Introducing my 2023 traditional USGS-style topo

Boyd

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Santa has delivered a new topo map to the server, just in time for Christmas!

When looking at the current lineup on boydsmaps.com, I decided it really needed a new traditional-style topo map. My original idea was just to do a "light" version of the 2020 dark topo and that would have been a pretty straightforward one-week project (just changing colors and styles). But the more I thought about it, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to go beyond that and do a project I've been thinking about for a long time - a new topo map that adheres closely to the classic USGS 24k topo style. Figured that might take two or three weeks. I ended up spending about 4 months!

It really turned into a huge project, Globalmapper just can't create some of the feature styles used in the classic topos. Ended up writing my own software to make that happen. Another thing I wanted to do was distinguish the unpaved roads on the USGS topo maps from the other roads Ive traced from various sources. That became the biggest challenge and took nearly two months, resulting in re-tracing half or more of the roads from the old topos and discarding a lot of my old ones that just didn't make the cut.

Anyway, this could have gone on forever, but I had to wrap it up - so here it is. As with all my projects, there are plenty of errors and omissions but they'll have to wait for a another day.

If you'd like to compare the new topo with the original USGS map, use Map Sync at level 15 zoom. Notice that I've also included the same spot elevations shown on the original 24k topo maps, but I used the LIDAR elevation data so there are some differences.

https://boydsmaps.com/sync/#15/39.762997/-74.456453/pines2023/0/0/legacy24k/15/0/0

sync.png



For a data-rich experience, use the PinesXT app:

https://boydsmaps.com/pines/#17/39.750757/-74.584458/pines2023/0/0/

xt.png



I've used a purple(ish) color for roads and trails that aren't on the 24k USGS topo - this is the color that the USGS used for map revisions. So, in this example, you can see that "Bulldozed Road" is not on the original 24k topo. The thin purple dashed lines are "trails" that weren't on the original topos. I've tried to be thorough about this, but am sure there will be errors, so caveat emptor. But since there's this concept of only allowing vehicle use on roads from the original topos, you may find this interesting.

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.736174/-74.643744/pines2023/0.00/0.00

bulldozed.png


I used current high-resolution LIDAR data to generate the contour lines - that turned into a bigger challenge than expected. It's hard to get something that looks like a contour line from that data - I tried this on my old 2017 topo and was never happy with it. This data has been massaged a lot and still has some oddities, but I'm pretty happy with it.

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.847700/-74.289300/pines2023/0.00/0.00

frm.png



One other note, unlike my other maps where I used green shading to designate public land, I've used the same style as the traditional 24k topos - boundary lines. These can be rather confusing - just like they are on the original 24k maps. This also was a big project that took a couple weeks because there really isn't any boundary data in the appropriate format to create this kind of feature. Would be better if I labelled the lines, but that was just too big a project for now. You can use the sync app to help identify the boundaries.

https://boydsmaps.com/pines/#16/39.604654/-74.565783/pines2023/0/0/

boundary.png



There's plenty more to discuss, but I've been glued to the screen all day finishing this up and need a break, so I'll just leave things here for now. I also have a couple "stocking stuffers" - maps that were re-processed from older NJGIN aerials. Will try to put those online soon, probably tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy - and Merry Christmas!

(Sorry - as usual, these changes may cause some issues accessing the site. Clear your cache if you have problems.)
 
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Boyd

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As promised, here are your "stocking-stuffers"! :dance: The idea was to provide a core of basic pine barrens topos and aerials that load faster than the NJGIN versions since they're installed on the boydsmaps server. They're all available at 4-foot resolution (level 17) with coverage limited to Southern New Jersey.

