1 update when using the FME Auto add-on
  • Importing Vector Basemaps from custom tile sources: Vector Basemap data can now be imported from custom tile sources such as Mapbox, Esri and OpenStreetMap. Data can be imported unstyled and later configured with the brand new “MAP Basemap Styling” panel, which can be found under the Thematic Tools section of the MAPublisher Toolbar.
  • Join Table from existing MAP Layer: Users can now use the Join Table feature in the MAP Attributes panel to join tables from existing MAP Layers using the “Source Type” drop-down list. These layers may be contained within the active document or any other currently open document.
  • Split Line action added to Path Utilities menu: The Split Line utility splits a selection of lines into two separate segments at a certain specified length, which can be either relative (i.e. as a percentage of the total line length) or absolute (i.e. at a specified distance in selected units).
  • Performance enhancements: MAPublisher v11.5 has improved performance when working with files containing a large number of features and attributes. Users can expect improved performance in multiple areas including coordinate system reprojection, applying stylesheets, deleting art, moving art between layers, and splitting layers.
  • Additional performance improvements and bug fixes

Users require a valid Adobe Creative Cloud subscription and a compatible operating system to utilize the improvements and enhancements offered in MAPublisher v11.5. For questions and information on how compatibility requirements may affect your organization, please contact our Support Centre.

MAPublisher v11.5 is immediately available free of charge to all current MAPublisher users with active maintenance and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users starting at US$739. New licenses are available from US$1,699. MAPublisher FME Auto and MAPublisher LabelPro are also available as add-ons starting at US$569. Academic, floating, and volume licenses are also available. Prices include one year of full maintenance. Visit www.avenza.com/mapublisher for more details.

More about Avenza Systems Inc.

Avenza Systems Inc. is an award-winning, privately held corporation that provides cartographers and GIS professionals with powerful software tools to make better maps. Avenza also offers the mobile Avenza Maps app to sell, purchase, distribute, and use maps on iOS and Android devices. For further information contact:  416-487-5116 – info@avenza.comwww.avenza.com

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Map Spotlight: Yedoma Permafrost Coverage by Sebastian Laboor, Jens Strauss, and Guido Grosse

In this Map Spotlight, we are showcasing an honourable mention of the 2021 Avenza Map Contest: Yedoma Permafrost Coverage by Sebastian Laboor, Jens Strauss, and Guido Grosse of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). This map shows the extents of the world’s most ice-rich and climate-sensitive type of permafrost: Yedoma permafrost. This permafrost has been permanently frozen since the last Ice Age, when mammoths still roamed the Arctic tundra, and covers parts of Siberia, Alaska, and Yukon. The team at AWI worked with an international research team from various countries to determine the distribution of Yedoma permafrost, which resulted in this map—the first-ever Arctic-wide Yedoma map.

Creating this map was a tremendous journey, bringing together more than 25 researchers and their decades of permafrost expertise. It is an important step towards understanding how Yedoma permafrost and the massive organic content it has preserved since the last ice age may contribute to future greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere once the area begins to thaw. This map is importantly filling a critical research gap, being used as an important input dataset for new climate models that predict the trajectory of permafrost carbon and its future environmental impacts.

This map and the geospatial dataset are open access and freely available to the public.

Select the images below to see a detailed look at their map

Making the Map

To create the Yedoma permafrost dataset used for this map, Sebastian utilized Adobe Illustrator and MAPublisher as a manual vectorization and attribution tool. Scanned and georeferenced Russian Quaternary geology maps were vectorized using native Illustrator tools, such as the pen and pathfinder tools, and then the MAP Attributes panel was used to assign attributes to these features, and also edit them as necessary later.

The Import tool was essential in allowing them to bring in their supplementary geospatial data to build out the rest of the map. The MAP Views panel and the MAP View Editor were important tools for defining projections, scales, and positions of their map layers. The point data for field sites was added to the map using the MAP Point Plotter tool.

Sebastian used the MAP Vector Crop tool to crop many different layers at once to the map’s extent, allowing for a clean and organized workspace. He also used the MAP Selections and MAP Themes panels to create classes for the data.

The initial positioning of labels was conducted using the MAPublisher LabelPro add-on, with manual adjustments made as needed. Finally, Sebastian added a grid and graticule as well as a North Arrow to complete the finishing touches to the map.

Check out our other Map Spotlight blogs here!

Avenza Maps Virtual Training: January 15-16, 2025

Whether you’re new to Avenza Maps®, an experienced user, or simply thinking about a purchase, Avenza Maps training is a worthwhile experience. Get hands-on training from Avenza product specialists at one of our training courses online virtually from anywhere.

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