Using Digital Maps & Mapping Software

 What are Digital Maps?

A map that is called "digital" simply means that the map exists as an image file. Image files can be downloaded off the internet, stored on CD ROMs, DVDs, sent via email and so on. Digital maps are readily purchased from the same publishers who produce paper maps and charts, or they can be created by individuals using a scanner. One of the main advantages of using digital maps is the ability for automatic geo-referenced information to be stored as part of the image file such as an .ecw file. For scanning in your own map you will create a standard image file such as a .gif, .jpg, .tiff, .bmp however these files do not contain grid references but with skill, they can be manually calibrated. The advantage of buying ready to go geo-referenced maps files in the .ecw or other geo-referenced format is that these files can be automatically used in conjunction with a GPS unit for position pin-pointing. In this article then, we will assume in our discussion of digital maps that we are talking about geo-referenced maps.

Proprietary Maps for Handheld GPS Units

Be aware that handheld GPS units are available that actually show full map images on the screen, whilst others only show road lines and basic symbols. Both are equally capable for navigation, however units that provide full mapping capability cannot use the standard file formats used by the digital map publishers for on-screen mapping and instead use in-built vector maps (base map data). These units will generally allow additional maps to be uploaded but these are only available from the manufacturer, in a proprietary specific file format, so there is the potential for some lack of flexibility when choosing to buy a mapping GPS unit. Garmin and Magellan are the two major manufacturers whose mapping GPS units use proprietary only maps. Having said all this however, you can still use other non-proprietary digital maps but not for the purpose of loading the map to the screen, but for the transfer of attributes to your GPS (eg. waypoint file). To transfer waypoints and other data files to your GPS you will require mapping software.

Viewing Digital Maps

Digital maps are normally sold on CD or for larger files, on DVD. These will normally have viewing software to enable you to view the map on your standard computer (eg. OziLite). Many of the digital maps you will purchase will contain either a trial version of the full program or a basic map viewer. To capture waypoint data or interface your map with your GPS and use moving map functions you will require the full version of a mapping software program, eg. OziExplorer, TrackRanger, Fugawi.

 Understanding Map Detail & Accuracy

It stands to reason that when choosing a map you'll want the one with the most detail for the area you are travelling to, and ideally the most recent version so that it is up-to-date. Mapping detail is determined by it's scale, which refers to the distance on the map in relation to the true distance on the ground. The larger the scale, the more detailed the map (eg. 1:100,000 is a more detailed scale than 1:1,000,000). Sometimes digital map publishers shorten the terminology and so a map of scale 250K refers to a map scale of 1:250,000.

In terms of data accuracy this is a complex issue. The year of a digital map is generally determined by when the paper map was printed and does not guarantee when the data was surveyed. Remember, the digital version is often an image that exactly matches the paper map version. What this means for consumers is that when a new digital map product becomes available one should not assume that this is the result of a new mapping survey of the area, but means that existing paper maps have been reproduced into digital format. Digital map formats have many advantageous over paper maps, the most obvious of all being that they are more portable, long-lasting, and able to integrate with our gadgets so that the layman does not need to be a skilled cartographer to extract more information from our maps.

1:25,000

This represents some of the highest scale maps available for outback or rural areas. These maps provide a lot of detail and would be more suitable for hiking than 4WD digital navigation. In digital navigation and especially in ‘moving map’, the vehicle icon shown on the screen would probably be moving too fast to be useful. Considering, you may cover hundreds of kilometres in one day, the maps would also have to keep changing to keep up with the vehicle icon and this can be visually annoying. Maps in this scale would be more beneficial on the other hand for hikers as they would want as much map detail as possible. An example of this map is the Raster 25K South West Western Australia DVD. This DVD contains 193 digital scans from Lancelin, inland to east of Mundaring and south past Manjimup to Gardner River on the south coastland. The original maps were dated between 1976 to 1989 so new land features after 1989 will not be shown. Another example of digital maps in this scale is the Sunmap Raster covering parts of Queensland.

