GeoPDF maps

patrick shared this idea 11 years ago
Gathering feedback

Allow importing geospatial pdfs with attributes, similar to the iOS PDF Maps app by Avenza.

Best Answer
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Hello Patrick,


Unfortunately Locus does not support geoPDF files. Anyway it could be possible to convert these format into sqlitedb format using Mapc2Mapc software. I dind’t try it but it could work. On the other hand you lost all advantages of geoPDF during conversion. How to convert:


http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php/manu...


You can probably skip the calibration step because geoPdf should be calibrated.

Replies (22)

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I never heard of this map type. What`s their advantage over other map types like http://mobac.sourceforge.net/) and where is this map type common/widespread? :)

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I support this too, geoPDF allows way better options for map appearance, and it also can be edited easily in common graphic vector programs (for ex. Illustrator). I often need maps with custom fills of areas, etc, and thats not possible, nor easily done with current tools. So I end always with rasterized map, which isnt what i want ..

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I use Locus to collect data in the field. I use ArcGIS to maintain data in the office. I need the two programs to work together. I can export my map, its contents, and the attributes of those contents, from ArcGIS to a georeferenced PDF, but I cannot open this in Locus. Please help.

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Hello Patrick,


Unfortunately Locus does not support geoPDF files. Anyway it could be possible to convert these format into sqlitedb format using Mapc2Mapc software. I dind’t try it but it could work. On the other hand you lost all advantages of geoPDF during conversion. How to convert:


http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php/manu...


You can probably skip the calibration step because geoPdf should be calibrated.

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Locus really needs to add this functionality. All land managers in the US use ArcMap, which exports maps as geopdf and geotiff. As a result, all land managers currently use the PDFMaps app in the field. I'm not exaggerating here; all natural resource professionals use pdf maps because of this functionality. Locus GIS is NOT the answer to this problem. The ability of Locus GIS to view and edit .shp and .db files is great for editing in the field, but it is no good for viewing data. The symbology options needed to view data correctly are not available in Locus GIS, and it is not possible to add them as different land management agencies use their own proprietary symbology. The reality of the matter is that professional land managers will never use locus unless pdf viewing is added. There needs to be an EFFICIENT way to view data, such as high definition LIDAR and derivatives of LIDAR, in arcmap. There is currently not a way unless one knows how to use GDAL or MAPC2MAPC. That is not a realistic answer for a large number of people to use.

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I agree that this functionality would be very useful. PDFmaps is also used extensively in the geologic mapping community for the reasons explained by Doug. I use Global Mapper to convert pdfs exported from ArcMap into sqlite but it's time consuming.

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Locus is missing a big market by not supporting geoPDFs. In Australia the National Parks & the topo maps in several states are all now being produced in geoPDFs. They are suggesting users download the Avenza Maps app for viewing & navigating.

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You guys HAVE to get onboard with GeoPDFs or your great product is going to become a piece of history.

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+1

geoPDF and/or geoTiff is really needed.

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Another vote for GeoPDFs. These maps are becoming very common and Locas should support them.

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Why the heck hasn't this happened yet? I'll add another reason geopdf functionality needs to be added: When you arrive as a professional to a natural disaster in the US (wildfires for example), there is usually a QR code available with a link to a map of the incident. That map is ALWAYS geopdf, because that's what esri exports. For that reason, we all use the Avenza app. Attributes are irrelevant in most cases; we just need to be able to view the referenced pdf.

Not only is converting to sqlitedb unpractical in most cases, but it is impossible in many cases where the map is received in the field. This can't be too difficult of an addition to Locus' functionality, and it would add a massive amount of potential customers. I'm guessing it would more than double your customers. I am asked constantly what mapping app I use when people see Locus in action. It's far superior to Avenza. When I tell them I have to convert to sqlite, they just forget about it because without pdf functionality it's useless in the field.

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But they are too busy moving menus around and redesigning the interface to add important functionality like this!

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This is correct. Design is an important part of every application.

I was looking for some library that is able to read GeoPDF maps and that is able to run on Android devices (maybe two years ago), but wasn't able to find anything useful. If anyone has a technical tip, it will be welcome.

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https://gdal.org/index.html


I don't know how good this library is, but it seems opensource and free, and works on android.

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Thanks bladhi,

GDAL is definitely working and most probably only usable alternative. As I see, Avenza uses it as well. Little heavy-weight. Such integration has to be done somehow different because adding it into Locus Map means many MB increased the size for functionality, that only minor part of users needs.

Anyway, you and Robin opened this old topic. We have for now some plans for next months and GeoPDF support is not there. Also, 15 votes downgrade this idea to the category "less interesting". Sorry.

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“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” (Henry Ford)

Most of your users do not know about geopdf yet... As soon as geopdf becomes a common format, they will look for another app. Then you will develop geopdf support, but it will be too late

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Hi Menion,


I agree 15 votes is quite low, but it is surprising that this Idea has only 15 votes, when there are lot of other less important ideas with ~70 votes.


Maybe, this is because after reading the description, its hard for users to understand GeoPDF really means and what value it provides. It brings in compatibility with lot of excellent free maps - Caltopo, compatibility with Public lands coverage maps, USGS maps, + more.


Another possibility is that this idea is significantly more useful to users living in United states (see examples above), and most of the active users on this forum may be from EU. This one is pure speculation from my part, but it happens in other user feedback forums.


Might be good to look at this a bit more so that we make the right investments for our users.


Love Locusmaps - its the best product out there. Thank you!

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and, thanks to Petr and other Locusmap team members as well.

