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Over the years I've met quite few people more or less lost in the middle of a national park because they had no idea on how to read the map and the GPS was only for road use.
Everyone with a Garmin or some of these expesive Off Road GPS system you see in the 4WD shops knows how handy a proper map can be on a new trip.
Since money is getting worthless these days I decided to start a support thread for OziExplorer and ttmaps.
ttmaps is an addon that can be used on most TomTom Gps systems manufactured before 2010.
The later models like VIA, Go 10xx, Start and generally all TT's without a SD card slot can't use ttmaps.
Information and download of the program on Jean-Claudes homepage : ttmaps.
OziExplorer is available here, or at any shop that sells it.
I'm not offering any cracks, serials or similar since I'm pretty sure this violates the forum rules, therefor I don't want to see any requests of that kind here either!
General info's about raster maps
Both programs use so called raster maps.
This means you get a moving map showing you current position in the middle instead of turn-by-turn instructions like on your normal GPS software.
Navigating is different too:
You don't type in an address and wait for the GPS to tell you where to go.
To get to your destination you either follow the tracks shown on the map or use "point-to-point" navigation.
This means you get some sort of directional info on the map, like an arrow, pointing in the direction of your destination. But you still have to find the way yourself.
Might sound useless, complicated or even confusing for some of you, but I will try my best to keep it simple and make you understand
One thing most people using raster maps complain about is the lack of detail.
Well, since it is a raster map the detail is determined by the quality of the source and the compression/file format used to stored the finnished map.
I you want to do a trip through the simpson desert you usually only need the normal tracks and detail is not really that important.
If, however, you want to do a trip through rough terrain in the forest of your choice you might want to have high detailed maps, maybe even with satellite images so you can see the terrain a bit better.
The more detail and the bigger the map, the bigger the filesize will be!
As an example a detailed map of Victoria, based on the latest Nokia OVI map data, is a bit over 3,8GB when saved as an ECW file with rather high compression.
While a local map the Otways from a scanned paper map could be reduce to a few mb if you reduce the colors and use a scan resolution that suits the display of your device.
Possibilities and limitations
Especially with OziExplorer the options are suited for almost every need from quick navigation to track logging and geo caching.
The main goal is to provide a navigation guide in areas where a normal GPS is lost.
Basically these programs are an extened version of these simple GPS tracker showing you the current GPS coordinates, but with a nice picture around it
Any map can only be as accurate as it was calibrated!
Some maps you get from the internet can be poorly calibrated and you'll notice that you position on the map does not reflect the reality.
This can be fixed, but the how to comes later.
Sources for maps
For any newbie the easiest was to get raster maps is to buy them.
Hema and Rooftop are the two biggest providers in AU for paper and digital maps and offer good details and often a lot of extra informations like track ratings and interesting things nearby.
Online:
You might find some Google results that offer you instructions on how to use Google, Yahoo or other digital map providers to make your own maps.
Some of them can be good, some are useless as they are too complicated for someone just starting with map making.
Forums:
There are some forums that offer raster maps, but only a few can supply AU maps.
One forum that I use too and where I already listed a few maps is here.
If you find other forums with AU content you'll find some users again and again in different forums - watch out for their postings as you can find good instructions and informations about raster maps and AU related problems.
Programs:
For ttmaps the best program is (or better was) Google2ttmaps.
The author discontiued his homepage and the support, but you can still find working links for the program in several forums and on Google.
Another good program is MOBAC.
The current version is limited to only a few map sources compared to older versions.
If you can try to find the version 1.8 up to 1.9 beta - they still include the Nearmap sources for Australia.
The reason for the new limitations (especially for Google, Openstreetmap and Nearmap) is the fact that user download huge amounts of data in a short time.
In the case of Openstreet the providers had to block Mobac completely for the 1.8 release as the users overloaded the servers with their downloads.
Google had put similar measures in place and now only allows single downloads, multiple download of 4 or more at a time will result in a block for your current session and you need a new IP to contiue or wait 24 hours if your IP is static.
To avoid all these it is best to:
1. do a really good search in forums and on Google to see if a map of your area is already uploaded by someone to share.
2. if you download map content yourself limit your download :
a) only download the area you really need! It makes no sense to download the whole of Australia if you're only planning on a trip trough the Brisbane ranges.
b) choose a detail level high enough for your needs but low enough to keep the data volume at a level you can handle.
c) avaiod downloading the same areas, use the cache of the program to keep the downloaded tiles!
d) seek a place to share your maps so other users don't have to download the same data from the online sources.
