As of April 1, the Feds have put the entire topographic database online for free. This in both vector and bitmap versions. The bitmap version are at 300 dpi and very nice.
http://geogratis.gc.ca/geogratis/en/col ... ch=product
Federal Topo Maps Online Free
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red90
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DaveB
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Posted by Revor April 11...
Read details below:
Natural Resources Canada Provides Free Access to Digital Mapping Data
Users of topographic data will no longer have to pay to use digital versions of government maps and data. As of April 1, 2007, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) began providing this data free of charge over the Internet.
Topographic data provides information on the location of landscape features – such as lakes, rivers and elevations – as well as roads, railways and administrative boundaries. This information is used by government, academia and the private sector for various purposes.
Available through the GeoGratis web portal (www.geogratis.gc.ca), the data is grouped in collections and is compatible with the most popular geographic information systems (GIS), with image analysis systems and the graphics applications of editing software. Data can be downloaded via web browser or FTP.
The no-fee access policy applies to data that is solely owned by NRCan. In addition to waiving access fees, NRCan is lifting all cost and licence restrictions on the redistribution of the data with the goal of ensuring the availability of accurate and consistent information. This policy expands on an earlier initiative (www.GeoBase.ca), which provided free access to various co-owned federal, provincial and territorial topographic data.
For more information, or to access GeoGratis data, please go to www.geogratis.gc.ca.
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1969 IIa Station Wagon
1988 110
Read details below:
Natural Resources Canada Provides Free Access to Digital Mapping Data
Users of topographic data will no longer have to pay to use digital versions of government maps and data. As of April 1, 2007, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) began providing this data free of charge over the Internet.
Topographic data provides information on the location of landscape features – such as lakes, rivers and elevations – as well as roads, railways and administrative boundaries. This information is used by government, academia and the private sector for various purposes.
Available through the GeoGratis web portal (www.geogratis.gc.ca), the data is grouped in collections and is compatible with the most popular geographic information systems (GIS), with image analysis systems and the graphics applications of editing software. Data can be downloaded via web browser or FTP.
The no-fee access policy applies to data that is solely owned by NRCan. In addition to waiving access fees, NRCan is lifting all cost and licence restrictions on the redistribution of the data with the goal of ensuring the availability of accurate and consistent information. This policy expands on an earlier initiative (www.GeoBase.ca), which provided free access to various co-owned federal, provincial and territorial topographic data.
For more information, or to access GeoGratis data, please go to www.geogratis.gc.ca.
_________________
1969 IIa Station Wagon
1988 110
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red90
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One of the keen young Calgary crowd has been working for a while converting the maps into Garmin format. He has finally got them to the stage where they are ready for public consumption. They are not 100% complete, but are pretty close.
They contain all of the information in the federal maps except for paved roads. Paved roads are shown using the latest available free data and is quite up to date.
These contain a lot more information than Garmin's Topo Canada with the only downside that they are not auto-routable.
You can find the installer here.
http://www.ibycus.com/ibycustopo/
The first install will take a long time as it is over 2 GB. Fortunately, he has setup the install program to only update changed or new files. Thus, when you update in the future, it will be much quicker.
They contain all of the information in the federal maps except for paved roads. Paved roads are shown using the latest available free data and is quite up to date.
These contain a lot more information than Garmin's Topo Canada with the only downside that they are not auto-routable.
You can find the installer here.
http://www.ibycus.com/ibycustopo/
The first install will take a long time as it is over 2 GB. Fortunately, he has setup the install program to only update changed or new files. Thus, when you update in the future, it will be much quicker.
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DaveB
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red90
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red90
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OK, time for an update on this. The stuff below is a cut and paste from another forum, so repeats some things, but is hopefully inclusive.
OK, first around a year or so ago the Feds released the entire topographic map database to the public, online for free unlimited use....
These are available is both raster (bitmap) and vector (lines and such) format. The raster format is Geotiff, readable by most raster based mapping programs directly such as Oziexplorer. These are quite a bit nicer than any of the raster maps that are sold and they are free for the taking. Go to: http://geogratis.gc.ca/geogratis/en/index.html
1) Click on "Download Directory", then "Raster Data", then "Scanned Maps".
2) Choose "CanMatrix - Digital Topographic Maps of Canada". Either "http" with your browser or "ftp"...
3) Follow the directories to the map you want.
example: Calgary 1:50000 082O01, http://ftp2.cits.rncan.gc.ca/pub/canmat ... 01_tif.zip
Download that. Inside the ZIP file is a TIF file that is the map. To view in OZiexplorer, you need to install the Geotiff plugin, http://www.oziexplorer3.com/xtras/ozigeotiff.zip
Once that is done, you should be able to open that map in Ozi as you would any other one. It should work in other map programs like Fugawi as well and any picture viewing program will open the file for viewing or printing.
The second format is vector, which is nicer, but it is in ESRI's shape file system which is not much use for the average Joe. Not to worry, geeks to the rescue. A local Calgarian (Ibycus) has since converted the entire country to Garmin's format. In addition, he has added the newest and most up to date road data. These maps are not only free but are much better than any of the topo maps that you can buy. It is still in progress, so his website is a bit messy. At this time download this file: http://www.ibycus.com/ibycustopo/downlo ... teBeta.exe and run it. It will then download all of the files (over 3 GB so be prepared to wait) and then register it to Mapsource. If you do not already have Mapsource, you will need to install it. There is a free and legal way to get it, which I can explain if anyone needs to know.
