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Learn More About SoftMap topo50
A detailed User's Guide
(in PDF format) is available by clicking
here.
 Choice of Language
During installation of
SoftMap, you are offered the choice of English or French for Quebec and Ontario
products. We strongly recommend installing the French version only if
your computer operating system is in French and vice-versa.
Before Installing SoftMap
- Ensure
your computer system meets the system
requirements as shown on your SoftMap box.
- DISABLE any anti-virus programs before proceeding.
- Read all
the information in the package before proceeding.
- Ensure
that your display unit has the proper setting. Go to My Computer, Control
panel, Display, Settings, then set to High Colour - 16 bit. Failure to do this
will cause colour distortions when scrolling.
Click here
to see the instruction on installing SoftMap on Windows
Vista or Version 7.
Installing an Additional SoftMap Volume
When you
wish to install an additional volume, proceed exactly as you did with the
installation of the original volume. The second installation will be quicker
because the install procedure detects that the software is already installed
and will only install the index for the map data.
Opening Your SoftMap
Click on the SoftMap icon on
your desktop and insert one of the data CD's. When the "Open Session
file" window appears, select the program you wish to open
e.g.
C\Program Files\SoftMap\SoftMap Plus 4\Session Ontario topo50\Vol 1.
Information and Training on SoftMap
Lots of help
is close to hand and there are THREE sources of information contained
within the software after it is installed.
Tutorials
1. Left click on the blue and yellow
SoftMap logo in the bottom left hand corner of the screen.
If you do not see this logo, click on the Display/Close Multimedia
Window icon  or on
the Multimedia button on the toolbar menu.
2. Select
"The way to use SoftMap" for basic information regarding printing maps, adding
"points" ( Note that the word "points" is the terminology used for a symbol
added to the map) and other basic information.
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Help
Opening the Help icon on the toolbar gives
access to more detailed information and answers specific questions.
User's
Guide
There is a detailed User's Guide available within the
software. To access this 155 page manual, click Start, then
Programs, then SOFTMAP PLUS, then User's guide (you will
need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it).
Click on the image to enlarge screen
capture
Navigating in the Map Window
There are three basic
ways to move maps around on the screen.
MOVE
MAP tool
Select Move Map icon
 from toolbar. Hold
down the left button and move this icon away from the direction you wish to
see. This will bring desired area onto the screen.
A
video is also available: Zooming
In
GEOGRAPHICAL DIRECTIONS tool
Select from Navigate Using Geographical Directions icon
 from the toolbar.
Click on any of the Cardinal points on this icon to move your map in that
direction.
NAVIGATIONAL ARROWS
With either of the above
selections, when the cursor is moved to the edges
or corners of the map,
directional arrows appear (see image below) and a
click on an arrow will
cause map to move in that direction.
Selection of the Move Map Arrows will
provide the same facility
with the navigation arrows.
Bookmarking Areas
Click on "bookmark" icon
 . Name the area to be
book marked, and click "OK".
Latitude and Longitude
Note that the exact Lat.
and Long. in degrees, minutes and seconds of the screen location of the
navigation tool is shown on the bottom right hand part of the screen.
(This can be changed to UTM if desired ).
Changing the Map Scale
When viewing a map, right
click your mouse button
 and select
scale down or scale up. For fast travel across the area, select
scale table at the bottom of the screen.
When you
reach the target area, click on either 1:250,000 or 1:50,000.
Note that
there are two or three data CD's in each package and you may need to change the
CD as instructed on screen.
The overview
window at the top left side of the screen keeps track of your position.
Note that
1:50,000 is the most detailed scale produced on Canadian government topo maps.
By selecting the magnifier icon the image size can be increased but, because of
scanning limitations, definition suffers.
The Maps are Seamlessly Joined
By now you will
have discovered the unique feature of this SoftMap product and found that the
maps are seamlessly joined enabling the user to scan continuously across the
area. You can now centre any section for printing and, viola!, your lake,
cottage, hunt camp etc. is right in the middle.
Compute Distances on an Ongoing
Basis
Click the
button  . While
holding the left mouse button down, move the cursor over the base map. A path
will be drawn on the map. The distance covered and the estimated time to cover
the distance will be continually updated in a dialog box (see
below).
Customizing a Map
1.
Adding Symbols
In the Session window, (centre left screen) can be
found the initial list of symbols.
Set boxes
next to word Symbol to negative sign and tick sign (see image on the
right), and this will reveal approximately 50 symbols. To bring up the second
batch of symbols, highlight the word Symbols, right click, and then select Add
Symbols to bring up a further 150 symbols.
A
video is also available: Adding a
Symbol
To add a
symbol, first select black arrow
 on toolbar, then
select Add Point  .
A symbol
window will appear in the middle of the screen. Select a symbol, move the
cursor to the location required and left click.
Note that in
SoftMap terminology, when a symbol is added to a map it is referred to as a
point.
2.
Adding Text
First select black arrow
on toolbar, then
select Add Text icon  .
A small text
properties window will appear in the middle of your screen.
Choose the
font and character size, then click on the map at the place you wish to place
the text. Note that the text box can be expanded by corner arrows. Try to
select an area free from heavy detail or your text will not be prominent.
