MapTap Data Buffet: make better maps

All of these data files require MapTap for PalmOS.

USA files are reduced resolution versions of data files from the US Geological Survey's National Atlas. For the original data, in standard GIS formats, see their web server. Most of the original data was at scale 1:2,000,000, but has been resampled to an even smaller effective scale for use in MapTap.

World files are reduced resolution versions of the NIMA VMAP Level 0 data, formerly known as the Digital Chart of the World (http://www.nima.mil/publications/vmap0.html). City data makes use of population figures from the World Gazetteer (http://www.gazetteer.de/), (c) World Gazetteer, used by permission.

The data manipulation is done using the software tool FME, by Safe Software, a batch-oriented GIS and file conversion Swiss Army Knife. The translation to Mobile Geographics's internal MGV format is made with custom tools running under the open source GIS GRASS.

Quick jumps

• Full list of individual USA datafiles, with descriptions
• Full list of individual world datafiles, with descriptions
• just the files
  • Full archive of all available USA datafiles: MacOS or Windows ZIP format
  • Full archive of all available World datafiles: MacOS or Windows ZIP format
  • Individual USA datafiles for installation into your PDA's memory
  • Individual USA datafiles for installation onto a VFS expansion card (SD, CF, or MemoryStick)
  • Individual World datafiles for installation into your PDA's memory
  • Individual World datafiles for installation onto a VFS expansion card (SD, CF, or MemoryStick)

Regular or VFS?

If you are installing your mapfiles onto a VFS expansion card (a CF, SD, or MemoryStick as found on the Handera 330, TRG Pro, Sony Clie, or Palm m500/m505/m515/i705/m130), then you should use the VFS versions of the mapfiles. Place them on the VFS card, in directory "/PALM/Launcher", using either the Palm Desktop software ("Install to card") or a standalone flash memory reader/writer.

"Regular" versions of the files will not work on VFS. "VFS" versions of the files can be installed directly to memory, but the HotSync operation will take a very, very, very long time; it's definitely not recommended.

If you don't know what a VFS card is, you probably don't have one. Use "regular".

USA
US States
US state boundaries, with state FIPS codes, 2-letter abbreviations, and names. "USFIPSstateATR" is needed if you want to see names; without that file only the FIPS code is visible. regular version: USstates-Zmap.pdb USFIPSstateATR-Zmap.pdb VFS version: USstates-Mmap.pdb USFIPSstateATR-Mmap.pdb original USGS source version description and metadata shapefile SDTS
US counties
County/parish boundaries, with county FIPS codes, with county FIPS codes and names. "USFIPScountyATR" is needed if you want to see names; without that file only the FIPS code is visible. regular version: UScounties-Zmap.pdb USFIPScountyATR-Zmap.pdb VFS version: UScounties-Mmap.pdb USFIPScountyATR-Mmap.pdb original USGS source version description and metadata shapefile SDTS
US cities
A collection of 35,000 cities and populated places, separated into 4 files based on population (using 1998 best estimate). Includes national capital, state capitals, and county seats. File breakdown: UScities1 All cities with populations 100,000 or greater. Also includes national capital, state capitals, county seats (even if population is less than 100,000). UScities2 All cities with populations 10,000-99,999, unless the city is listed in layer "UScities1". UScities3 All cities with populations under 10,000, unless the city is listed in layer "UScities1". UScities4 Populated places and other cities for which no population figures are available. regular version: UScities1-Zmap.pdb UScities2-Zmap.pdb UScities3-Zmap.pdb UScities4-Zmap.pdb VFS version: UScities1-Mmap.pdb UScities2-Mmap.pdb UScities3-Mmap.pdb UScities4-Mmap.pdb original USGS source version description and metadata shapefile SDTS
US highways
Major roads of the United States, separated into 5 different files based on the road category. Categories are: UShighways1 Limited access highways. A route that is part of the United States Interstate Highway System or other similar expressway. UShighways2 Principal highways. A major United States-numbered highway or one of the most important State-numbered routes. UShighways3 Other through highways. A major State-numbered route or a minor United States-numbered highway. UShighways4 Other highways. A minor State-numbered route or other connector road. UShighwaysF Ferry crossing (across water). Load only the files up through the lowest level of road quality that you need, but load all the lower-numbered files also; e.g. UShighways1, UShighways2, and UShighways3 must all be loaded to see "Other through highways". regular version: UShighways1-Zmap.pdb UShighways2-Zmap.pdb UShighways3-Zmap.pdb UShighways4-Zmap.pdb UShighwaysF-Zmap.pdb VFS version: UShighways1-Mmap.pdb UShighways2-Mmap.pdb UShighways3-Mmap.pdb UShighways4-Mmap.pdb UShighwaysF-Mmap.pdb original USGS source version description and metadata shapefile SDTS
US airports
Major US airports with regularly scheduled flights; lists official airport name, and its three-letter code. Includes airports in the 50 United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands with enplanements greater than or equal to 250 passengers per year. regular version: USairports-Zmap.pdb VFS version: USairports-Mmap.pdb original USGS source version description and metadata shapefile SDTS
US railroads
Railroads in the 48 conterminous states, plus Alaska. regular version: USrailroads-Zmap.pdb VFS version: USrailroads-Mmap.pdb original USGS source version description and metadata shapefile SDTS
WORLD
World country boundaries
World political boundaries (revised May, 2003). "WorldCountryATR" is needed if you want to see country names and FIPS codes. "WorldIslandsATR" is needed if you want to see island names. regular version: WorldCountries-Zmap.pdb WorldCountryATR-Zmap.pdb WorldIslandsATR-Zmap.pdb VFS version: WorldCountries-Mmap.pdb WorldCountryATR-Mmap.pdb WorldIslandsATR-Mmap.pdb
World cities
Locations and names of over 12,000 world cities in countries other than the USA. The list includes all national capitals, all cities with population over 500,000, the largest city in each country, and an ad hoc assortment of other places. regular version: WorldCities-Zmap.pdb VFS version: WorldCities-Mmap.pdb
World airports
Positions, names, and ICAO codes for 9800 world airports, airfields, and military air facilities. regular version: WorldAerofac-Zmap.pdb VFS version: WorldAerofac-Mmap.pdb
World oceans
Names of world oceans, seas, gulfs, currents, and sounds. regular version: WorldOceans-Zmap.pdb VFS version: WorldOceans-Mmap.pdb
World undersea features
Names and locations of underwater canyons, trenches, basins, seamounts, reefs, and banks. regular version: WorldUndersea-Zmap.pdb VFS version: WorldUndersea-Mmap.pdb