GPS - Software for printing topo maps at 1:24,000 scale

Author

Software for printing topo maps at 1:24,000 scale

Jolly_O

2007-05-28, 10:33 am

I have a semi-retired forester friend whom I recently convinced to use
GPS for mapping the boundaries of the parcels that he is working on.
Most of the properties in our area are "meets and bounds"
descriptions, following streams, old fences and such, and the GPS is
great for that.

My friend purchased a Garmin GPS MAP76, and we are now looking for
software that will allow him to produce topo maps in 1:24000 scale. He
likes this scale for laying out his inventory plots. I
have several of the Mapsource products, including US Topo and Topo 24K
National Parks East, but neither product will allow
printing at 1:24000 scale (confirmed by Garmin support).

My friend is NOT very computer literate, an email-only kind of guy,
and ease of use is VERY important. I had experience with a Delourme
product a few years back and thought that the interface was HORRIBLE.
I have an old copy of ESRI ArcView that I could let him have, but this
is too complicated for him, has too many steps to produce his product,
and requires an extensions (such as DNR Garmin) to interface with the
GPS.

Please let me know if there is a product out there that will allow
downloads of the Garmin waypoints without add-on software, have a
simple interface, and allow printing at 1:24000 scale. I feel badly
that I recommended purchasing the GPS, and my friend can't produce a
usable map from it.

Thanks for your help,
Jack

Neville MADDEN

2007-05-29, 4:33 am

Jolly_O < jolly_o@NOSPAMcharte
r.net> wrote in
news:39jl53tk2d6m8ap
khhb0klfme3ghcll25l@
4ax.com:

> I have a semi-retired forester friend whom I recently convinced to use
> GPS for mapping the boundaries of the parcels that he is working on.
> Most of the properties in our area are "meets and bounds"
> descriptions, following streams, old fences and such, and the GPS is
> great for that.
>
> My friend purchased a Garmin GPS MAP76, and we are now looking for
> software that will allow him to produce topo maps in 1:24000 scale. He
> likes this scale for laying out his inventory plots. I
> have several of the Mapsource products, including US Topo and Topo 24K
> National Parks East, but neither product will allow
> printing at 1:24000 scale (confirmed by Garmin support).
>
> My friend is NOT very computer literate, an email-only kind of guy,
> and ease of use is VERY important. I had experience with a Delourme
> product a few years back and thought that the interface was HORRIBLE.
> I have an old copy of ESRI ArcView that I could let him have, but this
> is too complicated for him, has too many steps to produce his product,
> and requires an extensions (such as DNR Garmin) to interface with the
> GPS.
>
> Please let me know if there is a product out there that will allow
> downloads of the Garmin waypoints without add-on software, have a
> simple interface, and allow printing at 1:24000 scale. I feel badly
> that I recommended purchasing the GPS, and my friend can't produce a
> usable map from it.
>
> Thanks for your help,
> Jack

First up have another look at the scale. The accepted norm is now
1:25000, 1:50000 etc..... that is so much easier to use in all the
countries that are metric (they certainly outnumber those that aren't!).

Your friend is going to have to learn how to Georeference a map before
doing anything as far as boundaries go. A freeware program such as
Waypoint+ will handle the data from a Garmin Map76. But then it still is
a matter of digitizing the map and drawing the boundaries using the data
from the GPS

Have a look at GlobalMapper V8 (http://www.globalmapper.com/) there is a
trial version there but like all things GIS related the full version
isn't cheap but it is cheaper and better than ESRI's ArcView.

You aren't going to find anything simple but with a bit of practice
GlobalMapper should work OK -----does for me.

Neville
Cootamundra
Australia

CRet

2007-05-30, 4:33 am

Hi,

I have had alredy confronted to this problem. It is true that MapSource
don't care about the scale of the printouts. I mean its impossible to have
the scale bar fit the rigth size on the paper print.

