This initiative, called eChart, uses geo-registered PDF (“GeoPDF”) to provide geospatial intelligence to their customers in the military and intelligence communities. The advantages of distributing data in GeoPDF include: small file sizes for both raster and vector data, COTS geo-referenced PDF, ISO PDF/X attributes for “blind” exchange of print data ensures reliable printing, embedded XML metadata for improved cataloging, search and discovery, and embedded role-based PKI certificates ensure customers receive “trusted” content.

The Layton Graphics MAP2PDF Geospatial Field System technology consists of MAP2PDF for Adobe Acrobat software and Adobe Acrobat 6.0 TM bundled on a Panasonic TM Toughbook TM, which allows
the publishing of GeoPDF maps to complement the current milspec maps that are distributed to military and intelligence personnel. Distributing maps in a commercial file format that is ubiquitous and viewable with the free Adobe Reader allows greater access to data for all users.

System users will have the ability to easily navigate within geo-registered PDF maps, perform GPS tracking, view spatially enabled GeoPDF maps, and easily collect data such as GPS coordinates, digital
images/video, text notes and audio recordings in the field which can be plotted/displayed on the PDF maps. With GeoPDF mapping, complex spatial data is easily managed within Adobe Acrobat, which makes it ideal for map viewing and intelligence gathering by field personnel. The ability to republish this data to any computer user with Adobe Reader gives end users a universal ability to share the data they collect.

MAP2PDF users can easily navigate to any latitude-longitude coordinate on a map, and perform GPS tracking on their GeoPDFs. MAP2PDF also allows for measuring distance in miles, kilometers,
meters, feet, nautical miles and other units of measure, as well as embedding spatial data as attibutes to coordinates within the GeoPDF. These attributes are embedded as standard PDF comments that can be
viewed by anybody with Adobe Reader. The full version of Adobe Acrobat 6.0 enables a host of other workflow functions including redline, markup, management of multimedia comments, public-private key encryption along with 128-bit encryption security, web collaboration and digital signatures.

MAP2PDF allows for embedding coordinate systems and attribute data into PDF maps, which more closely resembles the GIS functionality available in maps that are currently accessed via much more
complex GIS applications. MAP2PDF bridges the world between a PDF image map and more advanced GIS functionality.

“Our partnership with the NGA is an exciting extension of our recent foray into the U.S. government’s military and intelligence communities,” said Phil Lee, executive vice president of Layton Graphics. “As we have found, our MAP2PDF Geospatial Field Technology has endless extensions within the military and intelligence communities to allow quicker access to intelligent PDF maps at hot spots around the world without the costs typically associated with building infrastructures around specialized GIS tools."

About NGA

NGA (www.nga.mil) is a Department of Defense combat support agency and a member of the National Intelligence Community whose mission is to provide timely, relevant and accurate geospatial intelligence in support of our national security. Geospatial intelligence is the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess and visually depict physical features and
geographically referenced activities on the Earth. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., NGA has major facilities in the Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and St. Louis, Mo., areas with NGA support teams
worldwide.

About Layton Graphics, Inc.

Founded in 1976, Layton Graphics, Inc. (www.layton-graphics.com) specializes in publishing, mapping and engineering data from CAD, GIS databases, manual drawings and other engineering applications to easy-to-use intelligent PDF files. Layton Graphics participates in the PDF/E (PDF for Engineering) ISO working group To download free trial versions of the MAP2PDF software, please visit
http://www.layton-graphics.com/downloads.html.

For more information about Layton Graphics and its
products and services, contact Phil Lee at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 770-973-4312.