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Mapsource For Dummies: Dealing with Files and creating Waypoints
Overview:
Mapsource is an application that’s installed on your pc. It isn’t on your GPS unit.
You use it to:
View the sets of maps that you have on your pc. You can select an area of maps or all of them for sending to a GPS unit. Depends on the amount of memory available in your GPS.
The set of maps I’m using at the moment is City navigator Europe V8.
Create and manage waypoints.
Create and manage routes.
View tracks that you’ve downloaded from your unit. A track will show where you went while the unit was switched on.
When you’ve done all your creating and managing you can then use Mapsource to send your maps, waypoints and routes to your GPS unit.
When you open Mapsource using the icon on your desktop you’re opening a brand new, empty document. The best way to explain is if I show the stages of creating a couple of way points then use them to create a route.
Creating waypoints:
I’ve opened Mapsource using the icon on my desktop, not using a Mapsource file I’ve saved previously. This will create a new blank document; it’ll say “Untitled” in the top left hand corner. Before I start creating my waypoints and routes I save this “Untitled” document to a folder. Top tip: Create a folder called “My Maps” and save your Mapsource files in it.
I click on “File” then “Save As” then give it a file name in the pop up box and press “Save”
I’ll create the first waypoint using the map and the little green flag icon. You can use this method when you know where the place is that you want to save as a waypoint.
I zoom in and out using the + and – icons to a level where I can see the street where the waypoint wants to be. To move the map around I click on the hand icon and drag the map about with that. When I’ve found my street I click on the green flag icon and plant a flag marking my first waypoint. A pop up box appears.
I give the Waypoint a name and pick a suitable symbol then click on OK
I now have one waypoint in the left hand “Waypoint” list.
I only know the address of the second waypoint so I’ll use the search facility to create it.
I click on the binoculars icon pick the address tab and then type in the city where the next pub is.
I click on select and type in the first part of the street name and then pick the street from the dropdown list..
I type in the house number and click on Find..
I select the correct address from the Places box and click on Make waypoint..
I give the waypoint a name and pick a suitable Symbol like before and then click OK.
I’ve now got two waypoints in my list…
The third waypoint I’ll create using some co-ordinates I’ve been given. (N52 56.474 W0 48.177 )
First I select the green flag icon again and stick a flag any where on my map. This brings up the same waypoint box as before.
As well as giving my new waypoint its proper name and selecting a symbol I also change the position to show the co-ordinates that I’ve been given…
I click on “Show on map” to check it’s in the right place then on OK
Just as a precaution it’s wise to keep saving your file as you go along by clicking the floppy disc icon…
The forth waypoint I need is my home address. This I’ve already previously saved in a file called “Home” so all I need to do is copy it and paste it into my “Pub Crawl” file.
I go to the File menu, select Open, navigate to the folder where my “Home” file is and then open it.
It’s only got one waypoint in the list; I right click on this waypoint and select copy.
I click on file and select my “Pub crawl” file……..
I right click in the Waypoint list and select paste…
I’ve now got the last waypoint I needed……
The next step, Part Two, is to create a route using the four waypoints.
Exciting isn't it
Overview:
Mapsource is an application that’s installed on your pc. It isn’t on your GPS unit.
You use it to:
View the sets of maps that you have on your pc. You can select an area of maps or all of them for sending to a GPS unit. Depends on the amount of memory available in your GPS.
The set of maps I’m using at the moment is City navigator Europe V8.
Create and manage waypoints.
Create and manage routes.
View tracks that you’ve downloaded from your unit. A track will show where you went while the unit was switched on.
When you’ve done all your creating and managing you can then use Mapsource to send your maps, waypoints and routes to your GPS unit.
When you open Mapsource using the icon on your desktop you’re opening a brand new, empty document. The best way to explain is if I show the stages of creating a couple of way points then use them to create a route.
Creating waypoints:
I’ve opened Mapsource using the icon on my desktop, not using a Mapsource file I’ve saved previously. This will create a new blank document; it’ll say “Untitled” in the top left hand corner. Before I start creating my waypoints and routes I save this “Untitled” document to a folder. Top tip: Create a folder called “My Maps” and save your Mapsource files in it.
I click on “File” then “Save As” then give it a file name in the pop up box and press “Save”
I’ll create the first waypoint using the map and the little green flag icon. You can use this method when you know where the place is that you want to save as a waypoint.
I zoom in and out using the + and – icons to a level where I can see the street where the waypoint wants to be. To move the map around I click on the hand icon and drag the map about with that. When I’ve found my street I click on the green flag icon and plant a flag marking my first waypoint. A pop up box appears.
I give the Waypoint a name and pick a suitable symbol then click on OK
I now have one waypoint in the left hand “Waypoint” list.
I only know the address of the second waypoint so I’ll use the search facility to create it.
I click on the binoculars icon pick the address tab and then type in the city where the next pub is.
I click on select and type in the first part of the street name and then pick the street from the dropdown list..
I type in the house number and click on Find..
I select the correct address from the Places box and click on Make waypoint..
I give the waypoint a name and pick a suitable Symbol like before and then click OK.
I’ve now got two waypoints in my list…
The third waypoint I’ll create using some co-ordinates I’ve been given. (N52 56.474 W0 48.177 )
First I select the green flag icon again and stick a flag any where on my map. This brings up the same waypoint box as before.
As well as giving my new waypoint its proper name and selecting a symbol I also change the position to show the co-ordinates that I’ve been given…
I click on “Show on map” to check it’s in the right place then on OK
Just as a precaution it’s wise to keep saving your file as you go along by clicking the floppy disc icon…
The forth waypoint I need is my home address. This I’ve already previously saved in a file called “Home” so all I need to do is copy it and paste it into my “Pub Crawl” file.
I go to the File menu, select Open, navigate to the folder where my “Home” file is and then open it.
It’s only got one waypoint in the list; I right click on this waypoint and select copy.
I click on file and select my “Pub crawl” file……..
I right click in the Waypoint list and select paste…
I’ve now got the last waypoint I needed……
The next step, Part Two, is to create a route using the four waypoints.
Exciting isn't it
and i wont know until i get my new one dilivered.
thats saved a few hours fiddling 
