MyTopo issue

[berck]

Love the new MyTopo feature, but I'm noticing an issue with the maps. They appear fuzzy most of the time for the areas I've been viewing in California. The standard 64m, 32m, 16m, 8m, 4m and 2m maps are cleaner in the wordings on the map. For instance, if I center the map at Mt Diablo peak near Concord California, I get this type of problems...(Using the old map scales and switching between the two)

Old Maps            MyTopo
64M                   Map and words are a bit fuzzy
32M                   Map and words are a bit fuzzy
16M                   ""
8M                     Map is cleaner and words are less fuzzy
4M                     Maps and words are a bit fuzzy
2M                     Map and words look great

Anybody else having similar problems, or is it just a California thing?

[ScottMorris]

Hey there.  You are right that at some zoom levels the myTopo maps can be a bit fuzzy, compared to the MSRmaps (regular) topos.  If I understand your table correctly the myTopos are good when zoomed in all the way right?  That's what I have always found -- that some of the outer zoom levels are a bit fuzzy, but myTopo is always better at the lowest (most useful) zoom.  It must be that myTopo used a bit of a fuzzy interpolation scheme when downsizing their maps. 

It is worth keeping the old topo's around, as it seems there are pluses and minuses to both, depending on what you're doing.

[berck]

Hi Scott,

You got my interpretation correct. MyTopo's look best when zoomed into the equivalent of 2M. I have noticed that some inbetween settings look a bit better than being on the same level as the MSRmaps. But the MyTopo looks best at the 2m level either way. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy, and that others are seeing the same thing.

[ScottMorris]

Yep, it seems to be that way everywhere.  Next time I talk to the guys I'll ask them how they resize for some of the intermediate tilesets and maybe there is some way they can do it in a sharper way.  Thanks for the post.