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GIS Software for OS MasterMap

Overview

The following are some basic instructions on using downloaded OS MasterMap in various GIS packages.

More detailed information for selected systems is available here

A full list of software that supports OS MasterMap can be found on the Ordnance Survey website at:

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/osmastermap/information/technical/software.html

Pre-requisites

1. Download OS MasterMap data from Digimap MasterMap Download – specify area and themes of interest before downloading.
2. The data is delivered by default as a zip archive, although other archive options are available. The data in the archives is always compressed using gzip to give .gz (or gzipped) files. Before importing into GIS software the archive should be unpacked so that the .gz file is accessible.

Dotted Eyes InterpOSe for Digimap Edition

InterpOSe for Digimap is designed to process the data delivered from the OS MasterMap service. It handles both the Topography and ITN layers of OS MasterMap for conversion to various file formats, including Shape, TAB, mid/MIF and DWG/DXF.

Download

InterpOSe for Digimap can be downloaded from:

http://www.dottedeyes.com/spatial_data_loading/interpose/digimap.php

It is free of charge for teaching and learning by staff and students of institutions of higher and further education.

The free licence does not allow academic organisations or individuals to carry out consultancy work for financial gain. Such activities require a standard commercial licence to InterpOSe.

Instructions

Full instructions on how to use InterpOSe are provided with the installation.

ESRI ArcGIS 9.1

The following steps are required to use MasterMap data in ArcGIS 9.1:

Instructions

1. Use ESRI MapManager 9 in ArcCatalog or as a standalone application to import the data - MapManager 9 can read OS MasterMap as either uncompressed .gml or compressed .gz files.

   Full details of using MapManager can be found at:

   http://www.esriuk.com/literature/documents/osmastermap_topography_wp.pdf
   

2. Data must be imported directly into a Geodatabase – it is not possible to convert OS MasterMap directly to another format in ArcGIS. For small datasets this can be a Personal Geodatabase, which uses a Microsoft Access database and has a size limit of 2Gb. For larger databases, or where multi-user access for update is required, an ArcSDE Geodatabase is required which uses an RDBMS such as Oracle, Informix or SQLServer.
3. Once data has been loaded into the Geodatabase the user has several options with what to do with the data:
   • Preview the data in ArcCatalog
   • View and edit the data using ArcMap
   • Export the data as Shapefiles or other formats.

     Using the MapManager 9 OS MasterMap Geodatabase Filter – users can specify regions to export using a polygon and select specific feature classes to export.

     Using ArcToolbox, export to Shape, Arc Coverages and CAD formats. Individual feature classes from the Geodatabase can be exported.
     

4. If data is loaded into ArcGIS, the data representation (symbology, linestyle, area fill, font etc) needs to be defined and the layers chosen. Instructions and sample symbology files can be found at:

   http://edina.ac.uk/mastermap/resources/sample_data.shtml
   

ESRI ArcGIS 9.2

As of ArcGIS 9.2, ESRI have replaced MapManager with Productivity Suite. Productivity suite includes the application OS MasterMap Convertor. As with MapManager above, this converts OS MasterMap into a Personal Geodatabase for use in ArcMap. Productivity Suite also contains applications for post processing OS MasterMap data such as the Remove Duplicates tool and a tool to build a road network from the ITN data.

Help on using Productivity Suite can be found on the ESRI (UK) website at:

http://www.myesriuk.com/esriuk/members/resourcecentre/prodsuiteexplor.htm

and

http://www.myesriuk.com/esriuk/members/resourcecentre/FullITNVideoV3.htm

MapInfo

MapInfo 6.x/7.x

If you are using MapInfo Professional 6.x, or 7.x there is a free OS MasterMap to MIF/MID format translator available from the Bodleian Library called OSM2MIF (http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/guides/maps/translat.htm).

The translator will convert individual or multiple GML files to MIF/MID. Note that the compressed .gz files need to be uncompressed to .gml for OSM2MIF.

Once converted to MIF/MID using OSM2MIF the files can be imported into MapInfo and saved as TAB files using the Table --> Import command.

There is currently an issue with OSM2MIF that means that not all 'holes' or nested polygons are imported correctly.

MapInfo 8.0/9.x

MapInfo Professional 8 and above contains the ability to convert OS MasterMap data directly into TAB files for use in MapInfo. This works with Topographic Layer data but NOT with ITN Layer data, whether from EDINA or from Ordnance Survey. Please note though that the compressed .gz file needs to be uncompressed to .gml before opening the file in MapInfo.

Autodesk Map 3D 2007/2008

Autodesk Map 3D 2007/2008 includes the ability to import OS MasterMap data.

Instructions

1. Go to File --> Import --> Vector Files --> Files of type OS (GB) MasterMap (GML 2).

   If this menu is not present then you may need to go to View --> Menu/Toolbar Layout and select Map 3D for Geospatial.

2. Full details for importing OS MasterMap can be found on the Autodesk website at:

   http://www.autodesk.co.uk/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=452932&id=7292811

3. This includes access to a template file that can be used to import the data so that it is represented using the OS style, available at:

   http://www.autodesk.co.uk/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=452932&id=7986865

Note: There appears to be a problem currently with Autodesk reading OS MasterMap files that are greater than about 8Mb compressed (.gz).

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