TrueOrtho imagery helps eliminate expensive stereo compilation for planimetric mapping.

ISTAR Americas and VARGIS LLC have teamed to deliver a one-foot, natural color TrueOrtho mosaic for the entire area of Howard County, Maryland. The fast-growing county is relying on the ISTAR TrueOrtho image mosaic to “heads-up digitize” new planimetric updates into their GIS as a cost-effective alternative to expensive stereo compilation. Howard County is a mixture of expanding suburbs and rural farmland along the Interstate 95 corridor between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Working as a VARGIS contractor, ISTAR Americas acquired the 1-foot resolution digital aerial data in late February 2002 and delivered a countywide TrueOrtho image to VARGIS within 90 days. This geometrically accurate mosaic was then color-enhanced in subsequent weeks to match past imagery, and integrated to the county’s GIS operation. Typically, the county obtains new stereo photography every four years to update its map base through traditional stereo compilation, but this year it chose ISTAR as a faster and more cost-effective way to update their planimetric landbase.