Get Online Maps

Get Online Maps dialog.

The Get Online Maps button allows selecting online data from a variety of different sources. Once online maps has been selected, the data resolution will be automatically adjusted based on the zoom parameters. Online maps can only be viewed in plan view.

Online maps are raster datasets that can contain imagery, elevation, or land use information. When online maps is available, right-click on each of the map items File:GIS web background image icon in GMS Project Explorer.png in the Project Explorer to convert them to static images that can be saved to the local hard drive. It is possible to convert or interpolate online maps containing elevation data to various elevation formats.

Note that online data sources are on external servers that the XMS software has no control over. The data may draw/export very slowly or become unavailable at any time. The XMS software has no control over this.

The Advanced button allows selecting from other data sources and to use other online data query functions that may not be fully supported. In the Advanced dialog, the Add Sources From File button allows adding new Web Map Service (WMS) sources from an external text file.

More information about the various types of online data can be found by visiting the following links:

• NED data – USGS
• ASTER and SRTM data – USGS & NASA
• NLCD and CORINE (European) Land Cover data
• World Imagery More Info
• World Street Maps More Info
• World Topo Maps More Info
• MapQuest OpenStreetMap Worldwide Street Maps
• USA Topo Maps More Info
• Other data sources-Geologic data, land cover, etc. (use the advanced button)

Exporting to a File

An online map can be exported to a file and loaded into the project. Do this if wanting to save a local copy and not be dependent on internet access. Also, there may be more commands and options available with a local file, such as interpolation or conversion to other object types, than with online maps.