[Editor’s note: Expression Builder gets a needed upgrade, too, and the web map authoring tool’s new features deserve a second look. The ESRI GeoDB support (Windows only for now) comes with a $349 upgrade price tag for existing maintenance customers. I’d like to see scripting (recordable with Illustrator actions) in their next release, and a method to export cut map tiles for mashups.]
Republished from Avenza (1, 2, 3).
Avenza Systems Inc., producers of MAPublisher cartographic software for Adobe Illustrator and Geographic Imager spatial tools for Adobe Photoshop is pleased to announce the release of MAPublisher 8.2 for Adobe Illustrator. MAPublisher 8.2 is the latest version of this powerful mapmaking software used to produce high quality maps from GIS data for both print and electronic distribution and now offers support for both creating geospatial PDF files from within Adobe Creative Suite and importing GIS map data directly from ESRI geodatabases.
MAPublisher 8.2 for Adobe Illustrator is a full product upgrade that is free of charge to all current MAPublisher Maintenance Program subscribers and replaces the current shipping version of MAPublisher, version 8.1, for all new customers using Adobe Illustrator CS3 and/or CS4.
“MAPublisher 8.2 is another major advance for this powerful and widely used cartographic and map-design platform,†said Ted Florence, President of Avenza, “MAPublisher now offers the first and only solution for creating geospatial PDF files from within Adobe Creative Suite and with the inclusion of import support for ESRI geodatabases offers a truly comprehensive map design and publishing solution.†he added.
MAPublisher 8.2 includes all the significant functionality introduced in earlier releases of MAPublisher as well as the following new features and enhancements.
New Features of MAPublisher 8.2 for Adobe Illustrator
- Export to Geospatial PDF with optional retention of attributes and referencing for re-import to Illustrator
- Support for the new MAPublisher spatial database import system for ESRI geodatabases (additional license required. Windows only)
- Upgraded functionality for the MAPublisher LabelPro collision-free rule-based labeling system (additional license required)
- Dozens of improvements & enhancements for the MAP Web Author Tool for automatic creation of interactive Flash maps
- New MAP Measurement tool for measuring lengths, perimeters and areas in page or map units
- Import and export of KMZ files
- Enhanced grid and graticule functionality with a number of new features including full support for rotated MAP Views
- New functionality to create attributes for text objects from corresponding map features
- New functionality to create a map index using additional feature attributes
- Enhanced Expression Builder with recently used list and many new functions
- Enhanced Preferences options includes dozens of new customizable items for most MAPublisher functions
- Upgraded MAP View panels with new functionality
- Various other user interface improvements and performance enhancements to improve usability
Features of the MAPublisher Geospatial PDF Exporter
The MAPublisher Geospatial PDF exporter offers the ability to generate Adobe Acrobat PDF files that contain all the cosmetic features of the completed Adobe Illustrator map document as well as all the GIS data attributes and co-ordinate information of the original GIS data files, such that within Adobe Acrobat the following functionality can be performed without the aid of any special tools, plugins or other special extensions to Adobe Acrobat.
- View map locations in various coordinate systems including decimal degrees, DMS, Military Grid and more.
- Find a location in a map and mark it with a comment
- Measure distances on a map using real-world units (miles, kilometers, feet, etc.)
- Reveal the attributes of map features by clicking on the feature within the map document
- Search by map attribute values to reveal all map features that satisfy the query
- Option to retain attributes and georeferencing for re-import to Illustrator/MAPublisher
Features of the MAPublisher spatial database importer
- Direct import from ESRI Personal Geodatabase (requires ArcGIS license)
- Direct import from ESRI File Geodatabase (requires ArcGIS license)
- Direct import from ArcSDE servers (requires ArcGIS or ArcReader license)
- Support for point, line, polygon and Bezier curve geometries
- Support for Annotations
- SQL attribute query support executed on import to enable import of specific features only
- Spatial filter executed on data import to enable selective importation based on defined data extents
- Support for subtypes and domains during import
The MAPublisher spatial database importer for Illustrator is available as an add-on option for MAPublisher 8.2, for Windows only, for US$599. MAPublisher users with active MAPublisher maintenance may purchase the MAPublisher spatial database importer for only US$349. New MAPublisher 8.2 licenses including MAPublisher spatial database functionality are US$1549. Academic, floating license and volume pricing is available. Prices include 1 year of maintenance. Full details are available at www.avenza.com.
More about MAPublisher for Illustrator
MAPublisher for Illustrator is powerful map production software for creating cartographic-quality maps from GIS data. Developed as a suite of plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator, MAPublisher leverages the superior graphics capabilities of this graphics design software for working with GIS data and producing high-quality maps with efficiency.
MAPublisher 8.2 for Illustrator is available free of charge to all MAPublisher for Illustrator customers with a valid maintenance subscription and as an upgrade for non-maintenance members at US$549. New licenses are US$1249. Academic, floating and volume pricing is available. Prices include 1 year of maintenance. Full details are available at www.avenza.com/mapublisher.