Lowrance MAPCREATE 6.3 User Manual

www.lei-extras.com

Pub. 988-0147-383



MapCreate 6

Custom Mapping Software for GPS

Installation and Operation

Instructions

Copyright © 2004 LEI. All rights reserved.

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.

U.S. Points of Interest Data in this unit are by infoUSA,
copyright  2001-2004, All Rights Reserved. infoUSA is a
trademark of infoUSA, Inc.

U.S. eXitSource Database, copyright  2001-2003 Zenrin Co.
Ltd. Exit Authority and eXitSource are trademarks of
Zenrin Co. Ltd.

Canadian mapping data  2003 by DMTI Spatial Inc.

European mapping data  2003 by Tele Atlas NV,
the reference in digital mapping.

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

Sec. 1: Introduction................................................................... I

Quick Start Reference ................................................................... 2

How MapCreate Works: The Basics ............................................ 6

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

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

Custom Map File....................................................................... 7

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

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

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

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

GPS Data Manager (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

Sec. 2: Installing MapCreate 6.3 ........................................... 17

System Requirements............................................................. 17

Installation Types ................................................................... 17

Installing MapCreate.............................................................. 18

Care of your MapCreate CDs ................................................. 28

Starting MapCreate ................................................................ 28

Sec. 3: User's Guide ................................................................. 31

Starting MapCreate.................................................................... 31

The MapCreate Screen ............................................................... 32

Closing MapCreate ................................................................. 33

MapCreate Screen Components ............................................. 33

Master Map Window............................................................... 34

Main Menu .............................................................................. 35

Toolbars ................................................................................... 35

Create Map (Easy) Toolbar................................................. 36

Create Map (Advanced) Toolbar......................................... 37

File Toolbar ......................................................................... 37

GPS Data Toolbar ............................................................... 38

Map Navigation Toolbar ..................................................... 39

Map Category Options Window ............................................. 40

Waypoint List Window ........................................................... 41

Icon List Window ....................................................................41

Route List Window.................................................................. 42

Route Waypoint List Window................................................. 42

i

Trail List Window ................................................................... 43

Moving around the Master Map................................................. 44

Pan Arrows.............................................................................. 44

Center Map.............................................................................. 44

Zoom Area ............................................................................... 45

Zoom in/Zoom Out................................................................... 45

Zoom Range Window .............................................................. 46

Creating Rectangle Map Borders............................................... 47

Estimate Map Size (Optional) ................................................ 48

Saving a Map Border File (Optional)..................................... 48

Creating Corridor Map Borders ................................................. 50

Edit Corridor Borders ............................................................. 52

Creating and Saving a Custom Map.......................................... 52

Creating a Waypoint................................................................... 54

Creating an Icon ......................................................................... 56

Creating a Route......................................................................... 58

Saving a GPS Data File.............................................................. 61

Moving GPS Data Files Between Computer and Unit.......... 62

Creating a Corridor Map from a Route...................................... 63

Creating a Route from a Trail .................................................... 66

Appendix 1: MapCreate Command List.............................. 69

Searching Help............................................................................ 70

Appendix 2: Map Category List............................................ 73

Appendix 3: MapCreate 6 Symbol Key................................ 77

Appendix 4: Displaying Specialty Maps ............................. 81

IMS Fishing Hot Spots Maps ..................................................... 82

Jeppesen Aviation Maps............................................................. 83

Appendix 5: Planning Highway Routes.............................. 87

Tips on Making Better Routes for Highway Navigation....... 87

"High Resolution" vs. "Low Resolution" Routes .................... 87

Index........................................................................................... 91

LEI End User License Agreement .......................................95

ii

Notes

iii

WARNING!

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

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.

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
GPS-equipped vehicle fails to pay full attention to travel conditions and
vehicle operation while the vehicle is in motion.

CAUTION

WARNING!

iv

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 U.S.A. and MapCreate Canada versions 6.3. Beginning with
version 6.3, 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 CD, 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 2. 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 17) will help you get the program
and the required LEI card reader correctly installed on your computer.

Section 3: User's Guide (on page 31) 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 6 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

1

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 69. 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

your version of

2. Maneuver the Master Map so you can see the area you want to in-

MAPCREATE from the menu.

2

START button and choosing

clude in your map. Use the
east or west. Use the

PAN ARROW buttons to move north, south,

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
If the map file is too large for the card, click
redraw your map border a little smaller. Click the

OK to clear the message and jump to step 5.

