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The Sci-Tex Response 250 Mapping System has been in production at the Defense Mapping Agency Hydrographic/Topographic Center (DMAHTC) for the past two years. Initially acquired for foreign chart modification and color separation, this cartographic system has had a significant impact in rapid response situations. Recent gains in slope generation have further enhanced the capabilities of this automated tool. (Author)

A Digital Laser Platemaker will significantly reduce the time and cost for producing standard and special purpose maps that are now printed by lithographic methods. This platemaker, developed at the U.S. Army Engineer Topographic Laboratories (USAETL) Ft. Belvoir, VA. will expose a 41- by 59-inch image on a diazo-coated press plate in 15 minutes by using an Ultra Violet (UV) laser and digital data input via magnetic tape. Plates will be exposed while they are held on the internal surface of a stationary drum after it is loaded by a semi-automatic mechanism. The system can also produce film plots for archival storage of graphic images. (Author)

A primary concern in the development of the Advanced Cartographic System is the application of the raster-scanning technology to the process of digital data collection. This report describes methods developed which determine the feasibility of linealizing raster scanned data with the aid of coarsely tracked lineal files and the practicability of developing an evaluation matrix directly from the raster format of a scanned color-coded contour manuscript. Software developed under this effort was intended mainly for demonstration purposes and further refinement will be required for an efficient production system.