Converting the map data
If you use OziExplorer Mobac will provide the data in the correct form to be used in the PC version and the conversion tool.
For the use on CE devices it is best to combine the downloaded tiles and to convert them into the OFZX format.
Tutorials for Ozi and the combining of maps are easily to find on the homepage or using Google.
For ttmaps or other programs that use the ECW format you have to convert the map data.
There are freeware tools available and the tutorials for them are often really good, but most of them require decent knowledge of the "heavy stuff" like Projections, Datums and general convertion problems - no stuff for noobs.
You can export calibrated maps into the ECW format with the PC version of OziExplorer but I never got that part working properly.
For me the best and easiest way to handle my maps and map conversations is to use GlobalMapper.
You can simply import all Ozi .map files into one single map and export it directly into the ECW format.
Even mixing maps is possible this way, so you can combine a track map with satellite images and set the transperency level so that you see both maps.
It can also handle terrain data but to my knowledge there is no hand held GPS software available that can handle it properly - except the Garmin devices with their own topo maps of course.
This was just an overview of the general topic and I know that for most people here it won't be enough to get going.
So if you have any questions, please ask them here instead using a PM - other users might benefit from it
Since I'm not sure it is is ok to share our maps here it would be nice to hear from one of moderators or admins if and what maps would be allowed to share.
I think copyright protected material like Hema or Rooftop maps are out of the question anyway.
Some maps I created:
Password for all: downunder
Wombat and Lerderderg based on online Data from last year.
I also have a scanned map of the Otways and the Toolangi Black Ranges activities map, but unless someome already has them on paper I can't provide links due to the copyright problem.
So here is another update, this time a more detailed tutorial on how to create a map using Mobac and the OziExplorer map merge tool, as well as creating a ECW map of the same files for ttmaps using GlobalMapper.
Sorry if the programs are not freeware but that's what I use and consider as very easy to handle.
First we start with Mobac to download the map tiles we need - for this tut I used the Kinglake National Park area and as source Google hybrid, which is a mix of the satellite image with an overlay of roads and names.
The version I used is the 1.9 Beta1, later versions may contain different map sources.
That is the start page of Mobac:
I already zoomed into the right area.
Now we select the region we want to have as a map:
You simply drag a box with the mouse
On the left under Atlas content we click on new and get this :
As you can see Ozi is already selected, but you can create maps for different GPS systems.
Now you give it a name and select the desired zoom level:
Check the zoom manually first so that you see what level of detail you get and use the same setting for the click boxes on the left side.
Keep in mind that if you select a very large area and a high zoom level you will have to download a lot of tiles.
Once you selected a zoom level you can see how many tiles will be downloaded, in our example 1276 - you can imagine that a map of the whole state at that level will get big.
After that you can click on "create atlas" and the download will start:
If you see errors popping up, pause the download for a moment and try again. If you loose ma tiles you can always click on "create atlas" again, only missing tiles will be downloaded and all others skipped.
When the download is finnished you can close Mobac.
Now we could use the map in Ozi, but that would be a waste of space and who likes hundreds of tiny maps ?
So we merge all downloaded tiles into one single OZF3 file for the use in OZI
First you should set up the paths and settings in the program to your needs.
After that we select the folder where we saved of the tiles created by Mobac:
You see the files on the left and the complete map in the window on the right.
Click on "create map" and "from selected maps".
Now you can enjoy a single OZFX3 file with a correct .map file for the calibration ready to be used in both the PC and the CE version (can't test Android).
Since ttmaps uses ECW files we would need to create one from the tiles we downloaded.
The good thing is that the .map files are included and that Global Mapper can handle them.
This is the start page of Global Mapper:
We click on "Open your own data files" and select all!! .map files created by Mobac before:
You can now see the complete map in the window.
For bigger maps or when you combine maps you might have to click on "View,full View" or press "home" to see the whole map.
Now comes the hard part of creating the ECW file:
Click on "File,Export Raster/Image format..." and select ECW from the list.
After that select a place and name for the file and your done.
No need to change anything here at this point:
Depending on the map source, Projection, Datum used for the Mobac files it might happen that the map can't be used in ttmaps and the program complains that that Datum/Projection is not supported/illegal.
If that happens you can change the Datum and Projection in Global Mapper under "Tools,configure".
Click on "Projection" and select a more usable setting - WGS84 is a common Datum and Mercator or UTM are common Projections.
If I find the time and the interest is there I might continue with a tutorial on how to make a raster map from a calibrated paper map.
Meaning you should have at least map that offers a coorinate grid (or at least markers around the map) and information about the datum and projection used.