2019 NAIP color aerials (the NJGIN version goes one click higher to level 18). These are very similar to the NAIP 2023 aerials but are higher resolution with more natural-looking colors. Remember, the NAIP aerials come from the US Dept of Agriculture and are intended to show crops and forest canopy. Fewer details than the NJ aerials shot during the winter, but I like them because they make the Pines look so green and inviting!
https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.818726/-74.535696/pines2019/0.00/0.00

2012 NJ color aerials (the NJGIN version goes two clicks higher to level 19) IMO, these are the best of the more recent NJ aerials. The 2015 and 2020 aerials are too dark and don't show as much detail.
https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.818726/-74.535696/pines2012/0.00/0.00

2007 NJ color aerials with parcels (boydsmaps exclusive!) These are the same aerials with parcel outlines from the PinesXT app. Since they were already on the server, I added them to the menu here.
https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.818726/-74.535696/parcels07/0.00/0.00

2002 NJ black and white aerials (same resolution as NJGIN) (the NJGIN version goes two clicks higher to level 19) I realize that infrared aerials have certain advantages, but I just don't like looking at pink trees! So, here's a monochrome version which I especially like for its clarity.
https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.818726/-74.535696/pines2002/0.00/0.00

1980 NJ black and white aerials (same resolution as NJGIN) similar to the previous map, this is a black and white version of the 1980 infrared aerials.
https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.818726/-74.535696/pines1980/0.00/0.00

1930 NJ monochrome aerials (same resolution as NJGIN) Since I was doing the other black and white aerials, I threw these in for good measure.
https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.818726/-74.535696/pines1930/0.00/0.00

Along with the new maps, I've re-organized the top of the menu. If you're a long-time user, sorry - it might be a little confusing at first but I think it makes more sense. The locally hosted (fast-loading) topos and aerials are now on top, arranged in descending chronological order. It was awkward having to scroll way down to the topos before. The rest of the menu is unchanged.

menu.png


Once again, these changes may create problems due to cache issues where your browser remembers the old menu and doesn't realize it has changed. If you have problems, clearing the browser cache should fix them. Post here if you need help resolving this issue.

Also note, I haven't "wired these up" yet to work in the PinesXT app. Shutting things down here and signing off for the night, will try to get to that tomorrow.

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas!
 
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stiltzkin

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Feb 8, 2022
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Medford
Thanks for these updates, this is cool stuff. And on Christmas, no less.

Just two small comments:

A very minor correction could be made here on the new topo to fix the name of this hill to Mt Korbar: https://boydsmaps.com/#15.00/39.803909/-74.612931/pines2023/0.00/0.00 - here is a note you made to yourself about it 12 years ago :)

Re: the 2002 aerials, which I also really like for clarity, I noticed there is a significant quality drop between the old IR and the new B/W version: https://boydsmaps.com/sync/#19/39.739432/-74.729355/njgin2002/0/0/pines2002/19/0/0

I suppose this is just a result of heavier image compression on the B/W version? A lot of fine detail is unfortunately lost. I don't see this issue with the 80s IR vs B/W, they look great.

Thanks, Boyd.
 
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Boyd

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Thanks! Glad you like them. :)

A very minor correction could be made here on the new topo to fix the name of this hill to Mt Korbar

Good catch! Kind of funny because I actually remembered the two different spellings when making the map but thought Kobar was the correct one. I almost left it out, since it's not on the USGS topo. Oh well, any change will have to wait for the next revision (don't hold your breath waiting for that :D )

Re: the 2002 aerials, which I also really like for clarity, I noticed there is a significant quality drop between the old IR and the new B/W version [...] I suppose this is just a result of heavier image compression on the B/W version?

No, my parenthetical note above was actually wrong, just fixed that. Sorry, I forgot, the NJGIN map is level 19 resolution and mine is only level 17. So, in your example, you've zoomed in 4x farther than the native resolution of my B/W version. The black and white version compares favorably at level 17.
https://boydsmaps.com/sync/#17/39.739432/-74.729355/njgin2002/0/0/pines2002/17/0/0

For anyone who doesn't understand the concept of "levels", each pixel (the little dots that make up the image) would measure about one foot at level 19. Then, as you zoom out, each level is half the resolution of the previous one. Level 18 is two feet per pixel, level 17 is four feet and so on. But since an image has both height and width, the file size increases by a factor of 4 with each level. In this case, the level 17 image is about 4 gigabytes. So, level 18 would add another 16 gigabytes and level 19 would add 64 gigabytes - the total size of a level 19 map would be about 84gb. Aside from the amount of time needed to make a map that big, disk space on the server is just too expensive to justify that. :)

Just to summarize the purpose of these new maps.... use them when you want to quickly compare features over the years. They load fast enough to "channel surf" through them. If you want more detail and a bigger coverage area, use the original NJGIN imagery. These new ones are well-suited for vehicle use on a phone where you want fast updates as you drive and usually don't need to zoom in too far.
 