I am time to time writing document about outdoor activities and trekking for
frends.
I still using MapSource by bitmap copying the screen (using ALT + SCREEN
PRINT key) and pasting into image application to save as bmp or tif file. I
then set size property of the image file to have the correct scale in prints
(or more generaly when imported in electronics documents).

Your friend may use any of the image software he knows (and spare time
learning new software or user interface).
The trick is to change image size property to fit correct value to make the
outprint document the rigth scale (1/24.000 or 1/25.000 whatever the more
appropriate for your application). I am generaly using TIF image file
format, since there is an efficient length/pixel parameter my image software
manage to set. I generaly count how many pixel the mapsource scale bar have
and make the conversion to have this bar the correct size.

On my system, mapsource scale bar is 100 pixels wide. Depending of the scale
(i.e. 200 m), I have to set length/pixel to 8mm/100 pixls to get 1/25.000
scale (remamber 1/25.000 is 1cm on paper for 250 m on ground, so 200 m on
ground is 8mm on paper).

Of course, it is not as accurate as the scale on the paper topo maps. But
for my
documentation and archive, it is good enougth to fit the scale parameter and
to match the documentation from other authors and source (i.e. papermap
laminar copy, map scans, aerial photographs and other hand drawed
schema...). It is an quit easy (no need of external source data) and quite
simple way to get correct quality printouts and documents.

Of course, since your are limited by the screen size and rsolution, no large
paper print is expected (such as A4 or A5 plotter size map). But, current
screen resolution is enougth for less than A4 illustration (quarter page is
best, larger size makes pixels apparent).

An alternative solution is to used raster map software (or Google Earth
software) which can overlay data from the GPS (and more source) on printed
map. I have used CartoExplorer 3 from Bayo with some success. The produced
maps are much more close to paper map and more complex. I prefer the style
of mapsource map, more shematic, I can reduce détail level depending of the
complexity of the area, change the color of specific items on the map (with
the image software tools), etc, to focus attention to key point of the
subject.

C. Ret

"Jolly_O" < jolly_o@NOSPAMcharte
r.net> wrote in
news:39jl53tk2d6m8ap
khhb0klfme3ghcll25l@
4ax.com...
> [...] Please let me know if there is a product out there that will allow
> downloads of the Garmin waypoints without add-on software, have a
> simple interface, and allow printing at 1:24000 scale.
>
> Thanks for your help,
> Jack

Jolly_O

2007-05-30, 10:33 pm

I recently discovered a product called Topo! that is sold by National
Geographic. I think it might fit the bill. It is based on the 1:24k
USGS maps, which my friend is familiar with, and will print to that
scale. Does anyone here have experience with it?

Thanks,
Jack

On Mon, 28 May 2007 08:40:43 -0400, Jolly_O
< jolly_o@NOSPAMcharte
r.net> wrote:

>I have a semi-retired forester friend whom I recently convinced to use
>GPS for mapping the boundaries of the parcels that he is working on.
>Most of the properties in our area are "meets and bounds"
>descriptions, following streams, old fences and such, and the GPS is
>great for that.
>
>My friend purchased a Garmin GPS MAP76, and we are now looking for
>software that will allow him to produce topo maps in 1:24000 scale. He
>likes this scale for laying out his inventory plots. I
>have several of the Mapsource products, including US Topo and Topo 24K
>National Parks East, but neither product will allow
>printing at 1:24000 scale (confirmed by Garmin support).
>
>My friend is NOT very computer literate, an email-only kind of guy,
>and ease of use is VERY important. I had experience with a Delourme
>product a few years back and thought that the interface was HORRIBLE.
>I have an old copy of ESRI ArcView that I could let him have, but this
>is too complicated for him, has too many steps to produce his product,
>and requires an extensions (such as DNR Garmin) to interface with the
>GPS.
>
>Please let me know if there is a product out there that will allow
>downloads of the Garmin waypoints without add-on software, have a
>simple interface, and allow printing at 1:24000 scale. I feel badly
>that I recommended purchasing the GPS, and my friend can't produce a
>usable map from it.
>
>Thanks for your help,
>Jack

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