OziExplorer - How do you know which map to open ?

Willie,

By definition a RASTER image is one that can be read by a machine. I have the NATMAP raster images and on the disk was included a RASTER Viewer. This is just a little program that gives you several ways of looking at the stored data. Once you have identified the name of the map or clicked on the large scale map, it opens the one that you want.

Of course when using OziExplorer in conjunction with a GPS, Ozi finds and opens the maps for you.

I'm no expert, but it works for me.

Kingo

Never mind getting technical, what was the problem reading the maps ? :-)

Probably name each map in a way that it means something to you would be the best way

You need an index map - use it to find the place you want - then right click the mouse and select "Find map at Cursor". It will list the maps that cover that spot, and you can select the one you want.

I simply use the Raster Mosaic map as my index map - others will use the index map that comes with the program.

i nearly always open up a map of the whole state, find the area i am interested in, right click, find map at cursor and select the map to the resolution I am after.

Steve

Willie,

I must apologise for my simplistic reply. It was only after I posted that I noticed the extensive problems you had been having with your navigation equipment further down the index.

I just checked out your rig and profile. Whew!

Anyway I have had good service from my good old IPAQ 2210 and CF HOLUX GPS. I have all the necessary CE converted maps on 2 512 meg SD cards. The 2210 has two card slots so I use one for the GPS and the other for the maps.

Kingo

Something I have found useful, is the "Names" function in Oziexplorer.
I have a few Names databases installed, but I use the "Auslig Place Names" the most. You can search for a geographic name, homestead, creek/river, hill, mountain, feature etc. When you find the place you want, there is an Icon at the top of the Names window that finds a map for the selected place name.
Easy...

Michael.

Willie,

Not sure if you read my response to Phil's reply, I really meant it to go to you.

A raster map is the actual picture with all the pretty lines and hills and roads on it and just to confuse a .map file is an OzeExplorer file created to handle the coordinates of the map and allow it to figure out find a map to the right and find a map to the left. Have you use the import function to import the raster maps which will trigger OziEx to create the .map files and put them in their designated folder?

When you say you have the map files in particular folders, do you mean the calibration .map files or the raster map files.

You can open a raster file in an image reading programme and see all the details of the map, but hidden in the background of the image are details Ozi uses so when you feverously stab the find map at cursor position, it knows what you are wanting it to do.

Tim

Willie, I don't thaink anyone has suggested you actually index the maps and perhaps assume you have.

Go to Ozi and select menu item across the top *Maps*, then at the top *Re-Index Map files*, clicking on that selection and Ozi should go through the maps you have in your selected directories. You should be able to point to a part of the index map and find the maps that are in a particular area you are pointing to. You should see lots of overlapping red rectangles showing which areas you have mapped with separate maps. In some parts I have huge concentration of red so you can't see the index map behind it.

Hello Willie - With respect to the 50K Kimberley maps - by chance Mt Hann is on the Mt Hann map sheet :) But that of course is not always the case with other localities. There are several ways of finding a map with the location on. The 50K Kimberley DVD comes with an index map so you can use that to show all the map sheets. This is handy if you have a good idea of what area you want to look at. Read the instructions that come with the DVD - these provide a brief run down on the best place to put the index map (in the INDEX MAP folder under OziExplorer) - read the Oziexplorer Help file for instructions on using the indext map function in OziExplorer (if you get stumped get back to us). The other way to find a location is to use the name search function - the Kimberley DVD also comes with a name search database (Read the instructions that come with the DVD - these provide a brief run down on where to put the name search database files...strange as it may seem ...in the Name Search Folder in OziExplorer directory)..again read the OziExplorer Help for more info on Name searching.

OziExplorer only uses Raster maps so any map that can be used by OziExplorer is a raster map - raster refers to image format - The image file defines the pixel location and colour, digital photos are also in raster format. Common raster formats are tif, jpg bmp. Oziexplorer has its own - ozf. The other map format not supported to any degree by OziExplorer is vector format - the image file contains points (defined by coordinates), Lines (points joined) and polygons (regions defined by points and lines). Common vector formats are DXF, shp, dwg. Vector format is used for mapping on most GPS units eg Magellan DAST and Garmin mapsdource. You can actually import soem vector data into OziExplorer to overlay your map.

Cheers
Greg

Willie,

In File >Configurations click on the system flag

In the box at bottom right that says file paths:
Map file path is where all your .map configuration files are. These are the little files.
Data file path is where all you big files go that have the images with all the roads and hills etc - the things you look at. These are the big files.

Click on the Map Images flag.
Insert in there again where your image files are - the big file sizes.

Save and close

Along the top line of menu's where you click on a picture - not the ones where you pull down a menu - go to the right and click on Index. YOu can also find this under the pull down menu Map, and then Index Map.

I think what will come up is a screen where you can enter the file path to find the image you have chosen to be your index image. This needs also to have an associated configuration .map file somewhere I suspect. I used World Map which came with OziExp.

Go to pull down menu Map and at the top is REindex Map files - click on it. You'll see the system working at bottom left of the screen with a little message.

That's all I can think of Willie. Go to the Index map and hopefully you will see all those fine red lines Andrew wanted you to draw on the screen, or you could use the fine red lines that are your eyeballs after too many smokes and too many tantrums today. If it doesn't work, how about leaving it for a day or so! fresh minds etc...

All the best
Tim

A big thanks to everyone who has put up with me for the last few days . At least it has made me look into every part of this software . There is heaps more to learn , but I'm not so scared of it any more .

Willie .