Mapping Solutions releases TerraViewer for MapPoint

Mapping Solutions is pleased to announce the release of its latest product, TerraViewer for MapPoint. With a high speed Internet connection, TerraViewer brings imagery from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) into Microsoft MapPoint as a dynamic overlay as the map is panned and zoomed. This imagery comes from the Terraserver-USA web service (http://www.terraserver-usa.com), and includes USGS Urban Area Color Aerial Imagery, Black and White Aerial Imagery and Topographic maps.

“Aerial images can now finally be enjoyed by the MapPoint user community. Many Internet services are available, but these services do not integrate with your mapping engine. TerraViewer for MapPoint changes all that….you can have your maps and aerials too…all in one package.” said Mapping Solutions Vice President, Duncan Campbell.

For $195.00, users receive an unlimited number of USGS color aerial images, USGS black and white aerial images, unlimited number of USGS Topographical maps. Color imagery is currently available for about 40 major metropolitan areas with more being added, and black and white imagery and topographic maps are available nationwide. Images can be downloaded and stored on your local hard drive. TerraViewer for MapPoint can be purchased and electronically downloaded from http://www.mappingsolutions.com. A thirty day trial version is also available.

For more information regarding Mapping Solutions' TerraViewer for MapPoint or other Mapping Solutions products and services, contact Duncan Campbell at (517)-332-7735 campbell@mappingsolutions.com or visit us at http://www.mappingsolutions.com.

About Mapping Solutions
Founded in 1995, Mapping Solutions, LLC is the maker of Map-In-A-Box for MapInfo Professional and for ESRI ArcGIS, and TerraViewer USA for MapInfo Professional and for ESRI ArcGIS. In addition to these products, Mapping Solutions empowers corporations in North America and Europe with spatial solutions to make better business decisions on the enterprise, the Internet, the desktop and the hand-held platforms. Mapping Solutions provides software, data, custom programming, consulting services and training services in addition to its shrink-wrapped software solutions.

Re TerraViewer: It seems to me it is not yet ready for prime time.
It redraws on every movement, magnification or pan on MapPoint and the Terra map cannot be viewed at the same time as the MapPoint map.
The Topo Maps are very old and don't even show some Interstate highways.

TerraViewer its current state, it should be give away for free as enticement to buy the full product which would do the following:
1. Have multiple widows a) mappoint, b) topo, c) arial photo. Each window would support diffent magnifications. Tracking could be enabled or disabled where the mouse has a shadow in each of the other windows if tracking is enabled. This probably requres help from Microsoft because, my understanding of the MapPoint API is that it is quite limited.
2. Recent 7.5 minute Topo maps would be available
3. Region saves of arial and topo maps would allow this stuff to be downloaded onto a Pocket PC or take in a car on a laptop.
4. Tracing would be supported where outlines on one map would draw on another - this would allow for easy corrections to MapPoint maps from pictures.
5 Reasonable caching would be done so a constant Internet access and redownload would not be required.