OK to clear the message, then

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.

3

7. Another message box asks whether you want to register your current
card or not. Click

Click Yes to register your current memory card with MapCreate.

YES to continue the card registration process.

8. You can change the label on your memory card if you prefer. Delete
the default name, "Card1," and enter the new name. Click

REGISTER to 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.

4

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 "Phoenix.lcm,"
MapCreate will automatically name the file "Phoenix_CARD1.lcm."
To cancel this option, click the Automatically Append… box to re­move the check mark.

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

SAVE AS dialog box. Type a file name for

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.

5

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 grab the computer mouse and draw a map border around the re­gion you want. (There are two or three fun ways to do this…we'll de­scribe 'em in a few minutes.)

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.

6

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 6.3, 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 6.3 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 6.

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

7

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 a MapCreate CD 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.

8

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 six­mile-wide corridor map from San Diego, California to the Maine­Canada 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 Trans­Canada 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 6.3 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, be-

9

cause 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 devel-

oped 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.

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 con-
trol. 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

10

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 "ask-ee") 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.

11

Latitude Longitude Waypoint Name

First wpt

Last wpt

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

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

Comma and space
separate items.

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 6 can open these
files, making the program backward compatible with versions 5 and 4.
The GDM file extension is *.low. Although MapCreate 6 is designed to
load and read older GPS Data Files in the *.low format, MapCreate 6.0
will only save GPS Data Files in the newer *.usr format. Please note
that your MapCreate 6-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
read cards that are FAT formatted. MMC cards formatted using
FAT 32 or NTFS will not work with these products.

12

WARNING:

You should never format an MMC containing a Navion-



ics

chart or Jeppesen



aviation database. Formatting
the MMC will permanently erase the chart or aeronauti­cal data from the card.

GPS Unit Compatibility

MapCreate 6.3 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 6.3. Upgrades are available for download from the web sites,
www.lowrance.com or www.eaglegps.com. Look for the MapCreate 6.3
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 MapCreate­6-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.

Cursor over
exit symbol

Pop-up
box

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.

13

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 6.3, 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.

Cursor over
POI symbol

Pop-up
box

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.

14

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.

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 73.

How to use this manual: typographical conventions

Most Windows-based computer programs offer several ways to perform a
task, and MapCreate 6 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 real hurry (or just need a reminder), you can
usually 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 17.)

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.

15

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

Enter.

as

Keys are sometimes used in combinations. For example,
hold down the

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

pressing the

Ctrl key while pressing the T key. The hot key sequence

T key, release, then press the W key.

Ctrl and the "Enter" key is shown

Ctrl+T means to

"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 6.3, but for simplic­ity, the program is often referred to as "MapCreate" or "MapCreate 6."

16

Section 2: Installing MapCreate 6.3

System Requirements

MapCreate 6 requires the following minimum system resources:

• IBM

• Pentium

• 32 MB RAM

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

version of the program.

• 256 color display.

• Microsoft

• 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 CD-ROM drive. (Do this by using the Custom
or Full install modes, described below.)

IMPORTANT NOTES:

For copy protection purposes, you must have one of the MapCre­ate CDs in the disc drive each time you launch MapCreate.

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



compatible PC.



133 MHz or faster processor.



Windows 98 or later.

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 6.3 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, me-

17

dium-detail map data. Takes approximately 300 MB
of free hard drive space.

Custom - Allows installation of the program and all map data

files on the hard drive. Caution: Be patient if you

choose custom 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.

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 6.3: the high detail map
data is organized into multiple regions recorded on different CDs. The
manual addendum shipped with your MapCreate package contains a
map showing which region is on which CD. Refer to the map to help you
decide what regions to install on your hard drive.

Installing MapCreate

For best performance, we suggest you uninstall previous versions of
MapCreate before installing version 6.3. 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 USA-West CD-ROM (or disc 1) into the computer's drive.

2. The MapCreate 6.3 setup program should start automatically and
you can skip to step 5. If it does not, click the Windows

START|RUN but-

ton.

18

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-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 18.

5. Follow the on-screen instructions:

19

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.

20

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

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

to continue the installation.

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

installation. (See page 17 for a description of the options.)

EXT

21

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.

22

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.

23

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 O

K 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.

24

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 software 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

N

EXT when you're ready to continue.

