Posts Tagged ‘custom map data’
Map layers - Bringing maps into the 21st century
For people who think a GPS device is really just an on-screen map, then they may not know about map layers, the secret to making GPS systems highly functional and useful to a huge range of industries and professions.
When you think of a paper map, you imagine a two-dimensional map that offers basic road or topographic information. A paper map is static, never changing and can quickly become outdated, not to mention difficult to fold.
In contrast, a GPS device uses electronic maps as the basis for its location services. Electronic maps are regularly updated and delivered to a user via a website (e.g. Google Maps) or a mobile device (e.g. TomTom, Garmin etc.). Electronic maps are flexible, allowing users to zoom in or out to automatically change the scale and detail of the map. Because they are delivered electronically, they are portable, convenient and can be used in a huge variety of different ways – both for work and play.
We talked a little about what is GIS (Geographic Information System) in our last post, using broad strokes to try and explain such a diverse and expanding topic. In this article I thought we could use a real-life example of a GIS to help explain further how it is used in the real world.
GIS data mapping uses a GIS to create maps showing unique, customized information in a separate layer that sits on top (overlaid) of the original map.