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stiltzkin

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Oh well, any change will have to wait for the next revision (don't hold your breath waiting for that :D )

You could also resort to labeling it "Tea Time Hill" again, which I think is a name still used :)

I actually like that name a bit better, as it's more in the tradition of odd descriptive names of things in the Pines; your Bread and Cheese Runs and Featherbed Branches and Ong's Hats, et cetera. On the other hand, "KorBar" honors two of the founders of the Batona Trail, and I wouldn't want to detract from that.
 
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stiltzkin

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Feb 8, 2022
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Medford
I've always wanted you to rearrange the menu just like you did in your post. But I'm afraid of you, so I never asked.

:dance: /s

I think it is at the point where collapsible categories (Aerials, Topo, LIDAR, etc) would be even better to clean things up, but I probably shouldn't make feature requests here...

Also, the Favorites feature does get me close enough, with some customization.
 
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Boyd

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I think it is at the point where collapsible categories (Aerials, Topo, LIDAR, etc) would be even better to clean things up

Actually, we were at that point almost 5 years ago with my old site which used the Leaflet API and a heirarchical menu plug-in.

https://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/welcome-to-the-new-boyds-maps-forum.13009/#post-155923

When I re-wrote all the code from scratch and switched to the MapTalks API, I ditched that. True, it's an organizational tool, but I just don't like heirarchical menus that you have to "chase around" with the mouse. The problem is... there are just too many maps of the Pines! But they all have their place. This latest re-organization puts some of the most useful and fast-loading ones at the top of the menu. As you said, use the favorites feature if you want further customization. I would be very surprised if more than 1 or 2 percent of users ever bother with that however.

Another thing that would help is a more "intelligent" method of identifying maps that actually cover the area you're looking at. Right now, I use a simple system of bounding boxes - a rectangle that's big enough to fit each map. Problem is, most states aren't shaped like rectangles, so you get a lot of false positives on the menu - like maps that only cover Pennsylvania when you want New Jersey.

I know how to write some code that will fix that and only show maps that really have coverage, and it's pretty simple. But it requires creating coverage data for each map, which is straightforward but a big job because there are so many maps. I'll get around to it though.... some day! :)

BTW... am making one more belated "stocking-stuffer" map, it's been in the oven for over 24 hours already but needs more cooking before it's ready to serve. If all goes well, it will be online later today. It's an odd one... but we'll discuss that when it's done!

The other thing on my plate is the HERE maps transition. I need to create a new developer account for them before the end of the year and comply with their new rules, which have more strict limits on free maps. That will require some changes - will post more about that soon.
 
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bobpbx

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I use my favorites most of the time. But with this 34" screen, I get lazy or annoyed having to sweep my mouse all the way to the lower left bottom to get to them when my hand is telling me to just click the main maps and try to find what you want here. If I was left handed, that would help.
 
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Boyd

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BTW... am making one more belated "stocking-stuffer" map, it's been in the oven for over 24 hours already but needs more cooking before it's ready to serve.

This map is now ready. Like I said, it's an oddity. I took the 1970's coastal aerials, supplemented them with the 1977 coastals and then filled the interior with the 1980's aerials. These are the same wetlands/tidelands aerials available at NJGIN, but those always bother me because so much is blank. So I filled it in.

Downside is that it can be hard to know which era you're looking at. I had to use transparency to composite the different years and that has created some artifacts unfortunately (pixels from the 80's imagery can show through areas of pure white on the 70's).

pines7080.png


Here's a nice example from Mays Landing in 1971 - quite a fancy park there. It also shows on the 1977 aerials but looks faded in the 80's and completely gone by 1995. I wonder what happened there? Some catastrophe or ???

