topoBuilder Release Notes

Click a version number to jump to the associated release notes:

 1.1  |  1.2 |  1.3 |  1.3.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.5.6

Version 1.5.6 Release Notes - January 19, 2024

Web Application - topoBuilder

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused the mobile application to fail to load.  

Map Products – OnDemand Topo 

Changes & Enhancements

• Updated the natural feature and populated places data. This update improves data availability in the territories and reduces duplicate labels (7.5-Minute Topo).
• Improved labeling for trails and updated label color to match feature type (7.5-Minute Topo). 
• Improved labeling by reducing duplication and abbreviating some labels, enhancing cartographic legibility (100K Topo). Updated the FGDC Metadata to include a dynamic publication date and user-added content note if Edit Layers function is used (7.5-Minute Topo).

Version 1.5 Release Notes - October 30, 2023

Web Application - topoBuilder

New Features  

• Added the new 100K Topo product configuration to the application’s Map Types Tab. 

Changes & Enhancements

• Implemented a cart limit in the application. Users can request up to 250 map products in an individual order. 
• Added the order confirmation number to the checkout popup window.
• Added Refresh button and filter options to Track Tab. 
• Redesigned map cards so that only 2 are displayed in a row and individual cards have a border. 
• Added a ‘Back to Top’ button in the Cart Tab. 
• Added ‘Display Grid’ and ‘Zoom In to View Grid’ options to Cart Tab. 
• Updated the map index to allow for 30x60-minute indices to support 100K Topo extents. 
• Updated the banner functionality so the text is separate from what appears in the popup window. 
• Updated Help resources as necessary, including application user guide and external links. 

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue that allowed the same order to be tracked twice by adding a space after the order number. 
• Fixed an issue where the size of the custom selection box was not resizing as a user zooms in and out. 
• Fixed the Display Grid text to display as gray when the grid is off.
• Fixed an issue where users were able to select additional map products while the edit layers menu was open. 

Map Products – OnDemand Topo 

New Features 

• Added a new 100K Topo product configuration option, allowing users to request a general-purpose topographic map at a scale of 1:100,000 using a 30x60-minute extent. 

Changes & Enhancements

• Updated the FGDC Metadata to include a dynamic publication date and user added content note if edit layers function is used (7.5-Minute Topo).

Version 1.4 Release Notes - December 20, 2022

Web Application - topoBuilder

New Features  

• Added order tracking capability to web application for users to query order status by order confirmation number. Order tracking menu will provide users with up-to-date information on status of each map request as well as download links for completed maps. 

Changes & Enhancements

• Improved menu spacing and layouts in the Maps Tab of the task panel. 
• Replaced order submission backend workflow to improve uptime reliability and request acceptance. System can now reliably accept orders that are much larger. 
• Updated order confirmation and map delivery notification emails. 
• Enhanced the order confirmation notification emails to include a confirmation number which can be used for order tracking and support requests. 

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue that caused the application to show a blank screen when using the cart edit functionality. 
• Fixed an issue that caused an error message when a map was selected before the underlying map index fully rendered. 
• Fixed an issue that caused the task panel to reduce in size when the banner notification was closed. 

Map Products – OnDemand Topo  

Changes & Enhancements  

• Updated the content layer order in the output PDF. These updates simplify the overall organization, enforce naming consistencies between the map layers and the symbols sheet, and group wetlands with other hydrography features. 

Bug Fixes  

• Fixed an issue with the legend where the State Road Shield was not present on non-USFS map products 
• Fixed issue with “user defined content” that prevented some geographic name features from being removed when the layer was requested to be omitted using the Edit Layers capability. 

Version 1.3.3 Release Notes – October 5, 2022  

Map Products – OnDemand Topo  

Changes & Enhancements  

• Update Symbols PDF included in all OnDemand Topo products.
• Depression Contours are now symbolized correctly.

Bug Fixes  

• Fixed an issue with Wetland polygon symbology not being included with OnDemand Topo products.

