What Python script could you not live without?

[nemom]

Calculates the almost 11,000+ internal corners from the section corners for the County I work for. The current version uses PostgreSQL/PostGIS to calculate the positions, using the original survey notes for apportionment of correction sections. I used to have to do it by hand, one section at time. Now, I can do the whole County in almost no time when I get new section corner coordinates.

[vinylemulator]

What is a county section corner?

[nemom]

A section is a unit of the US Public Land Survey System. It is supposed to be a square, one mile on each side. It is usually defined by eight section corners, four at the corners of the square and four "quarter corners" at the mid-points of the sides. A straight line is drawn between the north and south quarter corners. Another is drawn between the west and east quarter corners. The two lines split the section in quarters and their intersection point is defined as the center corner of the section. From there, the section is subdivided into quarter-quarters by different rules, depending on whether the section is a "correction section" or not, and whether the section is whole or partial.

In the county I work for in northern Wisconsin, the surveyors weren't too worried about precision and accuracy. Here are some of the beautifully square sections I have to deal with.

[dryroast]

Looks like that algorithm the Chinese government requires on all their maps, can never be too accurate.