shrug-l: GIS/Adobe Illustrator combination

[Nonie Castro]

This is from the ESRU user message boards: 
(although it IS really old, it's pretty interesting)
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http://support.esri.com/index.cfm?fa=listserve.messageShow&m=13253 
 
[ESRI-L] SUM: the MapPublisher/Adobe Illustrator verdict is in! -- Dec 5
2000 

Dear list, 

As promised, here's a summary of some opinions regarding
MapPublisher/Adobe Illustrator as a tool for cartographic production.
The responses were extremely positive and occasionally a negative
comment was made regarding the amount of resources required by the
application. Since most of us are ArcGIS users, then that "problem" goes
away, right? ;-) 

Special thanks to Dan Cole, Ian Sonne, Jennifer Kaczor, Nicole Minni,
Paul Perron, and Ted Florence. 
I'll post to the list again if I receive any additional feedback. 

"I have routinely used MAPublisher and Adobe with both my ArcInfo and
ArcView data sets. Many publishers that I deal with insist on Adobe
formats. MAPublisher has been a good translator since its first version,
and Adobe Illustrator has always been a more user friendly, intuitive
and versatile finishing program for maps than the ESRI products, and
I've been using both Arc and Adobe programs for about 12 years." 

"I use MAPublisher lite for Adobe Illustrator and absolutely love it...I
not only handle our GIS analysis, but I am also responsible for the
design work done with all of our maps that will appear in publications,
presentations, or on the web. MAPublisher provides me with an easy way
to import and layer shapefiles with the versatility of a great graphics
program like Adobe illustrator. I of course still do all the analysis
and preliminary mapping work in ArcView. I have considered MAPublisher
money well-spent and highly time-saving. Some of the professional
designers we've worked with also have purchased it on my
recommendation." 

"Hello, I use Illustrator 8.0.1 and MAPublisher 4.0 to produce maps.
Originally used 7.0 and 3.0 respectively. It was a good investment.
Especially when stacked up against Arcplot. The biggest benefit to using
Illustrator to produce maps is the superior text handling. This is
especially important as I produce maps heavy on explanatory text
(several paragraphs and several columns. The way Illustrator handles
color is also a plus making legends a snap, especially color gradient
legends. I have produced maps up to 34.5"x 70" with TIFF images,
thousands of polygons, 2 different scales, multiple maps per page and
lots of text quicker and easier than in Arcplot...The combination of
Illustrator and MAPublisher has become the defacto method of producing
maps with GIS data. It saves a lot time and headache versus using
Arcplot or even ArcView. It is completely cross-platform, Illustrator
documents produced on a PC can be read by a Mac without any translation
problems. For us it has performed admirably." 

"I just recently completed a project in <> using Abode Illustrator 8.0
for adjustment of the cartographic elements on the map. I used ArcInfo
for most of the project, but ran into problems with the certain
cartographic features. In a couple of weeks I am meeting with some
people from USGS for a demonstration on what they use to create
publishable, cartographically correct 
maps. The USGS were the ones that suggested using Adobe Illustrator to
me to which I am very thankful. I was told they use a plug-in for Adobe
Illustrator, but I am not sure of the name of the product. It could very
well be MAPublisher. I hope this information might be of some help to
you. I was very pleased with Adobe Illustrator in how I was able to
manipulate the map elements more efficiently." 

"I work with both ARC/INFO and Adobe Illustrator and have found
MAPublisher to be a great package for bringing both (Illustrator and
ARC/INFO) software packages together. I've been using MAPublisher since
ver. 2, and it keeps getting better. I like being able to bring shape
files into Illustrator and having the capability to query the data right
in Illustrator. Where I work, we do most of our final production layout
in Illustrator, but we're also creating GIS products as well. If you're
working or plan on working in both arenas I would recommend purchasing
MAPublisher. Once you've purchased a full copy and upgrades are fairly
inexpensive."