Version 1.3 Release Notes - September 6, 2022

Web Application - topoBuilder

New Features  

• Added a processing wheel which will appear while the application processes a map selection request.
• Added an error pop-up message for invalid map selections, preventing the user from making invalid selections or map AOI movements of Custom Extent maps. Examples of invalid map extents are duplicate extents or maps that are outside the bounds of The National Map Data coverage.
• Added a Hide/Collapse button on the task panel so mobile users can easily navigate between the task panel and Map Panel.
• Added Edit Layers functionality to the Cart Edit workflow to match Maps Tab functionality. The Edit Layers selections will be globally applied, meaning all maps in the Watchlist and Cart will have the same layers removed/selected.
• Added a “User Defined Content” label in both the Map Watchlist and Cart when the Edit Layers functionality is used to remove layers.

Changes & Enhancements

• Updated the task panel product ordering so that new maps are added to the top of the queue instead of being alphabetically sorted.
• Updated the banner design to be more user friendly, improving communication to users in a less intrusive way.
• Updated On-Grid selection colors in the Map Panel to have an orange fill instead of blue. When either map type is selected/activated it will become more transparent and the outline will transition to green.
• Updated basemap options to remove the USGSTNMBlank and TheNationalMap. Now the basemaps are USGS Topo, USGS Imagery Topo, USGS Imagery, USGS Hydrography, and USGS Shaded Relief.
• Updated Map Panel selection process so users can no longer add duplicate On-Grid map selections, reducing accidental duplicate orders. If the same map is desired with different map options, please submit a new order with the desired customization options.
• Updated the Edit Layers option to mirror the OnDemand Topo geospatial PDF layer tree, incorporating nested layers for more granularity and continuity between what the user sees in the application and the final product.

Bug Fixes

• Edit Layers functionality for Department of Defense and Wilderness Boundaries data layers is now controlled by the Boundaries layer.
• Edit Layers functionality for Natural Features is now controlled by the Geographic Names layer.
• Task panel for mobile applications takes up the full screen to reduce workflow complexity.
• Mobile default zoom extent no longer at a global view.
• Mobile view magnifying glass (pan and zoom to a map product extent) now zooms to the appropriate scale and automatically transitions to the Map Panel.

Map Products – OnDemand Topo  

New Features  

• Added a new process to generate Shaded Relief data from most recent 3DEP source data instead of pre-staging data content that could be up to one year old.

Changes & Enhancements  

• Updated grids & graticules representation when maps cross UTM Zones to be more consistent across all products.
• Updated contour generation process to have fewer intersections with hydrographic features, improving legibility of the contour lines.
• Updated GeoTiff naming convention to eliminate erroneous “_ags” prefix.

Bug Fixes  

• Fixed an issue where State Locator Diagrams in Pacific Territories were not legible.
• Fixed an issue in Custom Extent maps where the Adjoining Quadrangle Diagram would show more area than the 4 overlapping map extents.
• Fixed an issue that prevented Populated Place labels from appearing in Pacific Territory maps.
• Fixed an issue where map labels would be placed in the map surround area.
• Fixed an issue where Public Land Survey System labels were not being shown correctly.
• Fixed an issue in FGDC metadata files where several XML elements, including the title, were not being populated correctly.
• Fixed an issue with the Edit Layers selections not turning off various boundary layers.

Version 1.2 Release Notes - May 26, 2022

Web Application - topoBuilder

New Features  

• Added data content control capability through the “Edit Layers” feature in the Watchlist. This capability allows for map customization options that allow users to select which data layers of The National Map to include in their OnDemand Topo products.  

Changes & Enhancements

• Streamlined web application to be more user friendly and intuitive on mobile devices. Refer to the updated topoBuilder user guide for full details on the Mobile Workflow. 
• Updated Help Tab organization to differentiate between topoBuilder resources and other USGS resources. 

