M.A.N. Mapping Services, Inc. The Finest Maps Since the Dawn of MAN

4090 Weaver Court South - Hilliard OH 43026 - Phone 614-876-3663 - Fax 614-876-3537

The Finest Maps Since the Dawn of M.A.N.

Digital Orthophotography

Click to view higher resolution. Orthophoto at 0.5 ft pixel resolution with contour overlay.

The addition of image capabilities to popular CAD packages has added a new twist to the relatively old process of orthophotography. Orthophotography has always been a way to combine the accuracy and ability to measure found in a map with the ease of reading and visual appeal of photos. What has changed is the ability of anyone with modest computing skills and the appropriate software to combine the ortho produced digitally with mapping data, title blocks, or user information. Because orthophoto production is no longer a labor intensive process separate from that of mapping, it can be a cost effective and valuable add-on to a current or past mapping project.

The term orthophoto comes with the understanding that the image has been corrected for flight conditions and a current representation of the ground's shape to make it a measurable product. There are times when this level of accuracy is not needed and would not warrant the need for survey control or accurate base mapping. In situations like this there is are several options that would yield varying accuracy. Sometimes known as semi-recitified digital imagery, these products are usually corrected using existing freely available data to produce an image that is digital, georeferenced, and more accurate than traditional photo enlargements.