Avenza creates burgeoning online marketplace for map publishers as consumption of paper maps declines
Toronto, ON, November 1, 2011 – Avenza Systems Inc., producers of MAPublisher® cartographic software for Adobe® Illustrator® and Geographic Imager® geospatial tools for Adobe Photoshop®, is charting new territory in the mobile app space with its launch of the PDF Maps app and its opening of the Avenza Map Store on the Apple iOS platform, making it available to devices including the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. With the launch of the PDF Maps app, cartographers and map publishers now have access to a largely untapped audience of consumers that rely on smartphones and tablets as the consumption of paper maps continue to decline.
Appealing to a new generation of digital trailblazers and explorers, Avenza’s PDF Maps app is the first and only geospatial PDF reader available for consumer use and has already won praise from the International Map Trade Association (IMTA) for the “Best Use of New Technology and New Media.” The PDF Maps app supports a growing database of maps featuring tens of thousands of maps authored, distributed or sold by individual cartographers, established map publishers, and government agencies. The marketplace provides a new e-commerce venue that allows those in the industry to have access to more than 200 million Apple iOS users seeking information about specific maps.
Avenza’s PDF Maps app and Map Store offer a medium by which map content can be easily repurposed providing a valid revenue stream for map publishers in an era when the industry is losing its market to digital products with GPS functionality. Publishers can upload intelligent PDF maps or GeoTIFFs – with or without the aid of Avenza’s cartographic map software – eliminating the publisher’s need to reprint costly annual updates to paper maps. Pricing of each uploaded map is determined by publishers not Avenza Systems. Maps that are available for sale can be purchased through the Avenza Map Store much like how music, videos, and books are currently purchased through iTunes.
“A decade ago, people were still using paper maps such as Thomas Guides to find their way around locally, or stopping at gas stations to ask a local or purchase a map of tourist attractions. Today, as GPS devices become more prevalent in cars and smartphones, map publishers are being locked out of the digital market and finding it more and more difficult each year to connect with their audience,” said Ted Florence, President of Avenza Systems Inc. “Through Avenza’s Map Store, map publishers can compete in the digital space while having the added benefit of providing their customers with detailed information about a location other digital maps used by a specific GPS device or streaming map provider may not have.”
Since access to the PDF Maps app isn’t restricted by cell tower proximity or internet bandwidth availability, maps available in its store for use on the app reflect both local and global maps and accommodate specialized excursions for both terrestrial and nautical travel. Map publishers, specialized cartographers and even event planners who develop seasonal festivals and events designed around a specific locale can upload detailed geography listing points of interest or suggest particular routes. More than just a PDF map viewing tool, Avenza’s PDF Maps app provides customers the best of both worlds – a variety of interactive maps from established paper map publishers with interactive and GPS functionality of digital devices.
Currently, Avenza’s vast PDF Maps app library covering maps for domestic and international travel includes more than 55,000 USGS (United States Geological Survey) topographic maps organized by state and area. All maps available through the map store offer the following capabilities:
Access and load maps through iTunes File Sharing, Wi-Fi or cellular network to read maps anytime
Access and interact with saved maps without the need for a live network connection (offline)
View your location on the PDF map using the built-in GPS device or via Wi-Fi triangulation (GPS works even when network bandwidth is not available)
Find coordinate of any location in the map, including the ability to type in a coordinate to search
Display coordinates as Lat/Long (WGS84), Lat/Long (Map Default), Northing/Easting, or Military Grid Reference System (MGRS/United States National Grid (USNG)
Support for GeoTIFF files to create tiles similar to how a geospatial PDF is tiled
Map rendering in higher resolution
Overlay Google search results
Add waypoints and collect/record information about locations, including photos
Measure distances and areas
Open current map extents in the Maps app
Quickly view, zoom and pan maps using gestures (pinch, drag and flick, double tap)
Change pin colors, position and label names
PDF Maps is available now on the iTunes App Store free of charge. For more information about PDF Maps, visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com/pdf-maps. Pricing of each map is set by the publisher and free maps remain free to users through the PDF Map app.
