Automatic mapping and innovative on-demand mapping services at IGN France

Mapmaking has become widespread through the Internet, resulting in a wide range of cartographic quality. To achieve better quality, mapmaking needs tools and online services for intuitive and efficient on-demand mapping. A project teamat IGN, the French National MappingAgency, is working on producing a digital cartographic model (DCM) from various existing databases and mapson which such tools and services are based. This DCM ranges from detailed topographic mapsto small general road maps. GeoServer Web Map Servicecapabilities were used extensively to produce quality mapswith various legends. Special care was taken to make a default legendsuitable for customer data overlays, both on-screen and on paper. Web-based interface prototypes were built to guide users in choosing colors and creating their own original map legends. Users can also rely on a growing catalog of harmonious colorpalettes and mapsamples as sources of inspiration.