Tag Archives: WMS

MapCast is a live, on-demand connection to First Base Solutions' complete library of high-resolution orthophotography and elevation contours served directly into your CAD or GIS workstation. It’s a Web Mapping Service (WMS); a standard protocol used for serving georeferenced map images over the Internet. Once you connect MapCast into your WMS compliant software, the aerial imagery base layer will load into your mapping project in a similar way as data layers you store locally. Having an external data source available through a WMS like MapCast reduces internal network loads and the costs associated with data storage and management. It is an efficient and cost effective way for organizations to access large data sets, reduce network overhead, and avoid data purchase, management and update costs. First Base Solutions handles it for you.

Yup. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll learn!

MapCast Tutorial

If you want to quickly learn how to use a WMS (web mapping service) to stream aerial imagery and geographic data into your desktop GIS or CAD software, or just want to improve your skills and learn a few tricks of the trade, this video will get you up to speed quickly with real world examples.

In this this video you will learn how to Connect to MapCast, Display aerial imagery and elevation contours, Analyze your own mapping data in context, and Explore year over year changes in land use patterns. Follow the transcript here.

MapCast connects you to all of First Base Solutions’ high resolution aerial imagery, plus 1-m elevation contour lines. Layers are grouped by province, upper tier municipality, region and vintage. For each region and vintage, high, medium and low resolution layers are available, each resolution will only be active between preset scale ranges to ensure maximum display speed.

Proxy servers will affect how you connect to the service, consult your IT staff if working behind a proxy.

Our users have recommended this article.

Login to the MapCast dashboard: http://fbswms.firstbasesolutions.com/index.php From this website, you can access your unique URL for connecting to the MapCast orthophoto library, monitor usage, generate reports, add users and access help documents.

The WMS supports requests for the following coordinate reference systems:

EPSG Code Description
EPSG:2018 NAD27(76) / MTM zone 9
EPSG:2019 NAD27(76) / MTM zone 10
EPSG:2020 NAD27(76) / MTM zone 11
EPSG:2021 NAD27(76) / MTM zone 12
EPSG:26909 NAD83 / UTM zone 9N
EPSG:26910 NAD83 / UTM zone 10N
EPSG:26911 NAD83 / UTM zone 11N
EPSG:26912 NAD83 / UTM zone 12N
EPSG:26913 NAD83 / UTM zone 13N
EPSG:26917 NAD83 / UTM zone 17N
EPSG:26918 NAD83 / UTM zone 18N
EPSG:26919 NAD83 / UTM zone 19N
EPSG:26920 NAD83 / UTM zone 20N
EPSG:26921 NAD83 / UTM zone 21N
EPSG:26922 NAD83 / UTM zone 22N
EPSG:3161 NAD83 / Ontario MNR Lambert
EPSG:32189 NAD83 / MTM zone 9
EPSG:32190 NAD83 / MTM zone 10
EPSG:32191 NAD83 / MTM zone
EPSG:3775 NAD83 / Alberta 3TM ref merid 111 W
EPSG:3776 NAD83 / Alberta 3TM ref merid 114 W
EPSG:3777 NAD83 / Alberta 3TM ref merid 117 W
EPSG:3778 NAD83 / Alberta 3TM ref merid 120 W
EPSG:4326 WGS 84 Geographic
EPSG:900913 World Mercator

Yes, all data transferred through the MapCast WMS subscription is tracked the same way.  However, the size of the file will vary depending on the data contained, so in general, the contours would contain less data (colours) than an orthophoto image and therefore use less bandwidth.

There are several options:

1. Turn off the MapCast layer off when panning and zooming.
2. Turn the MapCast layer off when zoomed out to smaller scales beyond 1:10,000.
3. In CAD, choose the resample raster option to crop the imagery to your view so excess imagery will not draw when you zoom out.
4. In ArcMAP, choose the cache option to avoid reloading the image when turning the MapCast layer off and on.
5. Make sure that only the relevant imagery set for the study area is active and turn all others off.
6. Select “jpeg” for the image format to reduce the size of the image requested.
7. Decrease the size of the image being requested by making your application window smaller.
8. Wait for the MapCast layer to draw completely before requesting a new image.

