LEI accessories MAPCREATE 7 - ADDENDUM, MAPCREATE 7 Installation And Operation Instructions Manual

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MapCreate 7

Custom Mapping Software for GPS

Installation and Operation

Instructions

™

No part of this manual may be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted, distributed, downloaded or stored in any storage medium, for any purpose, without prior written consent of LEI. Any

unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual is strictly prohibited.

MapCreate™ is a trademark of LEI.

LEI Extras, Lowrance Electronics, or Eagle Electronics may find it necessary to change or end their policies, regulations and special offers at any time. They reserve the right to do so without notice. All screens in this manual are simulated.

For free owner's manuals and the most current information on this product, it's operation and accessories, visit the manufacturer's web sites:

www.lowrance.com www.eaglegps.com

To purchase Lowrance or Eagle accessories,

visit our web site:

www.lei-extras.com

LEI

PO BOX 129

Catoosa, OK USA 74015

Printed in USA.

Table of Contents

Section 1: Introduction............................................................. 1

Quick Start Reference.................................................................... 3

How MapCreate Works: the Basics ............................................. 6

File Formats & Functions............................................................. 7

Map Border File ........................................................................ 7

Custom Map File ....................................................................... 8

Important Notes: File Encryption and Card Limits ............... 8

Map File Encryption ............................................................. 8

Limited Number of Cards ..................................................... 8

Important Notes about Cards and File Size............................ 9

GPS Data File.......................................................................... 11

ASCII Text File........................................................................ 11

GPS Data Manger (GDM) File ............................................... 12

Atlas File.................................................................................. 12

GPS Unit Compatibility.......................................................... 13

Mapping Detail: There's more here than meets the eye. ............ 13

Find Highway Exit Services ................................................... 13

Find Points of Interest ............................................................ 14

Find an Address ...................................................................... 14

How to use this manual: typographical conventions ................ 15

Mouse ....................................................................................... 15

Keyboard .................................................................................. 15

Instructions.............................................................................. 16

MapCreate 7 ................................................................................ 16

Material covered includes:...................................................... 17

New Mapping Data ............................................................. 17

Additional Symbols ............................................................. 17

Searching ............................................................................. 17

Aviation Searching .............................................................. 17

Find Nearest Waypoint or Nearest Highway Exit............ 17

Map Category Options Toolbar .......................................... 17

Routing................................................................................. 17

Dynamic Pan Arrows .......................................................... 17

Pop-up Boxes ....................................................................... 17

Color Legend........................................................................ 17

Map Coverage by DVD................................................................ 18

New Mapping Data Types: ......................................................... 18

Elevation Contour Lines ......................................................... 18

Hunting .................................................................................... 18

Other Data Types .................................................................... 18

Hunting Specific Symbols........................................................... 19

Searching ..................................................................................... 19

Aviation Searching...................................................................... 21

Find Nearest Waypoint, Highway Exit ..................................... 21

Map Category Options Toolbar .................................................. 21

Routing..................................................................................... 22

Dynamic Pan Arrows .................................................................. 22

Pop-up Boxes ............................................................................... 22

Color Legend................................................................................ 23

Section 2: Installing MapCreate 7 ....................................... 25

System Requirements: ............................................................ 25

IMPORTANT NOTES:............................................................ 25

Installation Types ................................................................... 26

Installing MapCreate.............................................................. 26

Care of your MapCreate DVD ................................................ 36

Starting MapCreate ................................................................ 36

Section 3: User's Guide ........................................................... 39

Working With MapCreate....................................................... 39

Starting MapCreate .................................................................... 39

The MapCreate Screen ............................................................... 39

Closing MapCreate.................................................................. 41

MapCreate Screen Components ............................................. 41

Master Map Window ............................................................... 41

Main Menu............................................................................... 43

Toolbars.................................................................................... 43

Create Map (Easy) toolbar.................................................. 44

Create Map (Advanced) toolbar.......................................... 44

Map Category Options Window.............................................. 48

Waypoint List Window............................................................ 49

Icon List Window..................................................................... 49

Route List Window .................................................................. 49

Route Waypoint List Window................................................. 50

Trail List Window ................................................................... 51

Moving Around the Master Map ................................................ 52

Pan Arrows .............................................................................. 52

Center Map .............................................................................. 52

Zoom Area ................................................................................ 52

Zoom In/Zoom Out................................................................... 53

Zoom Range Window............................................................... 54

Creating Rectangle Map Borders............................................... 54

Estimate Map Size (Optional) ................................................ 55

Saving a Map Border File (Optional)..................................... 56

Creating Corridor Map Borders ................................................. 57

Edit Corridor Borders ............................................................. 59

Creating and Saving a Custom Map.......................................... 60

iii

Creating a Waypoint ................................................................... 62

Creating an Icon.......................................................................... 64

Creating a Route ......................................................................... 66

Saving a GPS Data File .............................................................. 69

Moving GPS Data Files between Computer and Unit.......... 70

Creating a Corridor Map from a Route...................................... 71

Creating a Route from a Trail .................................................... 73

Appendix 1: MapCreate Command List ............................. 77

Searching Help ............................................................................ 79

Internet Explorer browser: ..................................................... 79

Netscape 6 browser: ................................................................ 80

Appendix 2: Map Category List ............................................ 81

Appendix 3: MapCreate 7 Symbol Key ............................... 85

Appendix 4: Displaying Specialty Maps With Fishing or

Aeronautical Data ................................................................... 89

IMS Fishing Hot Spots Maps ..................................................... 90

Jeppesen Aviation Maps ............................................................. 91

Appendix 5: Considerations When Planning Highway

Routes ......................................................................................... 95

Tips on Making Better Routes for Highway Navigation ...... 95

"High Resolution" vs. "Low Resolution" Routes .................... 95

Index ........................................................................................... 99

WARNING!

A CAREFUL NAVIGATOR NEVER RELIES ON ONLY ONE METHOD TO OBTAIN POSITION INFORMATION.

CAUTION When showing navigation data to a position (waypoint), a GPS unit will show the shortest, most direct path to the waypoint. It provides navigation data to the waypoint regardless of obstructions. Therefore, the prudent navigator will not only take advantage of all available navigation tools when traveling to a waypoint, but will also visually check to make sure a clear, safe path to the waypoint is always available.

WARNING! When a GPS unit is used in a vehicle, the vehicle operator is solely responsible for operating the vehicle in a safe manner. Vehicle operators must maintain full surveillance of all pertinent driving, boating or flying conditions at all times. An accident or collision resulting in damage to property, personal injury or death could occur if the operator of a GPSequipped vehicle fails to pay full attention to travel conditions and vehicle operation while the vehicle is in motion.

Section 1: Introduction

How this manual can get you into the field, fast!

Thanks for buying MapCreate™, the custom mapping software for Lowrance and Eagle GPS units. This manual was written using MapCreate™ version 7. Beginning with version 7, all MapCreate packages work identically, but contain different mapping data.

We know you're eager to install the program and make some maps, but we have a favor to ask. Before you grab that DVD, give us a moment to explain how our manual can help you get the best performance from our software. Our goal is to get you on the road, into the air, or out to the woods and water fast. Like you, we'd rather spend more time outdoors, and less time reading a manual!

That's why we designed this book so you don't have to read the whole thing from front to back for the information you want. You can skip around! If you know where to look, we've made it easy to find the tips you may need from time to time.

The manual has three main sections:

Section 1: Introduction contains the Quick Start Reference, which begins on page 3. We put it near the front of the book so you can turn to it quickly. Sec. 1 also includes background information on how MapCreate and its file formats work. To understand how to interpret our instruction text, be sure to see the Typographical Conventions segment on page 15. Don't miss the important notes on File Encryption and Card Limits on page 8.

Section 2: Installing MapCreate (on page 25) will help you get the program and the required LEI card reader correctly installed on your computer.

Section 3: User's Guide (on page 39) is the heart of our book. It introduces you to the MapCreate windows and toolbars. Sec. 3 contains easy-to-skim lessons on the program's main operations. These segments show you how to make highly customized maps and GPS information and get them into your GPS unit.

After you've gained some experience with the program, you may want to try some advanced features. That brings us to the Command Reference, which is available only in the MapCreate 7 Help file. It contains — in alphabetical order — the more advanced command functions in MapCreate.

Each entry includes a summary box briefly telling what the command does and how to run it from the menu, toolbar or keyboard. Then, we've included more tips and tricks so you can take advantage of all the power and performance MapCreate offers.

You can see an example of the Help file's Command Reference format in Appendix 1 at the back of this manual, on page 77. Appendix 1 contains the entry on the Help Command, which explains how to use Help.

In addition to the Command Reference, the Help file includes material from this manual's User's Guide segment. Just press the F1 key to launch Help. You can find facts fast by electronically searching the Help File for the word or phrase you want.

In our printed manual, we've included other general supplemental material as appendices in the back of the book. Check out the Table of Contents to see the topics contained in each appendix.

After you have the software and card reader installed, browse through the tutorials in Sec. 3 to get you going. Later, when you want to try something new or you have a question about a particular function, skim through the manual's table of contents or search the Help file's Command Reference to read what you need.

If you're an experienced computer user, you can probably install MapCreate and the card reader without the manual. But, if you need a little coaching, jump ahead to Sec. 2 and we'll walk you through the install step by step. (If that's not easy enough, just grab the nearest teenager and ask him or her to install it for you!)

If you've skipped ahead and already have MapCreate installed, check out the Quick Start Reference below. If you're the type of person who wants more background information before you start, turn to How Map Create Works on page 6, or begin learning about the MapCreate screen components at the start of Sec. 3.

Quick Start Reference

This 13-step summary will get you started with a simple map. It assumes you have already made a full, default installation of the program, and one of the CDs is in your CD-ROM drive. (Complete installation instructions begin in Sec. 2.) For more detailed explanations, read through the lessons in Sec. 3. Before you start, make sure your LEI MMC card reader is installed and working and you know the reader's drive letter. Many

toolbar buttons are labeled and an informative tool tip box pops up when you point to a button.

How to make and save a rectangle map

1. Start MapCreate by clicking the Windows

START button and choosing

your version of

MAPCREATE from the menu.

2. Maneuver the Master Map so you can see the area you want to include in your map. Use the

PAN ARROW buttons to move north, south,

east or west. Use the

ZOOM-IN and ZOOM-OUT (Z-IN or Z-OUT) buttons as

needed to close in on or back away from the area you're viewing.

3. Click the

DRAW MAP BORDERS button in the toolbar. Move the mouse

pointer above and to the left of the desired area. Click, hold down the mouse button and drag diagonally down and to the right until the desired area is enclosed with the green border box. Then release the mouse button. You have just drawn a Map Border.

4. With the Map Border displayed, click the

ESTIMATE CUSTOM MAP SIZE but-

ton, on the Create Map toolbar. After a moment it will tell you your map's file size. If it fits the card, click

OK to clear the message and jump to step 5.

If the map file is too large for the card, click

OK to clear the message, then

redraw your map border a little smaller. Click the

DELETE MAP BORDER but-

ton, click on any green border line, then re-draw a smaller border box. Use the Estimate button to re-check the size until it is correct.

Click the OK button to clear the message box from your screen.

5. When your file is the right size, click the CREATE MAP button on the

Create Map toolbar. The program displays a message about copyright and encryption.

6. If this is the first time you have tried to save a file to your memory card, MapCreate will need to register the card. Make sure you have a card in your card reader. Click

OK to continue. (Clicking Cancel ends

the process.) If you have already registered the card you are using, click

OK and skip to step 11.

Read the message, and then click OK to continue.

7. Another message box asks whether you want to register your current

card or not. Click

YES to continue the card registration process.

Click Yes to register your current memory card with MapCreate.

8. You can change the label on your memory card if you prefer. Delete

the default name, "Card1," and enter the new name. Click

continue.

Delete the default label, if you prefer, and enter a new name. Then

click Register to continue.

9. Another message box tells you when your card has been registered. Click

OK to continue.

Click OK to continue the create map process.

10. The Card Registry window appears again. Click DONE to save your map.

Click Done to complete the registry process.

NOTE:

If the

AUTOMATICALLY APPEND LABEL TO SAVED MAPS box is selected (see

figure above), MapCreate will automatically add your card's label to the end of whatever name you give the file you are saving. Let's use the figure above as an example. If we name our map "Phoe-

nix.lcm," MapCreate will automatically name the file "Phoenix_CARD1.lcm." To cancel this option, click the Automatically Ap-

pend… box to remove the check mark.

11. A window shows the progress of your map build. When the map is built, MapCreate displays the

SAVE AS dialog box. Type a file name for

your Map File, and click

SAVE. (MapCreate will save your new custom

map to your memory card.)

12. After the program has saved the map to your card, the Save Progress box disappears. You can now close MapCreate and remove the card from the reader.

13. Follow the instructions in your GPS manual for loading the MMC or SD card into your unit. It will automatically read the map when the unit is turned on.

NOTE:

Custom maps and GPS data (waypoints, routes, trails, icons) are contained in two different file types. We describe their functions in the following segments on how the program works.

How MapCreate Works: the Basics

You'll be making maps faster if you understand the hoops MapCreate must jump through to cram a high-detail map into your GPS unit.

First of all, those CDs you just purchased contain a whole bunch of raw digital cartography data. There are several hundred files of digital mapping information containing lake shorelines, navigation aids, roads, rivers and all the other information that goes into our high-detail maps.