More about geospatial PDF
Geospatial PDF is a PDF document that contains geospatial information such as real world locations, a coordinate system and GIS attributes. Geospatial PDF documents can be created in GIS applications such as ArcGIS, MapInfo and Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop with the aid of the MAPublisher and Geographic Imager plugins, respectively. The geospatial data contained in a geospatial PDF document may be accessed and used (for example to locate a specific point or measure distances) without the aid of any additional plugins, using tools found natively within Adobe Reader and Acrobat.
More about MAPublisher and Geographic Imager
MAPublisher for Illustrator is powerful map production software for creating cartographic-quality maps from GIS data. Developed as a suite of plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator, MAPublisher leverages the superior design capabilities of this leading graphic design software. Geographic Imager is powerful software for working with spatial imagery in Adobe Photoshop that leverages the superior image editing capabilities of this raster-based image-editing software.
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 for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services. For more information visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com.
New technology in digital mapping delivers immediate interactive features that’s mobile and accessible anytime and anyplace
Toronto, ON, October 25, 2011– Avenza Systems Inc., producers of MAPublisher® cartographic software for Adobe® Illustrator® and Geographic Imager® geospatial tools for Adobe Photoshop®, announced the launch of the PDF Maps app, the first and only geospatial PDF reader on Apple iOS devices including the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that introduces a modern approach to discovering the world for a new generation of digital trailblazers, explorers and map users in general.
Already winning accolades from the International Map Trade Association (IMTA) for the “Best Use of New Technology and New Media,” Avenza’s PDF Maps features a marketplace for publishers to feature specific geographical maps detailed to a certain locale while offering consumers a library of maps that are global, interactive and expanding on a daily basis. PDF Maps take advantage of geospatial technology that allows travelers to view and measure real world locations and attributes. Paired together with mobile devices that utilize GPS, such as an iPhone, the PDF Maps app provides constant access to geographic locations and even points of interest without the risk of losing reception due to cell tower proximity – making it the ultimate traveling accessory for those that travel abroad, sailing enthusiasts, cross-country backpacking or any activity that requires a little direction or extends to any area where internet bandwidth is not available.
“Smartphones have made an impact on how the world communicates and processes information – they are able to provide immediate, tangible data that can be accessed at any time and almost any place. By combining mapping technology with PDF functionality, we are able to provide users with an interactive experience where you can see where you are, input notes digitally and offer a new way of exploring,” said Ted Florence, President of Avenza Systems Inc. “Just as easily as people can buy books, music and videos from iTunes, they can now easily buy maps,which is perfect for planning trips or accessing data from thousands of maps available to the public around the globe.”
Unlike other map apps that provide one view of a location using GPS coordinates as many maps do, PDF Maps expands a traveler’s choices, allowing them to access detailed geography or points of interest created by specific map publishers for use on land and sea. Digital maps are also green eliminating the need for both paper and ink used in paper maps that may need to be updated annually. PDF Maps allows consumers to access information while at a destination, providing travelers an opportunity to make the most of their time experiencing their environment rather than searching for cell reception, a local store or passerby for directions.
Currently, Avenza’s vast PDF Maps app library covering maps for domestic and international travel includes more than 55,000 USGS (United States Geological Survey) topographic maps organized by state and area. All maps available through the map store offer the following capabilities:
Access and load maps through iTunes File Sharing, Wi-Fi or cellular network to read maps anytime
Access and interact with saved maps without the need for a live network connection (offline)
View your location on the PDF map using the built-in GPS device or via Wi-Fi triangulation
Find coordinate of any location in the map, including the ability to type in a coordinate to search
Display coordinates as Lat/Long (WGS84), Lat/Long (Map Default), Northing/Easting, or Military Grid Reference System (MGRS/United States National Grid (USNG)
Support for GeoTIFF files to create tiles similar to how a geospatial PDF is tiled
Map rendering in higher resolution
Overlay Google search results
Add waypoints and collect/record information about locations, including photos
Measure distances and areas
Open current map extents in the Maps app
Quickly view, zoom and pan maps using gestures (pinch, drag and flick, double tap)
Change pin colors, position and label names
PDF Maps is available now on the iTunes App Store free of charge. For more information about PDF Maps, visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com/pdf-maps. Pricing of each map is set by the publisher and free maps remain free to users through the PDF Maps app in-app store.
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 for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services. For more information visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com.