Maximum printing sizes vary depending on the dpi of the print. A 300dpi print has a maximum size of 6.8 inches, a 200dpi print has a maximum size of 10.2 inches and a 150dpi print has a maximum size of 13.6 inches. The image layers in MapCast are not editable for end users to manipulate, but your local display can be usually adjusted for brightness and contrast. Consult your specific software provider for instructions on how to do this.

Users on MapCast with WMS compliant software can request an image that will match the screen resolution or scale of the software’s window. The request is sent through the Internet to the FBS servers where the image is generated and then returned to the user to be displayed in the software’s window. This action will count as one image, each time the user refreshes, pans or zooms in or out on the software’s window, an image will be generated and counted against the bandwidth monthly limit. The maximum image size returned by the service is 2048 x 2048 pixels.

Yes. First Base Solutions can acquire new photo as a custom request. First Base Solutions is also a licensed reseller of DigitalGlobe satellite imagery. Satellite imagery is an ideal option for remote or inaccessible areas, and offers excellent value for large coverage areas with a moderate reduction in image resolution compared to imagery captured by aircraft. Contact us for a quote.

Yes! FBS offers two subscription based options to explore our data libraries through either an internet browser VuMAP, or, using your own CAD or GIS software using MapCast.

Learn more

Yes! We also provide a service called Zoom2It which can be accessed through a real estate agent's GeoWarehouse account. Simply chose a property from the map or by the street address, and you can download a set of three aerial photos of the property at a property, neighbourhood, and community zoom level, with the Teranet property boundary overlaid. Agents may use these images for marketing the chosen property.

It's usually possible to produce a highly detailed custom elevation model using current orthophoto or satellite imagery, where this imagery exists. Contact us for a quote. We also have 1983 OBM (Ontario Base Mapping) for the entire province which has 5m interval contours in southern Ontario and 10m interval contours in northern Ontario.

Most downloadable data is priced based on 500m x 500m tiles. For most orthophoto, the cost is $70 per 500m tile, and $150 per 1km tile, with progressive discounts applied automatically for orders greater than 5 tiles. Vintage imagery may be priced lower in certain areas. Contours are $60 per tile. DEM are $60 per tile in Golden Horseshoe and $30 per tile for the Simcoe-Kawartha dataset.
LiDAR costs $100 per tile.

Teranet parcels are $77 per tile at a flat rate, regardless of the number of parcels contained in the 500m square area. Property mapping can also be purchased as a custom order at $13 per parcel plus labour, with progressive discounts for orders over 10 parcels.

For Ontario Base Mapping, each map sheet is priced based on file format. View-only PDF or print copies are $15. Georeferenced raster copies (GeoTiff format) are $30. GIS and CAD formats are $100 per map sheet.

For Floodplain mapping, PDF maps are $30, CAD formats are $125 each.

Subscription based services such as VuMAP are priced based on the number of users, starting $1500 per year. MapCast subscriptions are priced based on bandwidth, starting at $500 per year for 500MB of bandwidth per month.

We are always open to providing custom services and solutions. Contact us directly to request a quote.

"Raster" refers to data made of pixels, like our orthophoto. Common raster file types you'll find on our website include JPG, MrSID, GeoTIFF and ECW. "Vector" refers to data made of points, lines, polygons, and often includes text elements as well. Common vector file types you'll find on our website include SHP, DWG, and DGN. Learn More

It depends on the map and it's source. A full explanation can be found here.

Yes. First Base Solutions, hosts, distributes, and resells spatial data from qualified sources through MapCast, VuMAP, and MapWarehouse. Contact us about forming a reseller relationship at partnership@firstbasesolutions.com.

Yes, you can. There are a few ways to do this. You can use the Google Earth application, or Google Maps in a web browser. In either case, the first step is to log in to the MapCast dashboard.