It takes some fancy formatting to fit the whole world onto a few compact discs. Your GPS unit can't read those raw files (called atlas files). Even if it could, no GPS unit or MultiMedia Card (MMC) has enough memory to hold that much information.

This is where MapCreate comes in. The program looks at all those raw atlas files, shuffles the different types of information together, and then places them onto your computer screen. That's what we call the Master Map, the main window in the MapCreate interface. By changing various options in MapCreate, you can control how much geographic detail is displayed on-screen in the Master Map.

It's a pretty cool electronic map, but your GPS can't read it in this form, either. This is where you come in. You move around the Master Map and locate the area or areas you want to make a detailed map of. Then, you use the computer mouse to draw a map border around the region you want.

Now, this map border isn't really a map yet — it just defines or outlines the area you want to include in the final GPS-friendly map. If you wish, you can save the boundary you have drawn as a Map Border File. MapCreate uses a map border like an electronic shopping list. The program looks at your border, grabs the appropriate raw atlas information, and then glues it all together as a custom map. Now you can save this data as a Custom Map File on an MMC (or SD card) and load it into your GPS unit. (If you like, you can backup the Map File by copying it from the MMC card to your computer's hard drive.)

GPS information — such as waypoints, routes or trails — is handled differently. You can click the mouse to set a waypoint or plan a route, then save that information as a GPS Data File. Just save it directly on or copy it to the MMC and this file is ready to load into your GPS unit. When your unit makes trails or waypoints in the field, that information is also saved as a GPS Data File. Your GPS unit can save the file to the MMC, which allows you to copy the GPS Data File back into your computer. Then you can open, edit and save it in MapCreate.

File Formats & Functions

Well, now you know what makes MapCreate tick. You may be ready to skip forward to where we explain how our text formatting makes the manual easy to skim. If that's the case, move on to "How to Use This Manual: Typographical Conventions" on page 15. But, if you want to pick up an extra tip or two, look over this segment describing the file formats and memory cards MapCreate works with.

Map Border File

This file defines the boundary of the raw cartography data that is extracted and converted to a GPS custom map, or Map File. The border file information is displayed on the computer's Master Map screen as either a green rectangle (rectangle map border) or a magenta polygon shape (corridor map border). The file extension is *.lmp.

In MapCreate 7, you can draw a border, then build and save a map without saving the border. However, some MapCreate power users still

like to save their borders as Map Border Files. That lets them make changes to a border or even combine different borders without drawing them from scratch each time. By default, MapCreate will first save a Map Border File to the C:\Program Files\LEI\MapCreate\Data folder, but if you prefer you can save it on your memory card. If you save elsewhere, MapCreate remembers that location the next time you save. Version 7 also stores map border information in each Map File. This lets you generate a border simply by opening an existing Map File, including maps built by previous versions of MapCreate.

A Map Border File can contain one or more different map border sets, and these border sets don't need to be next to each other on the map. For example, you can draw a rectangle border around one lake and then draw a second corridor border around another lake several miles away, and include both of those border sets into one Map Border File. There is no limit (other than space on your hard disk, MMC or SD card) on how many different border sets you can include in a Map Border File. You can open and edit a Map Border File and then save the file with the changes you made.

Custom Map File

This is the actual map format used by your GPS unit. MapCreate takes the borders you drew (or saved as a Map Border File), extracts that area's information from the raw atlas data, then converts it to a Custom Map File, often called a Map File for short. We call this conversion process "creating the map." The file extension is *.lcm.

By default, MapCreate will first save a Map File direct to your MMC memory card. If you prefer, you can save a Map File on your computer hard drive. When hard drive space is available, many users like to archive Map Files in the C:\Program Files\LEI\MapCreate\Data folder. This allows you to change maps on your card and reuse a map over and over without creating it each time. If you save a map to the Data folder, MapCreate will remember that location the next time you save a map, during the current work session. The next time you start MapCreate, map saves will default back to the MMC card.

You cannot make changes to a Map File once it has been created. If you want to make changes to a map, return to its original companion Map Border File or retrieve the map borders by opening the Map File (*.lcm). Make your changes to the border, then create a fresh Map File. You can delete the old one, or just save the new map over the old map.

Important Notes: File Encryption and Card Limits

We collect and purchase cartography data from several sources. Much of this data is copyrighted, and our data suppliers require that we protect our maps from illegal copying. One level of protection requires that you have the MapCreate DVD in the disc drive each time you launch the program. We also encrypt Map Files, and limit the number of MMC or SD cards you can use to store maps.

Map File Encryption

All maps built by MapCreate are required to be encrypted (or locked) to a specific memory card. This encryption process must be done on maps saved both to a memory card and your hard drive. Once a map has been encrypted to a specific memory card, you can make a backup copy on your hard drive, but you cannot copy the map to a different card. (Well, you can copy it to another card, but your GPS unit won't recognize it. To work, the Map File must reside on the card it was encrypted to.)

Limited Number of Cards

All MapCreate users are limited to saving maps on a maximum of five different memory cards. MapCreate tracks the number and identity of your cards by "registering" each card with the program. The software needed to register cards will not work with third-party card readers, so MapCreate will only work with the card reader from LEI. Once you have registered a card, it can never be unregistered and its place exchanged with another card.

Since you are limited to five, we strongly recommend that before you buy more cards, you should give some thought to the type of travel you do and your map size requirements. Memory cards come in several different sizes, so you need to think ahead and match card capacity to the type of maps you will need.

To help you decide what size cards to buy, make some map borders covering the type of travel you expect. Then use the Estimate Custom Map Size command to calculate the size.

For example, one Missouri customer frequently travels and fishes in the four-state area of Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. He purchased an additional 128MB MMC, which holds all four states at once. This lets him travel long distances for extended periods without needing a computer to change the maps on his card.

To give you an idea of how big a Map File can be, we made some examples using the regular versions (no topographic data) of MapCreate USA and MapCreate Canada, with all mapping categories included. (Size will vary depending on which package of MapCreate you have.)

In the U.S., Lake Michigan is approximately 26 MB, all of Missouri is 41 MB and the entire state of California is approximately 87 MB. A six-milewide corridor map from San Diego, California to the Maine-Canada border, following Interstate highways, is about 50 MB.

In Canada, a map of Lake Winnipeg (including the major lakes to the northwest) is 6.84 MB. All of Saskatchewan is 64 MB; all of British Columbia is 69 MB. A six-mile-wide corridor map from Prince Rupert on the west coast to Louisbourg on the east coast, following Trans-Canada highways, is about 35 MB.

Important Notes about Cards and File Size

The size of a Map File is important. It must be small enough to fit on the MMC (MultiMedia Card) that your GPS uses for data storage. This solid-state, flash memory device is about the size of a postage stamp. (SD [Secure Digital] cards are also compatible with any Lowrance or Eagle product that uses MMCs.)

At press time, the MMCs shipped with the GPS Accessories Pack version of MapCreate 7 are 32 MB size. If you're using a 32 MB MMC, your Map File must be less than 32 MB in order to fit on the card. (This space issue is the same as floppy disks; you can't really fit a 1.44 MB file onto a 1.44 MB diskette because some space is required for the disk's file allocation table. In the case of a 32 MB MMC, actual maximum useable space will be approximately 29 MB to 30 MB.)

MMCs and SD cards are used in a variety of other digital devices. Most electronics or digital camera stores sell MMCs and SD cards, and at press time they are available in 16 MB, 32 MB, 64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB and 512 MB sizes. Cards with even greater capacity will likely be available in the future. MapCreate is a powerful tool for your GPS, because it allows you to match your map's file size and detail level to your card's memory capacity and your travel needs.

NOTE:

Due to software requirements in the GPS units, MMC or SD cards can hold a maximum of 32 different files at one time for the Lowrance iFINDER

and 1,000 different files for all other Lowrance or Eagle GPS receivers. The total amount of information cannot exceed the MMC size capacity, no matter what the number of files is. For example, an 8 MB MMC in an iFINDER could hold approximately one 7.66 MB file, or 32 files, so long as the 32 files totaled 7.66 MB or less.

Other brands of GPS units use direct serial cable connections to transfer high detail maps from a computer to the GPS device. Lowrance and Eagle switched from this traditional method to removable memory cards for several reasons. A USB card reader can transfer a large custom map to your unit 30 times faster than a serial cable connection. Removable media means you don't have to take a computer and cable with you to load a new map in the field. If the unit is mounted in a vehicle, there is no need to dismount it and carry it to a computer. The effective mapping memory capacity of your GPS unit is restricted only by the capacity and number of memory cards you want to carry with you, up to the five-card limit. This is a handy feature for long journeys or for users who can't lug a laptop computer along.

Four factors control Map File size: 1. map detail level option settings,

2. the number of map feature categories turned on, 3. the amount of de-

veloped or naturally occurring features in the area and 4. the amount of territory, that is, the number of square miles or acres in the area.

Detail Level Options can be set to high or medium. The higher the level of detail, the bigger the file size will be.

There are dozens of Map Category Options that you can turn off and on. They include natural features — such as rivers — and man-made items such as roads, businesses or other points of interest. The more categories and subcategories turned on, the bigger the file size.

The amount of development in an area is something you can't control. For example, one square mile of city streets will make a larger file than one square mile of wilderness with a few hiking trails.

The amount of territory you include in a map is a major factor. The more square miles or acres you include, the bigger the file size.

The lessons in the manual were written using MapCreate's default settings, with high detail and all categories turned on. If your first maps don't fit your MMC or SD card, refer to the Help file's Command Reference section for more detailed instructions on controlling file size.

GPS Data File

This file format contains all the GPS navigation information (waypoints, event marker icons, routes and trails) used by your GPS unit and MapCreate. The file extension is *.usr (for User file). By default, MapCreate first saves a GPS Data File to the C:\Program Files\LEI\MapCreate\Data folder, but if you prefer you can save it direct to your MMC card. If you save elsewhere, MapCreate remembers that location the next time you save. Since GPS data files are not encrypted, it does not matter how you move .usr files around. As with other Windows-based files, you can freely drag and drop these files back and forth from the hard drive to any MMC.

You can open and make changes in a GPS Data File once it has been created. The contents can include any combination of waypoints, routes, trails and event marker icons. The information shows up graphically on the Master Map as symbols with names. The same information is also available as text in a list window, such as the Waypoint List window.

Your GPS unit saves field-collected GPS information in the same format so MapCreate can be used to save valuable travel or adventure data for a later trip. This also makes it easy to exchange GPS data with friends using Lowrance or Eagle GPS equipment.

ASCII Text File

This is a universal text file format compatible with word processors and other software. MapCreate can exchange routes and waypoint lists with other mapping programs by importing and exporting GPS information as comma-delimited ASCII text files. ASCII (pronounced "askee") uses the *.txt file extension. You don't need to work with these files, unless you plan to exchange routes and waypoints between MapCreate and other mapping programs. If you want to create a text file manually, or if you need to manually edit a route or waypoint text file, this is the waypoint position format MapCreate will export or import:

[latitude],[space][longitude],[space][waypoint name]

Each position is written in degree (decimal) format. For North latitudes, use the latitude with no preceding symbol. For South latitudes, a minus sign must precede the number, like this: –latitude.

For East longitudes, use the longitude with no preceding symbol. For West longitudes, a minus sign must precede the number, like this: –longitude.

The first waypoint in the following example text file is N 36.06079846º, W 95.78354912º.

36.060798, -95.783549, Church 1

36.060784, -95.761647, Turn North 2

36.161831, -95.761529, Turn N-East On Hwy66 (3)

36.162581, -95.753760, Wpt 004*

36.169981, -95.751795, Wpt 005*

36.382616, -95.556565, Turn N-West 6

36.385315, -95.560847, Turn North 7

36.503465, -95.561081, Stop Turn East 8

Text files are saved in the C:\Program Files\LEI\MapCreate\Data folder. For more information on how to use text files, see the Help file Command Reference topics "Export GPS Data," "Import Route" and "Import Waypoint List."

GPS Data Manger (GDM) File

This is an older file format used by MapCreate 5 and MapCreate 4 to hold navigation data (waypoints and such). MapCreate 7 can open these files, making the program backward compatible with versions 5 and 4. The GDM file extension is *.low. Although MapCreate 7 is designed to load and read older GPS Data Files in the *.low format, MapCreate 7 will only save GPS Data Files in the newer *.usr format. Please note that your MapCreate 7-compatible GPS unit can only read *.usr files.

Atlas File

This is the "raw" file format for layer after layer of cartographic and hydrographic data on our CDs. You never have to work with these files directly. MapCreate pulls data from these files to display the Master Map you see in the main window on your computer. The program combines the information from a Map Border File with the Atlas Files to make Map Files for your GPS unit.

NOTE: MMC Card Formats

If you have an older MMC that has been formatted by a parallel port Lowrance MMC Interface card reader, the card format may not be compatible with your newer USB port MMC card reader. If that's the case, you can preserve your historic GPS data by copying it to your hard drive with your older parallel port reader. The older MMC can then be reformatted so it will work with the newer USB card reader. To reformat an MMC, refer to the instructions that came with your USB MMC card reader or your sonar/GPS unit.

If you ever have to format your MMC card, you should know that MapCreate, as well as Lowrance and Eagle GPS products, will only

Latitude Longitude Waypoint Name

In routes, sequence is important. 1st line is wpt 1, 2nd line is wpt 2 and so on.

Comma and space separate items.

