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COMPATIBILITY-INCOMPATIBILITY |
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Q.
Which versions of your software are supported ? |
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A.
SoftMap has introduced a new generation of SoftMap Plus with
the version 4. We do not support anymore version 3 and
previous versions. |
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Q. Are
you compatible with XP ? |
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A.
SoftMap consumer products were developed before the
introduction of Windows XP on the market. This is why XP is
not included on the box in the section System Requirements.
Since then, we have tested XP to be compliant and the great
majority of our clients who have either installed XP or
migrated to XP have done so without any problem. In some
cases, the installation on XP as with other O/S has generated
a conflict with the printing module with some types of
printers. To solve this, SoftMap Technologies (2002) Inc. has
developed a patch that will shortly be available on our
website.
See also
the section on Installation, the message concerning a .dll
file. |
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Q. Are
SoftMap Nature products compatible with SoftMap Plus version 4
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A.
SoftMap Nature contains SoftMap Plus version 3 and are not
supported. The maps included in SoftMap Nature are in a format
that SoftMap Plus version 4 cannot read. However, the
databases included in SoftMap Nature are compatible with the
version 4 of SoftMap Plus. The installation program of our
version 4 software (Plus or Pro) will detect the presence of
SoftMap Nature databases on your computer and will offer to
include them in your new version. |
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Q.
Can SoftMap operate on Macintosh ? |
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A.
Our products are not available for Macintosh users because
they were developed in a Microsoft Windows environment.
However, they can be used with Virtual PC by users of
Macintosh technology. Many SoftMap clients use this emulator
and are able to work efficiently with their Macintosh.
However, we do not offer technical support to Macintosh users
because our products have not been officially tested to work
in that environment. |
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Q. Can
SoftMap operate under Windows CE ? |
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A.
The Windows CE technology used by PDAs is not supported by
SoftMap Plus. |
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Q. Can
we upload SoftMap maps in a PDA ? |
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A.
Not yet. |
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Q. Do
you have a GPS interface ? |
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A.
Yes, SoftMap GPS is an add-in to SoftMap Plus compatible with
most GPS receivers; it is sold separately:
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INSTALLATION |
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Q.
After having installed SoftMap for the first time, it does not
work properly. |
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A.
The most frequent cause of such problems is failing to
uninstall the anti-virus system on your computer before
installing the SoftMap. If this is the case, uninstall
SoftMap, uninstall anti-virus system, reinstall SoftMap,
reinstall your anti-virus system. |
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Q.
My installation freezes when the "System
update" window appears on the screen. My O/S is XP, are you
compatible with XP ? |
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A.
Yes, see
COMPATIBILITY. |
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Q.
How do I uninstall completely my SoftMap
product? |
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A.
The procedure has two steps: first, you must uninstall all the
files related to the title involved and second, you must
uninstall the software SoftMap Plus or SoftMap Pro.:
Note:
If you want to make a backup of your session files and
personal database before uninstalling, take a copy of theses
two folders and paste it in a safe place.
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C:\Program files\SoftMap\SoftMap Plus\Session.
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C:\Program files\Common files\SoftMap Shared\Data\Wizard\Geocontext\Personaldb.
Complete
uninstall procedure
***Uninstall a title***
- In
the Windows taskbar, first click Start, then Settings, and
then Control Panel.
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Select the Add/Remove Programs option.
- Go
to the list of programs and select the SoftMap title
(Topo50, etc.) you want to uninstall.
- The
uninstall program will appear. Click End to uninstall.
***Uninstall SoftMap Plus or SoftMap
Pro***
- In
the Windows taskbar, first click Start, then Settings, and
then Control Panel.
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Select the Add/Remove Programs option.
- Go
to the list of programs and select the SoftMap Plus or
SoftMap Pro. Click Add/Remove.
- The
uninstall program will appear. Click End to uninstall.
***Files to delete***
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Delete the "SoftMap" folder in your C:\Program files\.
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Delete the "SoftMap Shared" in your C:\Program files\Common
files\.
Reinstall SoftMap Plus and open the software to see if it
works properly.
Be sure you have the last update version (4.01.0095); to
download it, go to
http://www.softmappublishing.com/updates.html. Install the
update
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Q.
How do I uninstall the evaluation version of
SoftMap Pro 4.5 to reinstall my SoftMap Plus?. |
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A.
See the Uninstall
procedure in the preceding FAQ. |
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Q.
After having already uninstalled SoftMap
Plus, I get the following message when I try to reinstall:
"Cannot find file EPSG.dat" |
A.
Delete manually the following directories before reinstalling:
C:\Program
Files\SoftMap inc
C:\Program Files\Common Files\SoftMap Shared.
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Q.
How do I copy map data sets (CD-ROM) on my
hard drive? |
A.
