Tipton County GIS Scans Aging Land Grade Maps
Contex Wide Format Scanning Solutions Deliver High-Quality GIS Data for Tax Assessors
Fast access to county data has meant that the Assessor’s office staff save time and have peace of mind.
Tipton County GIS (Geographic Information Systems) department creates and uses GIS data in conjunction with the State of Tennessee’s GIS Base Mapping Program. The program is made up of a set of GIS layers based on existing State of Tennessee tax maps. These layers include street centerline, boundaries, hydrography, orthophotos, and parcels.
The Challenge: Capturing data from deteriorated, fragile maps
When staffers at the Tipton County Assessor of Property office needed access to its archive of land-grade maps, locating one involved a laborious search through a cabinet full of old maps. This tedious task was made more challenging because the aged maps were deteriorating, making them difficult to read. Without quick access to the map archive, the County Assessor’s role in evaluating property values was severely hampered. If the data was available in a digital format, the office could reference and digitize the lines incorporating the information seamlessly into their map viewer. County Assessors could evaluate property values in a fraction of the time required using paper maps. A solution to this impediment came from an innovative and cost-effective source: a Contex SD4400 series scanner wide format scanning system.
The Solution: Contex SD4400 series wide format scanner with Nextimage software
Tipton County GIS invested in a Contex 44” SD4400 series wide format scanner with Nextimage software not only to create a digital layer of the land-grade tax maps, but also to copy and scan other documents. The Contex scanner with Nextimage software and its real-time image enhancement capabilities captures the map data at the highest level of accuracy during the scanning process.
Tipton County GIS used the scanner to digitize its physical archive of aged and deteriorating maps. “Initially, I was concerned about how the roll-fed scanner would handle the maps, which are old and in poor condition,” comments Shawn Anderson, GIS Director of ipton County. “The Contex scanner delivered exceptional results, while maintaining the integrity of the maps.” The maps have since been placed in permanent storage.
Anderson used the scanner’s default settings, and the scanned maps did not require additional enhancement or manipulation. He used ESRI’s ArcGIS Desktop mapping software to geo-reference the scanned maps, then scaled them as needed. Because of the high quality from the scanning procedure, georeferencing and scaling was easy.
The Benefits: Premium scanning quality saves both time and money
At the touch of a button, County staffers are able to scan and make copies of the 24” x 36” land-grade maps, eliminating the expense of outsourcing the reproduction tasks. Staffers at all levels were pleasantly surprised to learn how easy the scanner is to use.
“The biggest benefit has been time,” comments Anderson. “The Contex scanner and Nextimage software deliver precise color reproduction with the closed-loop color calibration. We don’t have to do any touch-ups. After scanning a document, we can instantly send it to our HP DesignJet 1055cm Plus printer without waiting for the entire file to be processed. The scanner sends a bit at a time to improve performance, speed, and processing strain.”
Built for everyday use, the Contex SD4400 series scanner makes scanning documents like maps and drawings a quick, reliable, and accurate process. The large touch-screen control panel immediately allows users to view and correct images, eliminating both wasted paper and the need to re-scan. When connected to a printer, the scanner delivers the fastest scanning and image processing on the market. With its open architecture, a network-connected controller allows the printer and scanner to be shared across a network.
“The scanning speed is remarkable considering the size of the maps and their resolution. Quality has been truly exceptional. It was well worth the investment. It’s hard to put a direct cost on the benefit and effectiveness of this solution. Just the time saved and peace of mind it offers more than compensates the investment,” comments Anderson.
The Contex scanner was recommended by Nashville-based RJ Young, an office equipment and document solutions provider, which Anderson credits for finding Tipton County a great product.
The Results: Contex wide-format scanner brings convenience and peace of mind
Today, Tipton County’s GIS department provides high-quality, cost-effective map data to businesses, consumers, and the Internet community. This is made possible in part by the Contex wide format scanning solution, which has enabled the County maps to be accurately represented and centrally accessible. Not only does the Assessor’s Office rely on the scanned digital maps to quickly and easily provide accurate assessments, multiple departments now use the scanned data as well.
With the Contex SD4400 series wide format scanner, County employees can scan just about anything they need, and the Nextimage software ensures that quality scans are captured the first time. Plus, because of Tipton County’s rural location, employees are able to use the equipment for multiple projects like blueprint copying, eliminating the need to travel to nearby cities for this service. The Contex scanning system is also shared among 13 TCGIS Board Members, saving those offices countless hours as well as the costs associated with outsourcing. In addition, Tipton County makes the scanner available to the public for a nominal fee.
Anderson anticipates that their use of the SD4400 series scanner will continue to increase as various departments use the wide format scanner.
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