Frequently Asked Questions:

  • MapWarehouse
  • MapCast
  • VuMAP
  • Orthophoto
  • Elevation
  • Parcels
  • Floodplain
  • Moraine Groundwater
  • Satellite
  • Ontario Base Map
  • LiDAR
Expand All
  • 1. What's the difference between JPG and MrSid? What file format is best for my project?
     
  • 2. How do I place my orthophoto in CAD software to align with other data tiles I bought?
     
  • 3. What do the numbers in the file name mean?
     
  • 4. I need to do basic research with the orthophoto over a huge area which is going to run over budget and use my whole hard drive. Is there a way to just view the data without downloading it?
     
  • 5. I need photos covering more than one tile, but I don't have software that can handle georeferenced data.
     
  • 6. My area of interest has expanded and I need a few more tiles of photo. Can I add to an existing order and continue the bulk rate discount?
     
  • 7. Is it possible to get the date and time when the photo I just purchased was taken?
     
  • 8. Why are some orthophoto data sets labeled as "Winter", do they have snow cover?
     
  • 9. I have a friend in real estate who would find this really useful. Is there a more basic version of the imagery available?
     
  • 10. I thought I was getting a complete map but this file is just a bunch of lines. Where are the road labels and other features?
     
  • 11. I can't find the elevation data for my area in MapWarehouse. How can I get this information?
     
  • 12. I looked for PINs on MapWarehouse and there was no data for my area. Does this mean I can't get the data I need?
     
  • 13. Why doesn't the property boundary line up perfectly with the orthophoto?
     
  • 14. The parcel tile I downloaded doesn't have the property I was expecting, just a couple of lines.
     
  • 15. I need to do basic research with the parcels over a huge area which is going to run over budget. Is there a way to just view the data without downloading it?
     
  • 16. How does the quality of satellite imagery compare with orthophoto?
     
  • 17. How much does it cost?
     
  • 18. Can I get a sample file to try in my own software?
     
  • 19. What's the difference between raster and vector?
     
  • 20. Can I get data in other formats than the options I see online?
     
  • 21. How often is data updated in MapWarehouse?
     
  • 22. I got spatial data from the City of Toronto, but FBS's data doesn't line up, it's shifted east by 300,000km. How do I fix this?
     
  • 23. How is the data projected? Can I change the projection to suit my project?
     
  • 24. I'm using the data for academic, research, or non-commercial purposes. Do you offer educational-use licensing or discounts?
     
  • 25. How do I choose more than 200 tiles?
     
  • 26. What can I do with the downloadable tile indexes?
     
  • 27. How do I reference maps from FBS as cited works?
     
  • 28. Compare Data Delivery Services
     
  • 29. Compare Downloadable Imagery Sources
     
  • 30. What's The Difference Between MapWarehouse's Orthophoto and Tiled Satellite Imagery?
     
  • 31. Can I preview the exact image I'll receive before buying it?
     
  • 32. Is there anything newer?
     
  • 33. I purchased flood plain mapping and the file I received was 0 kb.
     
  • 34. How do I remove unwanted selections from the shopping cart?
     
  • 35. Which regions were flown this year?
     
  • 36. The sample download doesn't work
     
  • 1. What’s MapCast?
     
  • 2. Is there a tutorial to see MapCast in action?
     
  • 3. What kind of data layers are available and how are they organized?
     
  • 4. Can I connect to MapCast through a proxy?
     
  • 5. I'm having trouble connecting to MapCast
     
  • 6. How do I check my bandwidth usage on MapCast?
     
  • 7. What coordinate reference systems does MapCast support?
     
  • 8. Is bandwidth usage for contours the same as for imagery?
     
  • 9. How can I make the most of my bandwidth?
     
  • 10. Can I print or manipulate the image layer in MapCast?
     
  • 11. How is bandwidth measured?
     
  • 12. There's no imagery on MapCast for my area, is there anything else available?
     
  • 13. I need to do basic research with the orthophoto over a huge area which is going to run over budget and use my whole hard drive. Is there a way to just view the data without downloading it?
     
