KAS Software
Suppliers of map viewing and coordinate conversion software, bespoke digital maps, height data and gazetteers
KAS Software
Suppliers of map viewing and coordinate conversion software, bespoke digital maps, height data and gazetteers
The USGS also has a novel and welcome policy of providing mapping and elevation data in a digital format at no cost from its very extensive website, with much of its data also freely available elsewhere, like topoquest for example. KAS Software has used this free data to generate composite maps of various parts of the US, which when used in combination with National Elevation Dataset (NED) height data can generate very impressive 3-D views of those parts.
A free sample composite USGS geotiff 1:24,000 map covers a large portion of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, northern Arizona, scaled by a factor of 50%. An elevation data file for the Grand Canyon is likewise available.
This topographical map, and the 3-D map examples shown in the banner above, all derive from 1:24,000 scale 'quads' - geotiff files covering an area of 7.5″ by 7.5″, usually georeferenced to UTM on NAD27 (the North American Datum of 1927). We've merged some of these quads to produce the composite maps referred to earlier. For example, below is a screenshot of MapView showing the join (roughly in the centre of the image) of four geotiffs merged by us - not perfect, 'tis true, but assuredly good enough to be useable and barely more visually discordant than other map boundary, graticule or linear feature.
The 3-D view of the above follows...
We currently have full 1:24,000 scale coverage for USGS quads for the states of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island Utah & Wyoming. Should you be interested in purchasing these, please email info@KASsoftware.co.uk.
We have height data for all the above states too!
The following are just a few links to various US websites where USGS geotiff quads are available for free download, any geotiff files you do download may be used in our map viewing program with neither modification nor fee:
The following USGS Geotiffs, bundled for convenience, are available for purchase:
N.B. States marked with a double asterix (**) are substantially incomplete; for all other states there may still be a handful of quad files missing - these missing files will make up less than 2% of the total for that state.
Price is dependent on the amount purchased, since generally they'll need to be supplied on external USB hard drive, the cost and capacity of which, is variable. Email for details.
Composite maps, which are currently for use only with our own free map viewer, can be supplied for any of the areas above with geotiff coverage.
We can supply a composite file containing USGS elevation data from the whole of the western US, or subset thereof. An elevation data file for the Grand Canyon is available for free download.
This up-and-coming map format, now adopted by the USGS, could be considered the PDF equivalent of geotiffs with their dual capability of storing image and location information; this would, however, ignore the many and varied GIS features that can be included in geoPDFs that cannot be so accomodated by geotiffs. Currently we offer no in-built support for geoPDFs, but this is coming soon.
This elevation data, acronymed to NED, covers varying portions of the north & central Americas at three different resolutons; consisting of 1″, 1/3″ and 1/9″ per pixel/height value. This equates, very roughly, to one accurate pixel of elevation data every 30m, 10m or 3m - in all, a stunning volume of data available to all for free. Chapeau USGS!
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by Phone: by Mail: info@kassoftware.co.uk KAS Software Ltd Fortrose, Highland Scotland |
Established 1997
Registered in Scotland