Legends for KML Layer Geomashups

This simple geologic map is being displayed in Google Maps using a geomashup of 3 KML files containing polygons and lines. It illustrates the use of legends for KML layers in geomashups. The TNTmips interactive Geomashup process, which was used to assemble the 3 KML files, sidebar, and other features, allows you to specify creation of a legend for individual KML layers. A legend entry is created for each unique style and corresponding attribute value in the source geometric object.

Use of single-file KML layers in geomashups should be limited to geometrically simple map data. For larger and more complex geometric data, you can use the Export Geometric Tileset process to render your styled geometric data to either a KML geometric tileset or an SVG tileset.

Lancaster County Bike Routes & Trails

These geomashups show bicycle trails and on-street bicycle routes for Lancaster County, Nebraska. Both examples use a KML geometric tileset created from a TNT vector object. Hovering the mouse over a line provides a DataTip showing the trail or street name. Left-clicking on a line pops in an information balloon that also identifies the trail or route type, which is also indicated by the differing line styles.

A single KML file rendered from the TNT vector object would be too complex to render in Google Maps. Instead the styled vector lines were rendered into a KML geometric tileset using the Export Geometric Tileset process in TNTmips. This geometric tileset is a Google super-overlay structure made up of tiled sets of KML files depicting the bike trail/route lines at each zoom level. Only a few of the KML tile files are fetched by these geoviewers for any area and zoom level that you view. Geometric tilesets can thus be used to cover even larger areas than the single county shown here. The DataTip information attached to each TNT vector line was automatically written into the KML tile files for presentation in the information balloons in the Google Maps and Google Earth geomashups.

Townsend Montana Geologic Map
(as 5 vector tilesets)

This geologic map is being displayed in Google Maps using a set of 5 SVG (Scalable Vector Graphic) tilesets containing polygons, lines, and points. The map data were downloaded from a USGS web site as shapefiles, imported to TNTmips as 5 vector objects, and styled to match the source map. TNTmips then converted the vector elements in each vector to styled elements in an SVG tileset.

The TNTmips interactive Geomashup feature was used to assemble the 5 SVG tilesets, sidebar, and other features into this mashup.

This sample use of SVG tilesets can be viewed in the latest version of these browsers: Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, Chrome, and Opera. Since the map layers are tilesets, the map could cover any geographic extents with the same level of detail and performance in these browsers.

Google Maps with detailed
polygon boundaries

Click anywhere in polygon
for info balloon

Customize legend template
with your HTML

Lancaster County Floodplains

This geomashup presents the floodways and 100 and 500-year floodplain areas in Lancaster County, Nebraska. Both examples use a common vector tileset created from a TNT vector object. Left-clicking on a flood area pops in an information balloon identifying the type.

These floodplain polygons and styles were rendered into the vector tileset from a vector layer displayed in TNTmips. This vector tileset is a Google super-overlay structure made up of tiled sets of KML files depicting the floodplain polygons at each zoom level. Only a few KML tile files are fetched by these geoviewers for any area you view. Accurate vector boundaries are presented at all zoom levels. The DataTips attached to each polygon in the vector were converted into the information balloons shown in the geoviewer and these could even be unique for each polygon.

A single KML layer rendered from this same vector object would be too complex to render in Google Maps. However, since only a few small KML tile files are always used by these geoviewers, this vector tileset can be scaled up to cover any area without impacting its performance. Thus while this sample vector tileset covers a county it could just as easily cover a state or a nation. A vector tileset can also be used for a more detailed layer such as a soil or parcel polygons, roads, or individual points.