First wpt

Last wpt

read cards that are FAT formatted. MMC cards formatted using FAT 32 or NTFS will not work with these products.

WARNING:

You should never format an MMC containing a Navionics

chart or Jeppesen

aviation database. Formatting the MMC will

permanently erase the chart or aeronautical data from the card.

GPS Unit Compatibility

MapCreate 7 is compatible with all Lowrance and Eagle mapping GPS units that use removable MMC/SD cards for map storage. Some units, however, may need a free software upgrade to work with MapCreate 7. Upgrades are available for download from the web sites, www.lowrance.com or www.eaglegps.com. Look for the MapCreate 7 section, which will contain a list of units that need upgrades. Follow the links to download your free software upgrade.

If you have questions, call customer service for your GPS unit. Contact information is on the last page of this manual.

Mapping Detail: There's more here than meets the eye.

The Map Files you make with MapCreate contain more mapping detail than what is visible on your computer screen. Your MapCreate7-compatible GPS unit takes full advantage of this extra information.

Find Highway Exit Services

For example, move your mouse pointer over a highway exit symbol on the computer map, and all you'll see is a pop-up tool-tip box listing the name of the exit. However, in a Lowrance or Eagle GPS unit, the same exit symbol will show a pop-up box with the exit name and symbols of all the services available near that exit. The GPS unit can also provide you a list of those services.

At left, an iFINDER GPS screen showing an exit services pop-up icon

box. The iFINDER can then display a text list of those services near

the selected exit, right.

Pop-up box

Cursor over exit symbol

Find Points of Interest

On the computer master map, moving your pointer over a Point of Interest (POI) symbol triggers a pop-up box with the POI's name. With MapCreate 7, when the information is available, the pop-up box also displays the POI's address and telephone number. This detailed pop-up only works for items classified as Points of Interest.

Map with pop-up box showing POI information

In a Lowrance or Eagle GPS, all POI's include the name, address and phone number.

At left, an iFINDER GPS screen showing a POI pop-up name box. At

right, you can call up a page of information on the POI, and the GPS

unit can lead you to the POI's location.

Find an Address

You won't see addresses on your computer map (except listed in the pop-ups for some POIs). But when the MapCreate information is loaded into your GPS, you can search for a street address or a street intersection. In fact, your GPS unit can search by name for virtually every category of mapping detail contained in MapCreate.

All of this information is built into MapCreate's atlas database. As long as an information category is turned on and included in your Map File, the data will be available to your GPS unit.

Cursor over POI symbol

Pop-up box

With these and other elements, MapCreate gives you a phenomenal amount of mapping detail and information. For a more detailed list of the map categories available in MapCreate, see Appendix 2, Map Cate- gory List, on page 81.

How to use this manual: typographical conventions

Most Windows-based computer programs offer several ways to perform a task, and MapCreate 7 is no exception. With mouse and keyboard, you can access some commands four different ways! We'll show you all of them, but we save the most detailed information for our Help file's Command Reference section. There, the entry on each command includes a summary box showing all the menus and keyboard shortcuts (sometimes that's the only hint you need to get on with your mapping project).

In our User's Guide segment (Sec. 3), we usually focus on one simple way to get the job done, usually by clicking the mouse pointer on a menu or toolbar button. In the User's Guide, many of the instructions are listed as numbered steps. This makes it a little easier to follow a series of instructions when you're skimming the material.

In the printed User's Guide and the Help file Command Reference, the actual command clicks and keystrokes appear as sans serif, boldface type. So, if you're in a hurry (or just need a reminder), you can skim the instructions and pick out where to click by finding the boldface commands. The paragraphs below explain how to interpret the text formatting for those commands and other instructions (If you're already familiar with Windows or many other software manuals you can probably skip forward to Section 2: Installation, on page 25.).

Mouse

The mouse controls the movement of a graphic symbol on your screen called the mouse pointer, sometimes also referred to as a mouse cursor. The mouse performs an action by moving the pointer over a menu, a button or the map and then clicking the appropriate mouse button.

When the word "click" is used alone, it means "left-click," or to press and release the left mouse button. When you need to use the right mouse button, we will say so explicitly, such as "Right-click on the waypoint."

Sometimes a command requires more than one click. When we say "double-click," it means to rapidly click the mouse button two times.

Keyboard

The keys on your keyboard may not be labeled exactly as they are in this manual. All key names are shown in bold, sans serif type. For example, the "Control" key is shown as

Ctrl and the "Enter" key is shown as Enter.

Keys are sometimes used in combinations. For example,

Ctrl+T means

to hold down the

Ctrl key while pressing the T key. The hot key se-

quence

Alt+T|W indicates a two-step combination: hold down the Alt key

while pressing the

T key, release, then press the W key.

"Arrow keys" is the collective name for the up arrow, down arrow, left arrow and right arrow keys.

To choose a command from a menu, you can use the mouse or press a key combination.

Instructions

Words in small capital letters, in a bold sans serif type, indicate that you are to take an action of some kind with a command, menu, box or other item. For example, "You can use the Create Route command to plan a path to navigate with your GPS. To begin the route, choose

CREATE ROUTE."

When the phrase "choose command" is used in the Help file Command Reference section, it means to run or execute the specified command. For example, if the manual says "choose

CREATE WAYPOINT," it means to

run the Create Waypoint command. You can choose commands by clicking the mouse pointer on the menus or toolbar buttons, or by pressing the appropriate hot key or shortcut key on the keyboard.

Commands are sometimes described as menu sequences, to help you find the command faster. For example, "to open the Trail List window, click

VIEW|TRAIL LIST," means to mouse click on the main menu's View

command and then click the Trail List command on the submenu.

Specific text or numbers you must type are shown in bold, sans serif type. For example, if the manual says "Enter a Zoom range of

650

miles," you would click in the Zoom Range Window, type the numbers 650, then press the

Enter key.

Place holders for other items you must supply yourself, such as file names, are italicized. For example, when the manual says "Enter a name in the File Name text box," you would click in the text box, type the name you want to use for the file, then press the

Enter key.

This manual is written specifically for MapCreate™ 7, but for simplicity, the program is often referred to as "MapCreate" or "MapCreate 7."

MapCreate 7

MapCreate 7 is ideal for aviation, backpacking and related outdoor activities, but it was specially designed for hunters. Maps made with MapCreate will work in all Lowrance

GPS units. MapCreate 7 is the first GPS mapping software to offer such extensive boundary data for several types of public hunting lands, game management units and related areas.

NOTE:

We strongly recommend you check the Lowrance web site, www.lowrance.com, for free downloads of updated software and instruction manuals.

The high detail map data provided with this program is organized into six regions. To install MapCreate, follow the instructions in the manual.

Material covered includes:

New Mapping Data

Topographic elevations, public hunting areas and game management units are discussed along with other new data. Be sure to read the map

data disclaimer following the data descriptions.

Additional Symbols

New hunting-specific symbols make it easier to scout ahead of the hunt and mark important spots.

Searching

MapCreate lets you search for POIs, land features and more, just as you can in a Lowrance GPS unit.

Aviation Searching

Load a card containing a Jeppesen® Aviation Database into the card reader and MapCreate lets you search for items such as airports and VORs.

Find Nearest Waypoint or Nearest Highway Exit

It's easier to find these items with the new right-click shortcut.

Map Category Options Toolbar

A drop-down menu lets you select pre-set or customizable category settings for activities ranging from hunting to aviation.

Routing

MapCreate lets you accurately add POIs, land features and aviation navaids to routes with a click of the mouse.

Dynamic Pan Arrows

The permanent pan arrows that were located along the sides of the Master Map window have been replaced with pop-up pan arrows. You can even pan diagonally!

Pop-up Boxes

Pop-up information boxes for POIs, land features and interstate highway exits now include elevations. Exit pop-up boxes also list nearby exit services.

Color Legend

A legend describes the colors of different areas.

Map Coverage by DVD

The program's map data is provided on one DVD. If you choose to use Full Install, all of the high detail map data will be available from your hard drive. This requires 4.5 GB of space.

A Custom Install lets you select only the help file, sonar viewer, and map data.

The Compact Install loads your hard drive with the basic program, along with navigational aid data and a medium-detail world map. This requires approximately 300 MB of space.

New Mapping Data Types:

Elevation Contour Lines

MapCreate includes topographic elevations for all 50. These are shown as major and minor contour lines, with numbers showing the elevation above sea level. Contour lines begin to appear at about the 60 mile zoom range (depending on your monitor size and resolution). At that zoom level and closer, the mouse pointer also triggers a pop-up box showing elevation at that point.

Hunting

Public Hunting Area boundaries and their names from 48 states are included. Alaska and Hawaii are not included.

Game Management Unit boundaries for 22 states are included, in the following categories: antelope, bear, deer, elk goat, moose, mule deer, sheep, turkey (spring and fall) and whitetail deer.

The GMU states include: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

State and federal wildlife refuge and wilderness area boundaries are also included.

Tip:

For links to all 50 state wildlife agency web sites, as well as those of the Canadian provinces and many wildlife conservation organizations, be sure to visit the Lowrance web site, www.lowrance.com.

Other Data Types

There are other areas that are open to hunting in some states or are otherwise important to hunters, and we have included them. These are boundaries for state parks, state forests and military reservations.

Hikers and backpackers as well as hunters will appreciate the addition of intermittent streams. They are just part of the overall improved hydrography data which has better resolution and pop-up names. U.S. coastline and lakeshore detail has been dramatically improved. MapCreate also now includes USGS 1:24000 scale quadrangle map boundaries and their names, which are searchable. This makes it easier to determine what USGS topo maps you may want to purchase for your outdoor adventures. Sections, township and range lines are included. Boundaries have also been added for cities over 2,500 population.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Do not rely on this product as your primary source of information for navigation or area boundaries. You are responsible for using official government maps and charts during your outdoor activities. Due to the varied ownership and fluctuating borders of publicly managed hunting lands and game management units, you should also consult boundary signs and other on-site identifiers when using those areas.

Activities on public hunting lands are carefully managed to ensure the future of game and non-game species. You must consult local wildlife agency regulations for the hunting areas you use. The Lowrance web site, www.lowrance.com, contains links to the web sites of all state and Canadian provincial wildlife agencies to help access both hunting regulations and official mapping information. Also, updates to MapCreate's mapping data are ongoing; MapCreate customers may download regional updates of hunting-related data categories from the Lowrance web site.

LEI makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the maps and information contained in this product, including any implied warranties of merchantability, satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement of third party rights. A full description of our warranty is available in the End User License Agreement in the MapCreate manual.

Hunting Specific Symbols

MapCreate has a basic set of 42 symbols used to represent waypoints or event marker icons. That set contains several hunting symbols – such as deer track and tree stand – but we have added more than a dozen new ones. Now you can use a specific symbol to mark items ranging from turkeys to ATVs and from food plots to buck rubs.

Searching

One of the most powerful new functions in MapCreate 7 is the ability to search for POIs and several types of land features. To launch the com-

mand, click the

FIND button on the Map Navigation toolbar (it looks like

a binocular). The Find Menu appears, with a dialog box for the item's name, and pull down menus for the major category and minor category to search in.

For nearest searches, MapCreate begins looking from the current center of the map. When you select an item from the search results, that item will be snapped to the center of the map. When you search for a river, the map will be centered at the mouth of the river.

You can insert an IMS™ Fishing Hot Spots

map card in the card reader and you can search for several categories of Fishing Hot Spot items. However, you must first locate the desired lake and center it in the map before searching for specific fishing items.

When searching for any map item, you often must know the item's "official" name to locate it (especially the first part of the name). Here's an example search, showing the importance of knowing an official name:

We'll look for Truman Lake, which is located in Henry County, Missouri. All the locals and regular out-of-state visitors know this manmade water body as Truman Lake, but that's not the official name

1. Click the

FIND toolbar button.

2. In the Name box, enter Truman Lake.

3. In the Major Category menu, select Water.

4. In the Minor Category menu, select Lake/River Names, to narrow the search, then click the

FIND button on the menu.

MapCreate displays a list of items, but Truman Lake isn't there! That's because the full name is Harry S Truman Reservoir. Instead of "Truman Lake," just try "Harry," "Harry S" or "Harry S Truman," but don't use "Harry Truman" without the "S" or you'll miss it.

A search for "Harry S Truman" produces a list of possible answers in the middle list window. Scroll through the list and select Harry S Tru- man Reservoir (2). Next, in the bottom list window, click on a location to show it on the map, then click

OK to clear the Find menu. Now sim-

ply zoom in until you see the item you were searching for.

When searching for a section of land, it helps to know the legal description of the land you are looking for. Land descriptions are read from left to right, and you must enter your search in the same order. For example, to look for the section containing this property: N 1/2 SE 1/4 SW 1/4, S24, T32N, R18E in Wisconsin, in the Name box you would enter

s24,t32n,r18e, which stands for Section 24, Township 32 North, Range 18 East. Note that capital letters are not needed and the entries are separated by commas with no spaces.

Aviation Searching

With your Jeppesen aviation database you can search for airports, intersections, NDBs and VORs. You can search for intersections only by Identifier. You can search for the other items by Name, Identifier or City.

To find the Bartlesville, Oklahoma, VOR by City,

1. Insert the card containing your Jeppesen database in the card reader, and wait for MapCreate to read the card.

2. Click the

FIND toolbar button.

3. In the Name box, enter Bartlesville.

4. In the Major Category menu, select Aviation.

5. In the Minor Category menu, select VORs.

6. In the Search Options box, click By City then click the

FIND button on

the menu.

