Easy Nearmap Downloader: Quick Guide to Saving High‑Resolution AerialsNearmap provides high-resolution aerial imagery and orthophotos that are valuable for planners, architects, surveyors, real‑estate professionals, and GIS users. This guide explains legitimate, efficient ways to access and save Nearmap imagery while respecting licensing and usage policies. It covers Nearmap’s official tools and APIs, safe export workflows, recommended formats and settings for preserving quality, and best practices for organization and project use.
Important note on legality and licensing
Nearmap imagery is copyrighted and licensed. Before downloading or using Nearmap images, verify that you have the appropriate subscription, permissions, or license. Unauthorized scraping, circumventing protections, or using images beyond your license terms can result in legal consequences. The methods below focus on approved and supported options offered by Nearmap or typical licensed workflows.
1. Choose the right access method
There are three main legitimate ways to obtain Nearmap imagery, depending on your subscription and use case:
- Nearmap web viewer (official export tools) — easiest for single images and small areas.
- Nearmap Publish & APIs (Tile, Raster, and Image exports) — for automated or bulk exports and GIS integration.
- Integrations with GIS/CAD platforms (ArcGIS, QGIS, AutoCAD) — best for professional workflows and preserving georeferencing.
Which to use:
- If you need one or a few high‑resolution orthophotos with minimal setup, use the web viewer export.
- If integrating into GIS or automating many downloads, use Nearmap’s APIs or publisher tools.
- For design/CAD work where georeference must be preserved, use the platform integrations or georeferenced raster exports.
2. Using the Nearmap web viewer (quick export)
This is the most user‑friendly approach for small areas.
- Sign in to your Nearmap account with the subscription that includes the needed imagery and export rights.
- Navigate to the area of interest and select the capture date (Nearmap provides multiple capture dates where available).
- Use the export or “snapshot” tool:
- Choose bounding box size or draw a polygon to define the area.
- Select image type (orthophoto/oblique), resolution (if offered), and desired file format (PNG, JPEG, GeoTIFF if georeference is needed).
- For orthophotos, prefer GeoTIFF to retain geospatial coordinates.
- Review the export preview to ensure coverage and capture date.
- Export/download. Nearmap may charge credits or require permission depending on your plan.
Tips:
- Export at the highest available resolution if you plan to analyze details or print large maps.
- Use GeoTIFF when you need coordinate systems retained for GIS/CAD import.
3. Using Nearmap APIs and Publish services (bulk & automated)
For repeatable workflows, greater control, and large areas, use Nearmap’s developer/API offerings.
Common APIs/features:
- Tile services for map display in web/GIS clients.
- Raster/Image Export API for programmatic retrieval of georeferenced images.
- Metadata endpoints to list available capture dates and resolutions for an area.
General workflow:
- Obtain API credentials from your Nearmap account.
- Use the metadata API to find available captures and resolutions for your bounding box.
- Send requests to the image export endpoint specifying bounding box, CRS (coordinate reference system), resolution, file format (GeoTIFF recommended), and capture date.
- Download and verify the returned GeoTIFFs or image tiles.
- Stitch tiles as needed or use GDAL tools to reproject/merge rasters.
Example tools and libraries:
- curl or Postman for quick testing.
- Python requests + rasterio or GDAL for automated downloads and processing.
- Node.js + Axios for web integrations.
Example (conceptual) cURL pattern:
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY>" "https://api.nearmap.com/export?bbox=<minx>,<miny>,<maxx>,<maxy>&format=geotiff&crs=EPSG:3857&date=YYYY-MM-DD" -o export.tif (Refer to Nearmap’s API docs for exact endpoint URLs, parameters, and authentication method.)
4. Integrating with GIS and CAD tools
To preserve geolocation and work within professional environments:
- ArcGIS: Use Nearmap’s official ArcGIS extension or add Nearmap as a tiled service. Export georeferenced rasters from Nearmap or directly use the service in your map document.
- QGIS: Add Nearmap via XYZ tiles or GDAL WMS if your subscription allows, or import exported GeoTIFFs.
- AutoCAD / Revit: Use georeferenced GeoTIFFs or platform plugins that support Nearmap imagery.
Best practices:
- Use GeoTIFF with an explicit CRS (often EPSG:3857 or EPSG:3857-derived).
- For large areas, download tiled GeoTIFFs and use GDAL’s gdal_merge.py or gdalwarp to mosaic and reproject.
- Preserve metadata files and capture dates to maintain provenance.
5. File formats, resolution, and color considerations
- GeoTIFF: best for georeference and GIS/CAD workflows.
- JPEG/PNG: Good for quick viewing and smaller file sizes; do not contain geospatial coordinates.
- Resolution: Nearmap provides high-resolution orthophotos (often sub-10 cm in many areas). Export at native resolution to avoid detail loss.
- Compression: Use lossless or low-compression settings for analysis; lossy JPEG can reduce size but degrades detail.
6. Post-download processing tips
- Mosaicking: Use GDAL (gdal_merge.py, gdalwarp) to stitch tiles.
- Reprojection: Use gdalwarp to convert CRS. Example:
gdalwarp -t_srs EPSG:4326 input.tif output_wgs84.tif - Color correction and sharpening: Use rasterio, Photoshop, or QGIS tools for contrast and clarity adjustments; keep originals archived.
- Metadata: Store capture date, source, licensing terms, and CRS with each asset.
7. Automation and scaling
- Rate limits and quotas: Respect Nearmap API limits and your account quotas.
- Batch scripting: Write Python scripts (requests + rasterio) to fetch, validate, and store images.
- Monitoring: Log capture dates and file integrity; verify checksums after download.
8. Project organization and storage
- Naming convention: include area name, bbox or tile ID, capture date, resolution, and format (e.g., cityname_2024-09-01_0.10m_geotiff.tif).
- Archive originals: Keep a raw copy untouched; perform edits on duplicates.
- Backup: Store critical imagery in redundant storage (cloud + local NAS) and maintain an index or catalogue.
9. Troubleshooting common issues
- Missing georeference: Ensure you requested GeoTIFF or georeferenced export.
- Wrong CRS: Check API parameter for CRS and reproject with gdalwarp.
- Partial coverage: Increase bounding box or export adjacent tiles to fully cover area.
- Export limits: If the web viewer refuses large exports, switch to API or request higher quota from Nearmap support.
10. Ethical and practical considerations
- Respect privacy and sensitive-use restrictions in your region.
- Attribute Nearmap when required by your license.
- Do not redistribute imagery outside permitted terms.
Summary
Using an “Easy Nearmap Downloader” approach means picking the simplest supported method that meets your needs: the web viewer for ad‑hoc exports, APIs for automation and bulk exports, and GIS/CAD integrations for geospatial workflows. Always export GeoTIFFs when you require georeference, choose native resolution for the best detail, and obey Nearmap’s licensing rules.
If you want, I can:
- Draft a sample Python script that uses the Nearmap export API (you’ll need an API key).
- Show exact GDAL commands to mosaic and reproject a set of GeoTIFF tiles. Which would you prefer?
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