12 replies to this topic

[LenHoffman]

As you all can tell so far I'm very new to MaPublisher. We have the latest edition of both Illustrator and MaPublisher; in the past I have posted the error that I was having with placing my image into my map.

Well I solved that problem when it was brought to my attention that you could export your .mxd to AI format. I created my mxd with all of the info that I needed to have within my map (to include the symbols desired for my point shapefiles), then exported it to AI - I opened my AI file and WOW it looked great, BUT when I selected the point files I needed to label or wanted to change to a button style I couldn't. Upon investigating further into this problem I discovered in my Map Views pallette window than all of my data (point, line, poly, text) where reading as {non-map layer} .

My next idea was if I just exported my image (hillshade) with the polygon layers (National Forest and County) into an AI format then open that AI document and then add my point and line shapefiles to that image everything whould be gravy.

I exported Image w/ polygons to AI opened the AI document and then started placing point and line shapefiles - however when they opened they where not geo-referenced to my image and polygons this surprised me since my polygons , points and line shapefile are all projected in the same co-ordinate.

I know that I'm missing something that should allow my points and line shapefiles to match up to my image and polygon shapefiles. Does anyone know the solution to this? Any better sujjestions on solving this canumdrum ?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated.
Len

[Hans van der Maarel]

Len,

Keep in mind that the AI export from ArcMap will create a 'dumb' AI document (as in: not fitted out with MAPublisher attributes/map views).

Your best option is to export the data as shapefiles from ArcMap (and geotiff for the raster images) and then import those into MAPublisher.

[Ted Florence]

What you have found is consistent with the fact that when ArcMap generates an Illustrator file it does so as a "dumb" file, devoid of any and all underlying attributes and geo-data, as Hans van der Maarel put it.
That is why when you subsequently imported the hillshade layer it did not line up.
What you should do is save your Arcmap document as shapefiles and your image layer as a geotiff and them import and register them in Illustrator using MAPublisher. Everything will then line up and register properly.
You can also call 416-487-6442 for technical support.

[LenHoffman]

First of all thanks for your replies Ted and Hans. No I was not aware that when you exported to AI from mxd that it created a 'dumb' AI document so I've learned something new for today. Also as I previously posted http://www.cartotalk...findpost&p=1450 I have recently reviewed the computer I have MaPulisher on and it is only running 512ram and I belive that is the problem w/ Illustrator not placing the geotiff. Do you know any other ways to bring int the geotiff maybe at a little less resolution?

Ted I have left a message with Tech. support this morning and I know that I'll be contacted pretty soon that is one good thing - good support. we are going to run the geotiff on the other system that we have AI and MaPublisher on I is newwer with much more RAM we are just waiting of our IT guys to get the networking between the two sorted out. I should be able to set up the remainder of the map and then place the geotiff within the document correct?

Also I've knowticed that if I import my shapefiles and then place them in the map location that I want it or rescale it to be placed in the desired location that if I import new data it places that data at the original location and scale that I had prior to the scaling and repossitioning. With the exception of bringing in all data then scaling and repossitioning is there a way to import new data to the scale and possition that I have determined?

Thanks again,
LEN

[Hans van der Maarel]

Len,

If you manually scale, move or rotate objects in MAPublisher (i.e. via the Illustrator tools), you will alter the objects, but not the coordinate system. So if you import a second set of data with the same settings as the first, it will naturally snap to the old position. One thing I can't stress enough is that when you're working with MAPublisher, you should be very aware of this fact. If you do this by mistake, it's almost impossible to correct.

Instead of using the Illustrator tools, you can go to the Map Views palette, select a Map View (make sure all its layers are unlocked), go to the palette's menu and select Edit Map View. Then you gain access to the scale/rotation/position controls that you also saw upon import. This will affect the Map View and all of its contents. Then if you import a second set of data into the same Map View, it will automatically line up with the other data.