1:50,000

This map scale will also represent a lot of detail and is probably more suitable for hiking than 4WD digital navigation. That said, these products can still be used to plan trips and obtain more detail in specific areas you may wish to explore and it really doesn’t hurt having higher scale maps such as 25K and 50K, so long as you also carry 100K or 250K raster maps. The Defence Department and Geoscience Australia’s (Royal Australian Survey Corps) have surveyed a few parts of Australia in this scale such as areas around the South West of Western Australia and the Kimberley region of north-west W.A. The date when the original maps were first printed varies considerably, although many maps range between the late 1970’s to around 2003. They generally show all significant natural features (lakes, swamps, rivers, creeks, hills, coastal features, etc) along with cultural features (tracks, roads, highways, towns, dams, etc) that were present at the time the data was collected for use to draft the maps.

1:100,000

The great thing about this scale is that 1cm on the map represents 1km on the ground. Australia is covered by more than 3000 x 1:100 000 scale maps, of which 1600 have been published as printed maps (not in the digital format). These maps from Geoscience, were printed between 1961 to 2004, with the average being 1997. Most of these maps are in the printed medium, either paper, flat and folded copies, although you can purchase some in the digital format from Geoscience such as the GEODATA TOPO 100K ACT Region. There are other sources where you can purchase 100K digital maps and they are: The Otways CD by Meridian, NSW South Topo DVD by Memory-Map (although this DVD set also has 1:250K, 1:25K and 1:50K scale topographic maps) and some Rooftop’s Adventure Map Series.

1:250,000

This would definitely be the most popular mapping scale, especially among 4WD digital navigation. It provides a good visual representation on the laptop screen of the general area you are traversing through, without being too detailed. It also provides the main features that you would need such as main roads and tracks, lakes, forests and mountains. The NATMAP 1:250,000 scale maps included in NATMAP Raster have been produced by Geoscience and is the largest scale at which published topographic maps cover the entire continent. The maps, which have a horizontal accuracy of approximately +/-140 metres, have been revised using a variety of government and private data sources. Production of the new NATMAP series began in the early 1990s, and concluded in 2003. The 250K Mosaic has all maps joined into a single mosaic based on the Geographic projection (GDA94).

1:1,000,000

The ‘Australia series’, was Australia's contribution to ‘The International Map of the World (IMW)’. This was an effort by many international mapping agencies to map the entire world and was completed in 1978. Some of the digital maps which are produced by HEMA such as Kimberley CD ROM and Cape York CD ROM are in this scale. These digital maps are based on HEMA’s popular paper-based maps.

Street Level Mapping

There are brand new 4WDs and luxury 2WD sedans that come out with dedicated street navigation systems that may be built into the dash by the vehicle manufacturer. Others may come with after sale units such as Novogo, Navman and TomTom that can be installed on top of the dash. Many of these units incorporate nice features such as auto routing and voice prompted directions. These navigational systems are great for city and suburban driving, although the coverage for regional and outback areas may be limited. Basically, the maps featured in a UBD or one of the Ausway series is approximately the coverage you could expect with a dedicated navigation system. Some of these units such as the Novogo S series use SD cards, which store the maps. Around 95% of the maps installed on dedicated navigation units for Australia, use ‘Australian Street Maps’ by Whereis which is a division of Sensis.

Another division of Sensis, called UBD, has brought out two digital raster map products that can be used with mapping software such as OziExplorer and TrackRanger. These products are called: Australian City Streets and Australian Regional Cities and Towns.

iMapPlot Maps

By using your ExplorOz PointPlace credits, you can download iMapPlot maps directly from the ExplorOz website for use with OziExplorer. These maps are in the .gif format and have a resolution being 2000 by 2000 pixels. Also provided is the associated .map file which is needed by OziExplorer to open the map image file. To access these maps, either click into one of our trek notes or go to PlotSwap & PointPlace Home and press the ‘Show all Plots’ button. This will give you a list of plot files that you can download, including the option to download the map file. To open and download a plot file from the list, please click the link that says ‘View/Download’.