For more information contact:
Jason Kirshner / Shana Starr
RMS Public Relations – www.rms-biz.com (for Avenza)
949.579.9569 ext. 801/802
Jason-PR@RMS-Biz.com / Shana-PR@RMS-Biz.com
There are apps for banking, apps for the Leafs, and apps that can supposedly detect everything from cancer to scams.
There are even apps to manage your apps. And a lot of them are being developed in Toronto.
“We’re just at the tip of the iceberg of the explosion of new successful companies,” said Valerie Fox, director of Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone, which helps budding digital entrepreneurs get started.
The zone, overlooking Yonge-Dundas Square, offers free rent and Internet access — and though it has already expanded once and plans to again, there’s a rigorous selection process for a coveted spot.
“We don’t charge. We don’t take equity,” said Fox. “What we want ultimately is for these companies to thrive here in Canada, and not to go to Silicon Valley.”
California companies are known to look to Toronto. Last summer Zynga, of Farmville fame, bought Five Mobile, a Toronto-based app maker.
Mobile apps are hot because smartphone use is on the rise — everything from iPhones to Blackberrys and Android phones.
It’s unclear if tablets will enjoy a similar success, given HP has just thrown in the towel and Research in Motion’s PlayBook is struggling. But the iPad is flourishing and Amazon last week introduced the Kindle Fire.
And app stores are making it easier for entrepreneurs to bring an idea to market, though they generally take 30 per cent of all sales — so you need to sell a lot of 99 cent apps to make money.
Some go viral, like Angry Birds, though those success stories are few and far between.
GO train rider Matt Rix slowly developed his Trainyard game as he commuted to his job in Liberty Village. He eventually quit his job and started his own gaming company.
Other Toronto firms like Polar Mobile develop apps for clients, using its platform and adapting it to individual needs. Its media clients include CBS, Bloomberg and Condé Nast publications.
The company was created by six friends from the University of Waterloo just before they graduated in 2008. They launched an app before Apple created the App store.
“Four years ago, nobody knew what apps were,” said Polar Mobile CEO Kunal Gupta, who estimates they have released 1,200 apps to date from a Front St. office that now has a staff of 40. “Even two years ago, people started know what they were, but people didn’t care.
“Now companies care like you would not believe,” Gupta said, “around apps, what’s their apps presence, and what their apps strategy is.”
Dayton Pereira, chief operating officer of Indusblue, whose firm designed TSN’s iPad application, says the key is designing a product “that’s sticky” — meaning it has features that users keep coming back for more, which translates into higher ad revenue.
Pereira believes Toronto has become a hub, partly because of the number of experienced web developers here, who meet up regularly or are inspired by the success of others.
“Mobile is growing fast. It’s not slowing down at all. It’s at a breakneck pace,” he said, adding his firm is focusing on iPhone and iPad as well as Android applications.
Kathleen Webb, director of Mobile Experience Innovation Centre affiliated with the Ontario College of Art and Design, estimates there are 3,000 companies working on apps in the province.
That’s everything from big companies to freelancers and small companies of fewer than five people, she said, adding her centre is just completing a survey to calculate the presence here.
“What’s great about mobile apps is they are widely available,” said Webb, and for a few bucks, people can try it out. “And as they generate more revenue, developers can make improvements.”
The key is to keep entry point low, or free, and then upsell within the apps for premium plans, Webb said.
Indusblue’s Pereira doesn’t believe the demand for apps will slow down.
“It’s a question of have we built enough websites yet? No, there’s a billions of apps to make, and there’s a continuing source of opportunity,” he said.
Interactive music app
Jamie Alexander’s Sound Selecta app brings music and art together.
The former IBM engineer designed his iPhone and iPad app, where people can alter music by touching any part of an artist’s image.
“Instead of buying a song, you’re buying an interactive version of a song,” he said.
He’s featured everything from reggae music to toddler tunes and is working on various songs.
His latest, to be released later this month, features Toronto beat boxer Scratch Cat, who he heard busking in his a cappella style at Yonge-Dundas Square, and artist Maria Gernega, who just graduated from Seneca College.
One song features a typical Toronto scene complete with a subway car as Scratch Cat makes all the noises himself, from the train to the warning bell as the doors are closing.
“It’s idiot-proof music that will sound good no matter what you push,” said Alexander, who plans to offer a free app with one song, and then others ranging from 99 cents to $2.99.