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Thanks blahdi for your feedback. I've checked more carefully GDAL possibilities and it looks like a way to go. Also Avenza seems to use it so it must be doable. I've discussed this with Petr who support this idea also because of the option to add support for GeoTIFF into our Locus GIS application as well.

And you are correct, an only a small portion of users are from USA (less than 10%), which reduce push on features like this.

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I think a big reason for the low vote count is due to the current group of locus users being based more in recreation. The group of people needing an app that reads pdf is mostly professional, and for the most part they don't know Locus exists because it’s not useful to them without pdf functionality. I work in forestry in the Pacific Northwest of the US. I also am involved heavily in wildfire, and know many people work in other natural resource fields. It has been my experience that all natural resource industry and academic professionals, from those with shovels in their hands to upper level land managers, have the Avenza app on their phones and use it often. The only reason they are using Avenza is because it reads pdf. Our agency (which is large) is paying $100 per year per employee to use Avenza, and we would much rather be using an app like Locus because it is so much more useful and streamlined. I'm very happy to see this being looked at more closely.

Also,if pdf is added to locus, and this group of people jumps ship from Avenza to Locus, they are also going to want to be able to export .shp.

FYI, Avenza has 25,000 reviews to locus map’s 32,000. That’s a large group of people using Avenza for the sole reason that it’s the only app available that reads PDF. If Locus adds pdf functionality, I can assure you the news will travel quickly that there is an option other than Avenza, that it’s cheaper, and that it functions at a much higher level. Once this group of people gets to know your app, they will be willing to pay a lot of money to use it.

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I just confirmed that both the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have agency wide contracts with Avenza. All the private and state land management agencies I have ever done business with use it as well. They are all probably paying Avenza insane amounts of money for a junk app because it's the only app available that reads a pdf. I think there is a lot of truth in Agustin Lobo's statement; except I think it already is too late. This should have been done 5 years ago when Avenza wasn't even charging a subscription. Now you need to pull all these customers away from Avenza, which I think you can still do because of the level of quality you have with Locus.

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Just incase it helps -


GeoPDF is the highest voted feature in GiaGPS for IPhone, and GiaGPS team seems to be adding this feature this year to Gia - see their message "We are hoping to finish this project to import geo-referenced maps in the first half of this year!"


https://help.gaiagps.com/hc/en-us/community/topics/115000106967-iOS-Feature-Requests?sort_by=votes

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Yes, design is important but is also subjective. Many of the UI changes are a step backwards in my opinion and the amount of effort put into this while neglecting new important functionality disappointing. Support for IMG and PDF maps is well overdue! Also we are way overdue for data syncing functionality.

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I too vote for geopdf imports.

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Great. Just purchased this app only to discover it doesn't support ALL of my maps (geopdf format).

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But just wait another 3-6 months until they do a ton more useless gui updates and ignore important functionality like GeoMaps, IMG maps, track syncing across devices, etc... It's a freaking joke!!

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Hello Greg, Robin,

this is correct. GeoPDF, as well as many other map formats, are not yet supported and this feature is currently not on the road plan for next months.

We already spend some time on this task, even contacted some experts on a very similar topic, but unfortunately, it is still beyond our current skills.

So sorry, no plan to implement this in the next months. I'm anyway sure, that we never wrote that these formats are supported. Thanks for understanding.

Menion

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Thanks Menion. I've found a way around my issues. Help from another user so I can continue to use the app. I like the ease of use and I'll try out the features over time. Connected a few external devices easily, temperature, heat rate etc. Works well.

Thanks for the quick response.

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Hi,

I am a new paid Locus Map Pro app user and wanted to chime in with my own personal story on this important discussion.

As a new Search and Rescue professional volunteer located in SF Bay Area, our agency pushes Avenza as the only offline app for keeping track of live mission. We would arrive on scene with a pre-printed map with QR code in lower corner, open Avenza, and scan QR code to import search map with attributes/grids/tracks/teams into app. The other method is to download map via URL in the form of https://sartopo.com/p/6E2Q as an example.

From there onward, we can start tracking our assignment and download to Incident Command Post (ICP) via email upon return, to be debriefed and managed in SARTopo, an offshoot of CALTopo. If cellular data is turned on and available during mission, we can even upload our current status/whereabouts/info in realtime, from Avenza to SARTopo back at command. ICP runs SARTopo with cellular hotspot.

Sorry for long-winded walkthrough, but this is due to simple fact that Avenza supports geoPDF, but not Locus Map. I use Locus Map exclusively for recreational use, and would love to use it for official search and rescue purpose too, once supported. Other than occasional glitch of add point with photo not saving during recording, it is so much more powerful and feature rich.

Please seriously consider adding geoPDF support to your near term development plan. Thank you for the consideration!

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This is way overdue! More and more organizations are providing GeoPDFs now.

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I think it's fair to say that 90% or more of organizations in the US supply maps to their customers in a GeoPDF format.

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Just subscribed to LocusMaps Gold and I am also a bit disappointed that I cannot import GeoPDF. Ontario Parks releases some of their recreational maps in that format - so it's not only for professional/govt use!

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Hi,

I'm sorry but I think that we've never mentioned that GeoPDF is supported under Gold subscription. I know that GeoPDF becomes quite popular in the last few years but unfortunately, Locus doesn't support the GeoPDF format at all.

I can only suggest converting the GeoPDF into .mbtile format as described https://help.locusgis.com/en/support/solutions/articles/47001094929-how-to-import-geotiff-or-geopdf

Thanks, Petr

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Hi Petr,

Thanks for your reply.

I know, I didn't get Locus for GeoPDFs specifically. I was just hoping it would work seamlessly when I just got that specific map as a GeoPDF.

But thanks for the link, I'll try the conversion!

Jens

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