You may find it useful to copy a collection of maps if you
have bought several titles. You can then work on two map data
sets at once and thus access a larger number of map scales
without continually having to switch CD-ROMs.
Note
The data sets take up between 400 and 550 Mb on the CD-ROM. A
CD-ROM may have several thousand files that make up a map data
set. When copying the Mapdata directory to your hard drive,
make sure you have enough disk space for the transfer. Even
though your hard drive shows sufficient available space, you
may still not have enough because of the type of partitioning
on your hard drive.
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Create a directory on your hard drive.
ex. C:\SoftMap Maps\Ontario topo50\Volume1\Disk 1\
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Insert the appropriate CD-ROM into your drive.
Using your mouse and the Ctrl key on your keyboard, select
the directories Mapdata and Navig and the files Install.inf
and "index name".dat .
Note: The last file, "index name".dat, is different for each
disk.
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Right-click and choose the Copy option.
- Go
into the directory you created and click Paste.
Once in SoftMap Plus, click Install data set and look for
the Install.inf file in the directory you've just created on
the hard drive.
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Q.
How can I change the coordinate system
displayed at the bottom of the screen? |
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A.
In the Tools menu, select Customize Status Bar. In the window,
select "Based on the displayed map" and click on the button to
be able to select another coordinate system. |
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Q.
I have installed more than 12 cartographic
CD-ROMs on my hard drive and the software freezes. |
A.
There are 2 possibilities:
- Your
cartographic CD-ROMs are copied on your hard drive
If you have more than 12 SoftMap cartographic CD-ROMs copied
on your hard drive, the navigator will experience
difficulties when navigating at the scales 1:2 000 000, 1:3
000 000 et 1:8 000 000. Navigation can become very slow or
freeze altogether. This problem comes from the redundancy of
cartographic data common to multiple CDs. You must go in the
map manager to disable the 8M, 3M and 2M scales on all CDs
except one. Following this, you will have access to all your
maps and navigation will be optimized. If your map manager
is not activated in your session window, please refer to
your User's Guide, page 68.
- Your
cartographic CD-ROMs are not copied on your hard drive
If you have more than 12 SoftMap cartographic CD-ROMs
operating in SoftMap, the navigator will experience
difficulties when navigating at the scales 1:2 000 000, 1:3
000 000 et 1:8 000 000. Navigation can become very slow or
freeze altogether. This problem comes from the redundancy of
cartographic data common to multiple CDs. You must copy the
content of one of your cartographic CD-ROMs on the hard
drive of your computer You must then go in the map manager
(add the map manager in your session window) to disable the
8M, 3M and 2M scales on all CDs except the one copied on
your hard drive. Thanks to this procedure, if you travel on
a CD whose 8M or 2M scale has been disabled, you will
nevertheless have access to those maps that the program will
find on the hard drive.
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Q.
When I install SoftMap Plus, the file
Regedit.exe cannot be found. |
A.
To solve the problem, look for the Regedit.exe file on your
hard drive. Once you have found it, copy it to the C:\Windows
directory.
Next, check to see whether the program starts up. Click Start
and then Run... A dialog box will appear. In Open, type
Regedit and validate by clicking OK. If that works, continue
with the installation.
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Q.
I have problems when I try to install more
than one SoftMap products on my computer. |
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A.
Case #1:
You have many volumes of the same title (Ontario volume 1 and
2)
You don't have to install each title but only the cartographic
CD-ROMs . Once your first volume is installed, start you
program and insert in your drive each of the other CDs one by
one and they will install automatically.
To
learn which CDs are installed, you can open the map manager
that you can activate in the menu "Tools"-"Options". In the
Session window, you need only to select "Display Map Manager".
At this moment, a new tab will appear in the session window in
the center left portion of your screen.
Case #2:
You own many different titles , for example: Québec Chasse et
Pêche, Québec Topo50 volume 1 or Ontario Topo50 volume 2.
You must proceed to the installation of each title because
many new elements will be added like new sessions, new data
bases, new toponyms, etc.
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Q.
I get the message 'Error starting programme The LTDISION.dll
file is linked to missing export LTKRNION.dll-251' and
following that ' A device attached to the system is not
functioning. |
A.
You have to go to this address
http://www.softmappublishing.com/downloads/softmap_lt.exe
to download and execute the patch "softmap_lt.exe".
After this operation, reinstall your SoftMap Plus title
(CD-ROM).
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SOFTWARE FUNCTIONS AND PRINTING |
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Q.
Do you supply updates of SoftMap Plus ? |
A.
Version 4.01.0095 of SoftMap Plus is available at
http://www.softmappublishing.com/updates.html
This download includes three free updates to the SoftMap Topo
50 series. Note that the whole package has to be downloaded
together as these cannot be separated.