 Using Mapping Software

GPS mapping software enables users to work with maps on the computer screen. Laptops and even PDAs running mapping software can be used to plan a 4WD, boating or hiking trip and the computer can be taken with you on the trip to assist in real-time navigation.

Mapping programs support uploading and downloading of data to the GPS receiver for onscreen tracking of position (Moving Map). The software also enables you to load digitized maps of your choice into the program and manipulate them to create routes, tracks and to preset waypoints that you can then upload to your GPS unit. The GPS can then interact with your customised requirements such as alerting you with a sound when your next turn is approaching, or when you've reached a preset landmark and all you have to do is drive!

Some of the major advantages of linking (interfacing) a computer to your GPS unit or receiver is the improvement in screen display (screen size and resolution will be greater) and the ability to upload and download data between the two units. The computer will also provide a colour display which is generally more user-friendly. Also, if your GPS receiver does not have Moving Map capability, then running mapping software should provide you with this rather nice feature.

The tools that are available to you in mapping software are fabulous for assisting you to plan a trip, from calculating how far to travel in a day, to where to stop for lunch and even to advise others in your convoy of the estimated time you'll be there. Digital navigation provides much more interactivity than paper-based maps, giving a huge array of real-time statistical information that reduces many concerns and calculations that can otherwise waste enjoyable sight-seeing time.

 Which Mapping Software Suits You?

There are two products that are becoming very popular within the realm of digital navigation enthusiasts and these products are: OziExplorer and TrackRanger.

OziExplorer

OziExplorer is an Australian made, windows-based program that’s very powerful and quite complex in its capabilities. It’s intended for those people that have a fair understanding of computers and appreciate a large selection of features and navigational tools. Some of the powerful features include:

• Displaying up to 50 track and point set files on a map.


• Displaying up to 500 map features, symbols and comments per map.


• Ability to log the track onscreen as well as directly to a file.


• Can allow files to automatically load and display information on a map.


• Uses maps in many proprietary formats such as: BSB, ECW and MrSID to name a few.

Now don't get confused with the names, OziExplorer is not designed or developed by the owners of this website. The software is compatible with many PC operating systems such as Windows 98/ME/2000/XP and even Windows Vista. OziExplorer supports many GPS receivers like Garmin and Magellan and there is a very comprehensive user manual and a step-by-step tutorial should you require it. OziExplorer is available in various versions such as OziLite, OziExplorerCE and OziExplorer3D.

TrackRanger

TrackRanger, which is also Australian made, is a graphical map-based navigation software package designed for those who appreciate a program that’s powerful but also intuitive and rather easy to use. TrackRanger can be installed on almost any laptop PC and accurately plots your GPS position in real-time and its ‘Auto-Pilot’ feature can automatically select the best map to match your current location. You can use TrackRanger to predefine your travel route with simple point and click actions and after your trip has been planned, you can use the program to direct you via audible voiced instructions.

TrackRanger has provided support for a wide variety of maps including UBD, Natmap Raster, Hema and much more. Another nice feature with TrackRanger is its single and paired key-strokes also known as ‘Hot-Keys’, which perform certain common functions. Using TrackRanger – especially in difficult conditions, has been made a lot easier, such as providing a large window to display Trip Statistics at the press of a button. There are many various graphical on-screen windows that can also be displayed, including: Compass, Speed, Altitude and other directional information, Satellite Locations and Signal Strength plus GPS location data, including Lat/Long & UTM coordinates.

 iMapPlot™ and PlotSwap™

Here at ExplorOz, we have developed software called iMapPlot which produces online maps which can be downloaded from this website and stored directly onto your hard drive. These maps use Geoscience topo 250K and additional data layers collected by ExplorOz, which show roads, lakes, mountains etc but we also include a data layer of actual track files that have been driven by either ourselves or have been uploaded into the mapping system by other travellers.

