I wanted to start a discussion on mapping, navigation, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to provide a space for questions and learning. I currently work as a GIS Analyst and did some map production while in college. I know that GIS stuff can sometimes be hard to learn, so I wanted to make a post offering up assistance. If anyone has any questions let me know and I can try to help you out. If you wanted to start getting into map production or preparing your own data for programs like ATAK, I would start by recommending QGIS on your desktop. It is free and open source, but also powerful enough that we still use it at work even with access to paid programs. I have used QGIS to prepare stream networks, roads, trails, and imagery for ATAK with good success in the past.