Map digitization
Scanning, georeferencing and vectorising paper maps, plans and drawings into ready-to-use digital layers for GIS and CAD.
Map digitization is the conversion of paper topographic maps, site plans, cadastral sheets and utility schemes into digital format. Many organisations keep maps in their archives that were made years ago but still carry important information; they deteriorate, few copies remain, and they are hard to use in modern software.
A digitised map can be overlaid in GIS and CAD software with other data, such as a new topographic survey, satellite imagery or cadastral records. This allows municipalities, design institutes, utilities, landowners and research bodies to compare past and present conditions of an area, locate networks and plan development.
Work starts with high-resolution scanning of the maps. The raster image is tied to the national or local coordinate system using control points (georeferencing), and distortions are corrected. Contours, roads, buildings, boundaries, water features and networks are then vectorised on separate layers, and attributes such as elevation, name and type are assigned to features.
The finished data are checked for topology and geometry, and where needed sample points are measured on site with GNSS to confirm accuracy. Results are delivered in SHP, GeoPackage, DWG and GeoTIFF formats.
When you need it
- Paper maps in an archive need to be converted to digital form
- Old plans must be compared with a new survey
- Utility network schemes need to be brought into GIS
- A unified GIS database is being built for a municipality or company
- Historical changes to an area need to be analysed
What's included
- High-resolution scanning of maps and plans
- Georeferencing the raster
- Distortion correction
- Vectorising features by layer
- Attribute entry
- Topology and accuracy checks
- Optional field control measurements
How we work
- Receiving materials and agreeing the layer structure
- Scanning and georeferencing
- Vectorising and entering attributes
- Checking and corrections
- Data delivery
Deliverables
- Vector GIS layers (SHP, GeoPackage)
- CAD files (DWG)
- Georeferenced rasters (GeoTIFF)
- Attribute tables and explanatory note