25

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.

26

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

27

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 CDs

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 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 one of the MapCreate CDs is in your
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:

28

C:\Program Files\LEI\MapCreate. Next, double-click MapCreate.exe
to launch the program.

Double-click MapCreate.exe to start MapCreate 6.3 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."

29

Notes

30

Section 3: User's Guide

Working With MapCreate

Starting MapCreate

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

NOTES:

• For earlier MapCreate owners: If you have both an earlier version
of MapCreate and MapCreate 6.3 installed on your computer and
run the programs from the CD, be sure you have the correct version
of the CD in your drive when working with the two programs. Run­ning MapCreate 6.0 with the version 6.3 CD 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.

• For Compact or Custom installations of version 6.3: the high detail
map data is organized into multiple regions recorded on different
CDs. The manual addendum shipped with your MapCreate package
contains a map showing which region is on which CD. Refer to the
map to help you decide what disc to use. If you are using a Compact
installation and you want to see medium detail world maps, use the
disc 1 CD.

You can start MapCreate by clicking the
your version of
MapCreate icon in the MapCreate program group.

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

START button and choosing

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

ing MapCreate from the Start menu.

31

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 6 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 6 opening 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):

32

Status bar

MapCreate 6 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

47. But, before we actually start mapping, we'd like to describe the differ-

ent 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.

33

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
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.

Event Marker Icon (boat ramp symbol)

Route
Line

Waypoint

Pan
Button

Map
Border

Zoom Buttons

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.

Zoom Range (miles)

Route
Waypoint

Border
Handle
Box

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.

34

• When your mouse pointer moves over a map feature or landmark
symbol, a Pop-up Tool Tip Box appears listing a name or descrip­tion of what the symbol represents.

Selected
Symbol

Tip Box

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
and press the hot keys
such as

F1 for the Help command. All the commands — with their hot

Alt+F. Some commands also have shortcut keys,

FILE or use the keyboard

keys and shortcut keys — are listed alphabetically in the Help file's
Command Reference section.

Toolbars

MapCreate 6.3 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

35

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 dis-

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

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 tool-

bar 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.

36

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.

37

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 Mas­ter 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.

38

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.

39

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.)

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

CATEGORY OPTIONS. You can turn detail

VIEW|MAP

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.

Map Category Options.

40

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

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.

VIEW|VIEW MAP

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.

41

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

42

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.

43

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
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.

RIGHT PAN ARROW on the

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

MAP NAVIGATION tool-

bar.

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

CENTER MAP

cross-hair 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.

44

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.

Zoom Box

Cross-hair

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 46 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

45

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.

2. Click the

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

center.

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

TER

.

EN-

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.)

46

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 35.)

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

your map. Click the
cross-hair mouse pointer on the area you want centered.

CENTER MAP button , and then click the

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 but-

ton, 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.

Handle Box

Map Border
shown in
green on
screen.

Mouse Pointer

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.

47

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 52. 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.

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

Saving a Map Border File (Optional)

MapCreate 6.3 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 35.)

1. Click the

SAVE MAP BORDER button on the FILE toolbar. The Save

As dialog box appears.

48

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 52.

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.

49

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 35.)

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

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

2. If needed, click the

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 be-

gin.

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.

CENTER MAP cross-hair button , and then

ZOOM IN or ZOOM OUT buttons

Point 1

Point 2

Point 3

Corridor with first and second anchor points set, left.

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

50

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.

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.

Finished corridor map.

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

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

VIEW|MAP DISPLAY OPTIONS and click the

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

51

DRAW CORRIDOR MAP BORDERS

DELETE MAP BORDER

OK.

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 2.) 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 48) 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 35.)

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

MAP BORDER FILE button on the FILE toolbar.

2. Click the

CREATE MAP button . A card encryption and registration

OPEN

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

OK.

52

Read the message, and then click OK to continue.

3. A progress dialog box will appear while MapCreate extracts the nec-

essary 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

53

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 Bor­der 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 field­generated 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 35.)

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

the waypoint. Click the
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

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

CREATE WAYPOINTS button on the GPS Data toolbar, and

CENTER MAP cross-hair button , then

54

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

or click the

CENTER MAP or ZOOM AREA buttons.

Esc (the Escape key)

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.

55

• 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 Waypoint
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 61. 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 35.)

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.

56

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

click the

CENTER MAP or ZOOM AREA buttons.