For Google Earth
1. Choose the 'KML Files' tab.
2. Click on the name of the region you'd like to view.
3. Google Earth will launch with your selected region listed under 'Temporary Places'.
Watch an example

For Google Maps
1. Go to Help page and choose the 'Code Samples' tab.
2. Copy and paste the Google Maps API code into a text editor and save it as an HTML file.
3. Open the file with an internet browser.
Watch an example

Year by year breakdowns of historical image collection areas, resolutions of processed imagery, and the latest releases can be found here.

Please review the troubleshooting checklist here.

Yes. Orthophoto is produced by manipulating aerial photo to correct for movement of the aircraft and variations in the camera angle. Orthophoto has a top-down perspective and uniform scale, just like a map. Aerial photos are the original, unprocessed images. While they appear to be taken from an overhead viewing angle, they will inherently contain small distortions and can not be used as a map to accurately measure distance and direction like the orthophoto can.

Resolution in cm refers to the area on the ground covered by each pixel in the image. In an image with 15 cm resolution, for example, each pixel covers a patch of ground 15cm x 15cm in size. Objects on the ground which are smaller than that size will not be clearly visible in the image. In general, the smaller the resolution size, the more detail can be seen in the image.

It depends on the photo resolution. Whatever the stated photo resolution in cm, positional accuracy is double that value. A 15 cm photo, for example, has positional horizontal accuracy of +/- 30 cm. This means that for any point on the photo, the true location of that point on the ground will be within 30 cm of where it is located in the photo.

Read More

The first letters tell the data type, "orth" for orthophoto, "line" for a digital elevation model, "contour" for contour lines. The next 2 numbers are the UTM zone, usually 16, 17, or 18, for Ontario. The next 4 numbers are the easting value of the bottom left corner of the file, the next 5 numbers are the northing value for the bottom left corner of the tile. The next 4 digits are the year the data was captured. The last letters are the data owner, "fbs" for first base solutions, "tera" for teranet. For example, if the file name is orth171234567892012fbs.jpg. This is an orthophoto, taken by First Base Solutions in 2012. The UTM zone is 17, the X-value is 123400 and the Y-value is 5678900 for the lower left corner of the tile.
Learn More

ArcExplorer is a free viewing platform with limited capabilities compared to the licensed versions of Arc software. Auxillary files containing coordinate system information (*.sdw for MrSID files) can not be read by ArcExplorer. Extent and coordinate system information must be embedded in the main file directly; this is normally achieved via ArcCatalog.

Yes! FBS offers two subscription based options to explore our data libraries through either an internet browser VuMAP, or, using your own CAD or GIS software using MapCast.

Learn more

MapWarehouse has digital photo dating back to 2000. Older photo taken on film can be sourced on a case by case basis by contacting our customer service.

No problem. Choose the photos you'd like to purchase, then contact our customer service and request the photos be mosaicked. Our staff can combine the tiles into a single large image while still maintaining the geographical referencing, provided the tiles you've chosen have the same photo resolution and file format. A fee for custom labour will apply for this service.

As long as you have an internet connection, you can use our VuMAP service to view the orthophoto and other data in context. Other options include having the tiles mosaicked into a single file, or, having a custom large format print produced. Contact customer service to request a quote.

No. The topographic displacement where you might see the side of a tall building in the photo may seem deceiving, but orthophoto by definition have been rectified to remove perspective. Without two camera angles, stereo viewing won't work. The original uncorrected imagery can be retrieved upon request. Since each original photo has sufficient overlap with neighbouring images, stereoscopic viewing can be possible using two adjacent photos taken from our aircraft a few seconds apart.

Yes, however, the photo tiles are made up of several photos stitched together. To locate the date and time for a tile, it is necessary to look up the flight plan to find the original photo most closely centered on the particular tile. The flight data is not available through the MapWarehouse website, but our customer service staff would be happy to look up the information for you.

All FBS orthophoto is cloud-free, snow-free, and leaf-free to ensure ground features are visible. Early Spring photos are sometimes taken prior to March 20, which is technically still Winter.

