OziExplorer running Natmap Maps

Silly thought, but are the drive and directory structures identical on both machines ?

From the Ozi website:

For Australia - the RASTER 250K maps.

Release 1 - if you cannot read the Australian AUSLIG 1:250,000 raster maps (Release 1) supplied on CD in TIF format, you need to also download this file to provide this support. http://www.oziexplorer3.com/xtras/auslig.ziphttp://www.oziexplorer3.com/xtras/ecwdll.zip

Unzip into the Windows folder.....

Andrew

The newer the stuff the more technically challenged we become.....LOL

Are your maps etc on the d: drive. Most laptops only have one hard drice and it is the C: drive

Willie,

It sounds like you've linked up the "Map Image Files" (these could be Jpegs, Tiffs etc - the actual pictures) with the correct path and also linked the 'Data" files (these are such things as waypoints etc - *.wpt files) with the correct path. But have you linked up the Map Calibration (these are the *.map files) files to the correct path?

There's 3 paths have to link up properly before it will all work.

I find Ozi's file handling to be its weakest point. I'm always losing waypoint files when I switch stuff around.

Bilbo

I THINK I MAY HAVE FIGURED OUT MY PROBLEM .

But I still would like to here Bilbo's answer re "Map Calibration" if possible '

Thanks to all ,

Willie .

Hi Andrew ,

I really appreciate you trying to help , but you are dealing with a computer half wit here , and your instructions are beyond my comprehension .

Earlier , I thought I had fixed the problem , but I made a mistake . It's still stuffed .

All map files from Natmap load in my old laptop , but some of them do and others don't , in my new one .

The one that will load is :
Natmap 1 Million Mosaic.map

None of the other map files will load . They are all listed there , but the software says it cannot find them .

Cheers,

Willie

Hi Willie

to put in laymans terms. the .map file holds the instructions for where to find the image file, ie the picture of the map. a .ecw file is really just a form of image file that ozi can read.

the .map files are written in plain text - you can read them - if you can access them. Do this for the maps you cannot open;
1 go to the folder on your computer that holds the .map file. you should be able to see the file name with .map at the end of it.
2 right mouse click on the file and you will see an option to OPEN the file.
3 left click on OPEN
4 the PC should then say it cannot find t a program to do this with and ask if you want to search or select form a list. choose select from a list.
5 when the list comes up then find NOTEPAD in the list and select it
6 you should then be able to open the .map file in notepad which is just a text editor
7 on the second or third line of the file it should be specifying the path where the image is stored. check that path to make sure it is valid (it may be referring to a folder taht is on the old PC and not the new).

that will indicate if it is a path issue or not.

When the PC says it cannot find the image file it also gives a path address where is is looking. the same as above but easier. When you get the option to browse for the image file form the error message then you should be able to click on BROWSE and find the image file to open. Once it is open then you can save the map file and it will record the path on the new PC.

there are tools in OziExplorer that can be used to change paths but too hard for here.

good luck

Hi Willie

First of all a disclaimer - I am not a computer nerd - I tend to work things out by trial and error and try to remember when I do something stupid and try ever so hard not to do it again. Having got that off my chest it seems to me that you may have a problem with map loading - not an ozi trying to find them problem - ozi cant find them because they arent there.

I had a similar problem with an earlier version of ozi - didnt matter how many times I asked it to import the maps from natmap (earlier also) ozi refused to cooperate.

My fix was to copy all map files (ecw & map) from cd to ozi map folder with windows explorer - as has been said above you will need to set the correct paths for ozi to look for them in the setup page and then run re-index map files from the map tab having done that away Ozi went - no trouble since.

A real pain initially - we all tend to think that the software is infallible and we are at fault - however I have found that I am only illogical idiot part of the time.

A thought: Given the number of instructions that a computer/operating system and software have to process what is amazing is not that we occasionally have troubles but that they work at all.

Might be worth a try.