Esc (the Escape key) or

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.

57

• 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
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 61. 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.

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

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 35.)

58

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
active. 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.

CREATE ROUTE command is

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.

59

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

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

CREATE ROUTE command, right-click or press Esc.

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),

60

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
and in the pop-up menu click

F3), right-click the route name,

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 35.)

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

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

SAVE

appears.

Save GPS Data File dialog box.

61

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

START|HELP and in the

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

62

topic "Transfer Custom Maps and GPS Data Files." This is usually lo-
cated 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 66.

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

2. Open the Route List Window: click

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

BORDERS AROUND ROUTE command.

FILE|OPEN|OPEN GPS DATA FILE.)

VIEW|ROUTE LIST.

DRAW

63

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.)

64

Tip:

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

DISPLAY 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.

Corridor Width
slider bar

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.

65

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

GPS Data File open progress box.

66

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.

Plot Trail. Shown in green
on MapCreate screen.

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.

67

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

D

ATA FILE button on the FILE toolbar.)

68

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

69

Help Topics Command

Menu: HELP
Submenu: n/a
Menu Command:
Menu Command Sequence: HELP|HELP TOPICS
Hot Key Sequence: Alt+H|H
Shortcut Key(s): F1
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

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

your search

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

.

HELP TOPICS

HELP TOPICS command.

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

70

3. In the
looking for, adjust any options such as up or down, then click

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

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

your search

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

.

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

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

FIND.

71

Notes

72

Appendix 2: Map Category List

This list contains the different categories of mapping information avail­able in MapCreate 6. 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

US
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

73

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

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

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

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

74

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

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

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

Landmarks

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

Marine Navaids

Major
Minor

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

75

Water

Canals/Streams

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

Wrecks & Obstructions

76

Appendix 3:

MapCreate 6 Symbol Key

MapCreate 6 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 Scenic Area

Highway Exit with Service Area

Highway Exit with Toll Plaza

Highway Exit with Weigh Station

Airport

Building

Cemetery

Fire Station

Library

Highway Exit with Parking Area

Highway Exit with Picnic Area

Highway Exit with Rest Area

Mine

Park

School

77

Shopping Center

Summit

Tower

Trail Name

City, Community, or Subdivision

Name

Land Feature Name

Water Feature Name

Miscellaneous Landmark Name

Square Green Daybeacon

(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

Square White or Unidentified

Daybeacon (Navaid)

Red Triangle Daybeacon (Navaid)

White Triangle Daybeacon

(Navaid)

Green Lighted Buoy (Navaid)

Red Lighted Buoy (Navaid)

Awash Rock

Covered Rock

Dangerous Submerged Wreck

Non-Dangerous Submerged

Wreck

Visible Wreck

Airport (POI)

78

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

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)

Tourist Attraction or Tour (POI)

Zoo (POI)

Movie Theater (POI)

Restaurant (POI)

Coffee Shop (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)

79

Pharmacy (POI)

Hardware Store (POI)

Financial Service (POI)

Bowling Center (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)

Swimming Pool (POI)

Railroad (POI)

Recreation Center, Stadium, or

Other Sports-Related (POI)

Taxi (POI)

Bus Line (POI)

Auto Rental or Lease (POI)

Hunting-Related (POI)

Car Wash (POI)

80

Appendix 4: Displaying Specialty Maps

With Fishing or Aeronautical Data

A new feature in MapCreate 6.3 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
or Jeppesen
bases, along with the Lowrance



Americas and Jeppesen International aeronautical data-



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.



fishing maps

Hourglass
shows while
MapCreate
reads map on
the card.

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.

81

IMS Fishing Hot Spots Maps

Park areas
appear in
green.

Submerged
stream

Submerged
pond

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.

Fishing Tips
& Techniques

Brush shelter

Flooded
timber

Lake Profile

Underwater
contours &
depths

Fishery

Pop-up box

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



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

Wpt key (or the Find key in the

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

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

82

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
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.



GPS receiver can select certain features —

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.

83

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.

84

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.

85

Notes

86

Appendix 5: Considerations When

Planning Highway Routes

Tips on Making Better Routes for Highway Navigation

How you make a highway route depends on your type of travel and
whether you prefer to use the GPS unit's compass rose screen, the map
screen or both for navigation. These factors determine how many route
waypoints to use, and where you place them.