Initial view shows coverage
red = rural  blue = urban

Mouse over parcel polygon
shows owner's name

Select parcel polygon for
summary of ownership

URL in summary links to
Assessor's web site

Lancaster County Rural/Urban
Land Ownership

Links to parcel detail at
county assessor's web site

This geomashup depicts the 108,000 parcel polygons for Lancaster County, Nebraska, with attached database information released by the Lancaster County Assessor's Office on 14 December 2011. The parcel data for the rural and urban parts of the county have been segregated into different layers. At startup the entire county area is shown with rural and urban areas indicated by differently-colored, partially-transparent overlays (blue = urban, pink = rural). Clicking on an area pops in an information balloon directing you to zoom in to that area to see the parcel information. As you zoom in, parcel information is shown beginning with Google Maps zoom level 14 for the in rural areas (which have larger parcels) and zoom level 17 for Lincoln and the other municipalities in the county. Each parcel polygon is shown as a red outline with a mostly transparent red fill. Hovering the mouse cursor over a parcel polygon shows the property address (if available). Clicking within a polygon pops in an information balloon with additional information such as owner's name, assessed value, primary use, and acreage, along with a link to the County Assessor's web site for even more information.

The Export Geometric Tileset process in TNTmips was used to convert vector objects containing the original parcel polygons into KML vector tilesets showing the parcels at Google Maps zoom levels 17, 18, and 19 for the urban areas and zoom levels 14 through 19 for the rural areas. The source vector objects included a virtual attribute field constructed from a number of parcel database fields to provide a multiline DataTip. During the tileset conversion this DataTip information was automatically transferred to the KML structure for each parcel to provide the data source for the information balloons shown in Google Maps. The KML vector tilesets (KML Super-Overlays) are tiled structures consisting of small KML files. This tiled structure allows thousands of polygons or other geometric features to be viewed in Google Maps without adversely impacting the performance of your web browser. The urban and rural area overlays are simple, untiled KML files rendered from vector objects using the Display process in TNTmips.

Initial view shows coverage
red = rural  blue = urban

Points appear first for
larger rural parcels

Mouse over parcel point
shows owner's name

Select parcel point for
summary of ownership

URL in summary links to
Assessor's web site

Lancaster County Rural/Urban
Land Ownership

Links to parcel detail at
county assessor's web site

This geomashup depicts the 108,000 parcel polygons for Lancaster County, Nebraska, with attached database information released by the Lancaster County Assessor's Office on 14 June 2011. The parcel data for the rural and urban parts of the county have been segregated into different layers. At startup the entire county area is shown with rural and urban areas indicated by differently colored, partially transparent overlays (blue = urban, pink = rural). Clicking on an area pops in an information balloon directing you to zoom in to that area to see the parcel information. As you zoom in, parcel information is shown beginning with Google Maps zoom level 14 for rural areas and zoom level 17 for Lincoln and the other municipalities in the county. Each parcel polygon is shown as a red outline and is also represented by a circular red point symbol within the polygon. Hovering the mouse cursor over a parcel point provides the property owner's name. Clicking on a point pops in an information balloon with additional information such as address, assessed value, primary use, and acreage, along with a link to the County Assessor's web site for even more information.

The original parcel polygons were displayed in TNTmips and rendered into transparent tilesets (PNG tiles only) showing the parcel boundaries at Google Maps zoom levels 17, 18, and 19 for the urban areas and zoom levels 14 through 19 for the rural areas. Vector objects with a point for each parcel polygon were created for the rural and urban areas and attribute information was transferred from the polygons to the points. These attributes include a multi-line DataTip field constructed from a number of parcel database fields. Each point set was then rendered to a KML Super-Overlay, a tiled structure consisting of small KML files. This tiled structure allows tens of millions of points to be viewed in Google Maps without adversely impacting the performance of your web browser. The render procedure automatically transferred the DataTip information to the resulting KML files to provide the data source for the information balloons shown in Google Maps. Points for urban areas were rendered at Google Maps zoom level 17 and for rural areas at zoom level 14. Points in both subareas remain visible in the geomashup through Google Maps zoom level 19.

