01What you are starting from
Usually one of: a CAD/DXF file from the town planner, a georeferenced PDF, or a scanned poster. CAD is best because plot boundaries are already vectors. A PDF needs georeferencing (four known points). A scan needs tracing. All three end in the same place: one polygon per plot with attributes.
02The checklist
- Scheme boundary and phase boundaries first
- Roads and streets with names and widths
- Blocks, then plots, numbered exactly as on the allotment letters
- Attributes per plot: number, block, phase, size (Marla/Kanal), dimensions, category, facing
- Amenities as separate layers: park, mosque, school, commercial
- Store in PostGIS; publish through GeoServer as WMS/WFS
- Join plot ID to the inventory record: this is the step that makes the map live
03The join is the product
A digitised map with static colours is a nicer poster. The value comes from the join: plot polygon 14-C reads its status from the same inventory record the CRM booked. When a dealer books, the polygon changes colour on the website, the dealer portal and the sales-centre kiosk at the same moment, without anyone touching the map.
04Public vs private views
The public map shows availability, sizes and amenities. The private map (dealers, sales, recovery) shows owner, dues, holds and file numbers. Same layers, role-based attributes. Do not publish two maps; publish one with permissions.
05Common mistakes
- Plot numbers on the map that do not match the allotment letters (fix the letters or the map before the join)
- Merged corner plots drawn as two polygons
- Sizes in square feet on the map and Marla in the ledger
- Editing colours manually "just this once"