A simple, straight-legged route by water or by air is easy to make, as is
a route following a square grid of city streets. Obstructions are usually
few in number, and you're traveling in a more or less straight line from
waypoint to waypoint.

Following a highway's twists and turns is different because all GPS
units link route waypoints in straight lines.

Some navigators prefer to follow a route visually on the map. They
glance at the route and the position indication arrow as the Custom Map
moves across their GPS screen. With one look, they can see the route
symbols and the highway they are following together, at the same time.

Other travelers prefer the simpler display provided by the compass rose
screen. The compass rose can literally point the direction to steer to­ward the next waypoint in a route.

You may fall in yet another group of navigators who use both naviga­tion techniques, switching back and forth between the map and com­pass rose screens during a journey.

"High Resolution" vs. "Low Resolution" Routes

MapCreate and your Lowrance or Eagle GPS unit are capable of re­markably precise "high resolution" routes that can follow every S-curve
of a mountain highway. This type of route — with a relatively large
number of waypoints per mile — is well-suited to compass rose naviga­tion. With it, you can virtually ignore the map screen and arrive at your
destination using only the compass rose.

Your GPS has a course deviation (or off course) alarm which will alert
you when you drift too far to the right or left of your route's center line.
There is also an arrival alarm, which alerts you when you get within a
certain distance of a route waypoint. With a "high resolution" route, you
can set the off course alarm and the arrival alarm to small distances
somewhere between 0.1 and 0.5 miles. (You can turn the alarms off or

87

on, and you have the option of turning the alarms' sound feature on or
off as well.)

The amazing capabilities of GPS navigation can tempt first-time users
to build highly detailed highway routes. These "high res" routes are fun
to use, but they have some drawbacks. They require placing a route
waypoint at practically every curve in the road. This takes a relatively
large number of waypoints for the distance traveled. A large set of
waypoints close together can give your Custom Map a cluttered look. If
the route is very long, it takes more time for you to make it in MapCre­ate. And, finally, GPS units compatible with MapCreate versions 5 and
6 can hold 100 routes, but each route can contain only 100 waypoints.

So, take a long cross-country trip on winding roads and you can use up
100 waypoints before you reach your journey's end. This means you will
need to break up the trip into multiple routes. That's usually not a
problem, since most travelers don't prefer to run all day and night
without stopping for food, fuel or rest.

On the other hand, "low res" routes take less time to prepare and are
plenty accurate to get you there. This type of route — with a relatively
small number of waypoints per mile — is well-suited to map screen
navigation. You can cover a longer distance for the amount of way­points you use. "Low res" routes also tend to reduce the clutter on your
Custom Map.

A good technique for "low res" routes is to set most of your waypoints
where you make major direction changes, or where the destination is
important for one reason or another. Here are two examples:

Let's say you are heading straight north on a state highway, but need
to turn right onto a county road to reach a recreation area. Set a route
waypoint at or just a little before the highway intersection. Setting the
waypoint a short distance before your turn is useful (especially at
highway speeds) if you need some warning to change lanes or slow
down for the turn. (You can even rename that route waypoint "turn" or
"turn right.")

Now let's say you are traveling in a generally straight line. You don't
need to set a waypoint for a turn, but you want to stop in a certain city
along the way for food or fuel. Set a route waypoint at the city limits or
downtown, and your Lowrance or Eagle GPS can tell you how many
miles to town and how long it will take to get there.

If you limit the number of waypoints you make, your compass rose will
still work fine for those major changes in direction, but it won't match

88

the twists and curves of the pavement as closely as a "high resolution"
route would.

For example, you could be traveling toward a destination to the south,
but following a highway curve around a mountain. As you take the
curve to your right, your car will actually be pointing west as you follow
the pavement. However, the compass rose is accurately pointing to that
next southern waypoint, now 90 degrees off to your left. If you were de­pending only on the compass rose at that moment, it might look like
you were off course. As you come around the mountain and the pave­ment turns back south, the compass rose, the route and the pavement
will all line up together once again.

The off course alarm also requires some adjustment when using low res
routes. In our mountain curve example, if the alarm was set at 0.1 mile,
it would go off as we rounded the curve and "deviated" more than 0.1
mile from the route center line.

Some navigators avoid this by turning the course deviation alarm off.
With the alarm off, however, you may take a wrong turn and it could be
some time before you catch the error. You can leave the alarm on if you
simply expand the distance setting that triggers the alarm. In our
mountain highway example, setting the course alarm to 1.5 miles
would keep the alarm from going off as we rounded the mountain.