FBS can produce large format custom printing of our digital data products. These printed maps typically include a large map portion with orthophoto, road labels and property lines, and a title block containing the title, scale, scale bar, north arrow, photo details, data source details and disclaimers, print date, our logo, and can include other data or labels you provide. We'll provide a sample soft proof for you to review and make changes. Pricing is dependent on a combination of labour, print size, map content, number of copies and whether the print will be on photo paper or mounted on a board, and, depending on your specifications, if it can be printed in-house or must be sent out to a specialty printing company. For a custom quote, please contact customer service and provide details of the geographical coverage, print size, and type of features you'd like to see on your map.

Yes. First Base Solutions can acquire new photo as a custom request. First Base Solutions is also a licensed reseller of DigitalGlobe and GeoEye satellite imagery. Satellite imagery is an ideal option for remote or inaccessible areas, and offers excellent value for large coverage areas with a moderate reduction in image resolution compared to imagery captured by aircraft. Contact us for a quote.

Compare options

Each sensor vehicle is different. In general, the level of detail seen in the image and geolocational accuracy will be better for orthophoto flown from aircraft. Satellite imagery is superior in that new imagery can be collected and delivered on much shorter notice anywhere in the world, and includes more spectral bands outside the visible range.

Compare imagery products

Most downloadable data is priced based on 500m x 500m tiles. For most orthophoto, the cost is $70 per 500m tile, and $150 per 1km tile, with progressive discounts applied automatically for orders greater than 5 tiles. Vintage imagery may be priced lower in certain areas. Contours are $60 per tile. DEM are $60 per tile in Golden Horseshoe and $30 per tile for the Simcoe-Kawartha dataset.
LiDAR costs $100 per tile.

Teranet parcels are $77 per tile at a flat rate, regardless of the number of parcels contained in the 500m square area. Property mapping can also be purchased as a custom order at $13 per parcel plus labour, with progressive discounts for orders over 10 parcels.

For Ontario Base Mapping, each map sheet is priced based on file format. View-only PDF or print copies are $15. Georeferenced raster copies (GeoTiff format) are $30. GIS and CAD formats are $100 per map sheet.

For Floodplain mapping, PDF maps are $30, CAD formats are $125 each.

Subscription based services such as VuMAP are priced based on the number of users, starting $1500 per year. MapCast subscriptions are priced based on bandwidth, starting at $500 per year for 500MB of bandwidth per month.

We are always open to providing custom services and solutions. Contact us directly to request a quote.

Yes! Several sample files are available in different formats on FBS University Please let us know if there's something more you'd like to see available.

"Raster" refers to data made of pixels, like our orthophoto. Common raster file types you'll find on our website include JPG, MrSID, GeoTIFF and ECW. "Vector" refers to data made of points, lines, polygons, and often includes text elements as well. Common vector file types you'll find on our website include SHP, DWG, and DGN. Learn More

Data is in UTM NAD83(original) in most cases, Zone 17N unless otherwise specified. While converting datum and projection settings for vector files is a simple task for most users, the same operation with raster data like orthophoto may require a higher level of expertise. Conversion to other datums such as MTM NAD27 Zone 10, which is typical for City of Toronto data, is a service FBS can provide. A fee for custom labour would apply. Contact us for a quote.

For FBS's own products such as orthophoto and elevation models, we may be able to provide such a discount. Call us to discuss what you're planning to do. Partner data such as Teranet parcel fabric is subject to the existing licensing agreements. FBS does not have discretion to re-price our partners' data.

From the coverage map, click the magnifying glass beside the name of any data set and the extent of the coverage will be highlighted in pink on the map.

It depends on the map and it's source. A full explanation can be found here.

Yes. From the item selection list in MapWarehouse, click the info icon beside any item to see it's metadata and a thumbnail of the actual image you'll receive. The Google base map is just to help you locate your area of interest.

Here's how.

We update large portions of our aerial imagery every year to keep up with demand for new data, especially in suburban areas where land development is taking place. In the built environment, the imagery will be different every single year, so it's worth the effort to fly the same areas over and over.

The same is true for many types of "cultural" features such property line boundaries. Not every parcel changes every year, but within our large database covering all of Ontario, enough parcels change to need scheduled updates to maintain the relevance of the information a few times a year.

