ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I have been using Memory Map software to plot my cycle routes for 10 years. The software can be a bit of a pain but I stick with it because I love the fact that I have one huge digital OS Landranger map covering the whole UK (minus N.I.).
The software has recently been updated and there is at last an auto-routing function. It can be a bit hit and miss but with care it is possible to use that to reduce the amount of work involved in plotting long routes.
It is possible to plot routes in two different ways. One way, unsurprisingly, is as 'Routes' which are made up of segments between named waypoints. The other way is as 'Tracks' which are simply collections of straightline segments linked together.
Memory Map allows you to do certain things to routes but not to tracks and vice versa. For example, you can reverse routes but you can't reverse tracks. You can split and join tracks but you can't do either to routes. You can edit routes quite simply by moving waypoints about, including inserting extra ones mid-route if necessary.
Routes can be converted to tracks, and tracks can be converted to routes. Because of the limitations mentioned above, this is often done just to use the functionality available to the other type.
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One very annoying thing that can happen when converting a track to a route is that the route ends up not following exactly the same path, but a simplified version instead.
Another annoying thing is when trying to join 2 separate tracks to make one longer one. If you don't start the second one close enough to the end of the first one then the software refuses to join them. For 10 years I have been cursing and adding little segments into gaps between tracks to persuade the software to join them. It has been a right faff!
Anyway, I found a handy guide today - HERE. There are 2 really useful related tips which I thought I would mention here for other Memory Map users who have been as frustrated as me ...
Right click on a track to bring up a menu, and from that select 'Properties' to display a dialog box. You will see a data field labelled 'Min update distance'. Set that to a biggish distance, say 200 metres, to make it easy to join tracks without being forced to align their ends. Set it to a small distance, ideally zero, to maintain the course of tracks when converting them to routes.
Knowing that 10 years ago would have saved me hours of wasted effort!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Currently (12th July 2016), the Landranger version of the Memory Map software is available as a download for the amazingly low price of £50 - HERE. You can install it on 5 devices, say a desktop computer, a laptop, a phone, a tablet, and a compatible GPS (NB NOT your typical Garmins. They use a different version of the map.)
It takes over 200 paper Landranger maps to cover the UK, and they cost about £8 each so that is some saving! I love the paper maps, and I have the paper maps for where I live, but it is great having the whole UK available in digital form.
So, if you use Memory Map and like me have suffered from NJTAORS (Non-Joining Tracks And Oversimplified Routes Syndrome), you need suffer no more!
If you have NOT looked at Memory Map, consider doing so while the special offer lasts!
The software has recently been updated and there is at last an auto-routing function. It can be a bit hit and miss but with care it is possible to use that to reduce the amount of work involved in plotting long routes.
It is possible to plot routes in two different ways. One way, unsurprisingly, is as 'Routes' which are made up of segments between named waypoints. The other way is as 'Tracks' which are simply collections of straightline segments linked together.
Memory Map allows you to do certain things to routes but not to tracks and vice versa. For example, you can reverse routes but you can't reverse tracks. You can split and join tracks but you can't do either to routes. You can edit routes quite simply by moving waypoints about, including inserting extra ones mid-route if necessary.
Routes can be converted to tracks, and tracks can be converted to routes. Because of the limitations mentioned above, this is often done just to use the functionality available to the other type.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
One very annoying thing that can happen when converting a track to a route is that the route ends up not following exactly the same path, but a simplified version instead.
Another annoying thing is when trying to join 2 separate tracks to make one longer one. If you don't start the second one close enough to the end of the first one then the software refuses to join them. For 10 years I have been cursing and adding little segments into gaps between tracks to persuade the software to join them. It has been a right faff!
Anyway, I found a handy guide today - HERE. There are 2 really useful related tips which I thought I would mention here for other Memory Map users who have been as frustrated as me ...
Right click on a track to bring up a menu, and from that select 'Properties' to display a dialog box. You will see a data field labelled 'Min update distance'. Set that to a biggish distance, say 200 metres, to make it easy to join tracks without being forced to align their ends. Set it to a small distance, ideally zero, to maintain the course of tracks when converting them to routes.
Knowing that 10 years ago would have saved me hours of wasted effort!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Currently (12th July 2016), the Landranger version of the Memory Map software is available as a download for the amazingly low price of £50 - HERE. You can install it on 5 devices, say a desktop computer, a laptop, a phone, a tablet, and a compatible GPS (NB NOT your typical Garmins. They use a different version of the map.)
It takes over 200 paper Landranger maps to cover the UK, and they cost about £8 each so that is some saving! I love the paper maps, and I have the paper maps for where I live, but it is great having the whole UK available in digital form.
So, if you use Memory Map and like me have suffered from NJTAORS (Non-Joining Tracks And Oversimplified Routes Syndrome), you need suffer no more!
If you have NOT looked at Memory Map, consider doing so while the special offer lasts!
