RockWorks | Utilities | Earth | Public Land Grid
This program:
- Reads user-input menu settings.
- Creates a KML output file which displays the selected Ranges and Townships, based on the RockWare Landbase. The map lines and labels will be clamped to the ground.
- Creates a KMZ (zip) output file, containing the KML file.
- Loads the KMZ file in Google Earth.
! This program requires that you have downloaded the free RockWorks Landbase. See the Landbase Overview for a discussion and for coverage maps and tables.
Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary
- Map Extents: Click this tab to tell the program how big to make your map.
- Project Dimensions (Slow): Choose this option if you want to create a land grid map for the entirety of your project, across the coordinate extents established in the Project Dimensions tab.
! Because this option requires that the program scan the entire LandBase library, this can be very slow.
- Longitude & Latitude (Slow): Choose this option if you wish to enter the longitude and latitude coordinates, in decimal degrees, for the map edges.
! Because this option requires that the program scan the entire LandBase library, this can be very slow.
- Western Border (Min Longitude): Click to the right to type in the decimal longitude coordinate for the western edge of the section map.
- Eastern Border (Max Longitude): Click to the right to type in the decimal longitude coordinate for the eastern edge of the section map.
- Southern Border (Min Latitude): Click to the right to type in the decimal latitude coordinate for the southern edge of the section map.
- Northern Border (Max Latitude): Click to the right to type in the decimal latitude coordinate for the northern edge of the section map.
- Range & Township: Choose this option if you want to create the section map for a specific Range and Township listing. Click this tab to establish the Range and Township extents for the map to be created. Partial Townships are not allowed.
! Please refer to the Landbase Overview for more information about what areas are covered in the land grid database.
- Meridian: The current meridian will be displayed on the large button on the top. Click on the displayed value to change it - you'll see a map of the U.S. Select the BLM zone in which you are working by clicking in the appropriate radio button. This setting is important in order to define the correct placement of the Range and Township data.
- Ranges: Enter the Ranges to be included in the map.
- Westernmost Range: Type in the number for the westernmost Range to be included in the map. You need to be sure to enter a number and a letter, as in "6W" or "R6W", or as in "3E" or R3E". You can also note western Ranges simply with a negative sign, as in "-6" and eastern Ranges with a positive sign, as in "3"
- Easternmost Range: Type in the number for the easternmost Range to be included in the map. As above, you need to enter a number and a letter, as in ""6W" or "R6W", or as in "3E" or R3E". You can also note western Ranges simply with a negative sign, as in "-6" and eastern Ranges with a positive sign, as in "3.0"
- Townships: Select the Townships to be included in the map.
- Southernmost Township: Type in the number for the southernmost Township to be included in the map. You need to be sure to enter a number and a letter, as in "13S" or "T13S", or as in "5N" or T5N". You can also note Southern Townships simply with a negative sign, as in "-13" and Northern Townships with a positive sign, as in "5"
- Northernmost Township: Type in the number for the northernmost Township to be included in the map. As above, you need to enter a number and a letter, as in "13S" or "T13S", or as in "5N" or T5N". You can also note southern Townships simply with a negative sign, as in "-13" and northern Townships with a positive sign, as in "5"
- Map Options: Use these settings to define how the section map will look.
- Sections
- Borders: Insert a check in this box to include the section border lines in the map.
- Color: Click on the color box to choose a color for the section border lines.
- Thickness: Enter the thickness for the section lines in pixels. A value of "1" will generate thin lines, "3" thick lines.
- Fill: Check this box if the section polygons should include a fill color.
- Color
- Fixed: Choose this for uniform fill. Click the color box to choose the fill color.
- Random: Choose this option to have RockWorks randomly select fill colors.
- Opacity: Type in an opacity percentage. Examples: "20" will be 20% opaque (80% transparent); "75" will be 75% opaque, 25% transparent.
- Labels: Check this to include labels inside each section to represent the section number.
! Note: Even if you omit section labels from the map, you'll be able to click on a section when it's displayed in Google Earth to see the Range, Township, and Section information.
- Color: Click on the color box to the right to choose the section label color.
- Size: This establishes the size of the section labels, as a percent of the diagonal size of the section. Default = 1.
Rule of thumb: 0.5 will create small labels, 2.0 large labels.
- Verbose: If checked, each section label will also include range and township number. If not checked, only the section number will display.
- Include Acreages: If checked, the computed acreage values will be listed in the labels below the Section number.
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- Townships
- Borders: Check this box to draw the township border lines.
- Color: Click on the color box to choose a color for the township border lines.
- Thickness: Enter the thickness for the township lines in pixels. A value of "1" will generate thin lines, "3" thick lines.
- Fill: Check this box to fill the township polygons with a solid color fill.
- Color
- Fixed: Choose this for uniform fill for all polygons. Click the color box to select the color.
- Random: Choose this option to have RockWorks randomly select fill colors.
- Opacity: Enter an opacity percentage. Examples: "20" will be 20% opaque (80% transparent); "75" will be 75% opaque, 25% transparent.
- Labels: Check this box to include map labels inside each township to represent the range and township number.
- Color: Click on the color box to choose the township label color.
- Size: This establishes the size of the labels, as a percent of the diagonal size of the section. Default = 1.
Rule of thumb: 0.5 will create small labels, 2.0 large labels.
- Verbose: Check this box if the township labels should contain "R" and "T" in addition to the numbers and directions.
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- Decimal Fractions: Check this box if the labels should include fractional township notations.
- Labeling Convention: Use the radio buttons to specify whether the Range or Township is listed first.
- Group Name: Type in the name to assign to the cone map, which will be displayed in the Google Earth data tree.
- Output Options: Click on this tab to define the output file and display settings.
- Output File Name
- Automatic: Choose this option to have RockWorks assign the name automatically. It will use the name of the current program plus a numeric suffix, plus the ".KMZ" file name extension.
- Manual: Click this option to type in your own file name. The extension is ".KMZ".
- Display output within Google Earth: Check this box if you want to display the output at this time in Google Earth.
! Note that the actual program which will be used to display the KMZ file is determined by your Windows settings.
- Use Custom View: If unchecked, the starting viewpoint for the map will be determined automatically. If checked you can set a custom view.
- Longitude, Latitude: Type in the longitude and latitude coordinates where the viewpoint will be.
- Heading: Type in the 0 to 360 degree bearing from the viewpoint to the map.
- Tilt: Type in the angle downward from the viewpoint to the map.
- Range: Enter the distance in meters from the viewpoint to the map.
- Select the Utilities | Earth | Public Land Grid menu option.
- Enter the menu options as described above.
- Click the Process button to continue.
The program will create a KML file containing the land grid lines, clamped to the ground. It will create a KMZ (zip) file containing the KML file. The Google Earth KML and KMZ file names will be assigned as you specified.
The resulting map will be displayed in Google Earth, if requested.
Back to Earth Menu Summary
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