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Canadian Topographic Map Software - User
Guide
During installation of SoftMap, you are offered the choice of English
or French for Quebec and Ontario products. We strongly recommend
installing the French version only if your computer operating
system is in French vice-versa.
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Ensure your
computer system meets the system requirements as shown on your
SoftMap box.
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DISABLE
any anti-virus programs before proceeding.
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Read all the
information in the package before proceeding.
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Ensure that
your display unit has the proper setting. Go to My Computer, Control
panel, Display, Settings, then set to High Color - 16 bit. Failure
to do this will cause color distortions when scrolling.
Click here to
see the instruction on installing SoftMap on Windows XP
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When you wish
to install an additional volume, proceed exactly as you did with the
installation of the original volume. The second installation will be
much lighter because the install procedure detects that the software
is already installed and will only install the index for the map data.
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Click on the SoftMap icon on your desktop and insert one of the data
CD's. When the "Open Session file" window appears, select the
program you wish to open
e.g. C\Program Files\SoftMap\SoftMap Plus 4\Session Ontario topo50\Vol
1.
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Lots of help is close to hand and there are THREE sources of
information contained within the software after it is installed.
1. Left click on the blue and yellow SoftMap logo in the bottom left
hand corner of the screen.
If
you do not see this logo, click on the Display/Close Multimedia Window
icon
 or
on the Multimedia button on the toolbar menu.
2. Select "The
way to use SoftMap" for basic information regarding printing maps,
adding "points" ( Note that the word "points" is the terminology used
for a symbol added to the map) and other basic information.
Click on the image to
enlarge screen capture
Opening the Help icon on the toolbar gives access to more detailed
information and answers specific questions.
There is a detailed User's Guide available within the software. To
access this 155 page manual, click Start, then Programs,
then SOFTMAP PLUS, then User's guide (you will need
Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it).
Click on the image to
enlarge screen capture
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There are three basic ways to move maps around on the screen.
MOVE MAP
tool
Select Move Map icon
from toolbar. Hold down the left button and move this icon away from
the direction you wish to see. This will bring desired area onto the
screen.
GEOGRAPHICAL DIRECTIONS tool
Select from Navigate Using Geographical Directions icon
from the toolbar. Click on any of the Cardinal points on this icon to
move your map in that direction.
NAVIGATIONAL
ARROWS
With either of the above selections, when the cursor is moved to
the edges
or corners of the map, directional arrows appear (see image below) and
a
click on an arrow will cause map to move in that direction.
Selection of the Move Map Arrows will provide the same facility
with the navigation arrows.
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Note that the exact Lat. and Long. in degrees, minutes and seconds of
the screen location of the navigation tool is shown on the bottom
right hand part of the screen.
(This can be changed to UTM if desired ).
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When viewing a map, right click your mouse button
and select scale down or scale up. For fast travel
across the area, select scale table at the bottom of the screen.
When you reach
the target area, click on either 1:250,000 or 1:50,000.
Note that there are two or three data CD's in each package and you may
need to change the CD as instructed on screen.
The overview
window at the top left side of the screen keeps track of your
position.
Note that
1:50,000 is the most detailed scale produced on Canadian government
topo maps. By selecting the magnifier icon the image size can be
increased but, because of scanning limitations, definition suffers.
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By now you will have discovered the unique feature of this product and
found that the maps are seamlessly joined enabling the user to scan
continuously across the area. You can now centre any section for
printing and, viola!, your lake, cottage, hunt camp etc. is right in
the middle.
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Click the
button
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While holding the left mouse button down, move the cursor over the base
map. A path will be drawn on the map. The distance covered and the
estimated time to cover the distance will be continually updated in a
dialog box.
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In the Session window, (center left screen) can be found the initial
list of symbols.
Set boxes next
to word Symbol to negative sign and tick sign (see image on the
right), and this will reveal approximately 50 symbols. To bring up the
second batch of symbols, highlight the word Symbols, right click, and
then select Add Symbols to bring up a further 150 symbols.
To add a
symbol, first select black arrow
on toolbar, then select Add Point
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A symbol window
will appear in the middle of the screen. Select a symbol, move the
cursor to the location required and left click.
Note that in
SoftMap terminology, when a symbol is added to a map it is referred to
as a point.
First select black arrow
on toolbar, then select Add Text icon
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A small text
properties window will appear in the middle of your screen.
