Mapping - GML imports

[distracted]

Does anyone know whether there is the ability to import the OS MasterMap GML files into OCAD somehow, whether this be directly or firstly through a file translator? Or a program that will allow the text file to actually be viewed as a vector image?

(btw, GML looks like it is a hideous file format, why you'd want to store graphics that way I have no idea...)

[Angry Haggis]

Does anyone know whether there is the ability to import the OS MasterMap GML files into OCAD somehow, whether this be directly or firstly through a file translator? Or a program that will allow the text file to actually be viewed as a vector image?

(btw, GML looks like it is a hideous file format, why you'd want to store graphics that way I have no idea...)

Have a look at Landserf, which coincidentally my tutor wrote. It loads OSMM GML files just fine. N.B. You may need the file to be in its gzipped format before opening.

Also take a look at Snowflake's OSMM Viewer. Both these apps run on Mac OS X as well as Windows. There are almost certainly other Windows-only tools out there. Finally Edonica may be of some help although the instructions there are quite techy.

GML certainly isn't a very space efficient format, although it does zip down very nicely. But it's human-readable, which is got to be a good thing. It's also an OGC standard.

[Paul T]

I've added this question here rather than begin another thread because it seems right up your street, although it's a clear hijack.

The exam question is:

What is the difference in print quality between printing directly from OCAD, and using OCAD to create a .pdf file and then printing it?

Quick tests suggest that there are no practical differences on colour(*) and resolution, though you have to be careful not to inadvertently change the scale slightly.
We sometimes shuffle .pdfs around during the planning process, but have always tried to print directly from OCAD. Printing from .pdf would give us more printing options.

* - if you use the colour definitions for the eventual target printer when creating the .pdf.

[Ed]

(btw, GML looks like it is a hideous file format, why you'd want to store graphics that way I have no idea...)

/geek mode on

You probably wouldn't want to store graphics that way - but you may well want to store geographic information that way.

GML (Geography Markup Language) is designed for an object-oriented representation of geographic entities (including non-spatial attribute data and not just the points, lines and areas used to represent them on a map) - if you just want to represent geometries you're probably better off with DXF or SVG or something like that. In fact, SVG would also have the advantage of including styling information (i.e. not just that there is a line, but that there is a red 0.3mm wide line with rounded ends). Although theoretically GML can also include styling, I've never seen that ability used in practice.

And GML isn't only an OGC Standard, it's also an ISO Standard, although the MasterMap data doesn't use the newest (ISO) version.

/geek mode cannot be switched off