The MapE Library is a set of C++ classes designed with the purpose of simplifying the development process of GIS applications for programmers. It supports a wide range of GIS features, including manipulating, displaying, printing, importing and exporting spatial data. Up to date, almost basic GIS features have been implemented in MapE. Unlike other GIS products which are usually shipped as ActiveX components, MapE is a set of C++ classes that can be easily embedded into your programs. Due to its small size, user-friendly interface, high performance and easy portability, MapE is strongly believed to become a very useful tool for GIS software developers.

From version 3.0, the MapE Library Standard is discontinued and MapESoft supports only the Professional Edition.

Information about various products of MapESoft, API changes and migration issue is available in following articles:

MapE Library Professional

MapE Library Standard

System requirements

The MapE Library can be installed in any computer running Microsoft Windows (9x/2000/NT/XP).

Software requirements:

- Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 for both desktop and Windows CE

- Microsoft Visual Studio .NET or Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 for desktop version

- eMbedded Visual C++ 3.0 or eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0 and Microsoft Pocket PC software development kit for Windows CE version

Note that you should have administrator rights in the computer MapE Library is being installed. After the installation any user can use the Library.

All samples were built in Windows XP environment, so sample applications may run not properly, or may be unstable under Windows 9x and Windows NT. Rebuilding application in appropriate OS will fix the problem.

Supported platforms

MapE-powered applications can run in desktop computers, embedded PC, Pocket PC and Smart Phone with Microsoft OS (stylus is required).

Currently the MapE Library supports almost all Microsoft operating systems:

- Windows 9x

- Windows NT

- Windows 2000

- Windows XP

- Windows CE (Pocket PC and CE .NET devices)

Supported development platforms:

- Microsoft Visual Studio 2005

- Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0

- Microsoft Visual Studio .NET

- eMbedded Visual C++ 3.0

- eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0

MapE API and native SQL format is the same for all supported platforms.

Features

Primitives

• Map point (int, _int64, float and double types of coordinates)

• Node (represented by some symbols in the screen)

• Picture (Image)

• Text

• Polypoint: a set (list) of map points

• Ellipse, rectangle, rounded rectangle

• Arc

• Chord

• Pie

• Spline

• Line

• Polyline

• Polygon

• AdvPolygon: a polygon with holes

• PolyPolyline: a set of polylines

• PolyPolygon: a set of polygons, some of them can be holes

• PolyAdvPolygon: a set of AdvPolygon (i.e. polygons with holes)

Basic Features

• SQL queries (geometry and meta data)

• R-tree indexing

• KD-tree indexing

• Unlimited undo/redo

• Map object label

• Own database system, smaller and faster then most popular GIS databases

• Support leading GIS and CAD formats

• Projections, datums: OPENGIS® WKT features implementation

- 125 projections

- 345 datums
- 500 coordinate transformations (datum shifts)
- 51 ellipsoids
- 13 Prime Meridians
- 57 unit types
- 1,800 coordinate systems  
- user defined coordinate systems based on WKT (Open GIS) projection files
- reading the projections of TAB and MIF vector files   

Tools

• Select, rectangle select, marquee select, polygon select tools

• Draw tools

• Drag, move, zoom in, zoom out, distance and square tools

• Edit tools

• Visualization tools

• File format converting tools (now support MapInfo MIF, TAB, AutoCAD DXF, ITU, ESRI Shape, ArcInfo, Cencus Tiger 2000, Microstation DGN, and UK NTF file)

• Coordinate system convention tools

Map objects processing

• Intersection of map objects (ellipse, rectangle, rounded rectangle, line, polyline, polygon, AdvPolygon, PolyPolygon, PolyAdvPolygon) with a rectangle

• All boolean operations with polygons (those may consist of multiple contours and holes): intersection, union, difference, exclusive OR

• Graph building from a random set of polylines

Supported format

GIS formats:

MapInfo MIF

MapInfo TAB

AutoCAD DXF

ITU

ESRI Shape

ArcInfo

Cencus Tiger 2000

Microstation DGN

UK NTF

Raster format:

BMP
GIF
ICO
TGA
PCX
WBMP
WMF

JPEG

PNG

MNG

TIFF

JBIG

PNM,

PPM,

PGM
RAS

JPEG-2000

Demo version

Applications built with the demo version of MapE Library does not allow user to edit map via GUI, without zoom-in/ zoom-out feature. Please register your copy!