The map app
Mapping company Avenza Systems in midtown Toronto counts among its customers the military, National Geographic and the CIA.
Technology means people can easily get directions on their GPS or through their mobile phones, but president Ted Florence said some people still want a paper map.
So Avenza’s product blends a bit of old with new — the PDF map app essentially scans in paper maps, but gives users interactive details. If you’re in a new city, type in Starbucks and you can find out how many outlets are near you. If you’re hiking in Algonquin Park, and there’s no cellphone service, you’ll still be able to use the app.
“If map publishers don’t adapt to changes like camera companies, from film to digital, they’ll be out of business,” said Florence.
“With paper maps, you have to guess how many copies to print, ship and warehouse,” he said, and any new streets require printing a new version. “With this, you can change a map on the server.”
Safety app
Imagine you’re alone in a laneway at night and get the feeling someone is following you.
Instead of immediately calling 911, you could activate your Guardly app where it would immediately alert up to 15 people that you might be trouble. It will escalate to a 911 call depending on the situation.
“We see ourselves as the natural extension of the home alarm,” said CEO Josh Sookman, noting the app can tap into the user’s location as well as their friends and family to determine who is closest. You can also snap photos and send to your network
The premium version, which costs $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year, allows for a real-time conference or instant-messaging among your safety network.
Sookman’s idea was first incubated at OCAD’s Mobile Experience Innovation Centre, eventually grew too big and moved out on its own.
The next step is to get more universities to sign on — where they would pay a fee and all students on campus would have access to the app.
– PDF Maps iOS app at the forefront of new technology in digital map delivery and consumption –
Toronto, ON, October 3, 2011 – Avenza Systems Inc., producers of MAPublisher® cartographic software for Adobe® Illustrator® and Geographic Imager® geospatial tools for Adobe Photoshop®, is pleased to announce that it has received the Best Use of New Technology & New Media Award at the International Map Trade Association (IMTA) Americas conference in Rancho Mirage, CA. Avenza won the award for its popular PDF Maps app for Apple iOS devices including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
“We are ecstatic to receive this award. I’m pleased to see that both publishers and users are finding so much use for PDF Maps”, said Ted Florence, President of Avenza. “This app is one of the best tools for acquiring, displaying and interacting with digital maps on mobile devices and tablets, and it is a key component which complements our other software products, integrating it with map production and publishing workflows.”
“The Avenza PDF Maps app is a wonderful and promising new solution for delivering digital GPS-enabled maps to smart phones and tablet devices and one that all publishers should be eager to adopt”, said Dave Knipfer, IMTA Americas President and President of Mapping Specialists Ltd. of Madison, WI.
The IMTA promotes the interests of all companies involved in the mapping industry, from retailers of atlases, globe manufacturers to developers of geographic information systems. This year’s awards spanned six categories, including Best Folded Map, Best Atlas and Best Tourist Map Product.
PDF Maps complements MAPublisher and Geographic Imager, the only available methods for authoring geospatial PDF documents within Adobe Creative Suite. PDF Maps is available now on the iTunes App Store free of charge. For more information about PDF Maps, visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com/pdf-maps.
More about geospatial PDF
Geospatial PDF is a PDF document that contains geospatial information such as real world locations, a coordinate system and GIS attributes. Geospatial PDF documents can be created in GIS applications such as ArcGIS, MapInfo and Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop with the aid of the MAPublisher and Geographic Imager plugins, respectively. The geospatial data contained in a geospatial PDF document may be accessed and used (for example to locate a specific point or measure distances) without the aid of any additional plugins, using tools found natively within Adobe Reader and Acrobat.
More about MAPublisher and Geographic Imager
MAPublisher for Illustrator is powerful map production software for creating cartographic-quality maps from GIS data. Developed as a suite of plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator, MAPublisher leverages the superior design capabilities of this leading graphic design software. Geographic Imager is powerful software for working with spatial imagery in Adobe Photoshop that leverages the superior image editing capabilities of this raster-based image-editing software.
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 for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services. For more information visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com.