Smort , Gadgets and Andrew ,

This morning I mad a decision to get rid of all the Natmap files on my new computer as I had swapped , moved got rid of added too nearly everything .

I was going to re-load Natmap and start again fresh and then use the instructions you guys had given me .

But bugger me , now my external hard drive will not work so I am left with no Natmaps on the new computer .

I will trot down and see Fujitsu at North Ryde on Monday and see if they can fix it . Then I will come back to these posts and try again . I will let you know what progress I make .

Thank you for your help ,

Willie .

Willie,

I am a "computer expert" - just ask Mike Harding! He'll tell ya how good I am!!

But seriously, the guys above have beaten me to the answers to your question about "calibration files".

However, I'll try and break that term down to even simpler terms.

When map is bought/stolen/scanned or 'acquired' for use on Ozi-Explorer it is not a useable or viable map as such. Its' just a PICTURE. There's no measurements on it, no Lat & Long, no UTM gird - no references of any kind. It will be simply a picture file, that colud be a JPEG, TIFF, Bitmap of some other type of picture file.

In order to make it into a useable MAP, that PICTURE has to be CALIBRATED. You do this by loading Ozi and then,,,,,,,,

Then click on "File" at the top toolbar

Than click on "Load and Calibrate Map Image"

A box will appear that ask you select an IMAGE for CALIBRATION.

You then choose from your list of "PICTURES" which one you want to convert into a MAP that Ozi can use.

Having chosen the PICTURE, you now have to CALIBRATE it.

You will see the PICTURE on the screen in front of you and it will appear to be similar to a MAP.

But you will also see a box down the right hand side of the screen that asks you choose up to nine seperate spots on the PICTURE - for which you know the exact Latitude and Longitude. I use spots at the corners and edges of a map that show the Lat & Long - it's the easiest way.

You then click on the spot on the PICTURE and then enter the Lat & Long and that's one spot done, You then do the same with 8 other spots on the PICTURE. This is a way of saying to the Ozi programme, "The points that I have shown you are on the PICTURE and from now on those points will be known as the calibration points for this PICTURE."

That's it - now save the MAP (It's no longer a PICTURE, It's a MAP) to wherever you like and the next time you want that MAP you just choose 'Load Map From File", select it, and it will come up on the screen as a CALIBRATED PICTURE or as we like to call it - a MAP.

When the MAP FILE is saved as above, it will be saved as .map file. This file contains 2 important things. First it contains the location on your computer of where to find the PICTURE that made the MAP. This way the computer can go off and find THAT PICTURE. Second, it contains the CALIBRATION POINTS that YOU ENTERED - so that the computer can change this PICTURE into a MAP that Ozi can use.

The above .map file iis the CALIBRATION FILE that I referred to above.

The directions in this .map file to where the PICTURE is located must tally exactly with where the PICTURE is actually located on your compuer system! If the .map file says the PICTURE is on "C DRIVE" and you've got it on "D DRIVE", then it'll never find it. If it's in e.g. "D\Map\files\data" and the .map file says look in "D\Map\Pictures\Data - it'll never find it. Thus you will have a PICTURE somewhere, all lonely like, that has a .map file searching desperately for it, so that it can marry it and they can make a little MAP together.

All say "Aahh. isn't that nice,,,,,,,"

So if you've transferred yer maps AND your /map files from one computer to another and the maps are in a different drive or location or file to where the transfered .map file is telling it to go search - again, it'll never find it.

You scan any old map ya like and turn into a Ozi -map by "calibrating" it. You can even take a picture of yer Mother in Law and turn it into a map!

Hope this helps.

My finger's sore.

You can ring me on 08 95276448 if you want to talk about it.

Just ring "Les - the map trauma counsellor"

But I don't know everything,,,,,,,,,,I just know this bit 'cos I keep on stuffing it up every time I swap PCs!!

Take care Willie,

Blbo