Not so, however, with other types of mapping. One of our most popular data products is elevation mapping which was produced in 2002. Since our DEM and contour mapping is looking at bare earth topography, and the lay of the land doesn't generally change, there's no reason to update the data based solely on its age.

There are a few exceptions. Activities that change the landscape such as mining, dam building, and urban expansion would require an updated map if those activities took place at your area of interest since the DEM was produced in 2002.

Year by year breakdowns of historical image collection areas, resolutions of processed imagery, and the latest releases can be found here.

If you're having trouble with the sample request form, you can also access a selection of data here:

Orthophoto

• SID
  • 6 cm
  • 10 cm
  • 15 cm
  • 20 cm
  • 30 cm
• JPG
  • 6 cm
  • 10 cm
  • 15 cm
  • 20 cm
  • 30 cm

Parcel

• MapWarehouse Tile
• Custom Order

Elevation

• DEM
• Contours
• LiDAR

Flood Lines

• DWG
• DGN
• PDF

Ontario Base Mapping

• Southern Ontario
• Northern Ontario

Oak Ridges Moraine Groundwater

• All Core Models

The DEM capture was produced from 2002 orthophoto at 1:10,000. It includes elevations on a 40m grid spacing together with break lines along all visible terrain impacting features (road edges, drainage, etc.) The DEM is a representation of a topographical surface, specifically a regular grid of spot heights and break lines (noticeable changes in slope). The file is available in UTM NAD83 in DWG format. The DEM does not contain contours, but they can be generated from the DEM.

The contour file is a separate product that is derived from the DEM. The contour interval is 1m.

If you have the software to generate contours from the DEM, then all you would require is the DEM and produce the contours yourself. The contours became available for those users who do not have this software ability.

Here are tutorials that demonstrate the general process, although a some steps such as creating the break lines have already been done by First Base Solutions.
Youtube: Civil 3D Surface Creation
Youtube: Terrain Model from Survey Points

The contours provided in tiles by FBS on MapWarehouse are in 1m intervals. In any area where high resolution orthophoto is available, it is usually possible to produce a more detailed elevation model. Contact us for a quote.

In the 2002 Golden Horseshoe data set, the horizontal and vertical accuracy is +/- 40 cm, and +/- 80 cm for the 2002 Simcoe-Kawartha data set. This means that the difference between the true elevation on the ground compared to what's shown in the digital file can be as great as 40 cm or 80 cm. The most accurate areas will be those with excellent ground visibility in the source orthophoto which the elevation model was derived from. Areas with dense forest, especially coniferous forest where the ground is obscured, tend to have the lowest accuracy.

Only elevation information is included, either as DEM or contour, depending on the file you've chosen. The road edges frequently appear as break lines in the DEM, giving the appearance of unlabeled roads. There are a few options to give context to to the surrounding area. You can take advantage of the georeferencing inherent in the elevation data file and use it with your own spatial data you've collected for your project as a background layer. If you don't have your own data, the tile grid for elevation data coverage is the same as for orthophoto and Teranet parcel coverage. Users often purchase a few files of different data types for the same grid cell. The user can then use the orthophoto as a background layer and add elevation data on top, both files having identical geographical coverage. In this way, users can select data a la carte and pay for only the layers and coverage needed.

Some tiles have 1000m vertical shift applied, to work with a different global origin. For example, a value of -800m should be considered +200m.

Yes! We have OBM (Ontario Base Mapping) available in a variety of vector formats such as SHP and DWG. These maps were produced in 1983 by Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources at 1:10,000 (5km x 5km sheets)and 1:20,000 (10km x 10km sheets) for southern and northern areas respectively. These maps show, among other features, contours at 5m intervals in the south and 10m intervals in the north. We can also source worldwide coverage of elevation models through our partnership with DigitalGlobe. Contact us for quote.

It's usually possible to produce a highly detailed custom elevation model using current orthophoto or satellite imagery, where this imagery exists. Contact us for a quote. We also have 1983 OBM (Ontario Base Mapping) for the entire province which has 5m interval contours in southern Ontario and 10m interval contours in northern Ontario.

