Le portail francophone de la géomatique

Ordnance Survey, l'IGN anglais, annonce l'achevement de la couverture
complete de l'Angleterre par10 570 cartes au 1/10 000 (Landplan),
realisees directement en numerique a partir de la base de donnees commune
qui contient tous les objets geographiques representes sur les cartes.
Chaque carte peut etre imprimee a la demande et personnalisee en fonction
des besoins de son utilisateur : choix de la zone couverte (centree sur
tel point), avec ou sans courbes de niveau, en couleur ou en noir et blanc
etc. La mise a jour put etre faite sans exiger cinq, dix ou vingt ans,
comme pour certaines cartes au 1/25 000. Il s'agit de donnees vectorielles
et non d'un scan produit a partir des planches meres utilisees pour
l'impression, scan qui ajoute des delais aux delais...

Bref, il s'agit d'un produit moderne, realise selon des methodes
radicalement differentes de celles de la cartographie classique. Le
processus traditionnel est : je vole au mieux tous les 5 ans (photo
aerienne), j'interprete les cliches pour en extraire l'information (cela
prend du temps et coute tres cher), je restitue cette information sous
forme de cartes (encore du temps et de l'argent). Le processus moderne :
je met en place une base de donnees, je gere les evenements en continu
(Ordnance Survey parle d'un delai maximal de 8 jour pour integrer un objet
nouveau ou une anomalie qui lui sont signalees) et je la restitue sous
forme de cartes variees, au moyen de logiciels ad hoc, le cartographe
n'intervenant que pour la touche finale (en plus, bien sur, du parametrage
des logiciels).

Interessant, non ?

Georges Bertrand

Pour info : l'essentiel du communique d'Ordnance Survey

OS Landplan map series. a jigsaw of 10,570 large-scale plans now covering
the whole of Britain. Announcing completion of the new 1:10,000 scale map
series during a visit to Ordnance Surveyis head office in Southampton,
Environment Minister Beverley Hughes MP said: iItis appropriate that
Landplan has finished on such a high point. The new mapping will be a huge
benefit to professionals in the property and construction industries, to
both central and local government, and indeed to anyone interested in
mapping.i Landplan is the first map series to be digitally created from a
range of Ordnance Survey databases. Dedicated computer software was
designed to automatically process, simplify and merge the data together,
with expert cartographers putting the finishing touches to the new
mapping. Landplanis computerised format means that it can be updated far
more quickly and easily than traditional 1:10,000 scale maps. And, because
it is directly derived from a common database, Landplan is consistent with
other prod
ucts in Ordnance Surveyis Superplan range. Unlike traditional paper maps,
the new format allows each customer to choose from a range of printed
alternatives to match their precise requirements. Each map is produced
individually to order, and can be centred on a particular site or postcode
location. It can be printed on a choice of media, with or without
contours, in either colour or black and white.
Landplan is produced at 1:10,000 scale, but 1:5,000 scale enlargements are
also available. As part of Ordnance Surveyis Superplan family of
large-scale digital products, Landplan prints are available through a
same-day service from a network of Ordnance Survey Superplan Agents around
Britain.
Ordnance Surveyis Director General, Vanessa Lawrence, presented Ms Hughes
with a framed Landplan print of Stretford and Urmston, the main towns in
her own constituency, to celebrate the completion of Landplan mapping of
Great Britain.
Landplan has been awarded the title of Millennium Product by the Design
Council because of the high quality of its design and the technology used
to create it.