Features Overview

The following is a brief overview of the features and tools included in MAPublisher.

Import and Export Data

Import data from mapping applications such as ArcGIS, MapInfo, MicroStation, Google Earth, and other sources with all attributes and georeferencing intact. Make vector and database edits, data edits, additions, and save your changes to a variety of GIS data formats.

MAP Views

The MAP Views panel controls the Adobe Illustrator layers organization into geographically referenced entities. It offers many ancillary tools: export to GIS format, layer lock, and display control, Switch to MAP View, exchange MAP Objects between Adobe Illustrator documents.

Several geographical references can be maintained per document (e.g. main map and inset maps), stored as MAP Views. Each MAP View scale, transformation, position on the artboard is configured through the MAP View Editor — with many options for display, zoom, rescale, rotation, and so on.

MAP Attributes

The attribute table holds map attribute information for line, area, and point data. Add and remove columns, edit schemas, join tables, calculate and apply expressions to customize map attributes. MAP Attributes are the base of many other MAPublisher tools (such as line functions, MAP Themes, and MAP Web Author). They can also be exported to a text file for further usage.

MAP Themes

MAPublisher quickly and easily styles map features using Stylesheets, Charts, and Dot Density themes. Specify rules and expressions to apply preset or custom symbols, graphic styles, and character styles to artwork based on existing map attributes. Use various classification methods to easily create data classes. In addition, create highly customizable MAP Theme Legends.

MAPublisher Panels

MAPublisher panels seamlessly integrate into the user interface and can be resized, moved, and docked just like native Adobe Illustrator panels.

MAPublisher Toolbar

The MAPublisher Toolbar allows you to easily launch all the main MAPublisher tools with a single click.

Vector Basemaps

The Vector Basemaps tool imports georeferenced vector data from MapTiler. The desired area can be specified by MAP View or Artboard methods. Imported data is autostyled based on the zoom level and attribute information. Basemap layer styling can be edited and saved in the Configure Vector Basemaps dialog.

MAPublisher LabelPro™

MAPublisher LabelPro™ revolutionizes the way users can label map data, including using symbols as labels and label conflict resolution with a high degree of customizable rule-based labeling options. The MAPublisher LabelPro engine uses your map data attributes for labeling with styles, rules, and controls. The interface was redesigned and includes more settings such as label filters and expressions.

MAP Web Author HTML5 export

Export Adobe Illustrator documents with GIS data to interactive HTML5 web maps complete with callout bubbles, rollovers, layer control, pan, and zoom controls, and with all the underlying GIS attributes intact. HTML5 web maps can be created without the need for browser plug-ins. HTML5 web maps are suitable for mobile use on tablets and smartphones. MAP Web Author export settings include recommended sizes for display on mobile devices.

MAP Vector Crop Tool

Crop map documents by exact locations (including MAP Locations) and dimensions. Easily remove unwanted data while preserving attributes and styles. Perfect for creating inset maps. Crop To Shape tool can use any shape to crop.

MAP Vector Erase Tool

Perform an inverse crop by exact locations (including MAP Locations) and dimensions. Easily remove unwanted data while preserving attributes and styles. Perfect for removing sensitive data from a map. MAP Erase by Shape tool can use any shape to crop.

MAP Point Plotter Panel

MAP Point Plotter places points (e.g. locations of towns or cities) based on user input locations onto any projected map in projected units or lat/long format (decimal degrees, or Degrees Minutes Seconds). MAP Point Plotter also offers the option to instantly plot centroids for a line or area features.

Area Plotter

The Area Plotter tool creates new rectangle or ellipse polygons on MAP Area layers by using page or world coordinates, and by location type (using either a bounding box or by a single coordinate position). Use it to create precise area shapes based on coordinate locations.

Geospatial PDF Import and Export

Ability to import geospatial PDF documents quickly and easily using MAPublisher. This import method can automatically assign the content in a geospatial PDF to appropriate MAP Layers and a MAP View. Export map data to a geospatially enabled PDF. In this process, all objects and associated MAP Attributes information (when available) are ported to PDF, while also maintaining the map coordinate system. When a geospatial PDF is opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader 9, one can find locations, measure distances, add location markers as well as copy coordinates to the clipboard. Additionally, objects can be selected and queried and their MAP Attributes can be viewed in the Adobe Acrobat Model Tree.