OK, first around a year or so ago the Feds released the entire topographic map database to the public, online for free unlimited use....
These are available is both raster (bitmap) and vector (lines and such) format. The raster format is Geotiff, readable by most raster based mapping programs directly such as Oziexplorer. These are quite a bit nicer than any of the raster maps that are sold and they are free for the taking. Go to: http://geogratis.gc.ca/geogratis/en/index.html
1) Click on "Download Directory", then "Raster Data", then "Scanned Maps".
2) Choose "CanMatrix - Digital Topographic Maps of Canada". Either "http" with your browser or "ftp"...
3) Follow the directories to the map you want.
example: Calgary 1:50000 082O01, http://ftp2.cits.rncan.gc.ca/pub/canmat ... 01_tif.zip
Download that. Inside the ZIP file is a TIF file that is the map. To view in OZiexplorer, you need to install the Geotiff plugin, http://www.oziexplorer3.com/xtras/ozigeotiff.zip
Once that is done, you should be able to open that map in Ozi as you would any other one. It should work in other map programs like Fugawi as well and any picture viewing program will open the file for viewing or printing.
The second format is vector, which is nicer, but it is in ESRI's shape file system which is not much use for the average Joe. Not to worry, geeks to the rescue. A local Calgarian (Ibycus) has since converted the entire country to Garmin's format. In addition, he has added the newest and most up to date road data. These maps are not only free but are much better than any of the topo maps that you can buy. It is still in progress, so his website is a bit messy. At this time download this file: http://www.ibycus.com/ibycustopo/downlo ... teBeta.exe and run it. It will then download all of the files (over 3 GB so be prepared to wait) and then register it to Mapsource. If you do not already have Mapsource, you will need to install it. There is a free and legal way to get it, which I can explain if anyone needs to know.
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red90
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Ibycus has updated his map set.
http://www.ibycus.com/ibycustopo/
It is only available now as a full download. The new maps include very up to date road data with names in BC and Alberta.
http://www.ibycus.com/ibycustopo/
It is only available now as a full download. The new maps include very up to date road data with names in BC and Alberta.
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red90
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I figured a little tutorial on getting these on your computer would be handy.
PC Users
1. Install Mapsource if you do not have it.
a) Install Garmin's Training Center from this link
b) Install Mapsource from this link. Note that this is NOT the newest version of Mapsource. Currently, I would suggest not using the newest version as it is not as good as this older version...
2. Download the Ibycus Topo Maps.
a) EITHER download directly from this link. Note that it is a large download and it can be hard to get a successful complete file using this method.
b1) OR download via a torrent. If you do not have a torrent client, I would suggest utorrent, which can be found here: http://www.utorrent.com/
b2) Next download the torrent from this link
c) Open the ZIP file up and run the Setup.exe program. This will install the maps into Mapsource and after running Mapsource, you should be able to find them there.
MAC Users
1. Download and install RoadTrip from this link
2. Download the MAC version of the maps from this link
3. I'm not sure the exact MAC steps past that point....... :?
PC Users
1. Install Mapsource if you do not have it.
a) Install Garmin's Training Center from this link
b) Install Mapsource from this link. Note that this is NOT the newest version of Mapsource. Currently, I would suggest not using the newest version as it is not as good as this older version...
2. Download the Ibycus Topo Maps.
a) EITHER download directly from this link. Note that it is a large download and it can be hard to get a successful complete file using this method.
b1) OR download via a torrent. If you do not have a torrent client, I would suggest utorrent, which can be found here: http://www.utorrent.com/
b2) Next download the torrent from this link
c) Open the ZIP file up and run the Setup.exe program. This will install the maps into Mapsource and after running Mapsource, you should be able to find them there.
MAC Users
1. Download and install RoadTrip from this link
2. Download the MAC version of the maps from this link
3. I'm not sure the exact MAC steps past that point....... :?
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ANDYD
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Thanks ...
Thanks, that helps a lot .... appreciate you taking the time.
I'm always one step behind my kids in this computor age!
cheers,
Andy
I'm always one step behind my kids in this computor age!
cheers,
Andy
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DaveB
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Continuation of Mac instructions...
Download as indicated (all 3.3 GB of Maps, expect about 10 hours of downloading)
Once downloaded, use Stuffit Expander to expand it from .tgz.tar to its final format, IbycsTop.gmapi.
Double-click this file and then click on the Install button.
Launch Garmin RoadTrip (Applications folder) and add it to the dock.
From top right corner of Garmin RoadTrip main window, switch from US Basemap to Ibycus Topo.
Start playing...
Thanks John! Last time I downloaded this it didn't work, but your instructions got me started in the right direction.
Dave
Download as indicated (all 3.3 GB of Maps, expect about 10 hours of downloading)
Once downloaded, use Stuffit Expander to expand it from .tgz.tar to its final format, IbycsTop.gmapi.
Double-click this file and then click on the Install button.
Launch Garmin RoadTrip (Applications folder) and add it to the dock.
From top right corner of Garmin RoadTrip main window, switch from US Basemap to Ibycus Topo.
Start playing...
Thanks John! Last time I downloaded this it didn't work, but your instructions got me started in the right direction.
Dave
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red90
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Just Google "Ibycus Torrent". He is looking for a new hosting site. HostMonster pulled the plug on his account with zero notice due to the high bandwidth. He is not exactly pleased ATM....
http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4492135 ... ip_Version
http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4492135 ... ip_Version