Geoserver SVG in TCPDF

We all know that vector pdf maps are best for print quality and file size, so when we were upgrading our map printing systems we wanted to ensure that we output all our maps as vector PDFs.

Geoserver is well able to output mapping as SVG, but we needed to incorporate that within a template that includes all the traditional map ‘furniture’ and text needed to make a complete map.

As always, keen to use an open-source solution we adopted TCPDF as the engine to create the final PDF but quickly encountered a few issues:

1. There seemed to be a size limit on the svg output made by geoserver.  This was fine for creating outputs for A4 size papers but caused geoserver to crash when working with sizes up to A0.
2. For this project we were specifically using ordnance survey mastermap data and the geoserver style sheets that have been kindly produced and provided by the Ordnance Survey.  On review of the final pdf we noticed issues with the styling i.e. building outlines being dashed instead of solid, the image output from directly from geoserver was however fine.  This caused some serious head scratching…

Fortunately the open nature of TCPDF and Geoserver allowed us to dig under the hood and identify the size limit issue being limited to the xml parse on the latest build of the Linux operating system.  We were therefore able to code around this issue.  The styling issue was slightly more complex as there was a number of bugs and compatibility issues between the styling available within Geoserver and TCPDF.  The most fundamental of which was to ensure that TCPDF utilised the default style from the base element and the value was changed if a new style was available.   

We made the changes to Geoserver and submitted back to the developers for consideration.  You can check out our changes here:

https://github.com/tecnickcom/TCPDF/pull/42

We would be interested to hear if others have had similar issues and if our fix is useful to the wider mapping community.

 

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sketchmap gets OpenStreetMap, OS maps and greenbelt layer

As of now can view two new map layers - OpenStreetMap and OS Maps - on sketchmap.co.uk, as well as greenbelt land for the whole of England.

OpenStreetMap
We have added OpenStreetMap (OSM) with MapBox customisation to give the map a clean and attractive look. OSM was inspired by the success of wikipedia and contains crowdsourced contributions from thousands of users around the world.

OpenStreetMap on sketchmap

To view OSM on sketchmap go to the top-left of the map screen and select ‘Mapbox/OSM’ from the dropdown.

>View OSM on sketchmap

OS Maps - Explorer and Landranger 
Two classic |OS maps, Explorer and Landranger, can now be viewed for free on sketchmap.

OS Explorer on sketchmap

To view the OS Maps on sketchmap go to the top left of the map screen and select ‘OS Maps’ from the dropdown. You will need to be zoomed into the map at least half way to view these maps, as they do not display at higher scales. The OS Map will automatically switch to the more detailed 'Explorer' map at lower map scales.

>View OS maps on sketchmap

Greenbelt map
We have added a boundary layer of all official greenbelt land for the whole of England to the ‘scenic interest’ map layer section on sketchmap.

Greenbelt land on sketchmap

To view greenbelt land just expand the scenic interest layers and tick the box next to ‘greenbelt land’.

>View greenbelt land on sketchmap

UXO legacy still causing problems for UK construction industry

Last week, a massive 1000lb bomb was detonated by the Army after construction workers discovered it on a site near Tower Bridge. This discovery underlines the importance of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) assessment during building development.

Before the bomb was removed by the Royal Logistics Corps it had caused massive disruption to the area. Both police and fire brigades attended the scene to evacuate hundreds of local residents, including two schools and a number of businesses.

Soldiers of 11 EOD Regiment RLC destroyed the WW2 Bermondsey #bomb at 7.30am today at a site in Kent pic.twitter.com/eYJHTkiBFB
— British Army (@BritishArmy) March 25, 2015

WW2 UXO site contamination clearly remains a problem for many construction and development projects in the UK. By the end of the war London had become the most heavily bombed city in Britain. Between 1940 and 1945 there were a total of 71 ‘major’ air raids on the city, resulting in an estimated 190,000 bombs dropped. Much of this did not explode and remains hidden underground. Encountering UXO on a project not only exposes personnel to risk, it also results in delays and increase costs.

According to the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA), between 2006 and 2008 15,000 pieces of ordnance were found on UK construction sites, of which 5% was still fully functioning. CIRIA has developed a set of guidelines (CIRCA C681) on dealing with UXO risk. These recommend an initial review of potential sources of UXO. In partnership with BACTEC, FIND offers a specially tailored instant online report - BombRisk - for just that purpose.

BombRisk means that builders and developers can now access instant UXO risk assessments at the planning phase of a project. The report uses a unique nationwide geospatial database of known UXO risk factors and locations. These include not only unexploded bombs dropped during air raids, but also arms and munitions abandoned on land used for training, storage, testing, military establishments, defensive positions, decoy sites, and minefields.

A BombRisk report acquired early in the development cycle provides reassurance on UXO risk for a site and fulfils all industry standard CIRCA for Phase 1 Preliminary UXO Risk Assessment. BombRisk reports are available for £175 per site.

BombRisk.com

Read more on CIRIA C681 guidelines