7. Only one "Bartlesville" appears in the results list windows. In the bottom list window, click on Bartlesville, then click OK to clear the Find menu. Now simply zoom in until you see the item you were looking for.

Find Nearest Waypoint, Highway Exit

Right click on the map and a pop-up menu gives you the option to FIND

NEAREST WAYPOINT or FIND NEAREST INTERSTATE HIGHWAY EXIT. Click the desired

command and MapCreate will search for the item nearest to where you clicked the map. The found item will snap to the center of the map. The command will find the nearest waypoint even if it hasn't been saved yet in a GPS data file.

Map Category Options Toolbar

MapCreate Topo contains a Map Category Options toolbar. The toolbar includes a

VIEW MAP CATEGORY OPTIONS button which opens or closes the

Map Category Options Widow with one click.

There is a

MAP USE drop down list that lets you select from several pre-

organized map category displays for Aviation, Boating, Driving, Hiking and the default, Hunting. Each display can be customized by turning different categories off and on and there are even two sets called Customize 1 and 2. No matter how much you adjust the displays, you can

return all of them to their defaults by clicking the new

RESET CATEGORY

DISPLAY SETTINGS button.

We identify various land types with different colors, and you may want to temporarily turn some categories off for better viewing of some details. For example, in military reservations, the dark blue color nicely identifies the area boundaries, but blue roads don't stand out as they normally do. Before you build a custom the map, just remember to turn the map category back on if you want it included in the custom map.

Routing

MapCreate Topo makes it easier than ever to plan an aviation or other route based on navaids, POIs or land features.

Click the

CREATE ROUTE button (described fully in the manual and else-

where in the Help documentation) to activate the command. Then, simply click on the desired navaids in order to make your route. Previous versions created an ordinary numbered waypoint where you clicked, which often covered up the item you were routing to. Now, when you click on a named item, a small red route dot appears on top of the item's symbol, and the item's actual name and position appear in the route waypoint list.

When editing routes made in this manner, you can insert additional route waypoints from the master map with a right click, but to delete a point from the route, you must open the route waypoint list and right click the point there.

Dynamic Pan Arrows

Previously, MapCreate versions panned the Master Map by clicking on Pan Arrow Buttons that were fixed to the sides of the map window. MapCreate 7 has eliminated those four buttons and replaced them with white pop-up pan arrows. When you move the mouse pointer near the edge of the map, the pointer becomes a Pan Arrow. Just click to see more of the map in the direction indicated. Move the mouse pointer away from the edge and it reverts to the previous command you had selected. You can also point to the corners of the map to pan diagonally.

Pop-up Boxes

Pop-up info boxes for POIs, land features and interstate highway exits now include more information. To display a pop-up box, move your mouse pointer over the item at an appropriate zoom range. Depending on your computer monitor size and resolution, these detailed pop-ups become available beginning somewhere in the 50 to 30 mile zoom ranges. If you don't see the desired information, just zoom in a little closer until it becomes available.

Water pop-ups now show the name of the water body. Interstate highway exit pop-ups show: the exit number, an exit description (usually the name of the cross street), the mile marker and exit services located off the highway within approximately one mile from the exit.

Elevations are shown in pop-ups for POIs, land features and interstate highway exits. Elevation pop-ups can also give you the elevation for points located between the displayed contour lines. For example, in a gradually sloping area between an 850 foot contour line and a 900 foot line, slowly move the mouse pointer between them and you'll see readings such as 887 feet, 871 feet, 869 feet and so on.

Color Legend

Public hunting areas: orange

Wildlife refuges: dark green

U.S. Army Corps of Engineer land: olive green

National forests; state forests; national, state and local parks; golf

courses and other recreation areas: light green.

Swamps: medium green

Military reservations: dark blue

Other public lands (such as airports and universities): white

Notes

Section 2: Installing MapCreate 7

System Requirements:

MapCreate 7 requires the following minimum system resources:

• IBM

compatible PC.

• Pentium

133 MHz or faster processor.

• 32 MB RAM

• approximately 300 MB free hard disk space, depending on your

version of the program and 4.5 GB for full install.

• 256 color display.

• Microsoft

Windows® 2000 or XP. The software will not work

with Windows

Vista.

• DVD/CD-ROM drive.

MapCreate will run on a system with the above specifications, but the program will work slowly. A faster processor and more RAM will significantly improve program operation. You can also optimize performance by installing as much of the program as possible to run from your hard drive instead of the DVD/CD-ROM drive. (Do this by using the Custom or Full install modes, described below.)

IMPORTANT NOTES:

For copy protection purposes, you must have the MapCreate DVD in the disc drive each time you launch MapCreate. De-

pending on the type of installation you select, you may remove the DVD after starting the program. (This allows you to use the DVD/CD-ROM drive for another purpose, such as listening to music, while working with maps and GPS data.)

The data used in our maps is copyrighted. To prevent illegal copying of this data, all maps built by MapCreate are required to be encrypted (locked) to a specific memory card. Encryption requires MapCreate to retrieve unique information from your card. This requires special software not compatible with third party card readers, so MapCreate will only

work with the MMC/SD card

reader provided by LEI. (MapCreate 7 will also work with older

Lowrance Electronics USB card readers.) If the card reader is not correctly installed with the LEI drivers, MapCreate will not open. After all the MapCreate files are installed, the installation program will install the drivers for the LEI card reader.

Installation Types

There are three types of installations: Compact - Installs navigational aid data, the low-detail back-

ground map (Master Map) data and world-wide, medium-detail map data. Takes approximately 300 MB of free hard drive space.

Custom - Only allows installation of the help file, sonar viewer

and map data.

Full - Installs every possible option and all the mapping

data. MapCreate runs fastest with this option. Cau-

tion: Be patient if you choose full install. It may take several minutes for all the files to install to the hard drive. You will be prompted to insert the appropriate disc(s) throughout the installation.

For Compact or Custom installations of version 7: the high detail map data is organized into multiple regions recorded on one DVD.

Installing MapCreate

For best performance, we suggest you uninstall previous versions of MapCreate before installing version 7. To install MapCreate, follow these steps:

WARNING:

You must close all other open applications and temporarily disable any virus scan software before you install MapCreate. Some virus scanning programs will cause undefined error messages and prevent MapCreate from installing correctly. If strange errors occur during install, make sure virus scan software is off, then reinstall MapCreate. When installation is finished, remember to turn your virus scan software back on only after your computer has rebooted and MapCreate and the card reader are installed.

1. Insert the DVD into the computer's drive.

2. The MapCreate 7 setup program should start automatically and you can skip to step 5. If it does not, click the Windows

START|RUN button.

Click the START button on the Windows taskbar, and then click RUN.

3. Type

D:\setup.exe (where D: is the drive letter for your CD/DVD-ROM)

Type the setup command directory path and file name.

4. Click OK to begin installation.

NOTE:

If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP Professional, you may receive an error message if you are not logged on with administrator privileges. If this occurs, you can complete the MapCreate installation by first logging on as an administrator, then proceeding with step 1 on page 26.

5. Follow the on-screen instructions:

A. InstallShield® will load. A message box will appear, reminding you

to disable any anti virus software. Click OK to continue.

B. Read the complete License Agreement. If you accept the agreement,

click the Y

ES button; if you do not accept, click the NO button, and

MapCreate will not be installed on your computer.

C. Choose a destination folder for the program. You can accept the

default (recommended) or you can choose another location. Click N

EXT

to continue the installation.

D. Select the type of setup, and click the NEXT button to continue the

installation. (See page 26 for a description of the options.)

E. If you chose Custom install, select the components to install. Then

click N

EXT to continue.

F. With all your preferences determined, InstallShield will

begin copying files. A progress window is shown.

G. If needed, the install will prompt you for additional discs. When

asked, insert the appropriate CD and click OK to continue the setup.

H. The Setup Status window shows the progress of the installation.

I. When the program files have been copied, InstallShield Wizard will display a message that setup is complete. Click F

INISH to close the wiz-

ard program.

J. After the MapCreate files have been installed on your computer, you

are prompted to install the MMC card reader drivers. Make sure the

card reader is not plugged in yet, then click OK to continue. (If you

stop the program, you can install the card reader later, but MapCreate

will not run until the card reader is installed. To install later refer to

the instruction sheet that came with the card reader.)

K. The setup program for the USB SD/MMC Reader loads.

L. When the setup program has loaded, a welcome screen is displayed.

Click the N

EXT button when you're ready to begin the card reader in-

stallation.

M. Read the complete License Agreement. If you accept the agreement,

click Y

ES. (If you do not accept, click NO, and the SD/MMC Reader soft-

ware will not be installed on your computer, and MapCreate will not

run.)

N. Choose a destination folder for the SD-MMC Reader program. This

is where you want the files to be located on your hard drive. You can

accept the default (recommended) or choose another location. Click

EXT when you're ready to continue.

O. Select the folder where you want to place the shortcut for the

SD/MMC Reader program. You can accept the default or choose an-

other location. Click N

EXT to continue the installation.

P. The setup program is ready to install the SD-MMC Reader program

on your computer. Click N

EXT to continue.

The setup program displays the progress of the installation.

Installation complete.

6. When the card reader install program is finished, the InstallShield wizard completion window appears. We strongly recommend that you restart your computer now. MapCreate and the card reader will not run until your computer restarts.

With the "restart my computer now" option selected, click

FINISH. After

the computer restarts and Windows has finished loading, plug the card reader into a USB port. After Windows finishes installing the card reader, it will appear as an additional drive letter in My Computer. The card reader and MapCreate are ready to use. If you are running an

anti-virus program on your computer, be sure to turn it back on at this time.

Care of your MapCreate DVD

Protect the shiny recorded surface of the compact discs from scratches, fingerprints and dirt. Hold a disc along the outer edge or by the center hole. Clean a dirty disc with a soft, dry cloth. You can also use a commercial DVD/CD cleaner or ethyl alcohol to remove fingerprints and dirt. Do not leave your discs in direct sunlight or in a hot, humid location.

Starting MapCreate

To start MapCreate, make sure the MapCreate DVD is in your DVD/CD-ROM drive. Click the Windows

START button, then click on the

MapCreate shortcut in the program menu. (A disc must be in the drive each time you start the program.)

Click the Windows Start button, All Programs, LEI, and then

your MapCreate version. (This is the default location for the shortcut).

If you prefer, you can start MapCreate using the alternate methods described below.

To start MapCreate from Windows Explorer:

Open Windows Explorer, if it is not already running. Navigate to the folder in which MapCreate is installed. By default the path is: C:\Program Files\LEI\MapCreate. Next, double-click MapCreate.exe to launch the program.

Double-click MapCreate.exe to start MapCreate 7 from

Windows Explorer.

For more details on the many other ways to create and manipulate shortcuts, open your Windows help file and search for the word "shortcut."

Notes

Section 3: User's Guide

Working With MapCreate

Starting MapCreate

If you installed the Compact version of MapCreate, make sure the DVD/CD-ROM for the area you intend to use is in the DVD/CD-ROM drive. Otherwise, you can insert any MapCreate DVD. (Remember, even

if you installed the Full version, a disc must be in the drive each time you start the program. This is one of MapCreate's copy protection features.)

NOTE:

• For earlier MapCreate owners: If you have an earlier version of

MapCreate installed on your computer and run the program from the CD, be sure you have the correct version of the CD in your drive when working with the two programs. Running MapCreate 6.3 with the version 7 DVD or vice versa will generate an error message when you try to build a map. The data discs are not compatible with each version of the program. If you made full custom installations of both programs to your hard drive, this error message will not appear because each version has its own unique directory on your hard drive.

You can start MapCreate by clicking the

START button and choosing

your version of

MAPCREATE from the menu, or you can double-click the

MapCreate icon in the MapCreate program group.

Start MapCreate by clicking the Windows START button and then choos-

ing MapCreate from the Start menu.

The MapCreate Screen

When you start MapCreate, the opening splash screen appears while the program is loading. It will take a moment or two for the program to load the map detail.

MapCreate 7 splash screen appears while program is loading.

Once it's finished loading, you'll see a screen that looks like this, with a map of the world and the Map Categories window open:

MapCreate 7opening screen.

MapCreate has several other windows that are used to control mapping data. If they were all opened, or turned on, the program interface would look like this (labels have been added for illustration):

MapCreate 7 GPS text list windows.

You can drag the borders of these windows to resize them to suit your viewing preferences. The windows can also be manually arranged around the screen, or you can just use the default Auto Arrange setting, under the Window menu. When you close the program, MapCreate remembers the windows and map you were using. The next time you start MapCreate, the program opens the previous map and windows, just as you left them.

Closing MapCreate

To close or exit MapCreate, click

FILE|EXIT or click the X CLOSE

button at the top right corner of the screen.

MapCreate Screen Components

If you're pretty familiar with how Windows programs work, you may want to skip ahead to the segment on Creating Rectangle Map Borders on page

54. But, before we actually start mapping, we'd like to describe the different elements of the MapCreate screen. The next few segments explain what they are and what they do. You'll also learn how to move around the map.

Master Map Window

The largest window is the Master Map window. It displays the basic world background map you'll use to prepare Map Border Files and Map

Status bar

Zoom Out Zoom In

Files for your GPS. You can close the other list windows if you're not using them. (You can always open them later when you need them. Click

VIEW and then click the window name.) This allows you to see as much of

the Master Map as possible on your computer screen. To close the other windows, click the X

CLOSE WINDOW button in the top right corner of

each window frame. You cannot close the Master Map window.