3. Adding Trails
Select the appropriate icon
 . Then move cursor to
the start location of the trail you wish to add; left click on mouse and drag
cursor to trail end location. A red and white trail will be shown along with a
window showing actual distance covered.
A
video is also available: Adding a
Trail
Note
that if you wish to permanently retain trails on your map, you must go to the
updates section of this web site and download a free upgrade to enable you to
do this.
4. Relocating Symbols or Text
Select arrow icon
from toolbar and
position it over symbol or text.
Right click
and symbol or text will turn negative. Feature can then be dragged to a new
position.
5. Deleting Symbols
Select arrow icon from
toolbar, position this over symbol to be deleted and right click. Symbol will
turn negative and when window appears. From the drop down menu select delete.
6. Deleting Text
Select arrow icon from toolbar and
place over the text. Click and the text will appear in a white rectangle. To
delete, right click and select delete.
Printing Maps
First ensure that the centre point of
the area you wish to cover is displayed on the screen.
There are
two basic methods to print maps.
- To
print the map shown on the screen.
Go to File, select Print,
then Map, OR, use Printer icon
 on toolbar. Note
that although the screen may only be showing an area of 3km by 4km, the printed
map, cantered on the same point will print a map 9km wide by 12km high.
- To
make a template map.
(This is essentially the same as above except the
map is given a title e.g. "Fred and Mary's Cottage", and then is saved in the
database for future use). Using this option also allows you to change the
scale. The source material is the still the map which you have open (e.g.,
1:50,000), but you can zoom in to enlarge, or zoom out to reduce.
Using Center Map icon
 centre the map on
the area of your choice. Next, click on Create Printing Zone icon
 on toolbar, a
dialog window will appear. In the "Zone name" box (circled in red on the image
below) type in a chosen map title.
You can change the scale by changing the number in the Printing
Scale box. For example, you can enlarge a 1:50,000 map up to 1:12,500 (although
the image is fuzzier at that scale). It isn't necessary to select round numbers
- you can choose 1:16543 (for example).
A copy of this print zone is saved on your computer. To retrieve
it for printing, select the printing zone tab (this is located at the bottom end of the
session window in the centre left screen to the right of
"Databases").
Click on the zone required to print. Go to File, select Print, then
Printing Zone and proceed to print. Once a template has been created, the
Printer icon on the toolbar may be used for future printouts.
You can also right click on the name of the print zone and review
properties. Then you can change the title of the map (Zone name), and also the
scale.
Go to File - Print Setup to select the printer, the
paper size and the orientation (i.e., landscape (width is greater than height),
or portrait (height is greater than width)
You can change the coverage area selected for printing. On the
Printing Zones tab (above) put a check mark next to the printing zone you would
like to change. This will show the outline of the coverage area on your screen.
If you don't have the coverage area on your screen currently, right-click on
the printing zone name and select "Go to". To move the coverage area, click
this icon
 ("Select graphic items forming a rectangle") and click inside the
outline of the printing zone. The area will turn white. You can then drag the
white box: up, down, sideways, until you are happy with the selection. Click
outside the box so the white box disappears.
Map Grids
When printing maps in format shown above, the
UTM grids will be shown but no Lat/Long or UTM coordinates will appear on your
printed map.
To add these, look at bottom of centre window on left of
screen, select Map Grids (to right of Databases) click on empty box to produce
a tick and the UTM grids on the screen will appear in heavy black. Printing in
this format will give UTM coordinates and Lat/Long at edges of printed map.
After printing, click on tick to revert to empty box and go back to
Databases.
Copying a Map to Microsoft Word
Maps may be sent
to Microsoft Word for various uses, including sending as an attachment to an
e-mail.
There are two basic methods.
- To
transfer the whole screen including the toolbar, borders etc, click the "Print
Screen" button on your computer keyboard, go to "Word" and click on "Paste"
icon.
- Click on
"copy to clipboard" icon
 , minimize screen, open Microsoft Word, and click on
"paste"
Geographical Names of Canada
All of the
Geographical names of Canada, by province and by description are contained in
each SoftMap installation.
1. Select
"Search" icon  .
2. From the
window, select province then location description (e.g. Bay Village, Ontario,
etc.). If name searching in the region that you have loaded in your computer,
e.g. Ontario Vol 1, select GO TO in the window, and the location will appear on
the screen behind the window. If a change of data CD is required, you will be
advised.
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You may also search by coordinates which is very useful where there
are a lot of same name locations (e.g. Trout Lake, Ontario).
Topographic Map Symbols
There are a large number
of symbols used on topographic maps and all of these symbols with descriptions
are included in your SoftMap package.
To access these, go to Windows
Explorer, My Computer, CD ROM Drive (i.e. E), Map Data, then Legend.pdf
or click here. The legend is in the
form of a PDF (Portable Document Format) file - you will need
Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.
Click on the image to enlarge screen
capture
Changing Latitude and Longitude to U.T.M.
To
change your SoftMap screen mode from Latitude and Longitude to a UTM
configuration, select Tools, Customize, Status Bar, Status Bar Properties, then
proceed to select desired zone.
Technical Suport
Since the closure of SoftMap Technologies
(which was done without consultation with us), there is no longer any official
tech support. However, we use the product frequently and are doing our best to
provide technical support for the products.
Before contacting Technical Support, please ensure that you have a
detailed and accurate description of the fault
condition.
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