Aerial Photos

[rmk]

Does anyone know where i can find high resolution low level aerials for purchase or free to use as a base map for a master utility map. i am using vanilla acad, Also, should we get Raster Design as well? thanks for any info and/or advice.
Robert

[Railrose]

Does anyone know where i can find high resolution low level aerials for purchase or free to use as a base map for a master utility map. i am using vanilla acad, Also, should we get Raster Design as well? thanks for any info and/or advice.
Robert

I'm not sure about sources for arial maps, but to answer your Raster Design question...

You only need Raster Design if you are going to edit the images. You would need it for things that manipulate the pixels in some way.

You can move, scale, & erase images using standard ACAD commands.

You can insert images similarly to inserting x-refs.

[cdatechguy]

How about Google Earth (http://earth.google.com/products.html)? (the not for free version)

[mpeterson79]

Try the USGS National Map Viewer, and select the available items under the Imagery tab.

Otherwise, try TerraServer, GlobeXplorer or maybe even GeoComm.

[mockdeep]

You can do File>Save>Save Image in the free version of GoogleEarth. I have also taken screen captures from different sites using CTRL+PrintScreen and pasting into Photoshop. Not sure if that's legal, though.

[Ed Jobe]

You can also check locally...City, county, public utilities, etc. They often do fly-overs and they may be newer than what is online. You may also be able to obtain gis data. If you are going to do much of that, I would suggest getting Map 3D to be able to work with the coordinate systems used by surveyors and to maintain the georeferencing of the data.

[cstvns08]

Worst case, yahoo maps can give you a decent image to work with from their satelite photos, failing that the textural nature of the maps i think is more accurate and pleasing to the eye than the google maps.