  • 14. I have a friend in real estate who would find this really useful. Is there a more basic version of the imagery available?
     
  • 15. I can't find the elevation data for my area in MapWarehouse. How can I get this information?
     
  • 16. Why doesn't the property boundary line up perfectly with the orthophoto?
     
  • 17. How much does it cost?
     
  • 18. What's the difference between raster and vector?
     
  • 19. How do I reference maps from FBS as cited works?
     
  • 20. Compare Data Delivery Services
     
  • 21. Can I piggyback on MapCast to sell and distribute my own high quality geo data collection?
     
  • 22. Can I use MapCast without CAD or GIS software?
     
  • 23. Which regions were flown this year?
     
  • 24. Troubleshooting
     
  • 1. How can I use the imagery offline?
     
  • 2. Can I see an overview of the area each dataset covers?
     
  • 3. I need to do basic research with the orthophoto over a huge area which is going to run over budget and use my whole hard drive. Is there a way to just view the data without downloading it?
     
  • 4. I need photos covering more than one tile, but I don't have software that can handle georeferenced data.
     
  • 5. I have a friend in real estate who would find this really useful. Is there a more basic version of the imagery available?
     
  • 6. I can't find the elevation data for my area in MapWarehouse. How can I get this information?
     
  • 7. Why doesn't the property boundary line up perfectly with the orthophoto?
     
  • 8. I need to do basic research with the parcels over a huge area which is going to run over budget. Is there a way to just view the data without downloading it?
     
  • 9. How much does it cost?
     
  • 10. What's the difference between raster and vector?
     
  • 11. How do I reference maps from FBS as cited works?
     
  • 12. Compare Data Delivery Services
     
  • 13. Compare Online Imagery Viewers
     
  • 14. Why Can't I Log In?
     
  • 15. How much does VuMAP cost?
     
  • 16. What tools are available in VuMAP?
     
  • 17. What data is available in VuMAP?
     
  • 18. Who is VuMAP recommended for?
     
  • 19. Is there a free trial?
     
  • 20. There are so many imagery layers! How can I tell which one I'm seeing?
     
  • 21. I've turned on some layers but nothing is drawing. Why?
     
  • 22. Which regions were flown this year?
     
  • 1. Compare Data Products
     
  • 2. Is orthophoto different from aerial photo?
     
  • 3. What does the photo resolution in cm mean?
     
  • 4. What's the positional accuracy of the orthophoto?
     
  • 5. What's the difference between JPG and MrSid? What file format is best for my project?
     
  • 6. How do I place my orthophoto in CAD software to align with other data tiles I bought?
     
  • 7. What do the numbers in the file name mean?
     
  • 8. I'm using ArcExplorer, why doesn't my imagery georeference properly?
     
  • 9. I need to do basic research with the orthophoto over a huge area which is going to run over budget and use my whole hard drive. Is there a way to just view the data without downloading it?
     
  • 10. I'm looking for historical aerial photo. Can I get this through MapWarehouse?
     
  • 11. Can I have several tiles merged into a single file?
     
  • 12. I need photos covering more than one tile, but I don't have software that can handle georeferenced data.
     
  • 13. Can I print orthophoto and use them with a stereoscope?
     
  • 14. Is it possible to get the date and time when the photo I just purchased was taken?
     
  • 15. Why are some orthophoto data sets labeled as "Winter", do they have snow cover?
     
  • 16. How do I order hard copy prints of custom photo maps?
     
  • 17. There's no orthophoto for my area, is there anything else available?
     
  • 18. Why doesn't the property boundary line up perfectly with the orthophoto?
     
  • 19. How does the quality of satellite imagery compare with orthophoto?
     
  • 20. How much does it cost?
     
  • 21. Can I get a sample file to try in my own software?
     
  • 22. What's the difference between raster and vector?
     
  • 23. How is the data projected? Can I change the projection to suit my project?
     
  • 24. I'm using the data for academic, research, or non-commercial purposes. Do you offer educational-use licensing or discounts?
     
  • 25. Can I see an overview of the the area each dataset covers?
     
  • 26. How do I reference maps from FBS as cited works?
     
