Geospatial PDF, the future of map publishing
ADMIN JANUARY 17TH, 2011Since PDF files can now contain geospatial data and be location-aware, the PDF format becomes interesting to map publishers too. All the benefits of general PDF publishing apply to maps as well, but there is a hurdle to take: there are two types of geo-enabled PDF files: GeoPDF and Geospatial PDF.
GeoPDF is a proprietary format, requires special authoring tools to produce and an Acrobat plugin to read. However, it offers a basket of collaboration tools beyond those native to Adobe Acrobat. The Geospatial PDF specification is an Adobe standard specification with Acrobat 9, which does not require a plugin to read spatial data. The specification supports native export from many GIS and mapping products as well as from Adobe Creative Suite.
Both formats offer coordinate location, measurement, attribute viewing and search, but we believe geospatial PDF is the better one. It’s a new PDF specification that provides for spatial information to be contained in a PDF document, and publishers can create geospatial PDF maps from a variety of software including Adobe Creative Suite, ArcGIS, FME and others, delivering flexibility and not locking them in into one proprietary solution.
Geospatial PDF files offer more than a visual map experience:
- Geospatial PDF maps are location-aware
- Able to retrieve attribute data
- Able to measure distances
- Able to search underlying attributes
- Layer control for enhanced visual experience
- Special toolset included with Adobe Acrobat
- Geospatial PDF maps are location-aware
- Able To Retrieve Attribute Data
- Able to Measure Distances
- Able To Search Underlying Attributes
- Layer Control For Enhanced Visual Experience
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