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a graphical issue with the Cart icon where it would only show a “1” when 10 or more products were added to the Cart. The Cart icon has been expanded and will now show the correct number of maps present in the Cart. 
• Fixed an issue where maps would be dropped from the Watchlist when users clicked between the Map Types and Maps tabs. Maps in the Watchlist are now retained until the user removes them from the Watchlist or adds them to the Cart. 
• Fixed a graphical issue where the cursor for the Custom Select tool was a small box and would select a map center point outside of the cursor icon. The Custom Select cursor now shows a dynamically sized box that correlates to the full map size. 
• Fixed a bug where the checkout process would intermittently throw an error message that related to maximum user requests. 

Map Products – OnDemand Topo  

New Features  

• Added orthoimagery data sources for American Samoa.  
• Added “User Defined Content” disclaimer on maps where a user overrides the default layer inclusion from the topoBuilder web application. Associated map products will include only the user's selected data.

Changes & Enhancements  

• Updated map legend attached to geospatial PDF files and included with TIFF and GeoTIFF products. 
• Updated FGDC Metadata attached to geospatial PDF files and included with TIFF and GeoTIFF products. 
• Updated 508 Compliance Alt Text placed over the map image to reduce popup boxes in Adobe Reader. 
• Updated grids and graticules included on map products that cross UTM Zones to be more similar with the defined specification. 
• Enhanced data integration between contour and hydrographic data on map products. 
• Removed feature labels with derogatory words per Secretarial Order 3404. Labels will be re-introduced as source data is updated with appropriate names. 
• Changed serif fonts from Sitka to Charis which includes a larger Unicode / diacritic glyph library. This ensures all labels with diacritic characters are properly represented. 
• Changed default settings on geospatial PDF products to have all included data layer content be visible. This includes enabling default visibility for data content such as Imagery, Shaded Relief, Public Land Survey boundaries, and other Jurisdictional boundaries.  

Bug Fixes  

• Fixed an issue with file metadata not including spaces in map titles. 
• Fixed an issue where the graticule labels would be incorrectly rounded. 
• Fixed an issue that prevented the state locator diagram from being shown in the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa. 
• Fixed an issue where the adjoining quadrangle diagram would omit some map names. 
• Fixed a data issue that prevented contour lines from being included in maps with very high relief. 
• Fixed a data issue that prevented airports from being shown on maps. 

Version 1.1 Release Notes - March 18, 2022

Web Application - topoBuilder

New Features

• A new toggle has been added to the top of the Maps Tab, which allows users to turn on and off the USGS’s standard 7.5-minute cell index overlay or zoom into the Map Panel when this is not visible.

Changes & Enhancements

• Help documentation and links all point to standard National Geospatial Program or U.S. Geological Survey landing pages.
• Updated selected map extent symbols to improve clarity of map type. Custom Extent maps will be designated with a transparent blue fill while On-Grid maps will be designated with a blue hatch symbol.
• Default map selection workflow and behavior has been updated to reflect the most common selections. The 7.5-Minute Topo product is checked by default on the Map Types Tab, allowing users to progress directly the extent selection step. In addition, the default map extent selection has been changed from “Select By Grid” to “Custom Select” to allow easier use of this functionality.
• A new cursor style has been added and will show up when hovering around the Map Panel to select a map extent. The cursor is now a box that mirrors the aspect ratio of a 7.5-Minute Topo product to help users center a Custom Select map.
• All email notifications have been updated to be delivered from a new, standard no-reply email address (topobuilder-noreply@usgs.gov).
• Help information through the application has been updated to improve clarity.
• Improved 508 Compliance of the web application.

Bug Fixes

• All links within the application have been updated to open in a new tab instead of the current tab/window. This will eliminate risk of the page being refreshed and maps in the Cart being lost.
• Custom maps can no longer be created outside of The National Map (TNM) data extents. This prevents maps from being created outside of data extents, reducing the chance that maps are delivered with no data or failure notifications are sent to the user.
• Browser caching now enables users to “save” Cart selection content when the web page is closed, reducing the risk of map selections being lost if the page is refreshed or closed.

Map Products - OnDemand Topo

Changes & Enhancements

• Improved accessibility on TIFF formatted products.
• Improved Map Generation workflows.

Version 1.0 Release Date: FebruAry 22, 2022