May 28, 2021
Thank you for attending the GeoTalks Express webinar, Accessing Online Data in Global Mapper. Registered attendees for this webinar should have received an email granting access to the recorded presentation posted on our YouTube channel.
Where can we find what WCS, WMS, WFS et cetera mean?
Below are some common service types.
- Web Coverage Service (WCS)
- Web Map Service (WMS)
- Web Feature Service (WFS)
- Tile Map Service (TMS)
- Web Map Tile Service (WMTS)
Global Mapper supports adding these service types, and others, as custom online sources. More information on this can be found here in the Global Mapper knowledge base.
I am aware of the “Add New Source” button but past that, how to fill the next card is beyond me! Can we have a demonstration as to what we need to add a new source and have it saved please?
Global Mapper supports adding custom online sources in various service formats. As you go to add the new custom source you will need to know some information about the source, including the type and URL. More information on adding a custom online source can be found here in the Global Mapper knowledge base.
Can you access data here https://data.tnris.org/ via online sources in Global Mapper?
Some data sources from https://data.tnris.org/ can be added as custom online sources in Global Mapper. If you filter the availability on this webpage to WMS Service you should narrow down the list of sources to those you can add to Global Mapper.
Are there the same available worldwide online data sources in Global Mapper or is there a time difference? Is there a Google Maps source?
The built-in online data sources in Global Mapper will be the same regardless of your location or time zone. The Worldwide Data section in the Online Data dialog links to sources that will provide data for the full extent of a worldwide map.
There is no built-in source for Google Map data, if you are aware of a service hosting the Google Map data in a compatible service format, you may be able to add this data as a custom online source.
Can you get Google Earth aerials?
The built-in sources for Global Mapper do not contain a source for Google Earth. If you are aware of a service hosting this data in a compatible service format, you may be able to add this data as a custom online source.
Can you add Google Earth as a new source?
The built-in sources for Global Mapper do not contain a source for Google Earth. If you are aware of a service hosting this data in a compatible service format, you may be able to add this data as a custom online source.
How can we know what date the imagery is from?
You cannot access imagery dates directly in Global Mapper. Since these are third party sources, we suggest going to the source list, choose your source, right-click and choose to Display Web Page/Terms and Conditions to view additional information about the source.
Is there a way to download each OSM level in raster/bitmap format?
Data streamed from online sources can be exported to various raster/image formats. Based on the resolution set for the export Global Mapper will download and export the raster data from an appropriate zoom level. When choosing to stream the data you can use the Detail Level slider in the Online Sources dialog to help control the zoom/detail levels streamed into Global Mapper. This detail level will carry over to the export to capture more or less detail in the exported file.
Global Mapper does support exports to web formats that allow you to specify the zoom levels you wish to export. Exporting to a web format will generate tiles of data exported at predetermined zoom levels indexed to be loaded like the specific web format selected.
Does the detail level slider matter?
With the Detail Level slider in the Online Sources dialog you can modify the level of detail loaded from the online sources. More detail will load data at a higher resolution while less detail will load the data at a lower resolution.
Can you change the opacity of layers?
Yes, you can change the opacity and other display options for layers streamed from online sources.
How did you get the Swiss polygon?
This area feature was likely copied from the Default Data in Global Mapper. This data is a vector world map from Natural Earth. You can use any area feature(s) created or loaded into Global Mapper to constrain the bounds of the data streamed from an online source, or crop streamed data.
Can downloads be constrained to multiple polygons, like Hawaii?
Yes, multiple selected polygons can be used to determine the bounds for streamed data. You can also use multiple polygons to crop streamed, or local, data after loading it into Global Mapper.
Is the premium content purchased from you or from the agency providing the data?
Yes, the sources listed under premium content on the Online Sources dialog requires a purchase or subscription from the data provider. When you select to stream data from a premium online source you will be prompted for credentials to access the source. To view further information on a premium data source right-click on the source name listed and choose to Display Web Site for Purchasing Access to this Source.
When bringing in online data, Global Mapper now places that on top of previous data. This changed with a Global Mapper update as it used to bring it in at the bottom. I know I can drag to change the order in the tree on the right, but I can’t imagine why the default was changed.
The ordering of the layers in the control center can be changed with a right-click option in the control center. By default newly added layers should be added to the bottom of this list. To change this, or revert to this setting, right-click on some blank space in the control center (with no layers selected) and select the option to Display Layer List in Reverse Order (Last is Drawn First).
Is there a way that you can make one or two layers to “always on top”?
You can easily reorder layers in Global Mapper by selecting and dragging them to change the order in the Control Center. Depending on the control center order setting you have, move the layer you would like to see “on top” to the top or bottom of the list of layers.
What is your approximate run time for snipping your global data to boundaries? Also are boundary options provided or would we have to import a .kml or .shp file from an external source?
The time it takes for processing in Global Mapper will depend on the machine on which you are working. When streaming online data the time it takes to stream, edit, draw, and export the data is dependent on the internet connection speed.
To crop data to a specific boundary you should create an area in Global Mapper or load area features from an external file.
Do you also have a full list of all data available globally specifically in Europe, Australia and India?
In the Online Sources dialog there is a Worldwide Data folder containing the built-in sources with global bounds. There is also a folder Country Data containing subfolders for various country specific sources. Additionally, you can add custom online sources from other web hosted data services you may know.
Is your tool compatible with US federal GIS softwares such as Hazus or can be synced into these softwares?
The online sources in Global Mapper are built into the Global Mapper program. You can export data from these sources to local files that can be loaded into other programs you use.
Are the data sources provided in Global Mapper free for users to separately download or is this a special tie up you have with these sources to make this data available?
The built-in online sources, aside from the Premium Content, can be streamed into Global Mapper for free and exported. These are publicly available sources our team has found and built into the Online Sources list in Global Mapper. Some of these sources may have restrictions on how the data can be used, for more information on a particular source or to contact the organization that hosts it, right-click on the listed source and choose to Display Source Web Page/Terms of Service.
Is the address search only US based?
The address search is global and is supported by an online geocoding service to locate the entered address.
Vector feature download is limited on OpenStreetMap vector, can we get more details on this?
The online source for vector OpenStreetMap data will launch the OpenStreeMap download webpage using the current screen bounds as the area of interest. On the OpenStreetMap webpage you can choose to export the vector data and load the downloaded file into Global Mapper. Once in Global Mapper you can crop the vector data based on a selected polygon.
The OpenStreetMap vector download page does limit the amount of data you can export at one time. Larger areas of OpenStreetMap data can be downloaded from this data provider.
Are there lidar sources for Canada?
Global Mapper contains no built-in online sources for lidar data in Canada. If you know of a public download portal for Canadian lidar data, let us know.
At what resolution is the bathymetric chart data shown?
The bathymetric chart shown at a global scale has a lower resolution that you would see if you loaded a smaller area of data or zoomed into a specific area of interest.
Raster Online Sources are broken into tile sets at various resolutions. As you zoom in/out with a streamed online source, different tiles at different resolutions/zoom levels are loaded to provide an adequate level of detail for the scale of the map. You can use the Detail Level slider at the bottom of the Online Sources dialog to load more or less detail (higher or lower resolution) for data you choose to stream into Global Mapper.
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