Map-a-Planet: About MapMaker

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Introduction to MapMaker

MapMaker is software developed by the USGS Astrogeology Research Program that allows users to create customized digital image maps from image data collections in NASA PDS or USGS ISIS 2 Cube image formats.

Because of the large size of some of our global image data sets, the data sets are broken up into a series of tiles that make up the complete area of the planet represented. Often, areas of interest may cross image tile boundaries, making them difficult to view. MapMaker solves this problem by making tailored maps according to the user's specifications. A user gives MapMaker information about latitude and longitude limits, scale, projection, etc, and Map Maker creates the map out of the image data tiles, making a single, seamless image. To improve performance for low and medium resolution image products that may cross several tiles, subsampled data sets are created at multiple resolutions (often referred to as "pyramiding" the data). MapMaker chooses the optimal resolution source data set to use for creating the requested image product.

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MapMaker Features

• Nearest neighbor resampling
• Resolution (pixel Scale) given as degrees/pixel or kilometers/pixel so Map Maker can choose optimum tiles to use.
• Input formats supported:
  • PDS
  • ISIS 2 Cube
• Output formats supported:
  • JPEG
  • TIFF
  • GIF
  • Unlabeled RAW
  • PDS
• Output map projections supported:
  • Simple Cylindrical
  • Sinusoidal Equal-Area
  • Mercator
  • Equidistant Cylindrical
• Operating environments:
  • Linux
  • UNIX/Sun running under Solaris.

Map Maker is being used as the engine that drives the Map-A-Planet web site and Map-A-Planet Web Map Service. Those interested in obtaining a copy of the MapMaker software should contact Janet Barrett.