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What’s New in MAPublisher 11.5?

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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.

What’s New in MAPublisher 11.4?

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We are thrilled to announce the release of MAPublisher version 11.4, the newest version of our MAPublisher extension for Adobe Illustrator. 

MAPublisher v11.4 introduces a newly reworked Create Knockouts tool, importing Vector Basemaps within a selected area, WMS 1.3.0 import support, a new Rotate Characters text utility, a preference to convert RGB black to 100K black in CMYK documents, setting a leader line offset with the MAP Tagger tool, and several performance updates and bug fixes.

Here’s what you can expect with the latest MAPublisher v11.4 release:

The Create Knockouts tool has a new design!

We are excited to introduce you to the new version of the Create Knockouts tool. Create Knockouts is a tool that allows you mask off parts of features that may be covered by things such as text or points. The aim of this tool is to increase the readability of your map, especially in areas where features may overlap or look cluttered.

Without knockouts
With knockouts

The previous version of the Create Knockouts tool only consisted of a single dialog box. This had the limitation of allowing knockouts to be created around only a single layer at a time, meaning that multiple iterations of the tool had to be run to create knockouts for several different layers. This also meant that correcting mistakes or modifying existing knockouts required the tool to be run again, which could be frustrating or time consuming.

The new version of the Create Knockouts tool features an improved tool architecture which introduces knockout settings stored as jobs and rules. Jobs and rules allow knockouts to be created simultaneously for multiple layers.

A job defines which layers are being masked and consists of one or more rules that will be used to form the knockouts.

A rule defines the overall appearance of the knockouts and which layers the knockouts will be formed around.

One very useful thing about jobs and rules is that they are also transferable to your other map documents through the use of the Copy MAP Objects From tool.

The introduction of jobs and rules to the Create Knockouts tool makes it much easier for you to create multiple batches of knockouts at once while also being able to save their settings. This is very convenient if you come back later and wish to make modifications to your knockouts as your map evolves through its creation.

To learn more about how the new edition of the Create Knockouts tool works, check out its support page or watch the video below:

Import Vector Basemaps within a selected area

The Vector Basemaps tool is also receiving a small but significant update in MAPublisher v11.4: you can now import basemap data to your document only in a specific area! This option is available in the Import Vector Basemaps dialog box by way of selecting the “Only import data within the selected area” checkbox when you are selecting data for an existing MAP View. However, for this checkbox to be selectable it does require the following conditions to be met:

  • The selected area must be a single shape or compound path
  • The selected area must be closed
  • The selected area must not overlap itself
  • The selected area must be located within the current MAP View

This new option for the Vector Basemaps tool is perfect for the quick creation of interestingly shaped inset maps!

Import data from WMS 1.3.0

Many of our users have requested the ability to be able to import data from Web Map Service (WMS) version 1.3.0 and we are happy to announce that this is now possible in MAPublisher v11.4! Simply follow the usual steps to add a web map service and select 1.3.0 from the Version drop-down menu. We have also added an “Autodetect Version” option in this menu which can detect the WMS version used by the URL provided.

Rotate Characters action added to Text Utilities

Rotate Characters is a new option that has been added to the Action menu of the Text Utilities tool. This action only applies to point text, not text-on-a-path. It introduces the option to select whether your characters are oriented to follow the direction of the path, or point upwards. It also gives users the option to set a vertical orientation threshold angle, which determines which text elements will be rotated vertically, and/or set a slant angle, which will rotate characters within a text element.

The Rotate Characters text utility action is a great way to increase readability of the text objects of a map and is especially useful for languages that require properly rotated characters to be more understandable, such as Chinese. Below is a basic illustration of the new feature.

Convert RGB black to 100K black upon import in CMYK mode

In CMYK documents, RGB black features are often converted to rich black (i.e. 4-colour black) instead of 100K black, which can cause an issue known as “ghosting” when printing features that require fine detail such as small text and lines. Ghosting is when tiny variations in the printing plate produce blurry remnants of the 4 colours around the edges, as seen below.

To help printed map-makers easily avoid ghosting, a new option has been added to MAPublisher Preferences in the Import Map Data section to “Convert RGB Black to 100K Black” for CMYK documents. This option will be enabled by default.

Specify a leader line offset when using MAP Tagger

When using the MAP Tagger tool, the option to specify an offset between the leader line and the feature has been added in the “Leader Line Settings” tab under the Rules section. Select the “Offset from feature” checkbox and set an offset distance. This can be used to ensure that the created leader line does not obscure the feature you are labeling.

MAPublisher 11.4 is Available Now!

If you would like to learn more about the new MAPublisher v11.4 features or have any questions, please check out our Support Centre.

MAPublisher v11.4 is immediately available today, free of charge to all current MAPublisher users with active maintenance subscriptions and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users.

