National Geographic Topo! Software

[R-dubb]

For using USGS topo maps to plot and analyze offroad terrain this software is the shit!

I’ve tried both Maptech (Terrain Navigator) and TopoGrafix (ExpertGPS). National Geographic has some features that really work well. Like all the USGS based programs, it relies on scanned topo maps. At $99 per state, it’s not cheap. What you get are perfectly matched 7.5’ maps with digitally recognized contours. What this means is that the program can provide vertical profiles and do percentage slope analysis on overlaid route segments. Very cool stuff!

Using an add on called Topo Sync, it can read and write GPS routes from Garmin (and many other) receivers. One minor issue is that it does use a proprietary file type to save route data and does not read or write Garmin (.mps), .gpx or any other GPS file types. Therefore, the only practical way to use GPS data is directly though a receiver. So what I do is leave my GPS unit connected through the serial port and transfer routes from Mapsource to Topo! that way, kind of slow, but not unmanageable.

The things Topo! does right make it a breeze to use, once you get the hang of it. Firstly, it allows the map data from (9) California cd’s to load and run from a hard drive. By contrast, disk swapping is such a pain on Maptech that it makes the program almost unusable for covering distances. From a hard drive to a high res display the maps load fast and automatically scroll without interruption. Secondly, all the routing tools work very well. Highlighting trails not only shows well on screen, the tracks that are produced can then be profiled and shown at various supported map scales and magnifications. Profile analysis of hand draw routes is very quick and precise. It uses margin notes to keep track of trail notes. The tool inserts a numbered marker on the map that keys to notes in the margin. If the note is clicked the corresponding map view appears. This makes returning to any view a snap. Finally, the program outputs some beautiful graphics. Pages can be quickly composed with routes notes, profiles, scales at any magnification. It even supports large scale printing so customized paper maps are very easy to produce at high resolutions. There is also a utility for formatting nice clipboard shots to any resolution or size.

I also like the ExpertGPS, but for very different reasons. It uses USGS topo maps, but does not support profiling and printing is low res at best. The program has some strong points. It downloads maps from the internet on the fly. With a high speed connection this is a snap. It’s also cheap. A free 30 day trial can be purchased for $60 including unlimited downloading of maps anywhere in the US. The coolest feature is that it also downloads nationwide satellite photos at various scales. It zooms close enough to see cars on the freeway! The other strong point of ExpertGPS is that it supports a wide range of GPS file types for import and export. Just as a conversion tool, it works pretty well. I’m having trouble getting it to read Garmin routes properly. Does fine with tracks, waypoints and writing routes. It just can’t handle reading routes.

Terrain Navigator seems to be the tool of choice for hikers and climbers. The reason being that it has a 3D feature that does visual wire frame terrain mapping on the fly. Very cool to look at, but not much use over long distances. So for motorcycling, I’m not so sure of the value. It is very slow to use. If I was studying a 20 mile hike or climbing a mountain it would be great. The disks won’t run from a hard drive and the 3D profiles are painfully slow, so I gave up trying to use it. It reads and writes GPS data through the receiver much like Topo!.

Here is a sample map from Topo!. This one was originally formatted to legal size paper. The resolution has been whacked substantially to make a small .jpg. I’m currently doing insets for my PCQ route. I’ve downloaded the routes from Mapsouce and study the corresponding trails on the topo maps. Then any segments that look questionable, I highlight and run a profile. For sections worth having documentation on, I insert notes, trail designations, etc. and print a page to a PDF. So, when completed I’ll have each “Hotspot” trail section printed in a booklet which will be available for download online.






R-dubb