Master Map window shows a rectangle map border around Lake Eu-

faula, along with a route, waypoints and event marker icons. The

Zoom Range is 50, which indicates that it's 50 miles across the map.

Tips:

• You can use the Print Map command to print what's displayed in

the window. This lets you make a quick, customized, paper backup map for your travels. (A prudent navigator never relies on only one source of navigation information.) Because of variances in monitor size, screen resolution, paper size and printer drivers, what you see in the Master Map window may not fit your paper page exactly.

• When your mouse pointer moves over a map feature or landmark sym-

bol, a Pop-up Tool Tip Box appears listing a name or description of what the symbol represents.

Event Marker Icon (boat ramp symbol)

Route Line

Route Waypoint

Waypoint

Map Border

Border Handle Box

Zoom Buttons

Pan Button

Zoom Range (miles)

Pop-up Tool Tip box. When the cross-hair pointer hovers over the visi-

ble wreck symbol, a red border surrounds the symbol and the tip box

appears. This wrecked vessel is the "Three Brothers."

Main Menu

MapCreate's main menu is similar to that of other Windows programs. It consists of the File, Edit, View, Insert, Tools, Window and Help menus. You can click with a mouse or use the hot keys to access the menus and their submenus. For example, to see all the commands on the File menu, use the mouse pointer to click

FILE or use the keyboard and press the hot

keys

Alt+F. Some commands also have shortcut keys, such as F1 for the

Help command. All the commands — with their hot keys and shortcut keys — are listed alphabetically in the Help file's Command Reference section.

Toolbars

MapCreate 7 includes five different toolbars, all designed to speed you on your way to creating maps quickly. Each toolbar contains a row of buttons that you can click to execute various commands. You can move the mouse pointer over a button and a pop-up tool tip box shows the button name and/or function.

The first time you start MapCreate, only the Create Map (Easy) and the Map Navigation toolbars are visible. (You can display either the Create Map (Easy) or the Create Map (Advanced), but not both at the same time.) To display additional toolbars or remove one from your screen:

1. Click

VIEW|TOOLBARS. A toolbar is active when a check mark is displayed

in the box to the left of the toolbar's name. If the toolbar is not active, the box is empty.

Selected Symbol

Tip Box

2. To view a toolbar click the box beside the name of the toolbar you want to display. A check mark appears, and the toolbar is displayed on your screen.

3. To remove a toolbar click the check box beside the name of the toolbar you wish to close. The check mark disappears, and the toolbar is removed from your screen.

4. Repeat the procedure for each toolbar you wish to display or remove.

At left, the Create Map (Advanced) toolbar is checked, so it is active, or

visible. The figure at right shows that all four toolbars are active. To

remove a toolbar, simply click the check mark.

The tables below describe the commands on each toolbar.

NOTE:

The Create Map toolbar allows you to choose between an easy version and an advanced version (both described next).

Create Map (Easy) toolbar

Draw Map Border: draws map borders as

green rectangles.

Delete Map Border: clicking anywhere on the map border or on any black handle box with this tool removes the border from your map.

Estimate Map Size: predicts file size from current borders.

Create Map: creates a map file your GPS unit can use from an area defined by a map border.

Create Map (Advanced) toolbar

Draw Map Borders: draws map borders as green rectangles.

Draw Corridor Map Borders: draws irregularly-shaped magenta corridor borders. Useful for areas that don't fit neatly into rectangle borders, or for making strip maps that follow cross-country routes.

Delete Map Border: clicking anywhere on a green map border or repeatedly clicking the handle boxes of a magenta map border with this tool removes the border from your map.

Clear Map Border: lets you clear or erase all map borders displayed on the map.

Estimate Map Size: calculates an estimate of the final file size of your map based on the current map borders.

Create Map: creates a map file your GPS unit can use from an area defined by a map border.

File toolbar

New GPS Data File: clears or erases from the screen

any GPS data appearing on the Master Map.

Open GPS Data File: Opens an existing GPS data file.

Save GPS Data File: saves to disk any new or edited

GPS information displayed on the Master Map.

New Map Border File: clears or erases from the screen any map borders appearing on the Master Map.

Open Map Border File: opens a map border file previously saved by MapCreate.

Save Map Border File: saves to disk any new or edited map borders displayed on the Master Map.

Open Map: opens a map saved to disk.

Save All: saves a map border file and then a GPS data

file, when both types of information are displayed on the Master Map.

Print Master Map: prints the current Master Map window display, including any GPS information shown on the map.

GPS Data toolbar

Create Waypoints: lets you set a waypoint on the Mas-

ter Map.

Create Route: lets you create a route on the Master Map, with waypoints in a sequence.

Create Icons: Lets you set an icon on the Master Map.

Insert Waypoint: opens a dialog box that lets you set a

waypoint on the map by entering position coordinates.

Insert Route: opens a Route Waypoint List window and creates an "empty" route with no waypoints.

Insert Route Waypoints: lets you change a route by inserting new route waypoints.

Insert Icon: opens a dialog box that lets you set an event marker icon on the map by entering position coordinates.

Cut: deletes text or a selected GPS data item from a waypoint list, route waypoint list or icon list and puts it in the Windows clipboard.

Copy: copies text or a selected GPS data item from a waypoint list, route waypoint list or icon list to the Windows clipboard.

Paste: inserts text from the Windows clipboard. Inserts a GPS data item from the Windows clipboard into its respective list window. (You cannot paste one type of GPS data into a list window for a different data type.)

Undo: lets you reverse a command or function you have executed.

Redo: lets you re-run a command or function you had previously reversed using the Undo command.

Delete: erases a selected item from a waypoint list, route waypoint list or icon list.

Map Navigation toolbar

Center Map: clicking with your mouse anywhere

on your map puts the point you clicked on at the center of the screen.

Full Map: displays the map at the original default zoom setting.

Zoom Area: lets you drag a selection box to zoom in on a specific area on the map.

Zoom In: reduces the number of square miles displayed on the Master Map Window.

Zoom Out: increases the number of square miles displayed on the Master Map.

Back: displays the previous view of the map.

Forward: displays the view of the map that was

on the screen before the "Back" button was clicked.

Move Left: click this to see additional area on the left side of the map (i.e., a given point will shift to the right, bringing into view an area that was previously off the left side of the map.)

Move Right: click this to see additional area on the right side of the map (i.e., a given point will shift to the left, bringing into view an area that was previously off the right side of the map.)

Map Category Options.

Move Up: click this to see additional area at the

top of the map (i.e., a given point will shift down, bringing into view an area that was previously off the map at the top.)

Move Down: click this to see additional area at the bottom of the map (i.e., a given point will shift up, bringing into view an area that was previously off the map at the bottom.)

Map Category Options Window

This window controls how much mapping detail is displayed in the Master Map. Open and close the window by clicking

VIEW| MAP CATEGORY OPTIONS. You

can turn detail categories off and on by clicking in the check box beside them. A check mark shows that the category is turned on for display.

Each map category with a + sign to its left consists of a group of subcategories. Click on the + to display the subcategories. Each subcategory can be turned on or off individually by clicking the check mark in the box beside it.

NOTE:

For mapping information to be included in your final Map File, it must be displayed (turned on) in the Master Map when the Map File is created. Turning off unneeded information categories can help reduce file size if you are trying to fit a very large map onto an MMC with small amounts of memory.

For example, if you're simply taking a cross-country highway trip across several states, you can turn off categories such as rural roads and/or minor city streets. This should give you the navigation information you need at a smaller file size. However, when file size is no problem, most users prefer to include as much detail as possible. All the examples in our User's Guide section use the original factory default settings, which have all the categories turned on.

Even though a category is turned on, you may not see it on the Master Map because you have zoomed out too far. That's no problem. As long as the category is turned on, it will be included when you make your Map File, no matter what your zoom range is.

Tip:

Another command that works with category options to determine detail is the Detail Level Used option, under the

VIEW|VIEW MAP DISPLAY

OPTIONS menu. (You don't need to make any changes there now, but

after a little practice you'll want to see the entry View Map Display Options in the Help file's Command Reference for how this works.)

Waypoint List Window

This window shows the waypoints on the Master Map in a text list format. The symbol, name, latitude, longitude, date created and number are listed. The symbol, name, latitude and longitude can all be edited either on the Master Map or in the list window. To edit, right-click the waypoint. To open this window click

VIEW|WAYPOINT LIST.

Waypoint List Window

Icon List Window

This window shows the event marker icons on the Master Map in a text list format. The symbol, symbol label, latitude and longitude are listed. Except for the symbol label, these elements can be edited either on the Master Map or in the list window. To edit, right-click the icon. To open this window click

VIEW|ICON LIST.

Icon List Window

Route List Window

This window shows the routes on the Master Map in a text list format. The list contains the route name, number, total distance of the route and the number of waypoints that make up the route. To open this window click

VIEW|ROUTE LIST.

The route name can be edited in the window. To change the name:

1. Click on the name to highlight it.

2. Pause a moment; then click the name again (This is not a regular double-click.).

3. Type a new name and press ENTER.

The waypoints in a route can be edited. Double-click the route name and you'll open the Route Waypoint List Window, which we describe next.

Route List Window

Route Waypoint List Window

(This is not shown when the program starts for the first time; a route must be created first. With the Route List window open, double-click on the route name to open the Route Waypoint List window.) This window shows the waypoints that make up a route on the Master Map, in a text list format. The symbol, name, leg length and position (in latitude and longitude) are listed. The symbol, name, latitude and longitude can all be edited either on the Master Map or in the list window. You can also insert and delete waypoints in a route. To edit, right-click the waypoint. To relocate a route waypoint on the Master Map by dragging:

1. Right-click on the waypoint and select

MOVE WAYPOINT.

2. Move the mouse pointer with the waypoint to the new location.

3. Left-click to drop the waypoint in the new spot.

You can click

Esc at anytime, while moving dragging the waypoint, to

cancel the move. The waypoint remains where it was.

For more information on this function, see Edit Route Waypoint in the Help file's Command Reference.

Route Waypoint List Window

Trail List Window

This window uses a text list format to show trails (imported from your GPS) that are displayed on the Master Map. The name, number of points in the trail, origin (starting point's latitude and longitude) and trail number are listed. To open this window click

VIEW|TRAIL LIST. The

trail name can be edited in the window. To change the name:

1. Click on the name to highlight it.

2. Pause a moment; then click the name again. (This is not a regular double-click.)

3. Type a new name and press

ENTER.

Trail List Window

Tip:

You can automatically create a route from a trail, and you can edit the resulting route, if you wish. For more information, see Create Route From Trail in the Help file's Command Reference. To convert a trail, right-click the trail name. Then, in the pop-up menu, click

CREATE ROUTE FROM TRAIL.

Moving Around the Master Map

Pan Arrows

You can move around the Master Map display by clicking the Pan Arrow buttons, which appear at the north, south, east and west sides of the Master Map. For example, click the

RIGHT PAN

ARROW on the east side of the window to pan or move the Master Map to

the left. Clicking on the Right Arrow reveals a portion of the map previously out of sight to the right of the screen. The other three arrows work the same way.

If you prefer, you can click the Pan Arrows on the

MAP NAVIGATION toolbar.

Pan Arrows on toolbar

NOTE:

You can always use the Pan Arrow buttons to move around the Master Map, no matter what other commands may be activated.

Center Map

You can instantly move any location on the map to the window's center with the Center Map command. To center the map, click the button at the left end of the toolbar. The mouse pointer turns into a cross-hair. Now click on the part of the Master Map you want centered in the map window.

Tip:

The mouse pointer's location in latitude and longitude is always shown in the status bar at the bottom of the MapCreate screen.

Zoom Area

There are several ways to zoom in and zoom out on the Master Map display. All are described in the Help file's Command Reference, but for now we'll describe just three. One fast and precise method uses the zoom area mouse pointer, activated by the Zoom Area button.

1. Click the

ZOOM AREA button , and then place the zoom area

pointer

on the map near the location you want to zoom in on.

2. Now click and drag the pointer. A selection box appears on the map. Drag the box until it covers the desired zoom area. Release the mouse button. MapCreate will zoom in so that the selected area fills the Master Map window.

At left, the zoom area pointer was used to drag a selection box

around the word "Chicago." When the mouse button was released,

the map jumped to a tighter, zoomed-in view of Chicago. (These fig-

ures show only the center portion of the Master Map.) You can find

the exact zoom range in miles by checking the Zoom Range Window

(see page 54 for more information).

NOTE:

The Zoom Area button can only zoom in on a map. To zoom back out, use the Zoom Out button or the Z-Out button (see below). The Zoom Area button also acts like the Center Map button. With the command active, just click a spot to center it on the screen. You can also use the Zoom Area pointer to launch pop-up editing menus by right-clicking on waypoints and icons.

Zoom In/Zoom Out

Another common method for zooming uses the Zoom-In and Zoom-Out features. You have two ways to access these commands, so choose whichever is most convenient.

You can click the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons on the Map Navigation toolbar.

Zoom buttons on the Map Navigation toolbar

Or you can click the Z-Out (zoom out) and Z-In (zoom in) buttons, located at the bottom right corner of the Master Map.

Zoom Out, Zoom In buttons, with Zoom Range Window.

Zooming in lets you see less territory, but more detail. Zooming out lets you see more territory, but less detail.