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Permanent Trails. The current product does not allow you to
draw trails, or outline areas. Downloading allows the option
of retaining and printing these records with the use of the
tool Add line.
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Print to a Plotter. The current product only allows printing
to a "standard" printer. Downloading allows large scale
printing output to a plotter.
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Printing problems. Some users of earlier editions of SoftMap
experienced problems when printing. This download resolves
this problem. (Please ensure you carefully check the section
on printing).
Note: This update improves the stability of
SoftMap Plus versions 4.00.0052, 58 and 61 only.
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Q.
Can SoftMap read maps from Fugawi, Ozi
Explorer, etc ? |
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A.
SoftMap Plus only reads raster maps in SoftMap proprietary
format. SoftMap Pro also reads the GeoTIFF format and imports
vector files in Shapefile and Mid/Mif format. |
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Q.
Can I import data from an external database
in SoftMap? |
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A.
Not with SoftMap Plus but yes with SoftMap Pro. |
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Q.
The map color distorts as I scan across the
screen? |
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A.
Reset your color settings. See Before Installing SoftMap. |
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Q.
I find white spots in certain areas of the maps, what is
wrong? |
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A.
In cartography, coordinate systems have different parameters
for each of the UTM zones when large-scale maps are displayed.
When you try to build or display a map image that covers two
UTM zones, the map may be deformed or poorer in quality.
In terms
of latitude, the UTM zone boundaries are:
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Zone
17
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West =
-84 |
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East =
-78 |
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Zone
18
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West =
-78 |
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East =
-72 |
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Zone
19
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West =
-72 |
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East =
-66 |
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Zone
20
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West =
-66 |
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East =
-6 |
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Zone
21
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West =
-60 |
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East =
-54 |
If you
create a printing zone that straddles one of these boundaries,
the portion outside the UTM zone in which you defined the
printing zone will appear blank on the print preview or the
printout. To fix this defect, you have to define a new zone
from the map image adjacent to the one you've defined for your
first zone.
Once the zone has been printed, you'll notice that the
orientation and UTM coordinates of the two maps are different.
To find out which UTM zone you're in, follow the following
instructions:
- Go
to the status bar and change the coordinate system to UTM.
- In
the map window, move the mouse cursor on the map. By
default, the central meridian (CM=) of the UTM zone will
appear in the status bar, beside the coordinate system.
- To
display the number of the zone, click inside the displayed
area of the central meridian. Then go to the pull down menu
and select the No option.
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Q.
I have the Guide to Fishing and Hunting in Quebec and I cannot
visualize the bathymetric maps. |
A.
First, make sure that you have an opened session Guide to
Fishing and Hunting in Quebec.svs
Then, you can visualize the bathymetric maps at a scale of
1:250 000 or better if you have other map data sets.
Here is
the procedure to consult the bathymetric maps:
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Select the icons representing a lake for which you request
information by clicking on it with the button Select one or
more element (the point will then be displayed in negative).
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Click on the right button of the mouse to display a roll
down menu then select the option Information.
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Q.
I cannot add any symbol or graphical element
on my maps. Even if I reinstall the application I get the
message : " Your personal database cannot be included in the
session... ". |
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A.
For an unknown reason, your personal database seems to be
corrupted and the software installation program does not want
to replace it. You must replace the database with the original
on the CD-ROM. First, insert one of the cartographic CD-ROM in
your drive. Go in the directory /Data/English/Wizard
and copy the directory personalDB on your hard disk in
C:\Program Files\Common Files\SoftMap Shared\Data\Wizard\Geocontext\
and accept to replace the old DB with the new one. Select all
the files included in the directory personalDB and change the
attribute Read only. |
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Q.
How can I print a map larger than 8 1/2'' x
11'' ? |
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A.
Select the Tool "Create Printing Zone", specify the center of
your printing zone on the screen, a window will open titled
Printing Parameters with Template; unselect Adjust to printout
page size and specify the dimensions of the print you require. |
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Q.
At printing, how can I prevent the
rasterization effect: a blue dot appears in the center of the
printed sheet when printing at 1 :250 000 scale? |
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A.
The stain appears when the disk in the CD-ROM drive is not the
first disk. To fix the problem, insert disk number 1 in your
drive. |
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Q.
How can I prevent white areas in the map
image when printing? |
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A.
See above. |
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Q.
How can I print a color map on a color laser
printer ? I try but it always comes out in B&W. |
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A.
Often, laser printers are default set to high resolution (ex.
1200 dpi). This generates very large files that obstruct the
operations of the printer. Try setting the resolution to 300
dpi. |
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Q.
When I print a map with the template, my map
comes out white or in gray tones and with a blue frame. What
can I do? |
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A.
You need to download SoftMap Plus version 4.01.0095 at
http://www.softmappublishing.com/updates.html |
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Q.