The system where we enable the upload and download of plot files is called PlotSwap & PointPlace Home and this also includes the ability for you to select and download maps. You can even upload your own plot file, and then download your own map for free! Our PlotSwap system is an invaluable way for you to find and share hundreds of existing plot files, waypoints and already stored routes that you can download from the website to your computer and GPS. You can also use the Place Search page to obtain GPS coordinates for literally thousands of locations Australia wide - and in time, you'll be able to click on any Place for immediate download to your computer/GPS.

If you are thinking of going on a trek based on one of our trek notes or even your own, then consider recording your trip with a GPS receiver and mapping software. For those determined souls – take GPS recordings of some interesting features you may encounter on your trek, write down a description and maybe take a photograph or two. Upload the plot files using our PlotSwap system, click the ‘Load a plot file’ button and you will be sharing your trek experience with others. If you are still determined and would like to submit a trek note, email us with your plot file, waypoint file, driving notes and photos with waypoint and photo descriptions and if it makes it on the ExplorOz site – we will pay you for it!

 Waypoints and Routes

A waypoint is the term used to describe the co-ordinate identifying a known position. A route however is a series of waypoints that allow you to navigate from one waypoint to another in that particular order. By creating customised waypoints and routes your trip can become quite an adventure, knowing that you can pinpoint with genuine accuracy not only the location of a known landmark but also your distance from it and the time to reach it. The GPS unit doubles as an accurate clock and evens knows your time zone so it tells you the time of sunrise, moonrise and sunset.

There are various ways you can add more waypoints to your navigation system. You can obtain the .wpt file, which is a file format that Garmin and OziExplorer use, although there are other types such as TrackRanger and Magellan formats. This file can be used for each point of interest from a digital source (website, email, CD, DVD) and uploaded to your GPS; or you could record an actual position from being at the place on your GPS; or you can type in the coordinates from a written source (book, map, email, website) into the GPS. In either case, the .wpt file has to be named. If you name the file sensibly it should be easy to interpret when shown on the screen.

We feature waypoints extensively in our trek notes. If for example you were to go to our Canning Stock Route trek note, you will notice each well along this route has a waypoint. ExplorOz integrates waypoints with Places, so if you were to click on the waypoint link in the driving notes, it will take you to that place and preferably show you the GPS position. You can even download waypoints by clicking the Waypoints link (you can also scan down the trek note and come to a link called ‘Download these Waypoints’ just above the Waypoints table). These waypoints work with OziExplorer and only cost 1 credit per waypoint. Eventually we hope to soon develop downloadable waypoint formats for TrackRanger.

 Putting it all Together

To work with mapping software such as OziExplorer or TrackRanger and any of the large selection of digital maps that are available, you will need either a laptop computer or a PDA (Please note that TrackRanger does not support PDAs). You will also need a compatible GPS receiver of some sort such as a Compact Flash GPS receiver, a GPS Mouse or a GPS Bluetooth unit. See the article: GPS for Laptops and PDAs for a list of GPS receiver types. If you are using a stand-alone GPS handheld unit as the receiver, you must also consider getting hold of a compatible data transfer cable to connect the unit to your PC.

Mapping software has to be installed on the laptop or PDA as well as the drivers needed for your GPS receiver. Once the driver for the GPS receiver is installed, it should recognise the GPS receiver as soon as it’s connected to your PC. You should also take note of the serial port number (also known as a COM port) the device is plugged into because you may need to state that number in the GPS configuration for OziExplorer or TrackRanger. There are a few other details you may need to state such as the baud rate which in most cases is 4800 Baud and may already be selected as the default rate.

TIP

TIP: To find out what COM port number has a device connected to it – Right click ‘My Computer’ and left click ‘Properties’ (You could have also double left clicked the ‘System’ icon in the ‘Control Panel’). Select the ‘Hardware’ tab and then click the wide ‘Device Manager’ button. Click the small [+] to extend the Ports (COM & LPT) section and you should see the GPS device in there with a port number.

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