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.449896/-74.725506/pines7080/0.00/0.00

Screen Shot 2023-12-28 at 7.14.41 PM.png



I'm working on a companion map that omits the older aerials to cover 1977-87, but it won't be done until tomorrow.

pines7780.png
 
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Boyd

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Here's today's batch of new maps... and I think that will be it for awhile! For starters, here's a comparison of the two sets of coastal imagery, with 1971-72 imagery of Shell Pile on the left and 1977-78 on the right

https://boydsmaps.com/sync/#17/39.239548/-75.024508/pines7080/0/0/pines7780/17/0/0

Screen Shot 2023-12-29 at 7.25.12 PM.png



Comparing 1977 (left) to 1995 (right) is a bit more interesting...

https://boydsmaps.com/sync/#17/39.240022/-75.024723/pines7780/0/0/pines1995/17/0/0

Screen Shot 2023-12-29 at 7.48.25 PM.png



And as a bonus, I decided to add a local set of 2015 aerials

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.239548/-75.024508/pines2015/0.00/0.00

Plus a set of 2007 aerials (without parcels)

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.239548/-75.024508/pines2007/0.00/0.00

These are Level 17 (4-foot) versions of the original NJGIN Level 19 (1-foot) aerials, so you won't see as much detail. But the trade-off is faster loading and better availability.

Here's the new menu, the topo maps are unchanged. Just in case you weren't already confused, I moved the parcels down below the regular aerials. :)

menu3.png

(note: updated to include 2020 aerials)
 
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Boyd

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I think that will be it for awhile!

I lied... :D

Added a local version of the 2020 aerials to round out the set. As I've said, not so crazy about the quality, but wanted something newer in the collection of fast-loading locally hosted maps. These aerials have a very greenish tint. Not quite sure how I feel about that - this is 2020 on the left and 2015 on the right. Both seem too dark and lacking clarity IMO:

https://boydsmaps.com/sync/#17/39.744157/-74.666800/pines2020a/0/0/pines2015/17/0/0

20v15.png



I think the 2012 aerials were much better (2020 on the left, 2012 on the right below)

https://boydsmaps.com/sync/#17/39.744157/-74.666800/pines2020a/0/0/pines2012/17/0/0

20v12.png



But 2007 wins in terms of contrast/clarity most of the time (2012 on the left, 2007 on the right below)

https://boydsmaps.com/sync/#17/39.744157/-74.666800/pines2012/0/0/pines2007/17/0/0

12v07.png



Of course, there are lots of reasons why one year or another may be best for you, depending on what you're looking for. And that's the whole idea here - to provide a full spread of dates so you can choose what works best! Remember, these are lower resolution versions (4 foot) of the original NJGIN maps (1 foot). But I find that good enough for many purposes, and they should load much faster (when you want to quickly flip through the years). But if you need maximum detail, use the originals (farther down the menu).

I really think this will be all of the new maps of the Pines for awhile now. Hadn't planned on doing nearly this much, but it was worth the effort. Now I need to re-write some code to accomodate the changes to HERE maps discussed elsewhere. As always, these site changes could cause problems. Clearing the browser cache should fix them - but post here if you need help.

Happy New Year to all! Stay safe and don't do anything (too) crazy tonight! :dance:
 
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Boyd

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Finally getting around to writing some documentation for my 2023 topo, should be online before too long. In the meantime, this map legend might be of interest - specifically note the difference in the style of the roads and trails that were traced from the USGS 24k topo maps. I used that purple-ish color for roads that aren't on the USGS maps and also used it for the NJDEP Points of Interest. I thought these were worth showing on the map (you only see them at zoom levels 16 and 17) and those are pretty standard symbols, but clearly not something that the USGS ever put on a topo.

One thing I learned when trying to follow the USGS style - it's actually pretty simple. Not as many different symbols or colors as I've used in my older topo maps. I guess they limited the number of colors due to printing costs?

________________________________________________________
legend.png
 
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bobpbx

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Sometimes, in things like that Boyd, one guy at the top can set the tone for what must be done. You remember the KISS principle, right? I worked for the Navy over 35 years, and they had a writing manual that was very good at suggesting writers cut out the bull and unecessary stuff.
 
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