[LenHoffman]

Thanks Hans I tell you I am so grateful for this web site and forum its hard to put it into words. I truely don't think I'd be as far as I am if it wasn't for all the help I've recieved. Now I have an additional ? ( of course )

I have tried and tried to bring in the tif files I created in ArcGIS to no avail i tried jpg as well none of these where working for me ( I'm sure it was user error) anyways I finally was able to place a gif into the AI document I have created.

My question is can you give the gif a spacial referance and export it to .tfw,.jpw,or GeoTIFF for future use? If so could anyone walk me through the process - this may come in handy for future users as well.

Thanks in advance
Len

P.S.
As soon as I have this map completed I figured I owe it to everyone thats been helping to post it --

[Hans van der Maarel]

Len,

Do you still have a tfw lying around? You can use that for the gif. Just place the gif, select it, go to Filter - Map Images - Register Image and select the tfw.

If you don't have a tfw, you're going to have to georeference the gif. I'm not sure if it would work with a gif though. Easiest is to manually write a tfw for it. There's some helpful information on that here: Mapublisher Knowledge Base

I'm kinda amazed your machine is not capable of bringing in a GeoTiff. Now you have to settle for a different format, which is making this unnecessary complicated.

[Martin Gamache]

I'm kinda amazed your machine is not capable of bringing in a GeoTiff. Now you have to settle for a different format, which is making this unnecessary complicated.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not to mention that the GIF may be problematic depending on what you intend to do with this map, this format is definitley not intended for anything but web images. I would go back and verify that your original TIFF image is a Geotiff or has a TFW file. If it was a Geotiff and it was modified in Photoshop it could be the georeferencing was lost. Which would explain why it is not loading correctly.

Mentor Software makes a very clever (and used to be free) utility called the Geotiff Examiner. It can fix broken Geotiffs and help you diagnose problems. This tool lets you modify a copy of a Geotiff in Photoshop all you want and then add the georeferencing back to it once your done using the original file.

mg

[LenHoffman]

Not to mention that the GIF may be problematic depending on what you intend to do with this map, this format is definitley not intended for anything but web images

I was planning on using it more as a graphic hillshade for a county wide road map that we play printing at a local press in town i've lined the gif up to the county boundary and was planning on placeing my data over it with a transparency allow the hillshade to be visable.Will having the image in a gif format cause anyproblems. And I assumed that the tif created in ArcGIS was a geotiff ( I created the Hillshade with Spatial Analyst with the output as a tif file and when I looked at the date in explorer I didn't see a twf.

Len

[Martin Gamache]

Len,

A CMYK TIFF is usually the best choice for offset printing and most pre-press depts. will require it. I agree with you that the TIFF exported from ARC should be a GEOTIFF. I really recommend you get to the bottom of this and not submit a GIF to the printers.

Why it won't read in using MP is not something I can help you with. It was an issue I encountered regularly with older versions of the plug-in. Memory issue perhaps? How large is the TIFF file? You should have Avenza support look at your data to see what is going on there.

mg

[Hans van der Maarel]

Len, Martin,

The actual reading of the tiff is an Illustrator function, not MAPublisher. You place it using Illustrator's File -> Place command, then register it using MAPublisher.

[LenHoffman]

I finally got it to work.

Thank you Alpine for the Geotiff Examiner it was very very useful.

[LenHoffman]

Well I feel foolish the last post didn't add attachment and I didn't know why but I figured it out it was more than 500k. fix it and it should be with this one.

as I was saying during the "place" command in AI I selected the tiff but then the text import option (fig 1) came up. I clicked "ok" but then all I got was (fig 2)*.
[attachment=42:attachment]

Can anyone explain this?

Also I may be able to get acess to a computer with Photoshop on it -- does anyone have a tutorial on bring the tif or gif into Photoshop and then adding the geo to it. I know that the tiff is referenced by viewing the source data in ArcGIS and it is in 8 bit as well I'm going to attach that data as well ( I had to copy paste in paint to show all data due to the fact you have to scroll down in the properties menu.).
[attachment=39:attachment]


Thanks
Len