Requesting Custom Chart FX Maps.

The Chart FX Maps Marketplace provides thousands of maps that can be used to quickly jumpstart the process of integrating maps in your applications. However, more than often you will find yourself needing a map that is not readily available in our library.

Unfortunately, creating .cmf files is not an automated process as it takes several steps, tools and resources to deliver a fully functional Chart FX map file. However, once the custom map has been created specifically for you, it will be stored and managed in our owner’s portal at www.mysoftwarefx.com.

In any case, it is advisable that your first step in requesting a custom map be to contact our sales department at sales@softwarefx.com explaining your map needs. The following guidelines and map usage scenarios can help you frame this initial contact with us:

  • Scenario #1: I need a very specific map

    If your application requires a specific map that is not at all related to the maps that are currently available in our marketplace we will need to create a .cmf file from scratch. In this case, it is imperative for us to jumpstart our work from a shapefile (.shp) file provided by you.

    For example, a customer requested a Lower Manhattan map to display real-estate related information. Another customer wanted the same map functionality but at community-based level. The following two maps were supplied by these customers:

    • Customer A (City Level)
    • Customer B (Community Level)

    Please note each .shp file should be accompanied by its respective .dbf file containing the metadata for each polygon in the .shp file if you intend to use the map for data visualization purposes. The .dbf file will also be embedded into the resulting .cmf file. Keep in mind the data contained in the .dbf can greatly affect the resulting .cmf file size and ultimate performance of your application. In this sense, Customer A (City Level) map could face performance issues due to the size of the resulting .cmf file while Customer B (Community Level) map, will present no performance issues.

    Layering refers to the process of enhancing a base map with contextual information that will enrich the ultimate map file. In some cases we will be able to use our existing map infrastructure to deliver a very rich .cmf file. For example, since Lower Manhattan is part of New York, we can leverage our existing maps to add bathymetry and territorial neighbors to Customer A (City Level) map while Customer B, will need to provide additional layers to identify places like the club house and/or restaurants within the community. If not available, these layers must also be provided by you as additional polygon based or point based shape files we can use to enrich the final map file.

    This custom map scenario is typically the most time-intensive and resulting maps tend to be little more expensive as they are created exclusively for your needs and will not be shared among other Chart FX users. Our staff will work with you in providing pricing information regarding these custom maps, so please contact sales@softwarefx.com to initiate your custom map inquiry.

  • Scenario #2: I need a common map that is not available in your current library

    Some customers simply need common maps we have not yet added to our marketplace but that are readily available for download from other public sources. For example, a customer requested a map of NYC Boroughs that was not readily available in our marketplace; we quickly determined this was a common and readily available shape file and created a .cmf file as follows:

    If this is your case, simply provide us with the shapefile (along with its .dbf file) or its location (URL) so we can create a .cmf file for you. Please note, this process still requires our resources and we may charge a nominal fee for creating these maps for you. Please note that if permitted by the licensor, the .cmf file can be potentially uploaded to our maps marketplace for use by other Chart FX customers, so we do not provide these maps on an exclusive basis.

    If the original shape file is not available for public download or licensing, the resulting .cmf file will not be uploaded to our marketplace and you will be ultimately responsible for obtaining permission from the original .shp file author. We will still deliver the .cmf file to you but you will be required to sign a waiver for using .cmf files from existing shape files that are not authorized for public use.

  • Scenario #3: I need a map that combines some existing maps in your library

    The Chart FX Maps Marketplace provides individual country maps with administrative areas and a large series of US based maps for specific usage such as counties, zip codes and congressional districts, among others.

    Data visualization scenarios lead to infinite combination of these maps we simply cannot predict. For example, your company may have operations in only 5 US states and you will need a combined map highlighting these states or your application may be reflecting the commercial exchange between France and UK, in which case you will need a map as follows:

    If this is your case, we can create unique combinations of our maps as you wish. Please note, this process still requires our resources and we may charge a nominal fee for creating these maps for you.

    Since these maps are very specific for your data visualization needs, we will not make them available to other Chart FX users, unless they represent common usage scenarios. For example, we may publish a South-East US states as this is a common region many companies use for data visualization needs. In any case, we urge you to search the Chart FX Marketplace before requesting any common map that is a combination of individual maps. For example, we provide continental maps with each respective country as well as specific US regions (e.g. Southeast, Northwest, etc).

  • Scenario #4: I need a map for a specific lat,lon coordinates of the world.

    If you take a closer look, Chart FX Maps always center on specific elements in the map. For example, a US state or a country as we assume your data will be reflected in the elements of that map, whereas they are administrative divisions, states, counties or zip codes. However, there are cases where you will need to create a map from specific lat,long coordinates for placing pins, bubbles, polygons or somehow highlight certain portions of a map, not just its polygons.

    For example, the following map, does not center in any particular country or administrative division but it is a map with specific lat,lon coordinates and annotation objects that highlight specific data or conditions in a map:

    If this is your case, we can create unique views of our maps as you wish. Please note, this process still requires our resources and we may charge a nominal fee for creating these maps for you.

    Since these maps are very specific for your data visualization needs, we will not make them available to other Chart FX users.

  • Scenario #5: I need a map that is not geographical in nature

    Unfortunately, Chart FX Maps cannot handle non-geographic maps such as stadium or airplane seating maps. All of our maps and their polygons and label elements should have a lat,lon. Please contact us for additional information on these type of data visualization scenarios as we may have other products that can suit your needs.