Highway route "resolution" is ultimately a matter of personal taste.
Experiment with these techniques to see which one suits you best. Most
users strike some sort of balance between them. Just remember: the
more precise you are in following the turns of the pavement, the more
waypoints you will use. That, in turn, affects how your GPS features
work with your route.

89

Notes

90

Index

A

Accessories, 9
Airspace, 83, 84
Alarms, 87, 89
Appendices

1, MapCreate Command List, 69
2, Map Category List, 73
3, MapCreate 6 Symbol Key, 77
4, Displaying Specialty Maps, 81
5, Considerations When Planning

Highway Routes, 87

Arrival Alarm, 87

C

Card Encryption, 52
Center Map, 39, 44, 45, 47, 50, 51, 54,

55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 69, 82, 83
Compass, 87, 88, 89
Create Custom Map, 48, 49, 52
Creating Rectangle Map Border, 33, 47,

52
Cursor, 15, 82, 83
Custom Maps, 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 52, 54,

63, 69, 73, 87, 88

D

Draw Corridor Map Border, 37, 49, 50,

51, 52, 69

E

Edit Corridor Borders, 52
Estimating Map Size, 36, 37, 48, 52, 69

F

Fishing Hot Spots Maps, 81, 82, 83

G

GPS Data File, 6, 11, 12, 18, 37, 38, 56,

61, 62, 63, 66, 68, 69
GPS Data Files

Saving, 56, 58, 61

I

Icons, 5, 11, 13, 31, 34, 38, 39, 41, 42,

45, 56, 57, 58, 61, 69

Creating, 56

Installation, 1, 15, 17, 18, 27

Sec. 2, Installation, 17

Introduction

Sec. 1, Introduction, 1
Typographical Conventions, 15

J

Jeppesen Maps, 13, 81, 83, 84, 85

L

Legend, 77
License Agreement, 94

M

Main Menu, 35
Map Border, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 34, 36, 37,

38, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 63, 64,
65, 69, 71

Create from Route, 63

Map Category, 10, 15, 32, 40, 69, 83

Options Window, 40

Memory Cards (MMC), 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,

10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 24, 25, 26, 40, 52,
54, 62, 63, 66, 81

Mouse Pointer, 3, 13, 15, 16, 35, 43, 44,

45, 47, 50, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60,
82, 83

N

Navigating, 28

O

Off Course Alarm, 87, 89

P

POI (Point of Interest), 14, 73, 77, 78,

79, 80

91

Position Format, 11

R

Route, 5, 6, 11, 12, 16, 34, 37, 38, 39,

42, 43, 44, 49, 54, 56, 58, 59, 60, 61,

63, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 81, 87, 88, 89

Create, 58, 63, 66
Delete, 60

Runways, 73, 74, 84

S

Save Map Border File, 38, 49, 69
Screen Components, 33

Create Map (Advanced) toolbar, 36, 37
Create Map (Easy), 36
File toolbar, 37, 48, 49, 52, 61, 64, 68
GPS Data toolbar, 38, 54, 56
Icon List Window, 41, 42
Main Menu, 35
Map Category Options Window, 40
Map Navigation toolbar, 35, 39, 44, 46
Master Map Window, 34, 39
Route List Window, 42, 63, 64, 67
Route Waypoint List Window, 42, 43
Toolbars, 35, 36, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58,

61
Trail List Window, 43, 44, 67
Waypoint List Window, 41

Searching, 13, 14, 70, 71, 82, 83

Addresses, 14
Highway Exits, 13
POIs, 14

Streets, 14
Specialty Maps, 13, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85
System Requirements, 17

T

Trail, 5, 6, 10, 11, 16, 43, 44, 61, 63, 66,

67, 68, 69, 73, 75, 78

Convert to Route, 63, 66
Transfer

Custom Maps, 63

GPS Data Files, 63

W

Warranty, 94
Waypoints, 5, 6, 11, 12, 15, 16, 34, 38,

39, 41, 42, 43, 45, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58,
59, 60, 61, 63, 67, 68, 69, 81, 82, 83,
87, 88, 89

Z

Zooming, 3, 16, 34, 39, 45, 46, 47, 50,

51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 69, 82, 83

92

Notes

93

Notes

94