1Spatial is delighted to announce that through the implementation of a fully-integrated map production flowline, they have enabled Land Information New Zealand to publish a new map series. The development of the flowline has delivered LINZ's vision for a map production system, whilst realising a number of significant operational and cost benefits.

Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is the National Mapping Organisation responsible for providing up-to-date topographic mapping (digital mapping data and hard copy land maps at a variety of scales) to support the needs of defence, emergency services, and the constitutional framework in New Zealand.

1Spatial has been working with LINZ since 1995. The most recent project, NZTopo50, has resulted in a new 1:50,000 map series. This represents one of the most significant changes to New Zealand's authoritative topographical maps since the 1930s.

LINZ can now produce printed 1:50,000 scale maps directly from a seamless Gothic spatial database, via a fully integrated pre-press flowline. The system includes features such as intelligent cartographic feature representation, label construction and, for the first time, the inclusion of Māori Macron font for text labels. However, crucially, it also involves a text clash detection tool that assists with text placement, supported by additional tools for manually resolving any detected text clashes.

The pre-press system is capable of printing a selected map sheet to a variety of formats via an intranet deployed web application. Supported formats include colour-separated postscript for offset printing, TIFF, GeoTIFF and PDF. LINZ is now able to routinely update data or make critical changes and then have those changes available in all the digital products within minutes of making the change and full off-set printing as soon as a printing press can be made available.

The new flowline has enabled LINZ to meet their publishing and operational objectives by producing a new map series based on the latest geodetic datum, whilst bringing the majority of the production tasks in-house. This has also resulted in a number of significant and measurable benefits.

The improved overall topographic capability means quicker and cheaper production of maps, with wholesale cost dropping from $6.70 to $3.50. By integrating the maintenance and production systems, topographic maintenance has increased by 70% whilst LINZ has achieved a 50% cost reduction on topographic spending. In addition, the project means that LINZ's datum and projection are in line with recognised, international standards.

Geoff Howard, Geospatial Delivery Manager at LINZ, said: "The benefits of the new system not only to LINZ but to the wider New Zealand community are considerable. As a company, we have been able to use resources more effectively at the same time as improving our service to our users. Updating the paper map series in line with the digital data has restored consistency to the datasets, which should, in the long term, lead to improved public safety, better land management and coordination of resources.

The development will also enable new products and services to be developed by both the private and public sector and it is now possible to see a future where our topographic maps can be produced quickly, leading to true 'Mapping on Demand'."

Dr Michael Sanderson, Chief Executive Officer of 1Spatial, added: "LINZ is a longstanding customer of 1Spatial and we have worked closely with them over the years to help them achieve their objectives. The NZTopo50 project has resulted in an important new map series that we hope will have wide-reaching benefits for their customers, as well as enabling LINZ to streamline their operations and improve the service and value that they can offer to their customers. We are delighted to have been able to contribute to such a successful and important project."

The entire new map series, including the electronic versions, features 452 maps and is available now in the new A1 size, portrait format. For further information about the new map series and stockists, visit the dedicated LINZ Topo50 website at http://www.topo50.govt.nz/index.html.

For more information please contact Hayley Merrill.
Tel: +44 (0)1223 420414
Fax : +44 (0)1223 420044
Email : press@1spatial.com