The city of Bath, Maine, has launched its online GIS Web site using DeLorme XMap/GIS Editor and XMap Web 3.0 — GIS software for creating, analyzing and publishing GIS data online.

Bath's XMap Web site displays accurate parcel boundaries against a backdrop of DeLorme TopoBird orthoimagery. The parcel data includes associated parcel attributes, as authorized and released by Bath officials, which can be queried using the XMap Web search tools.

TopoBird orthoimagery represents the latest in high-resolution color imagery collected using airborne digital image capture and processing technologies pioneered at DeLorme (Yarmouth, Maine, U.S.).

Paul Mateosian, the Bath city assessor, initially used XMap/GIS Editor to integrate the city's parcel polygons with Bath's tax database. This information was overlaid on top of the aerial imagery. “Having the TopoBird imagery as a backdrop definitely adds to the impact,” says Mateosian.

After building a number of queries to offer immediate access to specific parcel data, the parcel map was published to Bath's XMap Web site, a process that requires little more than a couple of mouse clicks. Mateosian took the further step of creating a link from Bath's online assessor's database search engine to XMap Web. Each property search result includes a link that opens XMap Web centered on that particular parcel.

Mateosian's use of XMap isn't limited to online map administration. “Using XMap/GIS Editor on my laptop, I created a query to select all the parcels that had sold in the last two years. These I chose to display with a red outline. With DeLorme's Earthmate GPS receiver as my guide, I was able to take a drive around town to visit these parcels, following my progress on the TopoBird image.”

Bath is currently exploring the applicability of XMap for its law enforcement, fire and safety, and public works departments. “Flexibility and simplicity are the key,” says Mateosian, “I see XMap being put to use for a lot of our mapping projects”

With the release of XMap/GIS Editor, DeLorme now offers GIS professionals an affordable alternative for the creation of a geographic information system complete with editing tools, symbolization and classification tools, and query builders. XMap/GIS Editor includes an easy-to-use publish-to-Web capability, enabling GIS professionals to post GIS data at the click of a mouse.

The 30cm TopoBird orthoimagery was collected in the spring of 2003. TopoBird is currently collecting and archiving all of New England and, to date, has collected nearly 50,000 miles² (129,499 km²) — roughly 8 terabytes of data. On average, 1400 miles² (3626 km²) or 11 flight lines can be acquired daily. TopoBird is on-track to complete New England, flown and processed, by fall 2004.

The Bath GIS Web site (http://xmapweb.delorme.com/SABath/XMap.asp) will provide:

• Assessment tools for a more accurate and efficient property valuation process.

• Real-estate tools for easy remote access to property information and location views.

• Web GIS layers for various municipal departments.

• Easy access to parcel data and maps for land owners and the Bath community.

XMap is interoperable through the import/export of common files:

• XMap Web complies with OpenGIS Web Map Service Implementation Specification, 1.1.1, WMS 1.1.1.

• XMap/GIS Editor allows the import of many standard file types, including .shp, .e00, .dxf and .dwg files. XMap/GIS Editor also exports .shp files for complete interoperability.

• XMap/GIS Editor is interoperable through GML 2.0 support (OGC compliance rules pending).
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