15 replies to this topic

[Jean-Louis]

Hi
I need to create a modern (ie electronic) version of an area that is subivided into a gazillion little plots.
Here is a jpg of a typical section.- There are over 50 more!
I just need to replicate this with cleaner lines and cleaner numbers.
Its a no brainer to retrace in Illustrator of course but is there a way
to make this faster than retyping every number? Anyone know a shortcut?
 GA_scan.jpg   130.55K   185 downloads

[frax]

not so sure about it... you might want to consider outsourcing the work, if you want to spend time on other things.

[Greg]

It seems like the numbers are almost random? I can't see any kind of pattern at first glance...

It would be easy if it were sequential, you would just have to play around with your kerning a little to get the spacing right.

[Michael Schmeling]

Isn't there any kind of file or database where these numbers come from? Or are they only written on paper?

[Matthew Hampton]

I wonder if you could orient the numbers reading left to right and throw some OCR at it? I wonder if OCR works on text that's not properly justified?

With luck a local planning agency or municipal gov't has these lots as a shapefile.

Good luck!

[Dennis McClendon]

With luck a local planning agency or municipal gov't has these lots as a shapefile.

I love the assumption that all the maps are already made; we just have to unearth the dataset.

Last year I had to map every structure in Riverside, a good-sized suburb of Chicago. Then at the end they decided they also wanted address numbers for every structure. Well, if you know the historical significance of Riverside—the reason we were mapping it—it's that it was the world's first curvilinear street layout. So every address number had to not only be typed by hand, but then turned to match the orientation of the curb.

Sorry. I can't think of any shortcuts for you.

[Jean-Louis]

I love the assumption that all the maps are already made; we just have to unearth the dataset.

Good point Dennis. The original is a 1924 hand-drawn thing of cemetery plots. (Yes, it seems that you guys all plot your maps but more and more, I am mapping plots!)
I am realizing there is no shortcuts.

BTW , I grew up up in a suburb developed in the 40's - a great big X with an oval town centre in the middle and lots of curvy streets between the diagonals.
Diagonals and curves may look good from a helicopter or on an architect’s table but it is the most confusing pattern possible for actual streets. When we drive we are two-dimensional right-angle beings. Our spatial recognition genes did not evolve in a elegant prehistoric Art Deco landscape. Thus, this 'best planned model city' was a hopelessly baffling maze despised by every taxi driver, deliveryman and visiting relative in the region.

My sympathies to you on that job

[Gretchen Peterson]

Are you using ArcGIS? It looks like there is a bit of a pattern to the numbers. You could write a short macro to fill in the numbers for you. Something like

X=0
Y=99
Select Lot=X
LotNumber=Y

For all X
Select Lot = X+1
Lot Number = Y+1
End

But of course that's only if you are making these into GIS data rather than an illustrator drawing. And you'd have to get all the lot polygons into the database first.

[Matthew Hampton]

With luck a local planning agency or municipal gov't has these lots as a shapefile.

I love the assumption that all the maps are already made; we just have to unearth the dataset.

Well, they have been drawn at least once by somebody - wouldn't that be great if someone else actually digitized them with attributes? It would certainly save Jean-Loius a lot of time!

Similarly it would be wonderful if they are ever re-drawn, it would be done so in a manner such that the information could be stored in a spatial database so that in 85 years when they needed to be drawn again - it would just be a matter of loading a shapefile and clicking on a labeling button rather than starting all over from scratch.

This is the sort of information that is begging to be in a GIS.

[ELeFevre]

With luck a local planning agency or municipal gov't has these lots as a shapefile.

I love the assumption that all the maps are already made; we just have to unearth the dataset.

Is a shapefile a map?

[Unit Seven]

Not as automatic as you are after but don't think OCR would help much on this. FWIW I would create the list of numbers in Excel to get the increments and then copy paste that list into Illy then at least ypu are just Alt-dragging numbers onto the map and you can use the disrtubute/align tools to tidy up. Personally I think the dragging of numbers already placed onto plots would save a lot of time in the long run over typing them.

That or Microstation used to have a text tool called copy and increment which would allow you to go round and copy paste and it would paster the next number in a series which was very handy for this type of work.

Good luck.

[Robert2009]

How about ArcScan under ArcGIS ? I am not sure if you can build them into shapefile ?

I have tried that on a small area and it seems to be working but not sure if that parcel will work.

I thought I would drop you a note on that.

Robert

Not as automatic as you are after but don't think OCR would help much on this. FWIW I would create the list of numbers in Excel to get the increments and then copy paste that list into Illy then at least ypu are just Alt-dragging numbers onto the map and you can use the disrtubute/align tools to tidy up. Personally I think the dragging of numbers already placed onto plots would save a lot of time in the long run over typing them.

That or Microstation used to have a text tool called copy and increment which would allow you to go round and copy paste and it would paster the next number in a series which was very handy for this type of work.

Good luck.

[ProMapper]

Hi
I need to create a modern (ie electronic) version of an area that is subivided into a gazillion little plots.
Here is a jpg of a typical section.- There are over 50 more!
I just need to replicate this with cleaner lines and cleaner numbers.
Its a no brainer to retrace in Illustrator of course but is there a way
to make this faster than retyping every number? Anyone know a shortcut?
 GA_scan.jpg   130.55K   185 downloads

I had done a few similar drawings for a German client and I went the simplest way, digitising each bit. The amount of time spent on finding ways and means to automate the process is much greater than just sitting down and doing it. After the first drawing the rest become much easier. And if you are planning outsourcing, I would be glad to help.

Anu
http://www.mapsandlocations.com

Attached Files

•  Campingplatz.jpg   152.26K   90 downloads

[Jean-Louis]

Yup..Promapper you are right just doing it is the only answer and it does accelerate surprisingly as you do.
I was considering outsourcing it but my client just set back the whole project to this summer.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions

[Thad]

I second arcscan for arcgis.