  • 27. Compare Downloadable Imagery Sources
     
  • 28. What's The Difference Between MapWarehouse's Orthophoto and Tiled Satellite Imagery?
     
  • 29. Can I preview the exact image I'll receive before buying it?
     
  • 30. Is there anything newer?
     
  • 31. Which regions were flown this year?
     
  • 32. The sample download doesn't work
     
  • 1. Compare Data Products
     
  • 2. What's the difference between contours and DEM?
     
  • 3. How can I generate a contour file or tin surface from the survey points and break lines in a DEM?
     
  • 4. What are the intervals of the contours? Can I get sub-metre intervals?
     
  • 5. What's the positional accuracy of the elevation data?
     
  • 6. I thought I was getting a complete map but this file is just a bunch of lines. Where are the road labels and other features?
     
  • 7. Why are there sometimes negative values for elevation in the DEM?
     
  • 8. I'm looking for contour for a large area and I don't really need the level of detail that comes with FBS 1m contours. Is there a more economical option suitable to my project?
     
  • 9. I can't find the elevation data for my area in MapWarehouse. How can I get this information?
     
  • 10. I've purchased adjacent tiles of contour lines. How can I connect all the lines end to end at the tile boundaries?
     
  • 11. How much does it cost?
     
  • 12. Can I get a sample file to try in my own software?
     
  • 13. What's the difference between raster and vector?
     
  • 14. I'm using the data for academic, research, or non-commercial purposes. Do you offer educational-use licensing or discounts?
     
  • 15. Can I see an overview of the the area each dataset covers?
     
  • 16. How do I reference maps from FBS as cited works?
     
  • 17. Compare Elevation Products
     
  • 18. How can I use the elevation attributes to label my contour lines in CAD?
     
  • 19. Is there anything newer?
     
  • 20. The sample download doesn't work
     
  • 1. Compare Property Boundary Mapping
     
  • 2. Compare Data Products
     
  • 3. What's the difference between PIN and ARN? Why aren't the boundaries the same?
     
  • 4. I need to contact all the property owners around my AOI. Is this information included when I purchase Teranet parcel data?
     
  • 5. I looked for PINs on MapWarehouse and there was no data for my area. Does this mean I can't get the data I need?
     
  • 6. Why doesn't the property boundary line up perfectly with the orthophoto?
     
  • 7. I've purchased adjacent tiles of parcel and they're polylines clipped at the tile boundary, but I want full parcels as polygons. How can I connect line work from adjacent tiles together to complete the parcels which cross the tile boundary into single features and/or convert the geometry to polygons?
     
  • 8. The parcel tile I downloaded doesn't have the property I was expecting, just a couple of lines.
     
  • 9. I need to do basic research with the parcels over a huge area which is going to run over budget. Is there a way to just view the data without downloading it?
     
  • 10. How much does it cost?
     
  • 11. Can I get a sample file to try in my own software?
     
  • 12. What's the difference between raster and vector?
     
  • 13. I'm using the data for academic, research, or non-commercial purposes. Do you offer educational-use licensing or discounts?
     
  • 14. Can I see an overview of the the area each dataset covers?
     
  • 15. How do I reference maps from FBS as cited works?
     
  • 16. Is there anything newer?
     
  • 17. The sample download doesn't work
     
  • 1. Compare Data Products
     
  • 2. What's floodplain mapping?
     
  • 3. How accurate is it?
     
  • 4. How is it different from contour or topo mapping?
     
  • 5. How up to date is it?
     
  • 6. If my property is outside the regulatory flood line, does this mean I can develop the land as I wish?
     
  • 7. Where can I get more information about floodplain mapping?
     
  • 8. How much does it cost?
     
  • 9. Can I get a sample file to try in my own software?
     
  • 10. What's the difference between raster and vector?
     
  • 11. Can I see an overview of the the area each dataset covers?
     
  • 12. How do I reference maps from FBS as cited works?
     
  • 13. Compare Elevation Products
     
  • 14. I purchased flood plain mapping and the file I received was 0 kb.
     
