Abstract: MAPRO--Geographic Mapping Program

Harold Cable

The basic purpose of MAPRO is to provide the capability of producing geographic maps to the general user having a minimum knowledge of both computers and cartography. Within this limitation, MAPRO was designed to be as flexible as possible while remaining virtually system independent.

The most important consideration to the general user is the command-language structure of the program. The first phase includes all program initialization necessary to create the desired map. This includes specifying the limits of the area to be plotted and the size of the plotted map. The next phase consists of selecting which of 40 map projections is to be used. The final phase produces the completed map from a geographic data base or from information in the first phases.

A geographic data base consisting of latitude and longitude information is necessary for program manipulations. The information may consist of point data (e.g., city or well locations), line data (e.g., pipelines or structure contours), or area data (e.g., oil and gas fields or facies categories). MAPRO currently has the capability of using either serial or incremental (DIME) format to store information.

MAPRO was first implemented on a Honeywell 635 system. Minor modifications allow usage on both an IBM 360/165 system and a Data General Nova 1220 minicomputer. Using different interface routines, maps have been plotted on a Benson-Lehner incremental plotter, a Gerber plotter, and a Xynetics 1100 plotter. Interactive display has also been done using a Tektronics graphics terminal.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90961©1978 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma