Off-Site Insight by First Base Solutions

We'll hook you up! We're still flying. As an essential part of the supply chain for other businesses to continue operations, First Base is practicing physical distancing while remaining open. If your work place is doing the same, rest assured the aerial imagery services you rely on for mapping projects will continue to be provided as usual. Are you working from home? If your new work arrangement includes remote desktops, VPN, or some other work around to support a remote work force, your geospatial needs may have changed as well. Luckily there's more than one way to access our imagery: MapWarehouse , VuMAP , and MapCast.

Use our services in combination to get exactly what you want faster FBS sells aerial imagery, plus mapping data provided through reseller agreements with Teranet, Planet, TRCA and many others. The data is delivered to the end user through our three services: VuMAP, MapWarehouse, and MapCast. Watch the video tutorial and follow along with the transcript below: In the past, each service stood on it's own as an access point for different types of users. Legal researchers and those without desktop mapping software prefer VuMAP 's web based application. Developers and engineers that work extensively around a single site rely on MapWarehouse for downloadable georeferenced data tiles. Consultants, especially those who frequently look at details of many sites, are dedicated MapCast users. We cannot offer all types of partner data on all services, however, the services can be used together to get everything you need in less time. Let's go through an example working with Ter...

In Ontario, parcel mapping defining the boundaries of each property is maintained by Teranet. First Base Solutions is the official map data reseller to Canadian businesses working in land development, engineering, natural resources and more. How To Buy Parcels In CAD & GIS Formats If you use CAD or GIS software for your mapping projects, there are two recommended ways to purchase a section of the data in DWG or SHP format; MapWarehouse or custom order.

Sample contours map Find the right elevation imagery for your needs Elevation imagery from FBS is usually sold as either DEM with spot heights and break lines, or, as 1m interval contour lines derived from those DEM, but, we have a few other products you might not know about. As you can see in the chart, there are five products that you can extract elevation data from. Each has different types of deliverable's, precision, and geographic coverage:

High Resolution Orthophoto Imagery What is Orthophoto imagery? An Ort hophoto imagery is aerial imagery that has been digit ally corrected to be perfectly in scale. What Does This Mean?  This means all overhead perspectives are in uniform, You can draw on it, measure objects within the image with extreme accuracy; just like a conventional map. It is capable of measuring true direction and distances free of any distortions that may have been caused by the aircraft.

Time to start breaking the bank! Maximize that budget you have leftover with this incredible deal from First Base Solutions.  From February 1st to March 31st 2017 ,  If you purchase a 1 meter contours or DEM data on MapWarehouse, you will receive an additional 20% off any vintage orthophoto (below 2015) imagery! This is your chance to act now if you want to combine DEM or Contours with orthophoto imagery for a more complete and detailed view of your area of interest!

Just in time for the winter thaw, we are proud to announce the addition of  new orthophoto data for the city of Toronto. Our fleet of Cessna's were able to take several flights across the city during the Spring of 2016, capturing every detail of the city from a controlled and consistent elevation. Many changes can happen in just a short year throughout the city, if your organization depends on land usage and development, then having the most recent data is absolutely critical to maintaining your competitive advantage.

Top 6 trends of 2016 With 2016 now behind us, it’s now time to look ahead, and discuss what industry experts predict to be the prevailing trends for GIS and Geo-Spatial Technologies for 2017, and more importantly, what it means for you and your business. Lets begin by looking at the prevailing long term trends that should continue through the next 5 years. Then we will identify the short-term 2017 trends that are expected to grow.

Key concepts in digital mapping for professionals in any industry Maps have great visual appeal. They're easy to understand and interpret. They make boring data look like extraordinary data. They help you interpret other types of documents. They are time stamped objective records of the past. They're also inexpensive and easy to get. With so many compelling reasons to use maps in your day to day work more often, read on to learn some basic map reading skills to help you use modern mapping more effectively.

Beyond the book report If you need to reproduce a section of our maps and imagery to incorporate into your design proposal, research results, or similar professional documentation, spare a little room in your composition to cite your data sources correctly.  It not only fulfills the legal requirements of our EULA , the credibility and professionalism of your work goes up as well. Below you'll find some common examples for citing the source of data you've acquired from First Base Solutions as an inline citation in the border of a map or graphical compilation of data, figure details, footnote, or bibliography.

Plane or satellite, both are great options Download the infographic below to find a solution for every industry.

Optimize business processes immediately with hands-on mapping technology Pop quiz: A commercial customer contacts you for a quote to repave a parking lot. What do you do next?

Archiving paper map collections for good Technology is a disruptor to traditional industries. No business is immune, including mapping. By this time, most of us have traded in our glossy yellow 800 page spiral-bound gas station staples for something more functional and purse friendly.

Learn your way Watch the video or or follow the script below. The video is split into 4 parts: View, Query, Measure, Report. View: learn the basics Query: tools for researching property information Measure: tools for planning and projects Report: importing, exporting, sharing, and printing    Related: Saving, Surfing, or Streaming? How to choose the data delivery method that's right for your project

Monitor crop health and direct resources where they're really needed. Get the big picture and use aerial imagery to support decisions you make throughout the growing season. Here's three ways modern agriculture is benefiting from high resolution imagery and other mapping technologies.

Which image file format is best for my mapping project? At the MapWarehouse checkout, you'll need to choose a format for the files you've added to your cart before your order can be delivered. JPG and MrSID are the most popular compressed image formats. Both formats can be read by most up-to-date CAD and GIS software. The best file format to use for your particular project depends on what you're planning to do with the imagery layer. 

Governments Lie? Even though scientists tell us that the polar ice caps are melting at an alarming rate, the new Atlas of Canada tells a different story because the methodology of calculating sea ice has changed. Mark Monmonier's library of publications, the best known being How to Lie with Maps outlines this principle in detail. We don't condone dishonesty, of course, but you can emphasize the point you want to make, draw attention to certain features, or influence an audience like your stakeholders by presenting spatial data in a way that best supports your position.

The business case for using paid data services over free resources. Only the best data will do, however, Experian Data Quality 's recent “Create Your Ideal Data Quality Strategy” study indicates 92% of companies surveyed are experiencing difficulty with data management, 50% acknowledge that inadequate data quality negatively impacts their business. In the specific case of geospatial data, another dimension is added to the complexity of data that can challenge the best of us.

Carrying on a proud Canadian tradition of innovation in mapping technology. An oldie but a goodie.  I recently ran across this article called Digital age mapping delivers productivity gains published back in 2010 that made some good predictions about the direction of technology and has a lot of application for all the loyal fans of MapWarehouse out there.

Your GIS is only as good as the data that goes into it. GIS is everywhere these days, pun intended. You'll read about the advantages of using GIS to enhance your business, the value of location intelligence and visualizing your business data over a map to reveal new insights about your mobile workforce, inventory management, and customers.