Bodleian Library Map Room home page
  
written by Nigel James
  
MAPINFO - An easy guide for new users in the Map Room  
 
You can download the complete guide in PDF format  
   

These guides are intended primarily for Map Room users, but may be of interest to other University students and staff, or indeed the wider community. References to tables, folders etc., are not applicable outside the Map Room, so if you are located elsewhere, you should substitute your own.

Oxford University users can download Bartholomew digital data via SOLO

Free OS data is now available from the Ordnance Survey Opendata website

MapInfo is just the tool - to create maps you need data - a range of datasets for the World, Euopre and the UK are available in the Map Room

If you are looking for sources of free data, then see the Web sources for free downloadable MapInfo data page
 
 
If you are already a MapInfo user, see the MapInfo How To guides for a range of detailed step-by-step procedures
 
 
GEO tools are utilities available for free download - click here to see what is currently available A range of data translators can be downloaded here

A new guide to mapping UK 2001 Census data is now available
 
If you have some experience with MapInfo, then take a look at the MapInfo How to guides, which take you step-by-step through a range of procedures.  
   
If you are using digital Ordnance Survey data, have a look at the DIGIMAP guide.  
   
Free OS to MapInfo translators
 
These translators convert OS NTF or MasterMap data into MapInfo MIF/MID format. The MIF/MID format can also be imported into other GIS applications
 
NTF2MIF - Ordnance Survey NTF to MapInfo MIF Translator - New version 3.5 now available - Updated 2005
- Now includes Code-Point NTF -
Features:
Multiple NTF files can be translated at once. Files can be merged to create a single, seamless MapInfo table. Text objects can be translated to a separate layer.True-type fonts can be used (to display cartographic symbology). Network data can be extracted form Meridian 2 and Strategi data. NTF2MIF is fast and easy to use and is the only free translator which translates all DIGIMAP data products - and more.
 
NTF2MIF can be downloaded from the Translators page  
   
 
OSM2MIF - Ordnance Survey MASTERMAP to MapInfo MIF Translator - NEW Version 1.8 released February 2006  
   
 
   
NTF2MIF can be downloaded from the Translators page  
   
Why do I need OSM2MIF?  
Unlike Ordnance Survey Land-Line data (available from DIGIMAP) which is supplied in NTF format, MasterMap is in GML format. Versions of MapInfo up to version 6.5 cannot import GML format data and Version 7.0 does not support all three layers. OSM2MIF translates masterMap data files into MapInfo MIF (MapInfo Interchange Format). MIF files can then be imported and opened in MapInfo.

OSM2MIF comes with a free MapInfo tool (OSM2MIF Batch Import) which imports all layers in a single operation.

 
   
Features:
OSM2MIF translates all three layers (topographic, address and ITN). Attribute data is maintained (currently not all routing data in the ITN layer is supported, but this may be improved in a later release). Update versions of MasterMap include Departed Members and a list of these can be extracted using OSM2MIF. Single or batch processing is possible.		  
   
   
Conversion Tools - an essential MapInfo tool for OS and other data users  
A MapInfo tool which converts OS National Grid refs to eastings and northings and create points - and converts Lon/Lat coordinates to decimal degrees and create points as well. It converts both tables of coordinates or single instances quickly and easily - an essential add-in tool for MapInfo users. Updated 01.09.03  
Conversion Tools can be downloaded from the GEO tools page  
   
MapInfo and the datasets available in the Bodleian Library Map Room can only be used for education and research purposes. It is not licensed for commercial publication or other purposes. There are also restrictions on the use of Ordnance Survey and Census boundary data - please ask for further information.  
Get your colours right!
  
When you print your map you may find that the colours are very different those displayed on the screen. To make sure your map prints in the colours you want, download this MapInfo Colour Grid and print it. You can then use it to select colour styles in your tables so that they will print the way you want them to - even though they may look strange on screen!
 
This guide is in an easy to follow style and covers the basics of creating maps in MapInfo. You will not be an expert at the end of it but at least you will be able to open and customise datasets, create topographic and thematic maps and then put it all together to create layouts!  
You can download the complete guide in PDF format  
Contents:  
   
MapInfo basics  
   
Let's make a map  
   
Time to put it all on paper  
   
Data analysis and display - real GIS stuff!  
   
Saving a workspace  
   
Datasets available in the Map Room  
   
For a range of detailed step-by-step procedures, see the MapInfo How To guides.  
   
Nigel James
Bodleian Library 2010
  
Bodleian Library Map Room