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Marine Data Literacy 2.0

Providing instruction for managing, converting, analyzing and displaying oceanographic station data, marine meteorological data, GIS-compatible marine and coastal data or model simulations, and mapped remote sensing imagery

 

 

 

 

Home > 2. Marine GIS > 2.41 Global Imagery

2.41 Adding Global Imagery to Maps in Saga

  • Abstract:  This exercise covers how to get (very easily!) earth imagery (mapped graphics or remotely-sensed surface data) into your GIS resources to serve as the base maps.  The ultimate products can be saved as good quality digital maps or as KML file to recover the same map in Google Earth.

  • Preliminary Reading

    • N/A

  • Required Software:

  • Other Resources: 

  • Author:  Murray Brown

  • Version:  04-29-2016
1.  This new capability in Saga adds a wonderful access to some major global visual imagery, plus some cultural overlays.  You should spend some time exploring the various source options for your area(s) of special interest to find out which is/are better for your purposes.

2.  To begin, you need a fully projected map, such as the Parana coastal map shapefile above.  Download it and use ADD TO MAP to display it.
3.  Because the shape has PRJ and MSHP files, you can use the ADD BASE MAP utility, as shown here.

If any other shape does not seem to allow this, then it does not have these auxiliary files, and you'll have to add them as shown in 2.27.  Then you can use this exercise.

4.  Immediately after you click it, the default base map will be overlaid on the current map.  Saga takes care of all the projection issues itself.  Take some time to go over the map and imagery to make sure you agree with the apparent successful overlay.  Add the graticule, as you learned in 2.40

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5.  The entire new map (coastline, graticule and imagery) can be configured or improved by clicking the MAP OBJECT and working with its PROPERTIES.  This will take you lots of time, and you should work here to get the best results for your geographic issues.
6.  The GRATICULE by itself, can be modified with that part of the map.  All up to you.
7.  And the BASE MAP you've just added above can be configured by selecting its PROPERTIES.

We'll look at these more closely just below.
8.  You have already seen and worked with the properties typically available for shapes, such as the coastline used here, so this is not new.
9.  Go back to the BASE MAP properties, and let's look at the various options.

When you open the SERVER you'll see 8 named options.  Each one is an internationally published image set from a well known publisher.

The default map is the OPEN STREET MAP, which we've been seeing in Panel 4 above.
10.  Now we'll go through a gallery of the other 7 major image types.
11.  MapQuest
12.  Google Map
13.  Google Satellite
14.  Google Hybrid
15.  Google Terrain
16.  Google Terrain, Streets & Water
17.  ArcGIS Mapserver Tiles
18.  Before we move on to fame and glory, be sure to check this page in the PROPERTIES to read about the TERMS OF SERVICE which must be observed before you use one of these great images in any publications.

We don't want your Ph.D. to have to be mailed to you in the prison.
19.  Publications images?  How to save a great combined map and use it in your science publications?

Right-click on the map object in Saga to see these action options.  Saga will currently let you save the new combined map as an image, as you see here.  But apparently you cannot save the map as a collection of shapes.

Explore this image-saving route to see what it involves.