  • 15. The sample download doesn't work
     
  • 1. Compare Data Products
     
  • 2. What is "Moraine Groundwater" and how do I use these files?
     
  • 3. I plan to drill a well on my property or have a groundwater related dispute, can I use these files to answer questions about groundwater on my land?
     
  • 4. What Series sets do you supply?
     
  • 5. What format is this data offered in?
     
  • 6. How much does it cost?
     
  • 7. Can I get a sample file to try in my own software?
     
  • 8. What's the difference between raster and vector?
     
  • 9. Can I see an overview of the the area each dataset covers?
     
  • 10. How do I reference maps from FBS as cited works?
     
  • 11. The sample download doesn't work
     
  • 1. Compare Data Products
     
  • 2. There's no orthophoto for my area, is there anything else available?
     
  • 3. How do I order custom satellite imagery from FBS?
     
  • 4. How up to date is the imagery?
     
  • 5. What spectral bands are available?
     
  • 6. Can I preview the imagery to ensure there is no snow or cloud cover?
     
  • 7. How does the quality of satellite imagery compare with orthophoto?
     
  • 8. How long does it take to receive my imagery?
     
  • 9. How much does it cost?
     
  • 10. Can I get a sample file to try in my own software?
     
  • 11. What's the difference between raster and vector?
     
  • 12. How do I reference maps from FBS as cited works?
     
  • 13. Compare Downloadable Imagery Sources
     
  • 14. Compare Satellite Sensors
     
  • 15. What's The Difference Between MapWarehouse's Orthophoto and Tiled Satellite Imagery?
     
  • 16. Is there anything newer?
     
  • 1. What types of features are shown on Ontario Base Maps?
     
  • 2. What is the map scale of OBM?
     
  • 3. How do I order hard copy prints of Ontario Base Mapping (topos)?
     
  • 4. What file formats are available?
     
  • 5. Is there anything more current than 1983?
     
  • 6. Where are the Ontario Base Maps for City of Toronto?
     
  • 7. Do you have the small scale topo sheets as well?
     
  • 8. I bought a DWG format of Ontario Base Map (OBM) and it's 30 separate files! Is there an easy way to load them into CAD all at once?
     
  • 9. Compare Data Products
     
  • 10. The DWG files of Ontario Base Map (OBM) does not show the labels for elevations etc. How can I use the properties of the individual polylines to produce annotation?
     
  • 11. How much does it cost?
     
  • 12. Can I get a sample file to try in my own software?
     
  • 13. What's the difference between raster and vector?
     
  • 14. Can I see an overview of the the area each dataset covers?
     
  • 15. How do I reference maps from FBS as cited works?
     
  • 16. Compare Elevation Products
     
  • 17. Is there anything newer?
     
  • 18. The sample download doesn't work
     
  • 1. Compare Data Products
     
  • 2. How much does it cost?
     
  • 3. Can I get a sample file to try in my own software?
     
  • 4. What's the difference between raster and vector?
     
  • 5. Can I see an overview of the the area each dataset covers?
     
  • 6. How do I reference maps from FBS as cited works?
     
  • 7. Compare Elevation Products
     
  • 8. What are the technical specifications of LiDAR?
     
  • 9. How do I use LiDAR?
     
  • 10. The sample download doesn't work
     

Blog: How To Interpret MapWarehouse File Names

Did you know the string of numbers actually means something useful? By interpreting the file names you can find: Tte data type (orthophoto, parcel, contours), the UTM coordinates of the file’s insertion point, the year the data was produced, the data provider (FBS, Teranet, TRCA)…


Cheat Sheets:

  • Cheat Sheet
Expand All
  • 1. Compare Property Boundary Mapping
     
  • 2. Compare Data Delivery Services
     
  • 3. Compare Online Imagery Viewers
     
  • 4. Compare Downloadable Imagery Sources
     
  • 5. Compare Satellite Sensors
     
  • 6. Compare Elevation Products
     

Blog: How To Remove An Item From Your MapWarehouse Shopping Cart

You need to review your shopping cart before heading to the checkout. The tools to do this are hiding in plain sight. Before placing that angry phone call, please watch this one minute video…