What’s New in MAPublisher 11.3?

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We are very excited to announce the release of MAPublisher version 11.3, the latest version of our MAPublisher® extension for Adobe Illustrator®. 

With MAPublisher v11.3, we are introducing several compatibility updates! It also includes numerous performance enhancements and bug fixes.

Here’s what you can expect with the latest MAPublisher v11.3 release:

Compatibility with Adobe Creative Cloud 2024 and macOS Sonoma

We have committed ourselves to providing our users with a MAPublisher update that supports new Adobe releases as quickly as possible. We are happy to announce that MAPublisher v11.3 is fully compatible with the recently released Adobe Illustrator 2024 (also known as version 28.0). 

In addition to Adobe CC 2024, MAPublisher is also fully compatible with the new macOS Sonoma (version 14). 

FME Auto Update with FME 2023 Support

MAPublisher FME Auto is a Windows-only powerful add-on that connects the GIS data processing environment of FME Form to the cartographic design and publishing environment of MAPublisher and Adobe Illustrator. MAPublisher v11.3 is the first version of MAPublisher to provide support for the recent FME 2023.1 update.

MAPublisher 11.3 is Available Now!

If you would like to learn more about the new MAPublisher v11.3 update or have any questions, please check out our Support Centre.

MAPublisher v11.3 is immediately available today, free of charge to all current MAPublisher users with active maintenance subscriptions and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users. 

Vector Basemaps are Now Available in MAPublisher 11.2

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We are very excited to announce the release of MAPublisher version 11.2, the latest version of our MAPublisher® extension for Adobe Illustrator®. 

With MAPublisher v11.2, we are introducing our brand new Vector Basemaps tool! The update also includes several performance enhancements and bug fixes.

Here’s what you can expect with the latest MAPublisher v11.2 release:

Vector Basemaps are Here!

Sometimes in mapping projects we have all of our important datasets, but when it comes to putting together a map we need some surrounding context such as land use or water bodies. This is where the brand-new Vector Basemaps tool for MAPublisher comes in.

This exciting new tool gives you the ability to import georeferenced vector data to your maps from an online server. Imported data is autostyled based on the zoom level and attribute information, but can also be configured or imported by users to create savable custom styles.

Importing Vector Basemaps to Your Project

There are two ways to import vector basemap data into your document. You can choose to Select Data For MAPView, which requires an existing MAPView to pull boundaries from, or Select Data For Artboard, which allows you to specify the coordinates of a bounding box either by typing them in manually or selecting them on an online map.

After selecting your area, you can edit the zoom level (which is automatically calculated based on the size of your extents and artboard) and choose a style. The Vector Basemaps tool comes with one default style, which can later be edited and saved for reuse.

Configuring Vector Basemaps

If our default vector basemap style is not exactly what you need for your project, fear not! Once you have imported your vector basemap data, the Configure Vector Basemaps dialog box allows you to fully customize any aspect of your style. 

The Edit action allows you to make changes to any of the various stylesheets that are used to visualize your vector basemap data. The vector basemap stylesheets are edited in the same way as regular MAP Stylesheet Themes are.

The Save action allows you to save your customized basemap styles to your MAPublisher library for later use. To apply a saved basemap style, you can simply use the Apply New Basemap Stylesheets action and select your saved style from the dropdown menu. This is exceptionally helpful if you are creating a series of maps that require uniformity across their design!

Get started with Vector Basemaps by downloading our latest MAPublisher v11.2 update, and check out our support articles for Importing and Configuring Vector Basemaps to help acquaint yourself with this new tool!

MAPublisher 11.2 is Available Now!

If you would like to learn more about the new MAPublisher v11.2 features or have any questions, please check out our Support Centre.

MAPublisher v11.2 is immediately available today, free of charge to all current MAPublisher users with active maintenance subscriptions and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users. 

What’s New in MAPublisher 11.0 for Adobe Illustrator?

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What's New in MAPublisher 11

We are very excited to announce the release of MAPublisher 11, the latest version of our MAPublisher extension for Adobe Illustrator. 

With MAPublisher 11, we are bringing forward full compatibility with the Apple Silicon processor, enhancements to the MAP Attributes panel, a revamped welcome screen, the ability to import OpenStreetMap file formats, a brand new set of MAP Erase tools, and several performance and bug fixes.

Here’s what you can expect with the latest MAPublisher 11 release:

Compatibility with the Apple Silicon Processor

We want to ensure our users enjoy a truly seamless experience whether they are using a PC or Mac computer. Our team has worked to ensure that MAPublisher 11 is fully compatible with the Apple Silicon chip, and as such we can declare that MAPublisher is officially supporting this processor.