Lincoln Land Ownership

Links to parcel detail at
county assessor's web site

This geomashup depicts the 108,000 parcel polygons for Lancaster County, Nebraska, with attached database information released by the Lancaster County Assessor's Office on 14 June 2011. Each parcel polygon is shown as a red outline and is also represented by a circular red point symbol within the polygon. Hovering the mouse cursor over a parcel point provides the property owner's name. Clicking on a point pops in an information balloon with additional information such as address, assessed value, primary use, and acreage, along with a link to the County Assessor's web site for even more information.

The original parcel polygons were displayed in TNTmips and rendered into a transparent tileset (PNG tiles only) showing the parcel boundaries at Google Maps zoom levels 17, 18, and 19. A vector object with a point for each parcel polygon was created and attribute information was transferred from the polygons to the points. These attributes include a multi-line DataTip field constructed from a number of parcel database fields. This 108,000 point set was then rendered to a KML Super Overlay, a tiled structure consisting of small KML files. This tiled structure allows tens of millions of points to be viewed in Google Maps without adversely impacting the performance of your web browser. The render procedure automatically transferred the DataTip information to the resulting KML files to provide the data source for the information balloons shown in Google Maps.

Plessisville, Quebec Land Ownership

This geomashup depicts the parcel polygons and ownership details for the community of Plessisville and the surrounding rural area located in the Erable MRC (Regional County Municipality) of Quebec. Note that the details about the ownership of each parcel that are displayed in its information balloon in Google Maps are in French since these materials were prepared in French in TNTmips. The original parcel polygons were displayed in TNTmips and rendered into a transparent tileset (PNG tiles only) showing the parcel boundaries at Google Maps zoom levels 17, 18, and 19. A vector object with a point for each parcel polygon was created and attribute information was transferred from the polygons to the points. These attributes include a multi-line DataTip field constructed from a number of parcel database fields. This point set was then rendered to a KML Super Overlay, a tiled structure consisting of small KML files. This tiled structure allows tens of millions of points to be viewed in Google Maps without adversely impacting the performance of your web browser. The render procedure automatically transferred the DataTip information to the resulting KML files to provide the data source for the information balloons shown in Google Maps.

This sample data has been reproduced here with the permission of the Erable MRC and the community of Plessisville.

Montara Mountain, California
Topographic Map Layout

scale of original topographic map 1:24,000

source of geometric map data:
United States Geological Survey

This map tileset was created from the Montara sample map layout prepared in TNTmips and distributed as free sample data with every TNTmips. This layout includes numerous geometric data layers depicting components of a topographic map, including contour lines, vegetative surface cover and built area background colors, roads and highways, administrative boundaries, and text labels. This map layout was rendered to a single tileset (with transparent background) in the Display process in TNTmips. While it covers only a small area, it illustrates that complex layouts of any extent and detail can be rendered into a single tileset. Even if the tileset is huge (many gigabytes), viewing via these same geoviewers at any detail would be just as fast as this small sample. This map layout was rendered into a tileset by MicroImages' reseller in Brazil, Latitude23.

Midway Valley, Nevada
Geologic Map Layout

scale of original geologic map 1:24,000

source of geometric map data:
United States Geological Survey
Geologic Investigations Series I-2627

This map tileset was created from the MIDMAP sample map layout prepared in TNTmips and distributed as free sample data with every TNTmips. This layout includes numerous geometric data layers depicting components of a geologic map, including map unit polygons, geologic contacts and faults, contour lines, roads, and text labels. This map layout was rendered to a single tileset (with transparent background) in the Display process in TNTmips. While it covers only a small area, it illustrates that complex layouts of any extent and detail can be rendered into a single tileset. Even if the tileset is huge (many gigabytes), viewing via these same geoviewers at any detail would be just as fast as this small sample. This map layout was rendered into a tileset by MicroImages' reseller in Brazil, Latitude23.

Genesee County, Michigan
Topographic Map
(as transparent overlay)

scale of original topographic maps 1:24,000

This geomashup overlays an enhanced 1:24,000-scale USGS topographic map of Genesee County, Michigan on the corresponding annual USDA 1-meter orthoimage coverage of the county.

