KAS Software

Map viewing software

KAS Software has developed MapView as a free-to-download Windows® raster map viewing program.

Likewise, using free data available via the Ordnance Survey's OpenData™ initiative, KAS Software has created maps, height data and gazetteers for Britain and beyond. Some are available free, others for purchase.

Since it supports the viewing of GeoTIFFs, MapView can also be used with a wealth of free mapping data from the internet. For example the USGS provides free geotiffs and national elevation data for the whole of the US. Geotiffs and DEMS are available free for the whole of Canada. Other countries have patchier data availability. Check out this page of links.

We can supply USGS geotiff quadrangle files. There are some sample composite maps (and matching elevation data), created by merging these original geotiff files available for free download on this site.

Above and below are screenshots from mapView. Above is an OpenGL view of a USGS 1:24,000 scale GeoTIFF of somewhere draped over USGS NED elevation data. Below a further map created from USGS data. All maps were created by KAS Software and use our open specification gdf map file format.

MapView can also show maps in 3D using directX. These maps are again in gdf format, but contain extra information to support a Level of Detail (LOD) approach to the display of large 3D maps, and allow for quite a convincing fly-through of the terrain.

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KAS Software - Company Background

KAS Software Ltd was founded in 1997 as a single-contractor limited company to carry out a software engineer/systems development contract for Scottish Nuclear. KAS Software later diversified into Windows software, the first product of which was the MapView program for displaying Ordnance Survey maps of Great Britain in a seamless manner. This has since morphed into the free digital raster map viewing program referred to above.

The following is a brief outline of the non-mapping skillbase of the company.

RTAP/Plus - SCADA on UNIX, Linux and NT

The company has by now accrued over twenty years experience in developing applications for the Rtap/Plus SCADA package, primarily on HP-UX and Solaris, but laterly on Windows-NT and most recently Linux.

This has involved all aspects of RTAP configuration, data acquisition, user-interface design, programing and integration with external systems. Applications that have been developed by KAS Software Ltd include: scan tasks for Solartron IMPs, Modbus, Reypak, Fluke, Iris and Ferranti Mk2 RTUs; data acquisition from external systems using non-scan task processes, such as for Ferranti Argus 700s; calculation engine functions; peridiodic calculations that could not be performed by the calculation engine; Motif control panels; database conversion and configuration; alarm display; data exporting to external systems; interfacing of Rtap databases to the Picasso-3 and SL-GMS graphical application packages.

(As a further Rtap link, see also Rtap Users Group)

Rtap/Plus with Picasso-3 & SL-GMS

The Picasso-3 graphical package has a substantial pedigree in industrial installations worldwide. Its easy configuration and nicely human-readable picture description language makes it particularily suitable for converting existing bespoke graphical languages into one that can run on both UNIX and Windows platforms.

SL-GMS (the SL Graphical Modeling System) is a 2D graphics software development tool that creates animated interface screens for the display and management of dynamic data.

Okay, it was a while ago, but KAS Software has experience in the deployment of Picasso-3 in a Solaris environment, and in SL-GMS on Solaris and Windows-NT platforms.

Coordinate Conversion

Development of our MapView program has necessitated the generation of code for converting and transforming coordinates (for the difference read Co-ordinate Conversions and Transformations including Formulas, OGP guidance note 7, part 2), including the OSTN02 transformation, NADCON, NTv2, NTF and many other TLAs & MLAs. If you require code or bespoke programs, we may be able to help.

General C Programming

Any type of C programming work can be undertaken for any platform, simply contact info@KASsoftware.com