Glossary:

  • A-B-C
  • D-E-F
  • G-H-I
  • J-K-L
  • M-N-O
  • P-Q-R
  • S-T-U
  • V-W-X-Y-Z
Expand All
  • 1. AOI
     
  • 2. API
     
  • 3. ARN
     
  • 4. ASCII Grid
     
  • 5. Break Line
     
  • 6. BIM / Pre-BIM
     
  • 7. CAD
     
  • 8. Cadastre
     
  • 9. CAMC
     
  • 10. CAVIS
     
  • 11. CE90
     
  • 12. CIR
     
  • 13. Contour Mapping
     
  • 14. Coordinates System
     
  • 15. Crabbing
     
  • 1. Datum
     
  • 2. DEM
     
  • 3. DGN
     
  • 4. DigitalGlobe
     
  • 5. DN
     
  • 6. DSM
     
  • 7. DTM
     
  • 8. DWG
     
  • 9. ECW
     
  • 10. EMR
     
  • 11. ESRI
     
  • 12. False Colour
     
  • 13. FBS
     
  • 14. FBSWMS
     
  • 15. Floodline
     
  • 16. Floodplain
     
  • 1. GCP
     
  • 2. Geocoding
     
  • 3. GeoEye-1
     
  • 4. Georeferencing
     
  • 5. GeoWarehouse
     
  • 6. GIS
     
  • 7. Geotiff
     
  • 8. GPS
     
  • 9. GSD
     
  • 10. HEC-RAS
     
  • 11. IKONOS
     
  • 12. iLOOKABOUT
     
  • 13. IMU
     
  • 1. J.D. Barnes
     
  • 2. JPG
     
  • 3. KML / KMZ
     
  • 4. LBS
     
  • 1. MapWarehouse
     
  • 2. MapCast
     
  • 3. Metadata
     
  • 4. MNR
     
  • 5. MODIS
     
  • 6. Mosaic
     
  • 7. MPAC
     
  • 8. MrSID
     
  • 9. NAD83
     
  • 10. Nadir
     
  • 11. NDVI
     
  • 12. NIR
     
  • 13. NRVIS
     
  • 14. NTS
     
  • 15. Oblique
     
  • 16. OBM
     
  • 17. ORM
     
  • 18. Orthophoto
     
  • 1. Panchromatic
     
  • 2. Pansharpen
     
  • 3. Parcel Mapping
     
  • 4. Photogrammetry
     
  • 5. Pictometry
     
  • 6. PIN
     
  • 7. POI
     
  • 8. POLARIS
     
  • 9. Positional Accuracy
     
  • 10. Quaternary Stratigraphy
     
  • 11. QuickBird
     
  • 12. Radial Perspective
     
  • 13. Raster
     
  • 14. Rectification
     
  • 15. Registration
     
  • 16. Relief Displacement
     
  • 17. RF
     
  • 18. Remote Sensing
     
  • 19. Resolution
     
  • 20. RGB
     
  • 21. RMSE
     
  • 1. Scale
     
  • 2. Sensor Vehicle
     
  • 3. SHP
     
  • 4. Spectral Bands
     
  • 5. Spectral Signature
     
  • 6. Spot Height
     
  • 7. Stereo Pair
     
  • 8. SWIR
     
  • 9. Tasking
     
  • 10. Teranet
     
  • 11. TIN
     
  • 12. Topo
     
  • 13. Topographic Relief
     
  • 14. TRCA
     
  • 15. UTM
     
  • 1. Vector
     
  • 2. VuMAP
     
  • 3. Watershed
     
  • 4. WLD
     
  • 5. WMS
     
  • 6. WorldView-1
     
  • 7. WorldView-2
     
  • 8. WorldView-3
     
  • 9. Zenith
     
  • 10. Zoom2It
     

Blog: All About Custom Mapping & Terrain Models

Custom photogrammetric mapping is a specialized service offered by First Base Solutions where the ground features you’re most interested in can be delineated from aerial photos and delivered in your choice of GIS or CAD formats…


Discover More