The map layer is a tileset with transparent background prepared from the Super-DRG digital versions of these maps covering the United States in county units. Super-DRGs are a product of advancements in scanning technology since the creation of the original DRGs by the USGS. As a leader in the field of digitization, The W.E. Upjohn Center for the Study of Geographical Change at Western Michigan University specializes in large-format, flat-bed scanning that eliminates the possibility of damage to any map or document. Using GIS Scanners developed exclusively for the Center by Lumiere Technology, Paris, these Super-DRGs are of the highest quality and geometric accuracy. The result is an extremely high-definition map product of the same resolution as the original DRG, such that the 1:24,000 and 1:25,000-scale maps can be effectively used with 1:12,000-scale imagery (digital orthophotos). This Super-DRG product provides nationwide coverage of the 7.5-minute 1:24,000 and 1:25,000-scale USGS topographic quadrangles in a GIS-ready format (mosaic constructed by county). The dataset is georeferenced and color-enhanced to provide for overlay with imagery and other forms of GIS data. This product is ideal for change detection analyses and for adding depth to an existing dataset's temporal dimension.

The current Super-DRG coverage of the United States is the first component in a larger series now being developed by The Center and called the Authoritative U.S. Topographic Maps Initiative. This augmentation will provide high-accuracy, multiscale, high-definition historical map sets.

TNTmips was one of a suite of software products used in the preparation of the Super-DRGs. For more information about Super-DRGs and the Center, see https://ucgc.welborn.wmich.edu/ or contact cgc-upjohncenter@wmich.edu.

The image layers in this geomashup are opaque tilesets prepared in TNTmips from the annual orthoimagery collected by the NAIP program of the USDA. For more information about the source of this imagery see http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/.

10 Meter Contours of Japan
(as transparent overlay)

scale of original topographic maps 1:25,000

source of geometric map data:
Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI)

for other tilesets of Japan see
http://www.opengis.jp/tileset/index.html
OpenGIS, the authorized MicroImages reseller in Japan, has used TNTmips to create a tileset of the 10 meter contours and other topographic map features for all of Japan. This tileset uses only PNG tiles to publish these map features to provide a transparent overlay for use in popular geoviewers. This tileset can be viewed as a transparent overlay in Google Maps and Bing Maps from the OpenGIS web site using the links at the left.

The map tileset depicts topographic contours color-coded by elevation. A number of other reference layers are also shown in various colors, including coastline, water boundaries, road edges, railway centerlines, building footprints, and administrative boundaries.

This country-wide topographic tileset was created from individual tilesets for each of Japan's 47 prefectures. For each prefecture tileset, all map layers were displayed together in TNTmips with appropriate styling and converted to a Google Maps tileset using the Render to Tileset procedure. The maximum Google Maps zoom level for each prefecture tileset is 16. At this zoom level each screen pixel depicts a ground area about 2 meters across at these latitudes. The complete set of tilesets for all 47 prefectures includes about 2.3 million tile files and requires 23.3 GB of hard drive space. The Merge Tilesets process in TNTmips was then used to merge the prefecture tilesets into the single country-wide topographic tileset you are viewing here.

The source data for all map layers is the Kiban Chizu Joho (Fundamental Infrastructural Digital Map Information) published by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) at a native scale of 1:25,000. There are approximately 4600 paper maps in this series. The digital version of these maps for each prefecture is available for free download from GSI, in Japanese or can be ordered on CD. OpenGIS converted each map layer from its native XML format to a shapefile using a GSI utility program. All map feature shapefiles were imported to TNT vector objects for added flexibility in styling, with the exception of building footprint shapefiles, which were used directly. The approximate total size of all input files is 10.9 GB.

