The beta version of the NLS Open data file download service, which works in conjunction with the MapSite, has been available for testing since March. At the end of spring and during summer, many new datasets have been made available in the service. The functions of the service have also been improved and detected errors fixed. The usability of the service has been improved on the basis of feedback received from customers. We thank all volunteers who took part in testing and all who gave feedback!

Help texts have been added to the user interface, and error and failure messages have been made more visible. Improvements have also been made in the reliability of downloading large files. If you still encounter problems downloading large files, it is best to use Chrome for the time being. To ensure the functionality of the service, you should use the newest available version of the browser.

Among others, division into administrative areas as well as geographic names and small-scale raster datasets have been added to the service. Now, for example, the topographic and background maps, orthophotos, and elevation model can be downloaded one map sheet at a time, whereas in the beginning of summer, only small-scale datasets covering the whole of Finland were available.

All in all, the following datasets are now available in the service:

• Division into administrative areas in vector and raster format, method of selection the whole of Finland
• Map sheet division in vector format, method of selection the whole of Finland
• Elevation model in raster format, method of selection map sheets or your own drawn area
• Elevation zones in raster format, method of selection the whole of Finland
• Laser scanning data 0.5p, method of selection map sheets
• Topographic map in vector and raster format, method of selection map sheets or the whole of Finland
• Topographic database in vector format, method of selection your own drawn area, selection of municipality, selection of theme, or the whole of Finland
• Geographic names, method of selection the whole of Finland
• Orthophoto, method of selection map sheets
• Hillshade, method of selection map sheets
• Background map in raster format, method of selection the whole of Finland

Background 

Downloading open spatial data and map datasets of the National Land Survey of Finland will be reformed as the current service will be replaced by a totally new downloading service that will be built in conjunction with the MapSite service. The beta phase of the new service will continue until the end of the year, after which the service that has now been published as a beta service will be implemented for production, and the current service will be shut down.

The redesigned service will offer the same datasets as the current service, but the downloading methods have become more diverse. You can now outline several datasets by your own selection of area and download the data in the Topographic database per municipality or theme. Later, different year versions of orthophotos will be made available in the service.

Both data in vector format and map images in raster format are available from the service. Most of the datasets are such that is meant to be used in spatial data software, although topographic map, background map, and orthophoto files in image format can be viewed with ordinary image viewers that are common on computers. You can read more about the file formats of the datasets that can be downloaded from the service on the National Land Survey's website. The service is primarily intended for professional users and other expert users, but it is open for all interested.

The background service OGC API Processes interface has also been opened as a beta version for interested users. Via this interface, the same datasets are available as via the user interface. The use of the interface requires knowledge of spatial data interfaces. During the development, datasets will be made available first in the background service and slightly later in the user interface of the MapSite.

It is still possible to give feedback on the service that is being developed via the questionnaire. The feedback will be considered in the development work at the end of the year.