Copy the line work from one file, open the file for the adjacent tile and use the command "paste to original coordinates" to have them together in one DWG. Use the command PEDIT (polyline edit). Select M (multiple), and choose all the linework from both tiles and hit enter. You will be prompted with, "Convert Lines and Arcs to polylines?" choose Y (yes), then enter the option J (join), the join type is "extend". Enter a small fuzz distance 5 (mm). The line work from adjacent tiles with identical elevation values will be joined into single line features.

Most downloadable data is priced based on 500m x 500m tiles. For most orthophoto, the cost is $70 per 500m tile, and $150 per 1km tile, with progressive discounts applied automatically for orders greater than 5 tiles. Vintage imagery may be priced lower in certain areas. Contours are $60 per tile. DEM are $60 per tile in Golden Horseshoe and $30 per tile for the Simcoe-Kawartha dataset.
LiDAR costs $100 per tile.

Teranet parcels are $77 per tile at a flat rate, regardless of the number of parcels contained in the 500m square area. Property mapping can also be purchased as a custom order at $13 per parcel plus labour, with progressive discounts for orders over 10 parcels.

For Ontario Base Mapping, each map sheet is priced based on file format. View-only PDF or print copies are $15. Georeferenced raster copies (GeoTiff format) are $30. GIS and CAD formats are $100 per map sheet.

For Floodplain mapping, PDF maps are $30, CAD formats are $125 each.

Subscription based services such as VuMAP are priced based on the number of users, starting $1500 per year. MapCast subscriptions are priced based on bandwidth, starting at $500 per year for 500MB of bandwidth per month.

We are always open to providing custom services and solutions. Contact us directly to request a quote.

Yes! Several sample files are available in different formats on FBS University Please let us know if there's something more you'd like to see available.

"Raster" refers to data made of pixels, like our orthophoto. Common raster file types you'll find on our website include JPG, MrSID, GeoTIFF and ECW. "Vector" refers to data made of points, lines, polygons, and often includes text elements as well. Common vector file types you'll find on our website include SHP, DWG, and DGN. Learn More

For FBS's own products such as orthophoto and elevation models, we may be able to provide such a discount. Call us to discuss what you're planning to do. Partner data such as Teranet parcel fabric is subject to the existing licensing agreements. FBS does not have discretion to re-price our partners' data.

From the coverage map, click the magnifying glass beside the name of any data set and the extent of the coverage will be highlighted in pink on the map.

It depends on the map and it's source. A full explanation can be found here.

You will need to create an attribute definition. Here are a few articles that describe the process:

How to: Label Coordinate in AutoCAD
Tutorial: Create attributes

We update large portions of our aerial imagery every year to keep up with demand for new data, especially in suburban areas where land development is taking place. In the built environment, the imagery will be different every single year, so it's worth the effort to fly the same areas over and over.

The same is true for many types of "cultural" features such property line boundaries. Not every parcel changes every year, but within our large database covering all of Ontario, enough parcels change to need scheduled updates to maintain the relevance of the information a few times a year.

Not so, however, with other types of mapping. One of our most popular data products is elevation mapping which was produced in 2002. Since our DEM and contour mapping is looking at bare earth topography, and the lay of the land doesn't generally change, there's no reason to update the data based solely on its age.

There are a few exceptions. Activities that change the landscape such as mining, dam building, and urban expansion would require an updated map if those activities took place at your area of interest since the DEM was produced in 2002.

If you're having trouble with the sample request form, you can also access a selection of data here:

Orthophoto

• SID
  • 6 cm
  • 10 cm
  • 15 cm
  • 20 cm
  • 30 cm
• JPG
  • 6 cm
  • 10 cm
  • 15 cm
  • 20 cm
  • 30 cm

Parcel

• MapWarehouse Tile
• Custom Order

Elevation

• DEM
• Contours
• LiDAR

Flood Lines

• DWG
• DGN
• PDF

Ontario Base Mapping

• Southern Ontario
• Northern Ontario

Oak Ridges Moraine Groundwater

• All Core Models