40 Meter Contours of Ecuador

scale of original topographic maps 1:50,000
with holes filled from 1:250,000 scale maps
source of paper maps:
Instituto Geografico Militar of Ecuador

The 555 1:50,000 paper contour maps and 30 1:250,000 maps were scanned by IGM at 400 dpi into TIFF files under a contract from Geokoncept. The maps were georeferenced, had their collars trimmed, were mosaicked together into JPEG2000 format, and exported to this web tileset by Geokoncept using TNTmips.

Individual maps and this mosaic are available in GeoTIFF, JPEG2000, and other formats from Geokoncept, a MicroImages reseller in Ecuador.

Geologic and Mineral Resource Map of Afghanistan

scale of original map 1:850,000

source: USGS PDF file

These tilesets were created in TNTmips from a PDF file published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) as Open-File Report 2006-1038. The map by Jeff L. Doebrich and Ronald R. Wahl includes geologic map unit boundaries and locations of mineral resource occurrences compiled from various sources using TNTmips and other software products. The shaded-relief base was prepared from SRTM digital elevation model data with gaps filled using contour data from 1:200,000-scale Soviet General Staff Sheets. TNTmips and other products were used to prepare the cartographic rendering and PDF file.

Afghanistan Geologic Map

scale of original map 1:250,000

source: USGS PDF file

This is a mosaic of 32 individual geologic maps prepared and published as PDF files by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Each map was prepared separately using TNTmips on Apple Macintosh computers. The shaded-relief background and topographic contours were generated in TNTmips from SRTM digital elevation data. TNTmips and other products were used to prepare the cartographic rendering and PDF files. Additional information with regard to using these "reconnaissance maps" can be found in the USGS Open File Report associated with each map.

Afghanistan Topographic Map

scale of original maps 1:250,000

source: USGS PDF files

This is a mosaic of 32 individual topographic maps prepared and published as PDF files by United States Geological Survey (USGS). Each map was prepared separately using TNTmips on Apple Macintosh computers. Topography was derived from SRTM digital elevation data with gaps filled from the 1:200,000 Soviet Staff Sheets. Contours and stream paths were generated in TNTmips terrain modeling processes. TNTmips and other products were used to prepare the cartographic rendering and PDF files. Additional information with regard to using these "reconnaissance maps" can be found in the USGS Open File Report associated with each map.

This nation-wide presentation of these 32 maps was also prepared in TNTmips. The map content was extracted from the PDF versions of the maps and mosaicked and converted into tilesets.

Afghanistan Natural Color
Landsat Image Map

scale of original maps 1:250,000

source: USGS PDF files

This is a mosaic of 32 individual natural color Landsat image maps prepared and published as PDF files by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Each image map was prepared separately using TNTmips on Apple Macintosh computers. TNTmips and other products were used to prepare the cartographic rendering and PDF files. Additional information with regard to using these "reconnaissance maps" can be found in the USGS Open File Report associated with each map.

This nation-wide presentation of these 32 maps was also prepared in TNTmips. The map content was extracted from the PDF versions of the maps and mosaicked and converted into tilesets.

Afghanistan False Color
Landsat Image Map

scale of original maps 1:250,000

source: USGS PDF files

This is a mosaic of 32 individual false-color Landsat image maps prepared and published as PDF files by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The false colors are derived from Landsat bands 7 (displayed in red), 4 (displayed in green) and 2 (displayed in blue). Each image map was prepared separately using TNTmips on Apple Macintosh computers. TNTmips and other products were used to prepare the cartographic rendering and PDF files. Additional information with regard to using these "reconnaissance maps" can be found in the USGS Open File Report associated with each map.

Common Land Unit Mashup
Otoe County Nebraska

source: USDA Common Land Units

This geomashup displays a tileset showing agricultural field boundaries in Otoe County over Nebraska 2009 natural color orthoimagery. Labels showing the number of acres in each field polygon are shown at the higher zoom levels.