MAPublisher Spatial Database import

Import spatial data from Basic Personal Geodatabases (.mdb), Basic File Geodatabases (.gdb), and GIS-enabled PostgreSQL databases.

MAP Measurement Tool

The MAP Measurement Tool measures straight distances (between two points), path distances (multiple points), azimuths, and the perimeter and area of closed paths — in page or map unit (real-world distances). Furthermore, the measuring path can be converted to a line or area in the currently selected layer.

MAP Selections

Build, edit, and apply multiple selection criteria based on the attributes and properties contained in MAP Layers using MAP Selections. Selection criteria are created in an expression builder and can be applied to any MAP layer, and can be saved so they can be edited or applied later.

Geometry Operations

Join areas, lines, or points and flip lines while keeping attributes intact. Use Simplify Line to reduce the number of vertices in a point (with preview and information on the number of filtered points). Create lines based on a series of point locations. Use Buffer Art to create buffer areas around the line, area, or point features. Join Areas can dissolve multiple areas into a larger area and still retain attributes.

Labeling

Create labels for map objects using values from the MAP Attributes panel. MAPublisher provides two methods of adding labels to your map: Label Features labels specified layers automatically, and MAP Tagger Tool labels features individually through user selection.

Register Image

Register images accurately to your vector data. MAPublisher determines the parameters of the raster image and the coordinate system of a selected MAP Layer in the registration process. A MAP Layer feature type called Image allows georeferenced images to be placed accurately. In addition, Import and Multiple Data Import now supports image formats which simplifies the process of importing them into an Adobe Illustrator document.

MAP Elements

Easily add customizable map elements such as scale bars, north arrows, and map legends. Choose from preset designs or edit an existing one.

Merge Layers

The new Merge Layers tool combines at least two MAP Layers of the same feature type into a new MAP layer based on its attribute values. The art from the source layers can either be copied or completely moved to the new layer (including its attributes).

Split Layer

The Split Layer function splits a layer into new layers based on an expression or by unique attribute value. The qualifying features can either be copied or moved to a new layer while maintaining all their attribute data.

MAPublisher Log

The MAPublisher Log records information about which MAPublisher tools were used and when they were used. View detailed information about successful operations, warnings, and errors.

MAPublisher License Management

The MAPublisher License Management system helps users manage their licensing in a more streamlined and user-friendly manner. Users can evaluate the product, register, retrieve their licenses and check out a floating license, all in a single dialog box. Both local and Cloud floating licenses are available. Additionally, MAPublisher panels are now marked with a lock icon when the software is not licensed.

MAPublisher Preferences

MAPublisher Preferences allow users to fully customize their MAPublisher experience. Control everything from the way layers are sorted to the font used to display attribute data or style of the MAP Selections panel. This includes several previously hidden options that used to be the domain of advanced users.

Web Feature Service and Web Map Service

Two import features: Web Feature Service (WFS) and Web Map Service (WMS). Access these features through Import or Multiple Data Import. WFS accesses web servers that deliver vector content in GML format. WMS access web servers that deliver raster content in a variety of formats.

Create Halo

The Create Halo tool produces halo graphic styles and applies halos to features on MAP layers. Halos can be independently created as a graphic style without having them applied or they can be directly applied to a MAP layer without having to create a graphic style.

Spatial Join

Join attributes from one feature to another feature based on a spatial relationship.

Scale and Rotate By Attribute

The Scale & Rotate By Attribute tool provides options to scale and rotate art objects using specified values or the target MAP layer's attributes.

Document Operations

Text Utilities performs many text actions such as correcting upside-down text, separating the multiline text into a single line, and cropping the text path to text length. These actions can be applied to either all text layers or specific text on a layer.  Right-to-Left Text is used to apply proper formatting to right-to-left languages such as Arabic and Hebrew.

MAP Locations

The MAP Locations are used as annotations to identify map world or map page locations. These locations can then be used in other MAPublisher functions when specifying map or page anchors and in tools such as Specify Anchors, Area Plotter, Line Plotter, and Point Plotter.

MAPublisher FME Auto

With the add-on MAPublisher FME Auto license comes the ability to import FME FFS files. Use FME Desktop tools to translate GIS data to work with MAPublisher for a truly automated workflow.