AVIATIONTOOLBOX: recent FAA sectional scans

[Kyler Laird]

When I got my first DVD of sectional images from the FAA I was
thrilled by the quality of the scans. I did, however, notice
that the sectionals had wide-ranges of colors to denote similar
elevations. This was especially noticeable out west where the
sectionals meet.

Lately I've noticed that some of the scans are really washed
out. It appears that this is the direction we're heading
because almost all of the sectionals in the recent batch are
like that.
https://aviationtoolbox.org/Members/kyler/tools/map_explorer
At least the difference in colors between sectionals for the
same area doesn't look as dramatic. (Maybe that's just
because *none* of the colors look dramatically different...)

To easily see the contrast, here's my home area.
https://aviationtoolbox.org/Members/kyler/tools/map_explorer?image=1085177%2C399621%2C25&scale=50&selected.y=327&selected.x=449

I suspect that some simple image enhancement will restore some
of the beauty of the earlier scans but I haven't played with it
yet.

Anyone know the story of why this happened? They recently cut
the price of the DVDs in half. Are lower-quality scans part of
the cost savings?

--kyler

[[email protected]]

I still want to know who has the original vector art and can it be gotten. It
would be a lot easier to deal with than bitmaps.

-Cory

Kyler Laird > wrote:
: Lately I've noticed that some of the scans are really washed
: out. It appears that this is the direction we're heading
: because almost all of the sectionals in the recent batch are
: like that.

--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************

[Kyler Laird]

writes:

> I still want to know who has the original vector art and can it be gotten.

I still think you'd be better served to define this "original vector
art" that you seek and tell us how you were lead to believe it exists.
Someone might be able to follow up on it.

>It
>would be a lot easier to deal with than bitmaps.

Because you can use scissors on it?

--kyler

[[email protected]]

The original data that was used to create the charts. Someone, somewhere has
layered data. Basically:

Land TOPO +
TOPO Color +
Water +
Airports +
Airspace +
VOR stations +
VOR compass roses +
Victor Airways +
Antennas +
Power lines +...

With that (and the underlying coordinates), one could build an online chart
and select only the desired visible components in the desired location. Having vector
art for things as simple as extras on a chart (text, circles, straight lines) would be
easier to deal with when zoomed in than HUGE bitmapped files. Someone's got it... or
else they'd have to get a artists to draw another little antenna icon everytime one
sprouts up.

-Cory

Kyler Laird > wrote:
: writes:

: > I still want to know who has the original vector art and can it be gotten.

: I still think you'd be better served to define this "original vector
: art" that you seek and tell us how you were lead to believe it exists.
: Someone might be able to follow up on it.

: >It
: >would be a lot easier to deal with than bitmaps.

: Because you can use scissors on it?

: --kyler

--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************

[Kyler Laird]

writes:

> The original data that was used to create the charts. Someone, somewhere has
>layered data. Basically:

>Land TOPO +
http://aviationtoolbox.org/raw_data/USGS/NED/

>TOPO Color +

That shouldn't be hard to choose. The (scanned) sectionals aren't even
consistent so you might as well select your own.

>Water +
http://aviationtoolbox.org/raw_data/Census/

>Airports +
http://aviationtoolbox.org/old/ATA-100/Subscriber_File_Formats/Apt_rf.txt

>Airspace +
http://aviationtoolbox.org/old/ATA-100/Subscriber_File_Formats/Sua_rf.txt

>VOR stations +
http://aviationtoolbox.org/old/ATA-100/Subscriber_File_Formats/Nav_rf.txt

>VOR compass roses +

Which is it - a VOR (declination) or compass (variation) rose that you
want? You should be able to calculate either, at least as well as
anyone else does them.

>Victor Airways +
http://aviationtoolbox.org/old/ATA-100/Subscriber_File_Formats/Awy_rf.txt

>Antennas +
>Power lines +...
http://www.naco.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/catalog/charts/digital/daicd
I'll be happy to subscribe to this if there's interest.