MAP Attributes Panel Enhancements

An exciting feature for MAPublisher 11 is a number of enhancements made to the MAP Attributes panel. Users are no longer required to select all objects on a layer for them to appear in the MAP Attribute panel. Instead, all features appear by default, and users can toggle between showing all features or just their selected features at the bottom left corner of the panel. When all features are shown, selected features will appear highlighted in the attribute table.

Welcome Screen Revamp

MAPublisher 11 comes with a brand new welcome screen that appears upon opening the program. This window is equipped with visually appealing refreshed graphics, while maintaining access to the License Management window. It also features several new sections that increase discoverability for you, such as new features, help and tutorials, and other Avenza news or events. There is also a Get Inspired section to help inspire you as a mapmaker, which features articles from our website which highlight the excellent maps and stories of some of our most proficient users.

Importing OpenStreetMap File Formats

We are thrilled to announce that importing OpenStreetMap (OSM) file formats is now a possibility with MAPublisher 11! Whether you are importing a single file, or using the Multiple Data Import tool you can now select OSM and PBF file formats from the list of supported formats. The rest of the import process remains unchanged from the other file formats users are familiar working with in MAPublisher.

MAP Erase Tools

Many of our users have requested the ability to quickly erase unwanted or sensitive data from their maps. Thus, we are happy to introduce the new MAP Vector Erase and MAP Erase by Shape tools that come along with MAPublisher 11!

MAP Vector Erase Tool

With the new release of MAPublisher 11 comes a new tool known as the MAP Vector Erase tool. Functioning as an inverse version of the MAP Vector Crop tool, the Erase tool removes all data within a specified rectangle or ellipse shape.

MAP Erase by Shape Tool

The new MAP Erase by Shape tool functions similarly to the MAP Vector Erase tool, but it allows users to easily erase portions of MAP Layers using shapes other than rectangles and ellipses. Users can simply select the shape object they wish to use as the erase boundaries, and then select the MAP Erase by Shape tool from the MAP Toolbar. 

Both tools share the same customizable settings and advanced options. Like the MAP Crop tools, the MAP Erase tools can be applied to all layers within the document, all layers within a single MAP View, or just a single layer.

If you would like to learn more about the new MAPublisher 11 features or have any questions, please check out our Support Centre.

MAPublisher 11 is immediately available today, free of charge to all current MAPublisher users with active maintenance subscriptions and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users. 

What’s New in MAPublisher 10.9 for Adobe Illustrator?

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What's New in MAPublisher 10.9 Header

We are very excited to announce the release of MAPublisher 10.9, our latest version of the MAPublisher extension for Adobe Illustrator. 

With MAPublisher 10.9, we are bringing forward full compatibility with Adobe Illustrator 2022, Windows 11, macOS 12, support for Vector GeoPackages and TopoJSON data formats, improvements to the Buffer Art tool, and several bug fixes.

Here’s what you can expect with the latest MAPublisher 10.9 release:

Compatibility with Adobe Illustrator 2022, Windows 11, and macOS 12

We want to ensure our users enjoy a truly seamless experience with the Adobe Illustrator workspace. Our team has worked to ensure that MAPublisher 10.9 is fully compatible with Adobe Illustrator 2022 that was announced at Adobe Max last week. 

MAPublisher 10.9 is also fully compatible with the newly released Windows 11, as well as macOS 12 Monterey.

Import TopoJSON data

New to MAPublisher 10.9 is the ability to import TopoJSON type data formats directly into Adobe Illustrator. A TopoJSON is built off the GeoJSON data format in a way that encodes topology. Geometries in TopoJSON files are collected together from shared line segments called arcs. In this way, TopoJSON data formats can reduce redundancies and improve storage efficiency for spatial data.

What's New in MAPublisher: Import TopoJSON data

Import and Export Vector GeoPackages

Many of our users have requested the ability to import and export vector GeoPackage data. We are happy to announce the full support of vector GeoPackages is now offered with MAPublisher 10.9. Vector GeoPackages are based on SQLite databases and offer an open-source, compact, lightweight, and flexible data format for easy and efficient storage or geoprocessing of spatial data.

Geodesic Options for the Buffer Art Tool

Geodesic options are now available for the Buffer Art tool. This functionality will provide more accurate distance buffers for point data when working on features distant from lines of true scale. Find this option in the “method” section of the Buffer Art tool.

What's New in MAPublisher: MAPublisher Buffer Tool

Default Data filters and Styles on import

MAPublisher 10.9 users can create unique data filters and style settings that can be automatically applied to newly imported data in MAPublisher.

Changes to Compatibility

Avenza announces that compatibility support is changing for its desktop mapping software. Starting with MAPublisher 10.9, both Windows 7 and Adobe CS6 will no longer be supported. Users will require a valid Adobe Creative Cloud subscription and a compatible operating system to utilize the improvements and enhancements offered in MAPublisher 10.9. For questions and more information on how these changes around compatibility may affect your organization, please contact our Support Centre.

