create vector maps/images, import from scanner

hello:)
are there any graphic tools to develop vector maps/images with gps
coordinates? Or maybe tools that can import scanned images of simple
maps and convert them into vector images??

any help is more than welcome

best regards
Simon:)

Hello Simon,

saerch the internet for raster to vector conversion. One of the tools is
r2v at http://www.ablesw.com/r2v/

Hope this is what you are looking for

Willem

obelix@zeus.polsl.gliwice.pl wrote:


--
Willem van Deursen, The Netherlands
wvandeursen_nospam@nospam_carthago.nl
replace _nospam@nospam_ for @ to get a valid email address
www.carthago.nl

obelix@zeus.polsl.gliwice.pl wrote in


You're already been pointed to "raster to vector conversion
tools", but I'd suggest being specific about what you are
trying to achieve, and why you want to start with scanned
images, because there may be a better approach. Also,
make sure to specify the geographic area you are
interested in.

--
Dave Patton
Canadian Coordinator, Degree Confluence Project
http://www.confluence.org/
My website: http://members.shaw.ca/davepatton/

So dave, thanks for an answer. What I am trying to achieve is: as a
pocket pc developer i would like to write an GPS application which:
1) reads the GPS coordinates and displays the position on the map. Very
simmple app.
That is why i need to know first how vector maps are designed, can
images be converted, how the data is stored in files and what file
formats are used and what file formats can be displayed using the api
from microsoft(which vector images, maybe none).

best regards
Simon:)


Dave Patton schrieb:

I am not totally convinced that it is feasible to automate the process of
turning a bitmap image into a usable vector map. I have enough difficulty
interpreting some map image areas by eye - particularly where road junctions
and annotations end up in the same place. Getting a set of vectors to
define the shapes in the image is only half the battle anyway. You then
have to work which lines are roads, which are paths, streams, boundaries
etc. Finally you need to figure out the names for the significant ones.
Even assuming your software has character recognition routines, it often
needs human intelligence to figure out which features the annotations apply
to.

So if you are asking for a piece of software which can process a picture of
a map and automagically convert it into something you can upload to your GPS
without human intervention then I'm afraid it doesn't exist and I doubt that
it will for a very long time.

What _does_ exist are many software packages which allow you to use a map
image as a guide and trace over it with your mouse, to define the features
you want in your vector map. One of the reasons I know this is that I wrote
one such application. It's called MapMan and you can download it free of
charge from http://homepages.tesco.net/~Keith.Sheppard/MapMan.htm .

Constructing vector maps this way is laborious and time consuming, but
interesting in its own way and certainly rewarding. A big advantage of home
made maps is that you can put in exactly the level of detail you want. For
example, I have several maps which only include the basic road network in
some areas but every last rock or building along the route of a walk I
intend to take.

Regards
Keith