1. Click the

ZOOM IN or the Z-IN button to enlarge the centered area of the

map.

Zoom Box

Cross-hair

2. Click the

ZOOM OUT or the Z-OUT button to shrink the map toward the cen-

ter.

Zoom Range Window

The current zoom range shows in the Zoom Range Window next to the Z-In button (see previous figure). The Zoom Range Window is the third common zoom tool. You can use this window in at least two ways:

1. Click the down arrow at the right of the box, and click on a preset range.

2. Click inside the box, type the desired range number and press

ENTER.

At left, Chicago is centered on the map with a range of 3000 miles; the

figure on the right shows a zoom range of 200 miles. (These figures

show only the center portion of the Master Map.)

NOTE:

You can always use the Zoom-In or Zoom-Out buttons, no matter what other commands may be activated.

Creating Rectangle Map Borders

Making a Map Border is the first step in creating a map for your Lowrance or Eagle GPS unit. Here's how: (Refer as needed to the Toolbar section on page 43.)

1. Center the Master Map display on the area you want to include in your map. Click the

CENTER MAP button , and then click the

cross-hair mouse pointer

on the area you want centered.

2. If needed, click the

ZOOM IN or ZOOM OUT buttons

so you can see the entire area that you want to draw a map border around.

3. Click the

DRAW MAP BORDERS button , and your mouse

pointer becomes a pencil

4. Move the mouse pointer above and to the left of the desired area.

5. Click and hold down the mouse button. While holding down the button, drag the pointer diagonally, down and to the right. A green border box appears. The size of the border box changes as you move your mouse.

Click and drag to draw a Map Border around Corpus Christi Bay area.

6. When the green border surrounds the desired area, release the mouse button.

7. To stop the command, click the

CENTER MAP button or the ZOOM AREA

button

If you are satisfied with this map border and want to finish processing it for use in your GPS unit, you can jump ahead to "Creating and Saving a Custom Map," on page 60. However, you might want to check out the following two optional steps on estimating the size of the map, and saving the border as a Map Border File.

Estimate Map Size (Optional)

It's a good idea to make sure your map will fit on your card, so let's check it. Click the

ESTIMATE MAP SIZE button , on the Create

Map toolbar. After a moment it will tell you your map's file size. If it fits the card, click

OK to clear the message and proceed to either saving the

border file or creating the map. If the map is too big, you must redraw your map border a little smaller. Click the

DELETE MAP BORDER button ,

click on any green border line or corner handle box, then re-draw a smaller border box. Use the Estimate button to re-check the size until it is correct.

Map Border shown in green on screen.

Handle Box

Mouse Pointer

Click the OK button to clear the size message box from your screen.

Saving a Map Border File (Optional)

MapCreate 7 gives you the option of saving your border as a Map Border File. Saving a Map Border file is not necessary because you can create a map without saving the border, and you can even extract borders from finished Map Files.

However, this option is useful if you like to tinker with your map borders, and you don't want to start over each time you want to change a border. Here's how to save the border:

(Refer as needed to the "Toolbars" section, beginning on page 43.)

1. Click the

SAVE MAP BORDER button on the FILE toolbar. The Save As

dialog box appears.

Save Map Border File dialog box.

2. Type a name in the File Name text box and click SAVE.

The file was placed in the "data" sub-folder located within the MapCreate folder on your hard drive. You can now start another map border (click the

NEW MAP BORDER FILE button on the FILE toolbar) or you can

close MapCreate and return another day. To open this border file later on, just click the

OPEN MAP BORDER FILE button (on the FILE toolbar) and

select the file name from the list.

Open Map Border File dialog box.

With the border displayed on the Master Map screen, you're ready to process it into a map your GPS unit can use. If so, you can jump ahead to "Creating and Saving a Custom Map," on page 60.

MapCreate can also draw a polygon-shaped border useful for following an irregularly shaped route, lake or other geographic feature. These corridor maps are made with the Draw Corridor Map Borders command, and we tell you how in the next lesson.

Creating Corridor Map Borders

A corridor map lets you twist and turn your borders to enclose irregularly shaped geographic features. Here's how: (Refer as needed to the "Toolbars" section, beginning on page 43.)

1. Center the Master Map display on the area you want to include in your map. Click the

CENTER MAP cross-hair button , and then

click the cross-hair mouse pointer on the area you want centered.

2. If needed, click the

ZOOM IN or ZOOM OUT buttons

so you can see the entire area that you want to draw a map border around.

3. Click the

DRAW CORRIDOR MAP BORDERS button , and

your mouse pointer becomes a pencil

4. Move the mouse pointer to where you want your corridor map to begin.

5. Click and release the left mouse button to set the first anchor point. (The anchor point is represented by a handle box, which can also be grabbed later to relocate the border if you wish.)

6. As you move your mouse, you'll see a magenta border box appear. Move the mouse pointer in a straight line along your corridor's path until you need to change direction to follow the terrain. Click to set a second anchor point.

Corridor with first and second anchor points set, left.

Add a second segment to the corridor with a third point, right.

7. Now move the mouse pointer off at an angle, in the new direction needed to follow the irregular terrain. You'll see that the active corridor border box now rotates around the last anchor point you set. This lets you move off in any direction, with the new segment of the corridor attached to the previous segments. Click to set your third anchor point.

8. Continue to click and add additional segments to your corridor until you reach your destination or have enclosed the desired area.

Point 1

Point 2

Point 3

Finished Corridor Map

9. Click the right mouse button to stop drawing the corridor map. To close the map borders command, click the

CENTER MAP button or the ZOOM AREA

button.

NOTE:

Corridor width is adjustable. The default is 12 miles wide, and the setting reverts to the default each time MapCreate starts. Minimum width is approximately six miles and maximum width is approximately 400 miles.

To adjust corridor width, click

VIEW|MAP DISPLAY OPTIONS and click

the

MAP BORDERS tab. Drag the Corridor Width slider bar to the left

to narrow the corridor or drag it to the right to widen, then click

OK.

For more information, see the Help Command Reference topics

View Map Display Options Command and its subtopics, Map Borders Tab and Corridor Width.

Tip:

If you need to start over, you can erase a corridor border box one segment at a time, or all at once. To erase by segment, use one of these two methods: (1) Click the

DRAW CORRIDOR MAP BORDERS

button. Move the pencil point over one of the small handle boxes that appear along the centerline of the corridor. Right-click on a handle box to erase that segment. (2) Click the

DELETE MAP BORDER

button and then click one of the small handle boxes.

To erase an entire corridor border at once, choose one of the following methods: Click

FILE|NEW|NEW MAP BORDER FILE or click

the

NEW MAP BORDER FILE button (on the FILE toolbar). Then click the

YES button on the Clear All Borders dialog box. This will erase all

corridor borders displayed on the Master Map.

Edit Corridor Borders

It's easy to edit a corridor map. To add a segment, use the Draw Corridor Map Border button and simply click inside an existing segment to insert a new handle box. Move the handle where you want the corridor to go and click to anchor it there. To reposition a segment, click on a handle box to grab it, move the handle to the new location, then click to anchor it there.

If you're satisfied with this map border and want to finish processing it for use in your GPS unit, move on to the next step, where you will create and save your map. (If you wish, you can estimate the map size and save the map border for future use. These optional steps were discussed in the previous segment on Creating Rectangle Map Borders.)

Creating and Saving a Custom Map

Once you have a Map Border, MapCreate can use it to make a Custom Map File for your Lowrance or Eagle GPS unit. Before you can proceed, however, your MMC or SD card must be registered with MapCreate. This is a one-time step for each of the five cards you are allowed to use with MapCreate. This card registry is a security requirement described in greater detail on page 8.

If a card isn't registered, when you try to create the map, MapCreate first walks you through card registration, then creates the map. (This is described fully in the Quick Reference, which begins on page 3.) If you wish, you may manually register a new card ahead of time by using the Card Registry Command, described in the Help file's Command Reference section.

The following instructions assume you have already registered your memory card, and you have used the Estimate Map Size button (described on page 55) to make sure the map will fit the card. Here's how to finish making your map: (Refer as needed to the "Toolbars" section, beginning on page 43.)

1. Create a map border or open a Map Border File by clicking the

OPEN

MAP BORDER FILE button on the FILE toolbar.

2. Click the

CREATE MAP button . A card encryption and registration mes-

sage appears. Make sure you have a card in the card reader and click

OK.

Read the message, and then click OK to continue.

3. A progress dialog box will appear while MapCreate extracts the necessary information and builds the Map File.

Building Map Progress dialog box.

4. When the map has been built, the Save As dialog box appears. Note that the file size of the map is shown in the title bar and in the status bar at the lower left corner of the MapCreate screen. In the example below, the size is approximately 1.94 MB.

Type a name in the

FILE NAME text box and click SAVE.

Save As dialog box showing map size in title bar

Congratulations, you've made your first Map File! Your map was

placed directly on your MMC or Secure Digital card. If you wish to keep a copy of the file on your computer, use Windows Explorer to copy the Map File to the "data" sub-folder located within the MapCreate folder on your hard drive.

Tips:

• If you don't plan to change this map later, the map border or Map Bor-

der File that you created it from can now be deleted if you wish.

• If you are having trouble saving your Map File to your memory

card, your MMC may need to be reformatted. For more information

on this, refer to the MMC format note on page 12 or the instruction sheet that came with the card reader.

Refer to your GPS unit's manual for instructions on inserting the MMC. When the GPS unit is turned on, it will automatically display your MapCreate custom map. Now you're ready to hit the road, but if you'd like to add a little GPS navigation information to your unit, read the following lessons.

Creating a Waypoint

Waypoints are the building blocks of GPS navigation. A waypoint is simply an electronic "address," based on the latitude and longitude of a position on the earth. MapCreate lets you set a waypoint and mark it with a symbol, name or number. This appears on the Master Map and eventually on the map displayed on your GPS unit's screen.

With your GPS, you can navigate to a waypoint. Waypoints can be used to mark a favored spot or to mark something to avoid such as a deadend road or a boating hazard on a lake. Waypoints linked together in a sequence allow you to navigate along a pre-planned route. In the field, your GPS unit can also be used to set waypoints. You can bring these field-generated waypoints into MapCreate for storage and use on later trips.

Creating a waypoint on the Master Map is easy. Here's how: (Refer as needed to the "Toolbars" section, beginning on page 43.)

1. Center the Master Map display on the area where you want to set the waypoint. Click the

CENTER MAP cross-hair button , then

click the cross-hair mouse pointer on the area you want centered.

2. If needed, click the

ZOOM IN or ZOOM OUT buttons

so you can see enough detail to accurately place the waypoint.

3. Click the

CREATE WAYPOINTS button on the GPS Data toolbar, and

your mouse pointer becomes an arrow with a waypoint symbol and the abbreviation "Wpt"

4. Move the mouse pointer so that the arrow point is where you want the waypoint. Click to set the waypoint. Move your mouse away, and you can see the waypoint, with the default name of "Wpt 001."

Create a waypoint: First, find the location on the Master Map. The

longer arrow shows the location of a public hunting area parking lot.

Move the pointer arrow tip over the location (left) and click to create

the waypoint. The waypoint appears (right) with the default waypoint

symbol and name, both of which can be changed. These figures were

taken from a zoom range of 4.05 miles. It looks as if the waypoint is on

the road, but zooming in closer would show the waypoint is actually

south of the road, just where the pointer tip placed it.

5. Relocate your mouse pointer and click to create additional waypoints as needed.

6. To close the Create Waypoints command, press

Esc (the Escape key)

or click the

CENTER MAP or ZOOM AREA buttons.

Tips:

• If you need to erase or delete a waypoint, move the cross-hair

pointer or the zoom area pointer over a waypoint and right-click. In the pop-up menu, click

DELETE WAYPOINT.

• If you want to reposition the waypoint, move the cross-hair pointer

or the zoom area pointer over a waypoint and right-click. In the pop-up menu, click

MOVE WAYPOINT, and the pointer grabs the way-

point. Move it to the new position and click to set it there.

• There are other ways to delete waypoints, and you can also change the

symbol, name and location. For instructions on these functions, along with other tips, see Create Waypoint, Delete Waypoint, Insert Way- point and Edit Waypoint in the Help file's Command Reference section.

If this is all the GPS information you need for now, skip ahead to the lesson "Saving a GPS Data File" on page 69. Remember, to get the waypoints you just made into your GPS unit, they must be saved in a GPS Data File. But, if you want to add some icons or a route to the GPS Data File, check out the next two lessons.

Creating an Icon

Icons are graphic symbols used to mark some location, personal point of interest or event. These features are also called event markers, or event marker icons. Event marker icons don't store as much information as waypoints. You can't use a menu to navigate to them as you can with waypoints, and you can't change their names. But you can change their symbols. In fact, waypoints and event marker icons share the same set of symbols, but they are two different types of GPS data with different capabilities.

NOTE:

Until you change the default symbol, any icon you create will look like a yellow and red waypoint, but without a name

. For this lesson, we will stick with the default, but if you want to change the symbol, refer to Edit Icon in the Help file's Command Reference.

Event marker icons are a handy way to mark a spot when you don't need to save or edit much information about the location or event. Creating an icon on your map is as easy as setting waypoints. Here's how: (Refer as needed to the "Toolbars" section, beginning on page 43.)

1. Center the Master Map display on the area where you want to set the icon. Click the

CENTER MAP cross-hair button , and then

click the cross-hair mouse pointer

on the area you want centered.