This info is often hiding in a small box in a corner of the map.
Everyone with a Garmin or some of these expesive Off Road GPS system you see in the 4WD shops knows how handy a proper map can be on a new trip.
Since money is getting worthless these days I decided to start a support thread for OziExplorer and ttmaps.
ttmaps is an addon that can be used on most TomTom Gps systems manufactured before 2010.
The later models like VIA, Go 10xx, Start and generally all TT's without a SD card slot can't use ttmaps.
Information and download of the program on Jean-Claudes homepage : ttmaps.
OziExplorer is available here, or at any shop that sells it.
I'm not offering any cracks, serials or similar since I'm pretty sure this violates the forum rules, therefor I don't want to see any requests of that kind here either!
General info's about raster maps
Both programs use so called raster maps.
This means you get a moving map showing you current position in the middle instead of turn-by-turn instructions like on your normal GPS software.
Navigating is different too:
You don't type in an address and wait for the GPS to tell you where to go.
To get to your destination you either follow the tracks shown on the map or use "point-to-point" navigation.
This means you get some sort of directional info on the map, like an arrow, pointing in the direction of your destination. But you still have to find the way yourself.
Might sound useless, complicated or even confusing for some of you, but I will try my best to keep it simple and make you understand
One thing most people using raster maps complain about is the lack of detail.
Well, since it is a raster map the detail is determined by the quality of the source and the compression/file format used to stored the finnished map.
I you want to do a trip through the simpson desert you usually only need the normal tracks and detail is not really that important.
If, however, you want to do a trip through rough terrain in the forest of your choice you might want to have high detailed maps, maybe even with satellite images so you can see the terrain a bit better.
The more detail and the bigger the map, the bigger the filesize will be!
As an example a detailed map of Victoria, based on the latest Nokia OVI map data, is a bit over 3,8GB when saved as an ECW file with rather high compression.
While a local map the Otways from a scanned paper map could be reduce to a few mb if you reduce the colors and use a scan resolution that suits the display of your device.
Possibilities and limitations
Especially with OziExplorer the options are suited for almost every need from quick navigation to track logging and geo caching.
The main goal is to provide a navigation guide in areas where a normal GPS is lost.
Basically these programs are an extened version of these simple GPS tracker showing you the current GPS coordinates, but with a nice picture around it
Any map can only be as accurate as it was calibrated!
Some maps you get from the internet can be poorly calibrated and you'll notice that you position on the map does not reflect the reality.
This can be fixed, but the how to comes later.
Sources for maps
For any newbie the easiest was to get raster maps is to buy them.
Hema and Rooftop are the two biggest providers in AU for paper and digital maps and offer good details and often a lot of extra informations like track ratings and interesting things nearby.
Online:
You might find some Google results that offer you instructions on how to use Google, Yahoo or other digital map providers to make your own maps.
Some of them can be good, some are useless as they are too complicated for someone just starting with map making.
Forums:
There are some forums that offer raster maps, but only a few can supply AU maps.
One forum that I use too and where I already listed a few maps is here.
If you find other forums with AU content you'll find some users again and again in different forums - watch out for their postings as you can find good instructions and informations about raster maps and AU related problems.
Programs:
For ttmaps the best program is (or better was) Google2ttmaps.
The author discontiued his homepage and the support, but you can still find working links for the program in several forums and on Google.
Another good program is MOBAC.
The current version is limited to only a few map sources compared to older versions.
If you can try to find the version 1.8 up to 1.9 beta - they still include the Nearmap sources for Australia.
The reason for the new limitations (especially for Google, Openstreetmap and Nearmap) is the fact that user download huge amounts of data in a short time.
In the case of Openstreet the providers had to block Mobac completely for the 1.8 release as the users overloaded the servers with their downloads.
Google had put similar measures in place and now only allows single downloads, multiple download of 4 or more at a time will result in a block for your current session and you need a new IP to contiue or wait 24 hours if your IP is static.
To avoid all these it is best to:
1. do a really good search in forums and on Google to see if a map of your area is already uploaded by someone to share.
2. if you download map content yourself limit your download :
a) only download the area you really need! It makes no sense to download the whole of Australia if you're only planning on a trip trough the Brisbane ranges.
b) choose a detail level high enough for your needs but low enough to keep the data volume at a level you can handle.
c) avaiod downloading the same areas, use the cache of the program to keep the downloaded tiles!
d) seek a place to share your maps so other users don't have to download the same data from the online sources.
Converting the map data
If you use OziExplorer Mobac will provide the data in the correct form to be used in the PC version and the conversion tool.