MAPublisher 10.9 is immediately available today, free of charge to all current MAPublisher users with active maintenance subscriptions and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users. 

Enter the Avenza Map Competition!

The Avenza Map Competition is live! Enter our map competition for a chance to showcase your favourite maps with the Avenza community and win prizes! The competition consists of two categories: “Open” and “Student”, with two sets of exciting prizes. Submit your Map today!

Avenza Map Competition

What’s New in MAPublisher 10.8

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What’s New? MAPublisher 10.8

We are happy to announce that MAPublisher 10.8, the latest update to the MAPublisher plug-in for Adobe Illustrator, is now available. With this release, we are excited to bring forward new usability enhancements for several MAPublisher tools. We are also thrilled to confirm that MAPublisher now supports raster files in the enhanced compression wavelet (ECW) format. Alongside these enhancements, we have also implemented improvements and added expanded support to our coordinate system library.

Here is what you can expect with the latest MAPublisher 10.8 release:

Usability Improvements for MAPublisher Tools

The Avenza team is always working to improve the capabilities of our vast suite of cartography tools. We work with our users to implement improvements to our tool catalog that truly meet the needs of actual mapping professionals. In this release we are introducing several enhancements to some of our existing tools:

Multi-Column selections in the Attribute Table Editing Schema

In the early versions of MAPublisher 10, we added the ability to select multiple columns within the Edit Schema window of the MAP attributes panel, allowing users to toggle visibility settings on multiple attribute columns at the same time. Now with 10.8, we are delighted to build on this by implementing the ability to configure data properties across multiple selected attribute columns. Users can not only toggle visibility or remove multiple attribute columns at once, but can now also edit default values, attribute size, and read-only settings for all selected values. Additionally, users can now change the data type (i.e string, integer, boolean, etc) for multiple selected attribute columns all at once, as long as each column shares the same starting data type. 

Select and add multiple MAP Locations in Line Plotter

We continue to bring improvements to the Line Plotter tool, this time by introducing the ability to select multiple MAP locations and add them to the line vertices (node) list. For users familiar with the Point-by-point plotting method in Line Plotter, this will be especially useful for adding a large collection of sequential MAP locations, as previously each point needed to be entered one at a time. 

Document Summary Panel now includes “Last Saved with” Version Info

For users working with MAPublisher projects across different versions of the software, you will be delighted to know that the document summary dialogue now includes information indicating the version of MAPublisher the project was last saved with. This information will help users that frequently share MAPublisher projects with colleagues, allowing them to better establish version standards across collaborative projects. 

Overprint Options in MAP Themes

Previous versions of MAPublisher required a user to navigate the Illustrator attributes panel to configure overprint options for each map element individually and refer to these options separately using MAP Themes. Now with MAPublisher 10.8, an overprint option has been implemented directly within the MAP Themes panel, allowing users to configure overprint settings for fills and strokes within each stylesheet in the MAP Themes tool.

Scale bar, Create Legend, and Elevation Profile tool previews with Background Colours

We have added a small improvement to the scale bar, create legend, and elevation profile tool panel. The preview window for these tools, which allows users to adjust and edit their visual properties before adding them to the map, now has the option to configure a preview background colour. This option is helpful when configuring light, or white-coloured map elements which were previously difficult to see against the default white preview background. 

Support for Raster ECW file formats

New to MAPublisher 10.8, we now include Enhanced Compression Wavelet raster files to our growing lists of supported data formats. Users can now import and work with ECW files directly within the MAPublisher environment of Adobe Illustrator, all while retaining necessary spatial integrity, and without needing to convert your data. 

Engine Improvements and Updated Coordinate system catalogue

We are working continuously to improve the back-end MAPublisher engine to ensure our users can continue their work in an optimized, seamless,  design-focused cartographic environment. Along with improvements to our engine and bug fixes, we have built on our current coordinate system catalogue with updates to the coordinate system and projection library. This means our list of supported projections has grown, with new additions including the Natural Earth and Natural Earth 2 Projections created by Tom Patterson. For a full list of our expanded coordinate systems library please check the projections guide in the Avenza Support center.

MAPublisher 10.8 is immediately available today, free of charge to all current MAPublisher users with active maintenance subscriptions and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users. 

Find out more at the Avenza User Conference!

Want to learn more about MAPublisher? Want to see how industry professionals are using Avenza Products in their organizations? Join us on May 12th, 11am – 5pm (EST) for the first-ever Avenza User Conference. Registration is Free!

The event will feature a full day of speaker presentations from the Mapping and Geospatial communities. The Avenza Product teams will also be on hand to answer questions and give you a sneak peek of upcoming developments to the Avenza Platform. Sign up for free at avenza.com/user-conference

Avenza User Conference 2021

 

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