2. If needed, click the

ZOOM IN or ZOOM OUT buttons

so you can see enough detail to accurately place the icon.

3. Click the

CREATE ICONS button on the GPS Data toolbar, and your

mouse pointer becomes an arrow with a red and yellow icon symbol

4. Move the mouse pointer so that the arrow point is where you want the icon. Click to set the icon. Move your mouse away, and you can see the icon.

Create an icon: First, find the location on the Master Map. The bottom

arrow shows the location of a public boat ramp on this river.

Move the pointer arrow tip over the location (left) and click to create the

icon. The icon appears (right) with the default waypoint symbol but no

name. To change this symbol to the boat ramp symbol, see Edit Icon in

the Help file's Command Reference.

5. Relocate your mouse pointer and click to create additional icons as needed.

6. To close the Create Icons command, press

Esc (the Escape key) or

click the

CENTER MAP or ZOOM AREA buttons.

Tips:

• If you need to erase or delete an icon, move the cross-hair pointer or the zoom area pointer over the icon and right-click. In the pop-up menu, click

DELETE ICON.

• If you want to reposition an icon, move the cross-hair pointer or the zoom area pointer over the icon and right-click. In the pop-up menu, click

MOVE ICON, and the pointer grabs the icon. Move it to the

new position and click to set it there.

• There are other ways to delete icons, and you can also change the symbol and location. For instructions on these functions, along with other tips, see Create Icon, Delete Icon, Insert Icon and Edit Icon in the Help file's Command Reference section.

If you don't want to plan a route this trip, skip ahead to the lesson "Saving a GPS Data File" on page 69. But don't forget, planning a route is one of MapCreate's coolest capabilities. If you're ready for some real navigating with routes, read on.

Creating a Route

A route is a series of waypoints, linked together in an ordered sequence, that's used to mark a course of travel. You can visualize a route as beads on a string, or, think of it as the mile marker signs posted at intervals along U.S. interstate highways.

Routes are powerful tools for planning and then navigating your journeys. With your GPS receiver, you can automatically navigate from one waypoint to the next along your intended course. You can start at either end of a route, or even begin navigation in the middle of a route.

You can informally group routes into two broad categories, based on the terrain and type of travel. On water, in the air or just hiking crosscountry, you can generally travel in a simple, straight line from waypoint to waypoint (barring obstacles, of course). The Global Positioning System was originally developed by the U.S. military for this type of routing. It's suitable for airplanes, ships and soldiers in the field. MapCreate and your GPS unit connect all route waypoints with straight lines.

The other route style involves navigating along a road, highway or other winding pathway. When your vehicle has to follow the twists and turns of the pavement, you can't really travel in a straight line from waypoint to waypoint.

Since the legs of all GPS routes are based on straight lines between waypoints, setting up a curvy highway route takes a little more time and practice than our Quick Start format allows. We'll save those details for the Create Route entry in the Help file's Command Reference section.

For this lesson, we'll use an example based on a simple off-shore fishing route. Just remember: the techniques for making a route are the same, no matter what sort of travel pattern you're planning. Here's how it works: (Refer as needed to the "Toolbars" section, beginning on page 43.)

1. Center the Master Map display on the area where you want to begin your

route. Click the

CENTER MAP cross-hair button then click the

cross-hair mouse pointer

on the area you want centered.

2. If needed, click the

ZOOM IN or ZOOM OUT buttons so

you can see enough detail to accurately place the route waypoints.

Tip:

As you move along your intended course, you may need to pan the Master Map and periodically zoom in and out to see where to place route waypoints, and where you are going next. The pan and zoom buttons will always work, even when the

CREATE ROUTE command is ac-

tive. This way, you don't have to turn off Create Route just to move the map.

3. Click the

CREATE ROUTE button on the GPS Data Toolbar. Your mouse

pointer becomes an arrow with a route symbol

, two waypoints connected

by a magenta route line.

4. Move the mouse pointer so that the arrow point is where you want to

start your route. Click to set the first waypoint. Move your mouse away and you can see the waypoint. A straight magenta route line now runs from Waypoint 001 to your mouse pointer like a rubber band, showing you a route is under construction.

Click to set the first waypoint in a route. This example will show the

route of a fishing boat from Port Aransas, Texas, to some oil drilling

platforms and a wreck in the Gulf of Mexico, then back to port.

5. You can move off in any direction and the next waypoint will be linked in

a straight line to waypoint 1. Relocate your mouse pointer along your intended route and click to create additional route waypoints as needed. Basically, you will set a new waypoint every time you need to change direction.

6. To close the

CREATE ROUTE command, right-click or press Esc.

Finished route with six waypoints. Notice the straight line-of-sight line

connecting the waypoints that make up the route. The route segment

from one waypoint to another is called a leg; this route has five legs.

Waypoints 3 and 4 are near oil drilling platforms and waypoint 5 is

near a visible wreck.

Tips:

• Routes can be edited in many ways, but those steps involve several other commands that we will discuss only in the Help file's Command Reference section. You can delete an entire route, delete a waypoint from a route, insert a waypoint into a route or relocate a waypoint in a route. To read more about it, see these entries in the Help file's Command Reference: View Route List, View Route Way-

point List, Edit Route, Edit Route Waypoint, Delete Route, Delete Route Waypoint, Insert Route and Insert Route Waypoints. But, if

you're in a hurry to change your route, read the following two tips.

• You can completely erase a route by deleting each waypoint, one after the other. Click the

CENTER MAP button (or ZOOM AREA button),

move the cross-hair pointer over a route waypoint and right-click. In the pop-up menu, click the

DELETE WAYPOINT command. MapCreate

erases the waypoint and the magenta line linking the waypoint to the route. To erase the route legs but leave the waypoints: open the Route List window (shortcut key

F3), right-click the route name,

and in the pop-up menu click

DELETE ROUTE.

• You can easily reposition a route waypoint with your mouse. Just move the cross-hair pointer or the zoom area pointer over the waypoint and right-click. In the pop-up menu, click

MOVE WAYPOINT, and

the pointer grabs the route waypoint. Move it to the new position and click to set it there

Now that you've created all the GPS information you want, you need to prepare it for use in your GPS unit. We'll do that in the next lesson, "Saving a GPS Data File."

Saving a GPS Data File

GPS Data Files (sometimes called "user files") can contain any combination of GPS information, including waypoints, event marker icons, routes and trails. MapCreate and your GPS unit store all their GPS data in this same file format. This makes it easy to move GPS data back and forth between MapCreate and your GPS unit. Here's how: (Refer as needed to the "Toolbars" section, beginning on page 43.)

1. With some type of GPS data displayed on the screen, click the

SAVE GPS

DATA FILE button on the File toolbar. The Save As dialog box appears.

Save GPS Data File dialog box.

2. Type a name in the File Name text box and click SAVE.

Congratulations, you've made your first GPS Data File! MapCreate saved the file to the program's default storage folder, which is:

C:\Program Files\LEI\MapCreate\Data. Now you can use Windows Explorer to copy or move the file to your MMC card. Remember, Windows treats your card reader like a removable disk drive, so copying a GPS Data File to the MMC card is like copying a file from the hard drive to a floppy disk.

Tip:

You also have the option of saving the GPS data file directly to the card. When the Save As dialog box appears, select the card reader's drive letter in the Save In box before you click Save. For help transferring files with Windows Explorer, click

START|HELP and in the Win-

dows Help program, look for the topics "copying files" or "moving files."

You can now start another GPS Data File (click the

NEW GPS DATA FILE

button) or you can close MapCreate and return another day. To open this or another GPS Data File later on, just click the

OPEN GPS DATA FILE button

and select the file name (and its location) from the list, then click

OPEN.

Open GPS Data File dialog box.

Moving GPS Data Files between Computer and Unit

With that GPS Data File copied to the MMC, you're ready to load the file into your GPS unit. Refer to your GPS unit's manual for instructions on inserting the MMC. Then look in the unit's manual for the topic "Transfer Custom Maps and GPS Data Files." This is usually located in the Advanced Mode Operation section of the hand-held units, and in the Basic GPS Operations section of gimbal-mounted units. Those instructions will tell you how to load the GPS Data File into your unit's memory so that the waypoints and other items appear on the unit's Map Page display.

The same instructions explain how make your unit save waypoints and other data as GPS Data Files. After the unit saves its own GPS data to the MMC card, you can place the MMC in the card reader, copy that GPS Data File to C:\Program Files\LEI\MapCreate\Data and open the file in MapCreate.

Now you know all the basics for getting custom maps and GPS data into your GPS unit — you're ready to travel!

You don't need them at this moment, but there are two more optional operations you ought to hear about. One is making a corridor map from a route. You can use that method instead of drawing corridor border boxes manually with the mouse.

The other operation is creating a route from a trail. You can't even practice that one yet; you need to get out there with your GPS and bring back a trail to play with. Just follow the instructions in your GPS

manual to save a trail from your travels, and save the trail in a GPS Data File. Open the data file in MapCreate, then refer to the lesson "Creating a Route from a Trail" on page 73.

Creating a Corridor Map from a Route

MapCreate can use a route you've made to automatically create a corridor map border. Using the Draw Borders Around Route command is fast, and it helps control the size of your Custom Map. Here's how it works:

1. Create a route or open a GPS Data file containing a route. (To open a

GPS Data File, click

FILE|OPEN|OPEN GPS DATA FILE.)

2. Open the Route List Window: click

VIEW|ROUTE LIST.

3. Right-click on the route name. In the pop-up menu, click the

DRAW

BORDERS AROUND ROUTE command.

When you right-click a route name in the Route List Window, a pop-up

menu appears. Click on Draw Borders Around Route to generate the

border. In this example, we are creating a corridor map border for a

route from Dallas to Corpus Christi, Texas.

MapCreate draws a corridor map border following the route. See the illustrations below, showing the route before and after the command is performed.

Route from Dallas to Corpus Christi, Texas (left) and the corridor map

created automatically from the route (right).

You can save this as a Map Border File and then create a Map File, or create a Map File without saving the border. (Click the

SAVE MAP BORDER

button, on the

FILE toolbar, and then click the CREATE MAP button.)

Tip:

You can control the width of any corridor map. Click VIEW|MAP DIS-

PLAY

OPTIONS, and the Map Display Options dialog box appears.

Click Map Display Options to bring up the Map Display Options dialog box.

Click on the MAP BORDERS tab. Near the bottom of the box, drag the Corridor Width slider bar left to decrease or right to increase the width of your corridor. This allows you to make very narrow corridors, which in turn results in conveniently small Map File sizes.

Map Borders tab in the Map Display Options dialog box. Drag the Cor-

ridor Width slider bar to the left to narrow corridor width. Drag the

slider bar to the right to widen corridor width.

Creating a Route from a Trail

A trail is a line drawn on the map by your GPS unit as you travel. It's a record of the path you've taken, showing where you've been. This feature is also called a plot trail. In the field, the trail will extend from your present position back to where you began recording the trail. Your GPS unit records thousands of position points to show every twist and turn you've taken on your journey.

To get a trail into MapCreate, you must record a trail in your unit, then save the trail in a GPS Data File. Copy the data file from the MMC to the MapCreate data folder. When you open the GPS Data File, MapCreate will display the trail as a green line on the Master Map.

MapCreate can use a GPS plot trail to create a route for use on a repeat trip. Your GPS unit can navigate the new route, making it easy to retrace the path you took. You can even share the information with friends. Using the Create Route from Trail command is a snap. Here's how you do it:

1. Open a GPS Data file containing a trail. (To open a GPS Data File,

click

FILE|OPEN|OPEN GPS DATA FILE.)

NOTE:

GPS Data Files with relatively long trails take a few moments to open. Please be patient when you open a data file containing a long

Corridor Width slider bar

trail. Once the trail information has been processed, the remainder of the data file will open very quickly.

GPS Data File open progress box.

This example shows a portion of Trail 2, recorded during a business

trip from Afton, Oklahoma to Kansas City, Missouri. The trail appears

as a green line on the Master Map. It follows Interstate 44 to Carthage,

Missouri, then Highway 71 north toward Kansas City. For easier view-

ing, roads, highways and other features have been turned off.

2. Open the Trail List Window: click VIEW|TRAIL LIST.

3. Open the Route List Window: click

VIEW|ROUTE LIST.

4. Right-click on the trail name. In the pop-up menu, click the

CREATE

ROUTE FROM TRAIL command.

The Create Route From Trail pop-up menu appears when you right-

click a trail name in the Trail List Window. Notice the absence of way-

points along the trail.

MapCreate converts the green trail line into a magenta route line with red waypoints. It does this by transforming thousands of position points in this trail to 25 route waypoints. See the illustration below, showing the trail and route before and after the command is performed.

Trail segment through Joplin before conversion to a route (left) and

the route created automatically from the trail (right). In the right im-

age, the green trail and the magenta route are both visible. Note the

numbered waypoints appearing along the route.

You can save this as a different GPS Data File. (Click the SAVE GPS DATA

FILE button on the FILE toolbar.)

Plot Trail. Shown in green on MapCreate screen.

Notes

Appendix 1: MapCreate Command List

Complete documentation on all MapCreate commands is available in the program's Help File. To access Help and its Command Reference section, press F1. An example entry from the Command Reference (for the Help Command) appears at the end of this command list.