– Easily import geospatial PDF and GeoPDF documents and automatically assign layers –
Toronto, ON, June 2, 2011– Avenza Systems Inc., producers of the PDF Maps app for iOS and geospatial plugins for Adobe Creative Suite, including Geographic Imager for Adobe Photoshop, is pleased to announce the release of MAPublisher 8.5 for Adobe Illustrator that has the ability to import geospatial PDF documents. This is the first time spatially-aware PDF documents can be opened in the Adobe Illustrator environment and have all of its contents be assigned to MAPublisher layers.
“We’ve done a lot of research, development and testing of spatial PDF technology to see what is capable and compatible with MAPublisher. We’re able to provide geospatial PDF and GeoPDF® import to Adobe Illustrator for our users and I believe they will be pleased that it will introduce a new range of uses and applications,” said Ted Florence, President of Avenza. “Not only will our users be able to take existing spatial PDF documents and work with them, but they will also be able to customize their own PDF maps and share them with their own customers and clients,” he added.
The import process opens a geospatial PDF or GeoPDF document at which time the user can assign content to MAPublisher layers and MAP Views while maintaining georeferencing and attributes. This process can be simplified by using the auto-assign option which scans the contents of the PDF document and assigns it to the appropriate MAPublisher layer. Alternatively, content can be manually assigned to MAPublisher layers.
Geospatial PDF import also works with geospatial PDF and GeoPDF files generated by third-party vendors including Esri ArcGIS, FME and TerraGo.
More about MAPublisher for Illustrator
MAPublisher for Illustrator is powerful map production software for creating cartographic-quality maps from GIS data. Developed as a suite of plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator, MAPublisher leverages the superior graphics capabilities of this graphics design software for working with GIS data and producing high-quality maps with efficiency.
MAPublisher 8.5 for Illustrator is available free of charge to all MAPublisher customers with an active maintenance subscription and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users at US$599. New licenses are US$1399. Academic, floating and volume pricing is 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 for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services as well as the PDF Maps app for viewing geospatial PDF files on iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices. Visit www.avenza.com for more details.
– Newest release fully compatible with Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 –
Toronto, ON, June 1, 2011– Avenza Systems Inc., producers of the PDF Maps app for iOS and geospatial plugins for Adobe Creative Suite, including Geographic Imager for Adobe Photoshop, is pleased to announce the release of MAPublisher 8.5 for Adobe Illustrator. This release is now fully compatible with Adobe Illustrator CS5.1, part of the new Creative Suite 5.5 family.
“We’re delighted to release MAPublisher 8.5 to follow the latest update of the Adobe Creative Suite,” said Ted Florence, President of Avenza. “Our users will be happy to know that this release of MAPublisher will be fully supported and compatible with Adobe Illustrator CS5.1 on both Windows and Mac. We’ve also included some priority fixes from user requests,” he added.
Major features and new functionality are being planned and developed for the next release of MAPublisher.
Additional MAPublisher 8.5 features
Support for Adobe Illustrator CS5.1 (also known as Illustrator 15.1 in Adobe CS5.5) on Windows and Mac
Seamlessly open geospatial PDF and GeoPDF documents and assign content as MAPublisher layers
New spatial filter option when indexing map objects
More about MAPublisher for Illustrator
MAPublisher for Illustrator is powerful map production software for creating cartographic-quality maps from GIS data. Developed as a suite of plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator, MAPublisher leverages the superior graphics capabilities of this graphics design software for working with GIS data and producing high-quality maps with efficiency.
MAPublisher 8.5 for Illustrator is available free of charge to all MAPublisher customers with an active maintenance subscription and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users at US$599. New licenses are US$1399. Academic, floating and volume pricing is 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 for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services as well as the PDF Maps app for viewing geospatial PDF files on iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices. Visit www.avenza.com for more details.
– Newest release fully compatible with Adobe CS5.5 –
Toronto, ON, May 16, 2011 – Avenza Systems Inc., producers of MAPublisher® cartographic software for Adobe Illustrator® and PDF Maps for Apple iOS, is pleased to announce the release of Geographic Imager 3.3 for Adobe Photoshop. This release is fully compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS 5.1, which is also known as Adobe Photoshop 12.1 in Adobe CS5.5, as well as Adobe Photoshop 12.0.4 in Adobe CS5.
