DeLorme Professional Weblog

Long time users of DeLorme software will be familiar with the functionally of the Draw tab. Since the earliest versions of Street Atlas USA, draw tools have allowed users to annotate to the map and to create their own map features. Today the Draw tab is a central component in all DeLorme software titles, both consumer and professional.

For users of XMap GIS Editor or Enterprise, the importance of the Draw tab has been somewhat diminished with the development of the GIS functionality. While both tools allow points, lines, and polygons to be added to the map, the GIS tab includes the ability to add attributes to these objects. This allows you to develop and manage an extensive database of information, which is tagged to the appropriate location.

As an example, let’s compare the use of the Draw and GIS tools to create polygons for delineating forest stands. In either case, polygons can be easily drawn, the color of the objects can be adjusted as needed, and the geometric characteristics can be edited. Both functions allow coordinate geometry input to create map objects with a high level of precision, and both can be overlaid on any base map or imagery layer. On the surface, therefore, it is impossible to distinguish a polygon created in the Draw tab from one created in the GIS tab.

Taking this hypothetical project a step further, it is likely that the process of mapping the forest stands also involves collecting relevant information about the areas in question and perhaps cataloging such data as the types of species present, the date of the survey, and much more. Unfortunately the Draw tab does not offer the option of adding such attribution to the objects on the map. When using the GIS tab, however, a limitless array of attribute fields can be appended to each map feature and the data they contain can be used to reveal spatial patterns in the distribution of data through a classification process. This function of the GIS tab thematically adjusts the visible characteristics of the objects on the map to reflect the variations in the selected attribution. Furthermore, the Query feature of the GIS tab can be used to quickly locate an object or group of objects based on its attribution or based on its spatial relationship to other map objects. Finally, the GIS tab can used to import and overlay data from third party sources, such as shapefiles or CAD files, which can help create a more complete picture of the area being studied.

With the availability of powerful data mapping tools in the GIS tab, what role does the Draw tab play for XMap users?

• Even in advanced GIS applications, it is often useful to add a simple text label or a MapNote, which is easily done using the Draw tab.
• When exchanging data with a GPS receiver, such as the Earthmate GPS PN-20, the Draw tab is used to manage downloaded waypoint and track layers before they are converted into GIS layers, and to create waypoints and tracks to be sent to the PN-20.
• When employing the data synchronization functionality between XMap GIS Enterprise and XMap Professional, the redlining functionality uses the draw tools to communicate field-collected notes and other annotation with the data administrator.
• The Draw tab can be used to create routable roads and trails not present in DeLorme’s base maps. 

For these reasons, the Draw tab is still an important feature in the XMap product suite; however, for creating points, lines, or polygons on the map, it is the GIS functionality that provides the more powerful set of data management tools.