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Track: Database Design and Automation
Mark Johnson
CIA Map Library
930 Dolly Madison Blvd.
Mclean, VA 22101
Telephone: 703-742-8071
Fax: 703-733-5396
E-mail: maj@cospo.osis.gov
A Method for Estimating the Cost to Convert Hard Copy Topographic Maps to Vector Data Products
Defining Issue: When an organization contracts with a third party service vendor to vectorize topographic maps, the organization's project manager is faced with questions about how much the job should cost. The manager might base an estimate on experience, but such a basis risks perpetuating artificially high or low prices. GIS Solution: The author has developed a cost projection technique based upon the estimated density of features on the source map. Additional cost factors are also identified. Methodology: Sampling windows are placed on the source map using heuristically derived rules. Features are counted in each window for each future layer. A formula is used to estimate total features from the sample. Finally, total feature counts are normalized to a standard mapping unit. Cost depends upon either (1) a negotiated price per density layer per standard map unit or (2) a negotiated labor rate per estimated level of effort per layer per standard map unit. Additional factors have been identified and
will be presented, but have not been integrated into the estimating methodology.
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