The source of the field boundaries is the 2007 edition of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Common Land Units (CLU) dataset for the county, which was imported to a TNT vector object. Each zoom level in the CLU tileset was rendered to a separate tileset in the Display process in TNTmips. For each Google Maps zoom level, styles for the CLU vector were adjusted to provide polygon boundary widths and label sizes appropriate for that map scale. The acreage labels were dynamically generated in the vector display using acreage values in the polygon database. The CLU boundaries were rendered to tilesets consisting of PNG tiles to provide a transparent background for the boundaries.

These individual CLU zoom-level tilesets were then merged to a single tileset using the Merge Tilesets process in TNTmips. The Assemble Geomashups process was used to combine the CLU tileset with the Nebraska orthoimage tileset.

CLU Otoe County, NE Geomashup
with Measurement Tools
Geodata for this mashup is described in the Common Land Unit Mashup Otoe County Nebraska example above

CLU Otoe County, NE Geomashup
with Drawing Tools
Geodata for this mashup is described in the Common Land Unit Mashup Otoe County Nebraska example above

Afghanistan Topographic Map

scale of original maps 1:50,000

source: scans of Russian paper maps

Soviet Map Legend (English)

Pennsylvania Stream Network

scale of original map 1:24,000

source of stream data:
Environmental Resource Research Institute
source of elevation data:
USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED30)

Stream courses and elevation data for the entire state of Pennsylvania are depicted in this geomashup of tilesets created in TNTmips. This demonstration shows how the geospatial analysis capabilities in TNTmips can be used to prepare advanced geomashups for all popular geoviewers. The public geodata layers in this geomashup were processed and assembled entirely in TNTmips. It would be difficult to produce this geomashup using any collection of other geospatial analysis tools.

The Color Shaded Relief layer was created from an NED30 elevation raster and a shading raster derived from this elevation raster. These layers were overlaid with partial transparency and converted to a standard web tileset using the Render to Tileset procedure in the Display process.

The stream tileset was produced from networked (interconnected) stream center lines with added stream order attributes computed in TNTmips from the NED30 elevation raster. A simplified version of the stream network was developed for each reduced-resolution zoom level in the output tileset. To do so, the stream network was pruned by stream order and by length of dangling lines, and line complexity was progressively reduced using the Vector Filters process. Each zoom level in the Streams tileset was created separately using the Render to Tileset procedure. These zoom level tilesets were then assembled into a complete Streams tileset using the interleaving capabilities in the Merge Tileset process. The Assemble Geomashup process was then used to assemble these components and produce the auxiliary HTML files used to publish this demonstration.

Base of the Principal Aquifer for the Elkhorn- Loup River Basins, North-Central Nebraska

scale of original map 1:320,000

source: USGS shape files

This geomashup of three tilesets depicts the elevation and geology of the base of the principal groundwater aquifer underlying much of the Sand Hills region of north-central Nebraska. The map layers are distributed as shape files accompanying United States Geological Survey (USGS) Scientific Investigations Map 3042 by V.L. McGuire and S.M. Peterson. The geomashup includes a generalized geologic map of the base of the aquifer, contours of the elevation (in feet above sea level) of the aquifer base, and surface streams.

The USGS shape files were imported to vector objects in TNTmips and edited and filtered to create appropriate map detail and styling for each tileset zoom level. Each zoom level was then created separately from its source vector object using the Render to Tileset procedure in the Display process in TNTmips. These zoom level tilesets were then assembled into a complete tileset for each of the map overlays.

Skykomish River Geologic Map

scale of original maps 1:100:000

source: USGS PDF file

These tilesets were created in TNTmips from the Geologic Map of the Skykomish River 30 x 60 Minute Quadrangle, Washington (USA) published as a PDF file by the United States Geological Survey (Geologic Investigations Series I-1963). The quadrangle reaches from the lowlands surrounding Puget Sound to the crest of the North Cascade Mountains. Its diverse geology was mapped by R.W. Tabor, V.A. Frizzell, Jr., D.B. Booth, R.B. Waitt, J.T. Whetten, and R.E. Zartman. The web pages that display the tilesets also include links to the Map Legend, Cross Sections, and a Correlation Chart.