I would like to make a back-up copy of my
SoftMap data; what files do I need to copy? |
A.
Here is what you need to copy (make sure to follow the same
route when restoring)
The personal database
C:\Program Files\Common Files\SoftMap Shared\Data\Wizard\GeoContext\PersonalDB
and all other databases created in other directories for
SoftMap-Pro.
Session Files in :
C:\Program Files\SoftMap\SoftMap Plus\Session\*.svs and all
other session files created in other directories for
SoftMap-Pro
GPS databases (if any)
C:\Program Files\SoftMap\SoftMap Plus\GPS\*.mdb
And the file (if you created bookmarks in your sessions):
C:\Program Files\ Common Files \SoftMap Shared\Data\datashare.sms
For
SoftMap-Pro save also :
C:\Program Files\ Common Files \SoftMap Shared\Data\Toponym\XXXXX.mdb
and other toponym databases created in other directories. |
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GPS |
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Q.
Is my GPS receiver compatible with SoftMap? |
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A.
Please consult our
Click here to
See information about Supported GPS receivers
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Q.
I have version 4.2 of SoftMap GPS and I have
trouble downloading my GPS data; do you have a patch for that
problem? |
A.
There is a new version of SoftMap GPS available for download
at
http://www.softmappublishing.com/updates.html
This update (4.51.0126) improves the stability of version 4.2.
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Q.
Can SoftMap GPS operate on a computer using a
USB protocol? |
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A.
If your GPS receiver is a Serial type, you can buy a
USB/Serial adapter to connect it to your USB port on your
computer and it will work. But if you GPS receiver is a USB
type, you cannot work with SoftMap GPS. |
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Q.
I have tried every setting but cannot get a
connection. Every time it comes up with a red connection
status. Could you please help me with this and tell me which
settings I should be using. ? |
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A.
Make sure that your Com Port selected for your GPS receiver is
active and in good working condition. |
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Q.
Tried without success to navigate in real
time. I have a database created, GPS set to my receiver brand.
Get a green light in the connection box but position does not
update (all zeros). ? |
A.
To navigate in real time in SoftMap, your GPS receiver must be
set to NMEA protocol and select the NMEA real time positioning
in the list of GPS receivers in SoftMap.
However, if you want to download data from your GPS receiver
to SoftMap and vice-versa, you must deactivate the NMEA
protocol in your GPS receiver and select your GPS receiver
model in SoftMap(ex. Garmin, etc.).
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Q.
What are the settings to download data from
my GPS to SoftMap and vice-versa? |
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A.
You must deactivate the NMEA protocol in your GPS receiver and
set it to the communication protocol of your receiver (ex.
Garmin) in SoftMap list. In the connexion, the transfer speed
expressed in Bits per second must be the same in the GPS and
in SoftMap. |
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Q.
What is the reference system of the GPS
database? |
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A.
The reference system used is the WGS84. |
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Q.
Is it possible to change the reference system
of the GPS DB? |
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A.
It is not possible to change the geodesic reference system of
the GPS database. The WGS84 has been chosen because it is used
by all the GPS receivers. If you display your maps in NAD27 or
NAD83 in SoftMap, the software will take charge of the
conversion of coordinates so that the data displayed is always
at the right place on the map. |
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Q.
Can I import data from an external database
in SoftMap GPS? |
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A.
The five format of the GPS routes that SoftMap can import are:
Ozi Explorer (PLT), Gardown (TXT et GDN), G7ToWin (TXT) and
the CSV format. |
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Q.
Help does not work : I get a message "The
section doesn't exist. Contact your reseller to update your
Help file." |
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A.
Help is not available for SoftMap GPS. Look for future updates
on our website. Consult the User's Guide. |
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Q.
Can I use my own symbols to illustrate my
points? |
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A.
For the points that are in the GPS database, you can only use
the symbols in the bank of symbols that is supplied. However,
it is possible to export the points in the GPS database to
your SoftMap personal database. This way you could change the
symbols to your own symbols. |
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Q.
Can I upload SoftMap maps in my GPS
receiver? |
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A.
It is impossible to upload our maps in a GPS because they are
too large being raster maps and are SoftMap proprietary
format, unreadable by other software. The manufacturers of the
GPS receivers normally restrict the upload to their own map
format and the GPS receivers have sometimes limited memory.
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Q.
Where can I find the User's Guide? |
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A.
During the installation of SoftMap GPS, the PDF file of the
User's Guide was copied on your hard disk (User's Guide
SoftMap GPS.pdf) at the same place as the program, C:\Program
Files\SoftMap\SoftMap Plus\ by default. You can also consult
the guide on our website at
http://www.softmappublishing.com/downloads/Softmap_GPS_UserGuide.pdf. |
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