Geocart is the premier map projections program for Apple Macintosh computers. With Geocart you can create maps and display, print, or export them for use with a wide range of other applications. Geocart gives you powerful yet easy-to-use tools for creating and manipulating maps and almost unlimited creative options.

Who needs Geocart? - Professional cartographers will value it for its depth of features and high accuracy. Educators and geography students will value its simple but powerful interface which encourages exploration and experimentation. Art directors, graphic designers, and illustrators can use the program to create exactly the map they want without having to make do with clip art or going through the tedious process of tracing, scanning and redrawing a printed map. Maps produced with Geocart are free of copyright (*The Living Earth image can be used for non commercial purposes only. Separate permission must be purchased to use this image for commercial purposes.)

Projections - The program offers over 150 map projections grouped in six menus, each of which can be customized in almost limitless variety of ways. View a complete listing of all the projections included.

Databases - Geocart ships with a number of accurate, high quality databases which allow maximum flexibility when creating the map you need. Additional databases can be purchased (call 800-800-8560 or email info@digiwis.com ) or created from your information using the included database tools.

• Vector databases define geographic features as a series of line segments. The program comes with databases defining coastlines, lakes, major and minor rivers, political boundaries, U.S. states and counties, provinces for many countries and cities. (A higher resolution coastlines database is available for sale separately.) You can also create vector databases from your own data or convert your Adobe Illustrator files into Geocart databases with the included ArtToData utility program.
  
  

• Image databases are raster images or "picture maps" that can be projected by Geocart. The package standardly includes these image databases at several resolutions: The Living Earth image (an enhanced satellite photomosaic of the earth); a grayscale relief map of the earth and a more detailed grayscale relief map of the U.S.; a political map of the world; and two full-color maps of the world. (Higher resolution versions of these maps are available for sale separately). Additionally, using the Convert Image command, you can create your own image databases from scanned maps.
  
  

• Text databases Geocart projects labels from databases. The following typesetting data bases are included: nations labels, oceans labels, US cities labels, world capitals labels, world cities simple labels, world cities detail labels.

Animation - Geocart can export animated maps. There are two kinds of animation - animating from one projection to another, and animating by varying the parameters of one projection. Each frame of the animation is exported to a numbered file which may easily be imported into programs which can produce QuickTime® or other animation formats.

Distance Calculation - Computing distances and azimuths on an ellipsoidal representation of the earth's surface is difficult. Geocart can calculate geodesic distance and azimuth to extreme precision. Geocart allows point-to-point calculations of both, or, alternatively, specifying one with a distance and azimuth to compute the second point.

Exporting - Once you have created the map you can save it, print it, or export it for finishing with other programs. When exporting a map you can set an output resolution. The program will save just enough detail for the scale of the output. Maps containing image databases can be exported in Quickdraw PICT or EPS format that can be opened in image processing programs such as Adobe Photoshop. Maps containing only vector databases can also be saved in Adobe Illustrator 1.1 format which can be read by both Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand. When exporting Illustrator format, related lines (e.g. the graticule, coastlines, international boarders etc.) are grouped together, allowing easy editing in your drawing program. You also have the option of converting lines into bezier curves, which smooth them and greatly reduce the number of points in the map.

Manual - The manual includes a concise, thorough, and easily understandable introduction to map projections. There is also an easy to follow decision tree which guides you through the process of picking the correct projection for your needs. The package includes two books: An Album of Map Projections and An Introduction to Map Projections. Together the manual and books provide enough information to teach a college-level course in map projection.

Supported Platforms - Geocart runs native on Power Macintoshes as well as on Macintoshes equipped with Motorola 680x0 processors and floating point units. Geocart requires System 7.0 or later, and a minimum of 1MB dedicated to the program. Geocart program and support files come on a CD-ROM, and, when installed, occupy 6MB of disk space. An additional 21MB of image databases can be installed optionally.