have you looked heremapSeattle

but i'd be surprised this isn't available @ the UW arch library or from DPD for arch use...

and i had no issues DL'ing a PDF and exporting to autocad via illustrator

holz = genius

I had a feeling someone here would know about some good stuff!

haha. thanks, but faaaar from it.

if i rocked a myspace, that'd be my status

so what's this fior, anyway

Thesis. I'm working on wayfinding systems for bicyclists, and a portion of that includes getting the Seattle Bicycling Guide Map to be something that's both decent-looking and more user-friendly. Have you seen the current one? It's pretty rough.

it's awful, that's all i know. intentionally so, probably. just as susie burke et al prefer

*bump*

I'm facing a similar dilemma as rationalist in the OP, except I'm looking for a vector map of the Cincinnati area that can be imported into AutoCAD.

I need a map that shows everything as far south as Alexandria, as far north as Hamilton, as far west as Lawrenceberg, and as far east as Milford. It doesn't need to show every single city street, but I need the major highways and railroads.

I've found a couple of online services that can give me what I need for about $300, but I'd like to avoid having to pay that much if possible. Any current or former DAAP people have something like this laying around on your hard drive?

Thanks...

I actually can help with this one!

Rationalist-- if you don't need the map, like, right away... e-mail the planning department of Seattle, the county or Washington's DOT. Usually for free or a very small charge, they'll provide you with their entire database of street lines (you can push your luck and ask for parcels, building outlines and land uses).

There's a process called geocoding where you can take all of this information and fill it in a map-- ie, it lets you do in-depth research based on tying data to a certain parcel (you can find any intersection that's within 100m of a lot that has more than 10 units).

http://ocw.tufts.edu/data/54/616657.pdf

Here's the basics for creating a map with ArcGIS data.

Once you've prepared a map you like, you can export them out of ArcGIS into a format of your choosing-- ie, you can create a map showing all of the roads that meet your criteria {like all major roads within zip codes that have a density of higher than 8,000 people per square mile}.


Most governments will gladly hand this out for free or for the cost of a CD because these files are often well above something you can email. So it is just best to email them!

Umm, look at the date of the OP. I think rationalist has already finished her thesis by now.

And the cheapest version of the ArcGIS software costs $1500.

It's free for 30 days and they have 6 month to 1 year licenses for students-- and there wont be any identifiable information in the vector file if your copy of ArcGIS isn't completely legitimate.


This will work for you LiG too.

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/TechServ/Prod_Services/ESRIDWNLOADS/Pages/default.aspx

Here you go, here's all the shape files the Ohio DOT maintains. Those companies out there are just charging you to convert them into maps using ArcGIS.

I'll just make your map for you.

I'll take a look at that.

My area of study also includes portions of Kentucky and Indiana, though. I'd rather not have to spent time patching together various maps from different sources.

They're the same scale. I don't know if you can easily crack open these maps in illustrator (havent tried) but they look to be all vector lines... so you'd have to clean it up as best you could.

Thanks... The second map is pretty much what I'm looking for. I don't have Illustrator on my home computer, but I'll see what I can do with that file on my work computer on Tuesday.

Turns out those PDF files weren't encrypted, so I was able to import them into AutoCAD via Illustrator, and combine the railroad map and street map into a single drawing. The text turned out a little wonky, but I'm not too worried about that. Everything else cleaned up well. File size: about 34 MB. lol

Thanks for the tips... This saved me about $300.

Hey, it seems to pass lot of time, but if somebody need a correct vector map of Seattle, Washington, USA these guys sell it for about seventy bucks.

Hey there, I just bought Florida map, and think this guys have Memphis map too, they also have a small library of free vector maps, probably you find one: 
http://vectormap.info/ 
+uploading an image if it`s possible. 
 

Somebody mentioned OpenStreetMaps in the beginning, and getting errors from it. 
I was using them for a really nice and simple workflow to get accurate 3D maps, like this example with some CFD data: 

Here is the explanation I sent to somebody about it: 
'From Open street map you first select and then export exact city area that you want to export with the Export button. 

This map later needs to go to a program that creates a 3D extruded map from that 2D map. 
I cant remember where I downloaded it, but I have it downloaded, and it works without installing so I will send you that program tomorrow from work computer. 

That program can export a 3D model to a obj file. That obj just needs to go to MeshLab and export from there to fix that error and that's it :D
It creates a ready and clear obj file with 3D city area you selected.
Very useful is that material division is preserved in obj file, so all specific areas such as terrain, roads, road signs, buildings etc. have the same material.
So, it's best to just join all objects first, and later separate them by material, so you can separately then make changes on buildings, roads etc.'

I still have the mentioned program somewhere, 'OSM to 3D converter' it's called, if someone would benefit from it.