“We’re delighted to release Geographic Imager 3.3 to follow the latest update of the Adobe Creative Suite,” said Ted Florence, President of Avenza. “Our users will be happy to know that this release of Geographic Imager will be fully supported and compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS5.1 on both Windows and Mac. We’ve also included some priority fixes from user requests,” he added.
A greater number of new features are planned for the next release of Geographic Imager.
Additional Geographic Imager 3.3 features
Support for Adobe Photoshop CS5.1 (also known as Photoshop 12.1 in Adobe CS5.5) on Windows and Mac
Support for Adobe Photoshop 12.0.4 in Adobe CS5
New Pixel-as-Point preference option
New Create Single Layer option for Terrain Shader
More about Geographic Imager for Adobe Photoshop
Geographic Imager is powerful software for working with spatial imagery in Adobe Photoshop that leverages the superior image editing capabilities of this raster-based image-editing software and transforms it into a powerful spatial imagery editing tool. Work with satellite imagery, aerial photography, orthophotos, and DEMs in GeoTIFF and other major GIS image formats using Adobe Photoshop features such as transparencies, filters, and image adjustments while maintaining georeferencing and support for hundreds of coordinate systems and projections.
Geographic Imager 3.3 is available immediately free of charge to all Geographic Imager Maintenance Program members and at prices starting at US$319 for non-maintenance members.
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 for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services. Visit www.avenza.com for more details.
– Updated support for ArcGIS geodatabases and ArcMap document files for use with powerful cartographic tools –
Toronto, ON, March 24, 2011 – Avenza Systems Inc., producers of the PDF Maps app for iOS and geospatial plugins for Adobe Creative Suite, including Geographic Imager for Adobe Photoshop, is pleased to announce updated support for Esri ArcGIS 10 geodatabases and ArcMap document (MXD) files in MAPublisher 8.4.1 for Adobe Illustrator. The latest version of this mapmaking software used to produce high quality maps from GIS data for both print and electronic distribution can use its import tools to connect to Personal, File and ArcSDE geodatabases as well as MXD files. MAPublisher can make use of a geodatabase’s spatial and non-spatial relationships, subtypes and attribute domain information during the import process.
“The demand for using ArcGIS 10 files and geodatabases in MAPublisher and the Adobe Illustrator environment is very strong,” said Ted Florence, President of Avenza Systems. “Providing this functionality in MAPublisher further promotes interoperability and strengthens the cartographic workflow that many users employ to visualize GIS data and produce high quality maps,” he added.
To fully import Esri geodatabases or to fully access an ArcSDE server using MAPublisher import tools, valid Esri software must be installed and licensed; at minimum, ArcGIS Engine Runtime. More commonly, an ArcView, ArcEditor or ArcInfo license may be used. Windows and Mac users without an ArcGIS license can still import data using the Basic Personal Geodatabase Reader in MAPublisher.
More about MAPublisher for Illustrator
MAPublisher for Illustrator is powerful map production software for creating cartographic-quality maps from GIS data. Developed as a suite of plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator, MAPublisher leverages the superior graphics capabilities of this graphics design software for working with GIS data and producing high-quality maps with efficiency.
MAPublisher 8.4.1 for Illustrator is available free of charge to all MAPublisher customers with an active maintenance subscription and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users at US$599. New licenses are US$1399. Academic, floating and volume pricing is 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 for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services as well as the PDF Maps app for using geospatial PDF files on iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices. Visit www.avenza.com for more details.
– Geospatial PDF reader updated with new features and tools –
Toronto, ON, March 16, 2011 – Avenza Systems Inc., producers of MAPublisher® cartographic software for Adobe® Illustrator® and Geographic Imager® geospatial tools for Adobe Photoshop®, is pleased to announce an updated version of PDF Maps, the popular geospatial PDF reader for Apple iOS devices including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
“We are very excited about this update for PDF Maps. It improves on the previous version by adding new features and tools to make the experience of navigating and viewing geospatial PDF maps on Apple iOS devices even better” said Ted Florence, President of Avenza. “Since its initial release, we have received a lot of feedback about the app and much of it have been feature requests. We’re listening to our users, developing new and exciting features, and pushing them out as the product evolves,” he added.
This release of PDF Maps offers many features including:
A new tool to easily find the coordinates of any location in the map; including the ability to type in a coordinate to search.
