Cartography Toolkit

Tools and Skills
The Toolkit incorporates all the tools that are required to build maps based on Navico’s NMOD (Navico Marine and Outdoor Database) specification; however, it does not provide the tools to reprocess data into the NMOD specification. Those tools and skills must be provided by the content partner.

A Digital Rights Management (DRM) schema is placed on the content at the end of the production process discouraging mapping content from unauthorized duplication.

To create mapping content using the Toolkit the technical staff member who is building maps using the Toolkit must be a GIS expert. He/she has to be experienced in reprocessing, re-projecting and re-attributing ESRI shape files, along with splitting and merging shape files.  A good expertise in using tools like ArcGIS, Quantum GIS, Mapwindow GIS and GlobalMapper is essential.

Toolkit Tiers
The Cartography Toolkit consists of 3 “tiers”, each focused on a specific task. Tier 1 provides the tools to create AT5 or PSF vector maps. Tier 2 provides the tools to create AT5 vector maps from S-57 formatted ENC data. Tier 3 provides tools to create AT5 raster maps.

The AT5 format is Navico’s proprietary charting format used to display charts in Simrad NSE & NSO and B&G Zeus products.

The PSF format is the proprietary charting format used to display charts in Lowrance Endura products.

Toolkit Availability
Once the Toolkit License agreement has been executed by the licensee and Navico, the licensee will be provided access to a Toolkit FTP site where the latest versions of the three software tiers and all required documentation are located. The tools are updated from time to time by Navico at Navico’s sole discretion.

Distribution on micro/SD card – Gang Programmer
Maps created using the Toolkit are currently distributed on SD and microSD cards only. There is currently no distribution via CD, DVD or electronic download. To create the SD/microSD cards Navico provides (for a fee) a Gang Programmer which applies the DRM schema to the map files and copies the file to a SD or microSD card. The Gang Programmer is provided at the then current cost when a Purchase Order is submitted and is capable of creating up to 16 SD/microSD cards at a time.

Detailed Documentation
Each tier of the toolkit provides is accompanied by highly detailed documentation on the steps required to build a map product along with a sample project for each type of map that can be created using the toolkit.