> With that (and the underlying coordinates), one could build an online chart
>and select only the desired visible components in the desired location.

Let me know when you've got it.

>Having vector
>art for things as simple as extras on a chart (text, circles, straight lines) would be
>easier to deal with when zoomed in than HUGE bitmapped files.

Easier for whom? The bitmaps are fairly simple to manipulate and they
don't require a really smart/fast monkey to perform the layout of the
data.

>Someone's got it... or
>else they'd have to get a artists to draw another little antenna icon everytime one
>sprouts up.

Yeah, and we know *that* can't be. If they did it by hand you'd have
error that would be obvious when the same antenna(/road/powerline/...)
is depicted on two sectionals that overlap.
https://aviationtoolbox.org/Members/kyler/tools/map_explorer?image=1074224%2C328308%2C100&scale=100&selected.x=391&selected.y=297
Or it could just be buggy old software. They've been making sectionals
for how many decades? That's some *old* software.

--kyler

[[email protected]]

Holy crap! I guess the raw data is out there... *REALLY* raw. I was
envisioning some beastly software that puts it all together. I'm sure there is, but
it isn't cheap, to be sure....

I stand corrected in two ways... that it's not available, and that it's easier
to deal with than bitmaps... :)

BTW, what kind of data is the NED ADF?

-Cory

Kyler Laird > wrote:
: writes:

: > The original data that was used to create the charts. Someone, somewhere has
: >layered data. Basically:

: >Land TOPO +
: http://aviationtoolbox.org/raw_data/USGS/NED/

: >TOPO Color +

: That shouldn't be hard to choose. The (scanned) sectionals aren't even
: consistent so you might as well select your own.

: >Water +
: http://aviationtoolbox.org/raw_data/Census/

: >Airports +
: http://aviationtoolbox.org/old/ATA-100/Subscriber_File_Formats/Apt_rf.txt

: >Airspace +
: http://aviationtoolbox.org/old/ATA-100/Subscriber_File_Formats/Sua_rf.txt

: >VOR stations +
: http://aviationtoolbox.org/old/ATA-100/Subscriber_File_Formats/Nav_rf.txt

: >VOR compass roses +

: Which is it - a VOR (declination) or compass (variation) rose that you
: want? You should be able to calculate either, at least as well as
: anyone else does them.

: >Victor Airways +
: http://aviationtoolbox.org/old/ATA-100/Subscriber_File_Formats/Awy_rf.txt

: >Antennas +
: >Power lines +...
: http://www.naco.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/catalog/charts/digital/daicd
: I'll be happy to subscribe to this if there's interest.

: > With that (and the underlying coordinates), one could build an online chart
: >and select only the desired visible components in the desired location.

: Let me know when you've got it.

: >Having vector
: >art for things as simple as extras on a chart (text, circles, straight lines) would be
: >easier to deal with when zoomed in than HUGE bitmapped files.

: Easier for whom? The bitmaps are fairly simple to manipulate and they
: don't require a really smart/fast monkey to perform the layout of the
: data.

: >Someone's got it... or
: >else they'd have to get a artists to draw another little antenna icon everytime one
: >sprouts up.

: Yeah, and we know *that* can't be. If they did it by hand you'd have
: error that would be obvious when the same antenna(/road/powerline/...)
: is depicted on two sectionals that overlap.
: https://aviationtoolbox.org/Members/kyler/tools/map_explorer?image=1074224%2C328308%2C100&scale=100&selected.x=391&selected.y=297
: Or it could just be buggy old software. They've been making sectionals
: for how many decades? That's some *old* software.

: --kyler

--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************

[Kyler Laird]

writes:

> BTW, what kind of data is the NED ADF?

NED = National Elevation Dataset
http://edcnts12.cr.usgs.gov/ned/default.asp

ADF?

Here's some code I used to pull data from it.
http://aviationtoolbox.org/munge/NED_test.py

--kyler