Where and how to share EMF files

[RichardFairhurst]

I have been creating transportation sign face files in Illustrator and exporting them to EMF format for use in layers depicting transportation signs.  I have many Federal and California MUTCD signs that cannot be created using the MUTCD fonts in ArcMap.  The draftmanship is not perfect but it is very decent, and since in most cases the signs are displayed very small to avoid overlapping each other on a map, they meet my needs for conveying what the sign looks like.  Whereever possible I try to use Spec diagrams of the signs as a background for element placement and size accuracy.

Since I probably am not the only person who would use such files, I wanted to share them with the community.  However, I was not sure where to share them.  They do not seem like Samples and Utilities, Data Models, or Galleries, so I am not clear where it is best to load them.  Also, should I post the individual EMF files or create a style file and post that? 

I have zipped up 20 signs as an example of my work.  I actually have 200 signs created so far and growing.  Is anybody interested in this?

[SimonKettle]

It would be nice to see them available as a style file for download and possibly as another option downloadable as EMF so, if one wanted, editing is easy.

Have you tried contacting ESRI at their mapping centre? They maybe able to help you distribute them through ESRI...

[JoshuaDamron]

Richard,
  I think it is awesome that you are willing to make your work available to the Esri community, I have no idea how you would go about getting Esri's attention to share your work.  Seems like Esri would jump at the chance to distribute a well organized style of MITCD sign points.

Perhaps Esri is not aware that mapping road/traffic signs is continuing to be a hot topic in the world of government transportation as there is a federal mandate in the USA to have them in a managed database, which translates into mapping them via GIS (http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/night_visib/retrotoolkit/pdfs/AB08H243-2Ellison.pdf). While the LGIM provides schema for a sign pole feature class and a sign table which is then related to the unique pole ID, Esri does not have a very extensive collection of Manual of Uniform Traffic Control  Devices (MUTCD) road signs available to symbolize this data with.  (I know that Esri is looking at the global market and cannot provide road signs for every county, gut it seems like the majority of agencies in the USA use Esri so it makes sense).

Judging from the number of views this thread (http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/17735-Manual-on-Uniform-Traffic-Control-Devices-(MUTCD)?highlight=m... has received it seems like there is an interest in this topic.  It seems like Esri would jump at the opportunity to distribute your symbology to the larger community.  I am going to add this to the ideas site. (EDIT: I created an idea for this topic titled "MUTCD Traffic Symbols ". If you are logged in to your Esri Global Account you should be able to follow this link https://c.na9.visual.force.com/apex/ideaView?id=087E00000005AY5&returnUrl=%2Fapex%2FideaList%3Fc%3D0...)

Thank you for all of your work to generate discussion of traffic sign inventories around the Forums.

[RichardFairhurst]

Today I stumbled upon a resource that I had not known about when I wrote this and designed my own graphics.  There are two resources for vector based images of MUTCD signs that are more complete than the set I had designed.  Part are on the FHWA website here for new 2009 signs only.  It is a relatively small portion, but the highest quality.  The vector based .eps files can be converted to emf files in illustrator.

The second resource is on Wikipedia Commons.  Here is a search result for MUTCD..  It seems to be pretty much complete for federal MUTCD signs and the vector graphics look good, even if they are not standardized for size.  The vector based .svg files can also be converted to .emf files in Adobe Illustrator. 

I will be using these two resources first before designing any more signs and may even replace the designs I created if these look better.  I may still have to design state and local signs, but I would only do that for my state and jurisdiction.  So supplemental state signs would still need to be designed by users familiar with each state's signage codes.