Computerized Topo Maps
How Good Are They?

Part III: PRINTING MAPS

By Dr. Brad DeLong
Author of 4-Wheel Freedom: The Art of Off-Road Driving

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Printing maps from the programs

You may want to create a route on a map, or download one from your GPS, then print out the route so that others can follow it on the paper map you’ve created. All these programs allow you to do that. All of them use the principle of "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) and that makes it easier to predict what part of the computer map will turn up on the paper one. Even so, count on fooling around with the print function for a little while until you become familiar with it in the specific program you’re using. These demonstrations should help you get started.

DeLorme Topo USA 2.0 and DeLorme’s 3-D TopoQuads

We’ll use 3-D TopoQuads for this demonstration. Click the "Navigate" tab, select "Directions" and select the route you want to print out. Center the route on the screen. Click the "Print" tab.

In the "Print" dialog box, click on "2-D" , click on "Landscape" , click on "Lock detail/center" , and adjust the scale.

In this case make the scale smaller to enlarge the route on the printed map. The scale has been adjusted from 1:25,000 to 1:17,600. The small overlay in the lower right corner of the screen shows the location of the area that will print. The portion of the map visible on the screen is centered inside the larger box.

The portion of the map that will print is shown inside a dark gray box. Click the "Print Now" button.

The map will print out.

You can also print out the list of waypoint and route directions. Click on "Rt Dir" and click on "Print Now."

Topo! and Topo!GPS

Topo! uses WYSIWYG. The print function creates a large red "X" on the map. By varying the magnification factor and by moving the "X" around, you predict exactly what you’ll be printing out. Here’s how it works.

Suppose you want to print out this route in the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Select "Print Map" from the "File" menu.

A large red "X" appears on the map, indicating the approximate center of the area you’re selecting for printing. The blue rectangle  in the diagram at the upper right indicates the approximate size of the area of the map you’re viewing. Right now the paper is oriented in "Portrait" configuration. It’s better to change it to "Landscape," since the route you want to print runs horizontally across the page. Click on "Page Setup".

Change "Portrait" to "Landscape."

The diagram of the sheet of paper changes orientation.

Select "Custom" under magnification. The current magnification is "50%." At this level of magnification, too much of the map will be printed, and the route you want to show will appear too small.

Try 150% magnification. Enter "150" and click OK.

This is too much magnification. The red box, which indicates the area that will print, doesn’t completely include the route.

Click on "Custom" again to bring back the "Custom Print Magnification" window, and try other magnifications until you find one the puts the red box over the route you want to print. We finally settled on "110."

The size of the box looks about right, but it’s too far to the left. The first waypoint will be left out of the printed route.

Move the red box to the right. Put the cursor over the "X" where the lines meet. It changes into a four-sided arrow. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the box to where you want it.

Click "Print Map."

The portion of the map included in the red box prints out, along with other data in the margin - the latitude, longitude, magnetic variation, and map scale.

All Topo Maps

All Topo Maps applies the WYSIWYG principle, so long as you select the "Print Viewed Map" option when you print the map. First, set the scale at which you want the map printed. To use a map to follow a jeep trail, I’ve found that using a quarter mile (0.25) to the inch works well.

Display the portion of the map you want to print. Select "Setup Printer, Map Scale" from the "File" menu.

The "Set Printed Map Scale" window appears. Click on "Custom Scale."

Set the scale you want. In this case, we’ve selected ".25" (¼) mile equals one inch on the map. Click the "Set" button.

Click the "Done" button.

Now go back to the "File" menu and select "Print Viewed Map." All Topo Maps will print only the portion of the map that appears in the current window.

The map prints with the route that you have previously created or downloaded.

Fugawi

We’ll use the Micropath "Pullman – East, 46116" CD for this demonstration. This CD covers all the quad maps contained in the block running from 46N latitude - 116W longitude at the southeast corner to 47N latitude - 117W longitude at the northwest corner. Select "Import DRG" from the "File" menu.

In the left window, select the location of the DRG map files. In this case, it’s the CD-ROM drive. In the right window, select the "Orofino East" and "Orofino West" quad maps. Click OK.

Select "Load" from the "File" menu.

In the "Fugawi – Load Map" window, select the "Orofino East" quad and click OK. The map comes up with the route that you’ve previously created or downloaded.

Select "Print" from the "File" menu.

Select "Setup" from the "Fugawi – Print Map" window.

Select "Landscape" from the "Print Setup" window. Click OK.

Select "Crop" from the "Print Map" window. The entire quad map appears in the "Fugawi – Print area select" window.

Click and drag on the map to select the area you want to print. Click OK.

Click "Print." The map prints.

To print the rest of the route, right click the mouse outside the margin of the current map, and click "Find" in the dropdown menu.

Load the "Orofino West" quad.

Repeat the printing procedure with the "Orofino West" quad map loaded

Computerized Topo Maps Home Page
Part I: Introduction | Basic GPS w/ Terms | Interfacing with GPS | Contour Interval & Scale | Detail & Quality
Part II: Introduction | Installation and Technical Support | Ease of Use | Entering Waypoints and Routes
Part III: Introduction | Downloading Tracks from your GPS | Actively Tracking from your GPS | Printing Maps
General Comparison of the Programs

Product and Ordering Information from 4X4BOOKS.com
Topo USA 2.0 | 3-D TopoQuads | Wildflower TOPO! and TOPO! GPS | TrailSmart | ALL TOPO MAPS | Fugawi

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