# Presentation: 634191

## Topographic Maps from The National Map

**NGAC Meeting**
**February 4, 2009**

**Notes:**
Setting the context: How The National Map is evolving from where we have been, where we are, and how it will evolve in the future

## The National Map

**Seamless, continuously maintained, nationally consistent base topographic data **
**Developed and maintained through partnerships***** ***
**Available on-line***** ***
**Source for products and services**

## Overall Strategy

**Create next-generation USGS topographic maps**
**3 year revision cycle following NAIP**
**Source data from *****The National Map***** databases**
**National Transportation Dataset (from Census initially)**
**Names (GNIS, NHD)**
**Cartographic features (Grids, quad level metadata)**
**Initial product will be basic e-Topo Image Map content**
**Image background**
**Roads**
**Names**
**1:24,000-scale layout **
**Map Product evolution**
**Data layers will be added as they become available and technical processes are in place**
**Elevation data (contours) and Hydrography highest priority**

**Notes:**
Graphics goals outlined by Mark Demulder during The National Map Managers graphics round table discussion Nov. 6, 2008.

Basic direction – put graphics production in line with the NAIP 3 year cycle. Cover the 1/3 of the US.

## Product Characteristics

***(It’s not your grandfather’s topographic map)***

**The product is a plottable digital image.  It is neither a GIS dataset nor a traditional paper map, but a new kind of hybrid.**
**The physical format is GeoPDF, an unpublished and proprietary format that can only be read by specific proprietary software.**
**The PDF is layered and georeferenced, giving the dataset some limited GIS characteristics.**

**Notes:**
While we are generating a product that can be plotted, there is also significant value in a powerful digital product.

## FY09 Goals and Preparation

**Produce 15,250 e-Topo Image Maps and make them available through the USGS Map Store**
**Initial product will be basic e-Topo Image Map content**
**Image background**
**Roads**
**Names**
**24K layout**
**Processes will be managed with Job Tracking Extension (JTX)**
**Multiple parent and child jobs**
**Can be extended to future product(s)**
**Begin production of AOI phase 1 cartographic data**
**Grids (UTM, state plane, geographic)**

## FY09 High-level Workflow

**FY09 High-level Workflow**

- Image Data
- Staging

- Production Data
- Pre-processes

- Carto
- Data
- (Grids &
- Metadata)

- Trans
- Review

- Name
- Conflict

- MOD
- GeoPDFExport

- GeoPDF
- Review

- Distribution

- Job Tracking Extension (JTX) Job Management

- Data Quality Review

**Notes:**
Imaging data staging

Image services will need to be created for use in production review processes. These will be ESRI Image Server services, most likely cached services for speed. The image services are not intended to be included on the final product.

MOD preprocesses images into clipped tiles for each quad. This facilitates PDF assembly during the export phase of production.

Production Pre-processes

Cartographic Data
This is the creation of grids, graticules and annotation labels for UTM, stateplane and geographic information on the map. ESRI’s Grid Manager is used to create grids to USGS standards. Grids and associated annotation (labels) are stored in a geodatabase for application by the MOD system during the export process.

Transportation Review
Currently there is no business process to spatially update transportation in the National Transportation Dataset. To avoid publishing a product with gross spatial errors, Interstates and Federal routes will be reviewed for spatial accuracy against the NAIP imagery. If gross spatial errors exist the quad will be rejected for graphic production and flagged for edit when processes and tools are in place to spatially update the NTD.

Name conflict review
Selected names and will be placed on the map from GNIS and NHD (names are integrated from GNIS to NHD). Overprinting or crowding may occur during the automated placement of these names. This review is intended to provide a process to move labels when absolutely necessary. The DRG and NAIP images will be used as reference for this review.

MOD GeoPDF Export
The MOD system will be used to batch export quads when images are staged and production pre-processes are reported complete. The MOD system provides automation for GeoPDF generation through a combination of ESRI and TerraGo software.