For the use on CE devices it is best to combine the downloaded tiles and to convert them into the OFZX format.
Tutorials for Ozi and the combining of maps are easily to find on the homepage or using Google.
For ttmaps or other programs that use the ECW format you have to convert the map data.
There are freeware tools available and the tutorials for them are often really good, but most of them require decent knowledge of the "heavy stuff" like Projections, Datums and general convertion problems - no stuff for noobs.
You can export calibrated maps into the ECW format with the PC version of OziExplorer but I never got that part working properly.
For me the best and easiest way to handle my maps and map conversations is to use GlobalMapper.
You can simply import all Ozi .map files into one single map and export it directly into the ECW format.
Even mixing maps is possible this way, so you can combine a track map with satellite images and set the transperency level so that you see both maps.
It can also handle terrain data but to my knowledge there is no hand held GPS software available that can handle it properly - except the Garmin devices with their own topo maps of course.
This was just an overview of the general topic and I know that for most people here it won't be enough to get going.
So if you have any questions, please ask them here instead using a PM - other users might benefit from it
Since I'm not sure it is is ok to share our maps here it would be nice to hear from one of moderators or admins if and what maps would be allowed to share.
I think copyright protected material like Hema or Rooftop maps are out of the question anyway.
Some maps I created:
Password for all: downunder
Wombat and Lerderderg based on online Data from last year.
I also have a scanned map of the Otways and the Toolangi Black Ranges activities map, but unless someome already has them on paper I can't provide links due to the copyright problem.
So here is another update, this time a more detailed tutorial on how to create a map using Mobac and the OziExplorer map merge tool, as well as creating a ECW map of the same files for ttmaps using GlobalMapper.
Sorry if the programs are not freeware but that's what I use and consider as very easy to handle.
First we start with Mobac to download the map tiles we need - for this tut I used the Kinglake National Park area and as source Google hybrid, which is a mix of the satellite image with an overlay of roads and names.
The version I used is the 1.9 Beta1, later versions may contain different map sources.
That is the start page of Mobac:
I already zoomed into the right area.
Now we select the region we want to have as a map:
You simply drag a box with the mouse
On the left under Atlas content we click on new and get this :
As you can see Ozi is already selected, but you can create maps for different GPS systems.
Now you give it a name and select the desired zoom level:
Check the zoom manually first so that you see what level of detail you get and use the same setting for the click boxes on the left side.
Keep in mind that if you select a very large area and a high zoom level you will have to download a lot of tiles.
Once you selected a zoom level you can see how many tiles will be downloaded, in our example 1276 - you can imagine that a map of the whole state at that level will get big.
After that you can click on "create atlas" and the download will start:
If you see errors popping up, pause the download for a moment and try again. If you loose ma tiles you can always click on "create atlas" again, only missing tiles will be downloaded and all others skipped.
When the download is finnished you can close Mobac.
Now we could use the map in Ozi, but that would be a waste of space and who likes hundreds of tiny maps ?
So we merge all downloaded tiles into one single OZF3 file for the use in OZI
First you should set up the paths and settings in the program to your needs.
After that we select the folder where we saved of the tiles created by Mobac:
You see the files on the left and the complete map in the window on the right.
Click on "create map" and "from selected maps".
Now you can enjoy a single OZFX3 file with a correct .map file for the calibration ready to be used in both the PC and the CE version (can't test Android).
Since ttmaps uses ECW files we would need to create one from the tiles we downloaded.
The good thing is that the .map files are included and that Global Mapper can handle them.
This is the start page of Global Mapper:
We click on "Open your own data files" and select all!! .map files created by Mobac before:
You can now see the complete map in the window.
For bigger maps or when you combine maps you might have to click on "View,full View" or press "home" to see the whole map.
Now comes the hard part of creating the ECW file:
Click on "File,Export Raster/Image format..." and select ECW from the list.
After that select a place and name for the file and your done.
No need to change anything here at this point:
Depending on the map source, Projection, Datum used for the Mobac files it might happen that the map can't be used in ttmaps and the program complains that that Datum/Projection is not supported/illegal.
If that happens you can change the Datum and Projection in Global Mapper under "Tools,configure".
Click on "Projection" and select a more usable setting - WGS84 is a common Datum and Mercator or UTM are common Projections.
If I find the time and the interest is there I might continue with a tutorial on how to make a raster map from a calibrated paper map.
Meaning you should have at least map that offers a coorinate grid (or at least markers around the map) and information about the datum and projection used.
This info is often hiding in a small box in a corner of the map.
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