A new option to display coordinates as Lat/Long (WGS84), Lat/Long (Map Default), Northing/Easting, or Military Grid Reference System (MGRS)/United States National Grid (USNG)
New support for GeoTIFF files; create tiles similar to how a geospatial PDF is tiled
A new option to render a map in higher resolution
Improved map processing speed
Minor bug fixes and usability enhancements
PDF Maps complements MAPublisher and Geographic Imager, the only available methods for authoring geospatial PDF documents within the Adobe Creative Suite. PDF Maps is available now on the iTunes App Store free of charge. For more information about PDF Maps, visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com/pdf-maps.
More about geospatial PDF
With the release of Adobe Acrobat 9 and Adobe Reader 9, a new geospatial feature set was introduced to the Adobe PDF specification. Geospatial PDF files are PDF documents that contain geospatial information such as real world location and/or GIS attributes. Geospatial PDF documents can be created in some GIS applications such as ArcGIS and Mapinfo and from within Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop with the aid of the MAPublisher and Geographic Imager plugins, respectively. The geospatial data contained in a geospatial PDF document may be accessed and used (for example to locate a specific point or measure distances) without the aid of any additional plugins, using tools found natively within Adobe Reader 9 and Acrobat 9.
More about MAPublisher and Geographic Imager
MAPublisher for Illustrator is powerful map production software for creating cartographic-quality maps from GIS data. Developed as a suite of plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator, MAPublisher leverages the superior design capabilities of this leading graphic design software. Geographic Imager is powerful software for working with spatial imagery in Adobe Photoshop that leverages the superior image editing capabilities of this raster-based image-editing software.
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 for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services. For more information visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com.
– Open Cartographica-generated Adobe Illustrator® files using MAPublisher –
Toronto, ON, March 9, 2011 – Avenza Systems Inc., producer of PDF Maps for iOS devices and geospatial plug-ins for Adobe Creative Suite®, including Geographic Imager® for Adobe® Photoshop®, is pleased to announce new support for Cartographica-generated Adobe Illustrator files in MAPublisher 8.4. Cartographica, produced by ClueTrust®, is a geographic information system (GIS) for Mac OS® that contains geospatial tools to explore, analyze and present data.
“We collaborated with ClueTrust to give users more options when working with geospatial data,” said Ted Florence, President of Avenza Systems. “MAPublisher recognizes geographic information from Cartographica exported Adobe Illustrator files. Users can now seamlessly work with data manipulated in Cartographica in familiar MAP Views, MAP Layers, styles and colours in Adobe Illustrator.” he added.
MAPublisher 8.4 also includes new support for thematic mapping. Create graduated colour maps, dot density maps and maps with charts easily using MAP Themes.
More about Cartographica
ClueTrust re-launched commercial GIS on the Macintosh in 2009 by releasing Cartographica, a fully Mac OS X native GIS which is available at www.macgis.com for $495. Cartographica contains an impressive library of import and export tools, integrated projection management, intuitive exploration tools, and powerful analysis tools. Academic, and volume pricing is also available. In January 2011, ClueTrust brought interactive GIS and geospatial field data entry to the iPhone and iPad with Cartographica Mobile which is available in the iTunes store for $79.99.
More about ClueTrust
ClueTrust is a leading developer of GIS software solutions for the Mac OS X and iOS platforms. With a long history of developing high-tech solutions for a number of sectors, ClueTrust products have won recognition and market leadership status over the past two decades. Their flagship product family, Cartographica, has made geospatial data intuitive. More information is available at www.macgis.com.
More about MAPublisher for Adobe Illustrator
MAPublisher for Adobe Illustrator is powerful map production software for creating cartographic-quality maps from GIS data. Developed as a set of geospatial tools, MAPublisher leverages the superior graphic design capabilities of Adobe Illustrator for working with GIS data and producing high-quality maps with efficiency.
MAPublisher 8.4 is available free of charge to all customers with an active MAPublisher maintenance subscription and as a $599 USD upgrade for non-maintenance users. New licenses are $1399 USD. Academic, floating and volume pricing is also available. Prices include one year of full maintenance. Details are available at www.avenza.com/mapublisher.
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 for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services as well as the PDF Maps app for using geospatial PDF files on iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices. Visit www.avenza.com for more details.