GeoPDF Review
MOD is a new system. Until we have valid statistics on GeoPDF quality exported from MOD, a quick review will be necessary to avoid obvious label errors. The labels can be edited within the GeoPDF if needed.

Distribution
The GeoPDF product will be distributed through the USGS Store as other digital products such as the DRG.

## High-level Workflow (level 2)

**Notes:**
More detailed graphics workflow

Imaging data staging

Image services will need to be created for use in production review processes. These will be ESRI Image Server services, most likely cached services for speed. The image services are not intended to be included on the final product.

MOD preprocesses images into clipped tiles for each quad. This facilitates PDF assembly during the export phase of production.

Production processes

Cartographic Data
This is the creation of grids, graticules and annotation labels for UTM, stateplane and geographic information on the map. ESRI’s Grid Manager is used to create grids to USGS standards. Grids and associated annotation (labels) are stored in a geodatabase for application by the MOD system during the export process.

Roads Review
Currently there is no business process to spatially update transportation in the National Transportation Dataset. To avoid publishing a product with gross spatial errors, Interstates and Federal routes will be reviewed for spatial accuracy against the NAIP imagery. If gross spatial errors exist the quad will be rejected for graphic production and flagged for edit when processes and tools are in place to spatially update the NTD.

Annotation conflict review
Selected names and will be placed on the map from GNIS and NHD (names are integrated from GNIS to NHD). Overprinting or crowding may occur during the automated placement of these names. This review is intended to provide a process to move labels when absolutely necessary. The DRG and NAIP images will be used as reference for this review.

MOD GeoPDF Export
The MOD system will be used to batch export quads when images are staged and production pre-processes are reported complete. The MOD system provides automation for GeoPDF generation through a combination of ESRI and TerraGo software.

GeoPDF Review
MOD is a new system. Until we have valid statistics on GeoPDF quality exported from MOD, a quick review will be necessary to avoid obvious label errors. The labels can be edited within the GeoPDF if needed.

Distribution
The GeoPDF product will be distributed through the USGS Store as other digital products such as the DRG.

## Slide 8

## Near-Term Issues 

**Short-term ramp-up to get to 15,250 maps/year**
**Standard is still in review/approval process **
**E-Topo and Image map standard becoming one standard**
**Data availability to NGTOC locations**
**1-meter NAIP imagery, leaf on**
**FY2008 NAIP is not available yet so use FY2007**
**DOI & USGS now a funding partner to NAIP**
**NAIP is in quarter-quad format**
**Workflow development**

## Longer-Term Issues

**Data completeness, quality, currency**
**In many cases, there are no national, public domain data sources available for 1:24,000-scale mapping**
**Boundaries**
**PLSS**
**Structures**
**Transportation (roads, other trans features)**
**Data integration between themes**

## Longer-Term Issues

**Examples of data integration issues**

- Poor Registration

- Boundaries and Shorelines

## Longer-Term Issues

**Examples of data integration issues**

- Roads and Railroads to Contours

- Poor Registration

## Longer-Term Issues

**Examples of data integration issues**

- Roads to Image

- Poor Registration
- 	Rural Roads

## Longer-Term Issues

**Examples of data integration issues**

**Lidar-Derived Contours to Lakes**

- Poor Registration

## Longer-Term Issues

**Examples of data integration issues**

**Lidar-Derived Contours to Lakes**

- Temporal Difference?

## Approach to resolving data integration issues

**Inventory and document the types and prevalence of issues**
**Focus on adding layers to product as data are ready for inclusion**
**Develop approach and process for integrating hydrography and elevation in FY09**
**Begin to add these data to the map products in FY10**

## Summary

**The next generation USGS topographic map product will evolve and improve, in terms of content and quality**
**Near-term challenges include defining the product and putting processes in place to produce in quantity; automation is critical to making this work within existing resources**
**Longer-term challenges are **data-oriented**, including consistency, currency, completeness, especially in themes that are not USGS’ A-16 responsibility**

## Questions?