Choose the font
and character size, then click on the map at the place you wish to
place the text. Note that the text box can be expanded by corner
arrows. Try to select an area free from heavy detail or your text will
not be prominent.
Select the appropriate icon
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Then move cursor to the start location of the trail you wish to add;
left click on mouse and drag cursor to trail end location. A red and
white trail will be shown along with a window showing actual distance
covered.
Select arrow icon
from toolbar and position it over symbol or text.
Right click and
symbol or text will turn negative. Feature can then be dragged to a
new position.
Select arrow icon from toolbar, position this over symbol to be
deleted and right click. Symbol will turn negative and when window
appears. From the drop down menu select delete.
Select arrow icon from toolbar and place over the text. Click and the
text will appear in a white rectangle. To delete, right click and
select delete.
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Note that you may print in monochrome or color. Be sure to select
desired map scale by right clicking on the map window.
There are two basic methods to print maps.
- To print
the map shown on the screen.
Go to File, select Print, then Map, OR, use Printer icon
on toolbar. Note that although the screen may only be showing an
area of 3km by 4km, the printed map, cantered on the same point will
print a map 9km wide by 12km high.
- To make a
template map.
(This is essentially the same as above except the map is given a
title e.g. "Fred and Mary's Cottage", and then is saved in the
database for future use).
Using Center Map icon
centre the map on the area of your choice. Next, click on Create
Printing Zone icon
on toolbar, a dialog window will appear. In the "Zone name" box
(circled in red on the image below) type in a chosen map title.
A template for this print zone is saved on your computer. To retrieve
it for printing, select the printing zone tab (this is located at the
bottom end of the session window in the centre left screen to the
right of "Databases").
Click on the zone required to print. Go to File, select Print, then
Printing Zone and proceed to print. Once a template has been created,
the Printer icon on the toolbar may be used for future printouts.
Note that, when in the print window, you may select that the map be
printed in portrait or landscape configuration.
Map Grids
When printing maps in format shown above, the UTM grids will be shown
but no Lat/Long or UTM coordinates will appear on your printed map.
To add these, look at bottom of centre window on left of screen,
select Map Grids (to right of Databases) click on empty box to produce
a tick and the UTM grids on the screen will appear in heavy black.
Printing in this format will give UTM coordinates and Lat/Long at
edges of printed map. After printing, click on tick to revert to empty
box and go back to Databases.
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Maps may be sent to Microsoft Word for various uses, including sending
as an attachment to an e-mail.
There are two basic methods.
- To transfer
the whole screen including the toolbar, borders etc, click the
"Print Screen" button on your computer keyboard, go to "Word" and
click on "Paste" icon.
- To transfer
the map element of the screen only, click on the "Copy Map" icon on
toolbar, go to word and click on "Paste"
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All of the Geographical names of Canada, by province and by
description are contained in each SoftMap installation.
1. Select
"Search" icon
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2. From the
window, select province then location description (e.g. Bay Village,
Ontario, etc.). If name searching in the region that you have loaded
in your computer, e.g. Ontario Vol 1, select GO TO in the window, and
the location will appear on the screen behind the window. If a change
of data CD is required, you will be advised.
Click on the image to
enlarge screen capture
You may also search by coordinates which is very useful where there
are a lot of same name locations (e.g. Trout Lake, Ontario).
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There are a large number of symbols used on topographic maps and all
of these symbols with descriptions are included in your SoftMap
package.
To access these, go to Windows Explorer, My Computer, CD ROM Drive
(i.e. E), Map Data, then Legend.pdf. The legend is in the form
of a PDF (Portable Document Format) file - you will need
Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.
Click on the image to
enlarge screen capture
To change your SoftMap screen mode from Latitude and Longitude to a
UTM configuration, select Tools, Customize, Status Bar, Status Bar
Properties, then proceed to select desired zone.
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First line Technical Support is available free of charge for 90 days
from date of purchase from
info@softmappublishing.com, tel (613)225- 5795,
fax (613) 225-3329.
As
you will be aware, free technical support is not an industry norm
these days and we would ask our customers to carefully check through
all the relative procedures and information contained on this site,
before calling. In particular we would draw your attention to the
section regarding ensuring that you
disabled your anti-virus system before installation.
Before contacting Technical Support, please ensure that you have a
detailed and accurate description of the fault
condition.
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