About MapCreate Arrange Icons Arrange Windows Auto Arrange Windows Card Registry Cascade Windows Center Map Close All Windows Clear Map Borders Create Custom Map Create Icons Create Route Create Route From Trail Create Waypoints Delete Delete Icon Delete Map Border Delete Route Delete Route Waypoint Delete Trail Delete Waypoint Draw Borders Around Route Draw Corridor Map Borders Draw Map Borders Edit Icon Edit Route Edit Route Waypoint Edit Waypoint Estimate Map Size Exit Export Route Export Waypoint List Help Topics Import Map Borders From File Import Route Import Waypoint List Insert Icon Insert Route Insert Route Waypoints Insert Waypoint New GPS Data File

New Map Border File Open GPS Data File Open Map Open Map Border File Print GPS Data Print Map Printer Setup Restore Original Settings Save All Save GPS Data File Save GPS Data File As Save Map Border File Save Map Border File As Tile Windows Horizontally Tile Windows Vertically View Icon List View Map Category Options View Map Display Options

Data Display Options Detail Level Used GPS Data Default Symbol Map Borders Options Draw block boundaries Draw corridor hot spots Corridor Width Position Format Options Zoom Options Zoom Range Units

Map Zoom Change View Route List View Route Waypoint List View Status bar View Toolbar View Trail List View Waypoint List Zoom In / Zoom Out

Notes

Help Topics Command

Menu: HELP Submenu: n/a Menu Command:

HELP TOPICS

Menu Command Sequence:

HELP|HELP TOPICS

Hot Key Sequence:

Alt+H|H

Shortcut Key(s):

Toolbar button: n/a

The Help Topics command opens the on-line Help system in your default web browser. Our help information is in HTML format, but it runs from the CD or your hard drive, not from the Internet.

Using the Command

The Help system contains the Quick Reference tutorial material (from the instruction manual) and a Command Reference, which documents every command in MapCreate.

To open the Help system, choose the

HELP TOPICS command.

You navigate through the help information just as you would any other web site, using the clickable hyperlinks to move around.

Searching Help

Once you have opened a help document, you can search it for the information you need.

Internet Explorer browser:

1. Click somewhere on the help page you intend to search. This makes sure your browser will search the correct page.

2. Click

EDIT|FIND (ON THIS PAGE) or use the shortcut keys Ctrl+F to begin

your search

Use Internet Explorer's Find command to search Help documents.

3. In the

FIND WHAT: box, type the term, phrase or command you are look-

ing for, adjust any options such as up or down, then click

FIND NEXT.

Search a Help document for the term "map border."

Netscape 6 browser:

1. Click somewhere on the help page you intend to search. This makes sure your browser will search the correct page.

2. Click

SEARCH|FIND IN THIS PAGE or use the shortcut keys Ctrl+F to begin

your search

Use Netscape's Find command to search Help documents.

3. In the FIND TEXT: box, type the term, phrase or command you are looking for, adjust any options such as search backwards, then click

FIND.

Search a Help document for the term "map border."

Appendix 2: Map Category List

This list contains the different categories of mapping information available in MapCreate 7. These categories and their subcategories can be turned off or on. Only those categories turned on (displayed in the Master Map) will be included in Custom Map Files for your GPS unit. See Appendix 3 for symbols used to represent these items. POI stands for Point of Interest. U.S. and Canadian category groupings are listed here. Specific categories for your area may differ slightly, but the patterns will be similar.

U.S. Categories

Airports Runways

Symbols

Cities Community Names

Names Subdivision Names Urban Areas

Countries

Boundaries

Names

County/Parish

Boundaries

Highway Exits

Exits

Information Centers Parking Areas Picnic Areas Rest Areas Scenic Areas Service Areas Toll Plazas Welcome Centers Weigh Stations

Highways

International Minor International Major Interstate Symbols Interstate State State Symbols US Symbols

Landmarks

Buildings

Cemeteries Fire Stations Land Features Libraries Mines Other Schools Shopping Center Summits Towers Trail Names

Marine Navaids

Major

Minor

POI-All Others Airports

Attractions Auto Parts/Service Banks/Financial Bars/Nightclubs Entertainment Fishing/Hunting Food Stores Gasoline Government Marine Services Medical Service Museums/Zoos Postal Service Places of Worship RV Parks/Services Shopping Sporting Goods/Wear Sports Transportation Universities/Schools

POI-Lodging

Bed & Breakfast

Cabins Camps/Campgrounds Hotels/Motels Resorts RV Parks

POI-Restaurants

Asian

Banquet Rooms Barbecue Coffee Shops Delis Fast Food Chains Ice Cream Italian Mexican Miscellaneous Pizza Sandwiches Seafood

Steak Houses

Public Lands National Forests

National Park Service Park Symbols

Railroads Roads

Major City

Major City Names Minor City Names Minor City Rural Names Rural

State/Province

Boundaries

Names

Water

Canals/Streams Canals/Stream Names Lake/Rivers Lake/River Names Ocean/Seas Ocean/Sea Names Other Names

Wrecks & Obstructions

Canadian Categories

Airports Runways

Symbols

Cities Community Names

Names Subdivision Names Urban Areas

Countries

Boundaries

Names

County/Parish

Boundaries

Highway Exits

Exits

Information Centers Parking Areas Picnic Areas Rest Areas Scenic Areas Service Areas Toll Plazas Welcome Centers Weigh Stations

Highways

International Minor International Major Interstate Symbols Interstate State State Symbols US Symbols

Landmarks

Buildings

Cemeteries Fire Stations Land Features Libraries Mines Other Schools Shopping Center Summits Towers Trail Names

Marine Navaids

Major

Minor

Points Of Interest Airports

Auto Parts/Service Banks Bars/Nightclubs Entertainment Fishing/Hunting Food Stores Gasoline Government Hardware Libraries Lodging Marine Services Medical Service Museums/Zoos Postal Services Restaurants RV Parks/Services Shopping Sporting Goods/Wears Sports Tours Transportation Universities/School

Public Lands National Forests

National Park Service Park Symbols

Railroads Roads

Major City

Major City Names Minor City Names Minor City Rural Names Rural

State/Province

Boundaries

Names

Water

Canals/Streams Canals/Stream Names Lake/Rivers Lake/River Names Ocean/Seas Ocean/Sea Names Other Names

Wrecks & Obstructions

Appendix 3:

MapCreate 7 Symbol Key

MapCreate 7 contains hundreds of mapping symbols used to represent items ranging from geographic features to commercial Points of Interest (POI). The following list displays these symbols and the name of the item the symbol represents.

Interstate Highway

U.S. Highway

State Highway

Trans-Canada Highway

Quebec Autoroute Highway

Mexican Federal Highway

Highway Exit

Highway Exit with Info Center

Highway Exit with Parking Area

Highway Exit with Picnic Area

Highway Exit with Rest Area

Highway Exit with Scenic Area

Highway Exit with Service Area

Highway Exit with Toll Plaza

Highway Exit with Weigh Station

Airport

Building

Cemetery

Fire Station

Library

Mine

Park

School

Shopping Center

Summit

Tower

Trail Name

City, Community, or Subdivision

Name

Land Feature Name

Water Feature Name

Miscellaneous Landmark Name

Square Green Daybeacon

(Navaid)

Square White or Unidentified

Daybeacon (Navaid)

Red Triangle Daybeacon (Navaid)

White Triangle Daybeacon

(Navaid)

Green Lighted Buoy (Navaid)

Red Lighted Buoy (Navaid)

White or Unidentified Lighted

Buoy (Navaid)

Green Unlighted Buoy (Navaid)

Red Unlighted Buoy (Navaid)

White or Unidentified Unlighted

Buoy (Navaid)

Light (Navaid)

Nautical Chart Note

Platform (Navaid)

Radiobeacon (Navaid)

Awash or Visible Obstruction

Awash Rock

Covered Rock

Dangerous Submerged Wreck

Non-Dangerous Submerged

Wreck

Visible Wreck

Airport (POI)

Amusement Place, Billiards or

Casino (POI)

College or University (POI)

Hall or Auditorium (POI)

Hospital (POI)

Medical Service (POI)

Miscellaneous Attraction (POI)

Museum or Historical Place (POI)

Post Office

Tourist Attraction or Tour (POI)

Zoo (POI)

Movie Theater (POI)

Restaurant (POI)

Coffee Shop (POI)

Ice Cream Parlor (POI)

Pizza (POI)

Fishing-Related (POI)

Lodging (POI)

Camp or Campground (POI)

RV Park or RV Service (POI)

Marina (POI)

Boating Dealer or Service (POI)

Boat Equipment & Supplies (POI)

Gas Station (POI)

Auto Parts or Service(POI)

Truck Stop, Trailer Rental, or

Other Transportation (POI)

Grocery or Retail Store (POI)

Pharmacy (POI)

Hardware Store (POI)

Sporting Goods or Sportswear

(POI)

Golf-Related (POI)

Park or Park Office (POI)

Synagogue (POI)

Church (POI)

Police or Sheriff (POI)

Bar or Club (POI)

Live Theater (POI)

Hunting-Related (POI)

Car Wash (POI)

Financial Service (POI)

Bowling Center (POI)

Swimming Pool (POI)

Railroad (POI)

Recreation Center, Stadium, or

Other Sports-Related (POI)

Taxi (POI)

Bus Line (POI)

Auto Rental or Lease (POI)

Appendix 4: Displaying Specialty Maps

With Fishing or Aeronautical Data

A new feature in MapCreate 7 allows you to view LEI's special fishing or aviation mapping products on the MapCreate screen. The feature works with Inland Mapping System™ Fishing Hot Spots

fishing maps

or Jeppesen

Americas and Jeppesen® International aeronautical da-

tabases, along with the Lowrance

Obstructions aeronautical database.

Showing fishing or aviation details on the computer makes it easier to plan trips and manage waypoints, routes and other GPS data. All MapCreate GPS data tools work just as they do with regular maps.

To display a special LEI map product, just place the memory card containing the map or database in the MMC card reader, then launch MapCreate. (You can also start MapCreate first, then insert the card.) In a moment or two, MapCreate begins to read the map on the card, and the hourglass symbol is shown in the lower left corner of the screen. While the special map is read, the Master Map window may go blank for a moment before it reappears with the special mapping data displayed.

Left, a portion of Skiatook Lake with regular MapCreate data. Right, MapCreate shows extra detail after inserting a memory card contain-

ing an IMS Fishing Hot Spots map.

Hourglass shows while MapCreate reads map on the card.

IMS Fishing Hot Spots Maps

Master Map window showing detail from an IMS Fishing Hot Spots

map of Lake Skiatook. Place the Center Map or Zoom Area pointer

over an item and a pop-up information box appears.

Move your mouse pointer over an item and a pop-up tool-tip box appears, identifying the item. In a Lowrance or Eagle GPS unit, the cursor also identifies map symbols with a pop-up box, but additional information is available from certain symbols.

For example, use the cursor to select a red triangle public use area or facility point symbol, then press the

Wpt key (or the Find key in the

iFINDER

hand-held units). A Waypoint Information screen appears.

IMS Fishing Hot Spots Waypoint Information screen from a GPS unit,

showing amenities available at a public use area and a marina.

Fishery

Submerged pond

Submerged stream

Underwater contours &

Pop-up box

Park areas appear in green.

Brush shelter

Fishing Tips & Techniques

Lake Profile

Flooded timbe

There are other important Fishing Hotspot symbols that display information only on your GPS unit. They are all accessed with the cursor and either the

Wpt or Find key. These symbols are usually (but not al-

ways) located near the dam site, and they include:

Fishing Tips & Techniques: the Waypoint Information screen

will display an article covering topics ranging from lures to locations. Tackle hints, types of cover and presentation methods are discussed by season and species, covering the major species in this lake.

Lake Profile: the screen will display an overview of the lake itself, including information on size, depth, shoreline, bottom

composition, water source, water quality and fish cover.

Fishery: the screen will display information on the major species present, their numbers and sizes, management practices, forage

species and any special regulations.

Fishing Area Information: this symbol appears in scattered

locations around certain lakes. When this symbol is selected, the Waypoint Information screen will display specific fishing tips for that area of the lake.

MapCreate lets you turn off the Master Map display of Map Category Options, such as depth, fishing areas, lake info, lake services, navigation information, and structure, but this does not change the detail in your IMS Fishing Hot Spots map.

Jeppesen Aviation Maps

In MapCreate, you can turn off the display of aviation Map Category Options, but that does not change the detail in your Jeppesen and Lowrance aeronautical databases.

The cursor in your AirMap

GPS receiver can select certain features — such as airspaces — and you can display an Information Page for the selected item. You won't get the same level of detail in MapCreate, but some map items do display pop-up tool-tip boxes when selected by your mouse pointer.

For example, move the Center Map or Zoom Area pointer just inside an airspace line, and a pop-up box identifies the airport, the controlling agency and the number of communication frequencies.

Jeppesen airspace data displayed in a MapCreate pop-up box.

Point to an airport identifier and you'll see a pop-up box with the number of communication frequencies, number of runways and number of services available at that field. Point to a runway, and you can see its length, surface type and lighting.

Jeppesen airport (left) and runway information (right)

displayed in MapCreate pop-up boxes.

Master Map window at the 60 mile zoom level showing detail from a

Jeppesen Americas aeronautical database. Intersections appear as

gray Xs; other symbols appear as they do in sectional paper charts.

Notes

LEI accessories MAPCREATE 7 - ADDENDUM, MAPCREATE 7 Installation And Operation Instructions Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual