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Software for Creating Memory Map Icons


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Hi,

I have a 5000 sq.km Memory Map selections, and on that (using the pocket query) have loaded all the caches that map map covers. Now what I want to do is create a new geocache icon (perhaps with a different colour other than green), which I can use to give me a visual display of which sites I have visited.

My problem is that I have been using Fireworks to generate the icon and no matter what I try its a big failure. I was wondering can anyone recommend any s/w I can try?

 

many thanks in advance

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Its quite easy, simply download various pocket queries, for example in my case, a 15 mile radius of my home town the then the next pocket query 15 or so miles away and so on.

 

As for the Link, many thanks, this bit I have figured out, how to import the icons (from the link), what I really need to know is the s/w used to create new icons.

As I have said I want to use the standard traditional cache icon and the edit it to change the colour so that I can use the traditional (green) for not found and say an icon with an orange top for caches found

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Its quite easy, simply download various pocket queries, for example in my case, a 15 mile radius of my home town the then the next pocket query 15 or so miles away and so on.

That won't necessarily get all the caches though. A PQ set to return up to a 15 mile radius will contain all the caches up to 15 miles from the coordinates OR up to a maximum of 500, whichever comes first so if there's more than 500 in the 15 mile circle, you will only get the nearest 500 to the centre point. If you see what I mean.

As for the Link, many thanks, this bit I have figured out, how to import the icons (from the link), what I really need to know is the s/w used to create new icons.

As I have said I want to use the standard traditional cache icon and the edit it to change the colour so that I can use the traditional (green) for not found and say an icon with an orange top for caches found

Well looking at Lordelph's icons, they're 32x32 pixel 16-colour bitmap images. You can create these in Paint - just make sure the image is 32 pixels wide and high, that the icon is located at the top-left of the image and that you save it specifically as type "16 Colour Bitmap". That should be what you need. It's quite a skill to craft a good looking icon with only 16 colours to work with though.

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The story so far................found a free piece of s/w called IcoFX, this will extract all the icons used in memory map (you extract them from the main exe file in MM) and then you can either save the as an icon or a bitmap, however MM says the usual error not 32*32 and 16 colour. When the icon has been extracted it is in the middle and not at the top left corner so..........more work required

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I spent quite a while crafting the "Lovely Icons", if memory serves I think I did the rough vector drawing with Fireworks, then touched them up in Paint Shop Pro pixel by pixel, as well as trimming the palette to 16 colours. White is always transparent, and can be in any colour index. If you want white in your icon, just use a second index with an RGB value of (255,255,254) or similar.

 

The centre point of the 32x32 icon is the "hotspot", so base your design around that point.

 

Aside from that, good luck!

Edited by lordelph
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Hi

If it's any help I used the the software MS Paint where you can edit & save your "Drawing" as a 32x32 16 colour BMP required by MM. I have drawn the full set of icons as they appear on Geocaching .com (ie 2 orange chests for multi's, red chest for disabled etc etc) Tried to attach here but I carn't

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:) Success (I Think)

 

I have succesfully imported edited icons into MM.

Having downloaded the small cache icons from the getting started page http://www.geocaching.com/about/cache_types.aspx I was able to change the various colours on the above page using Fireworks, then using Paint Shop Pro's decrease colour depth option (to the required 16 colours) was able to save this, and successfully import (and use) in MM. Also using the SW listed a previous post extract all the icons from MM and edit them in the same way. I have now got the dots and flags in MM in different colours and also the trad/multi cach icons in a variety of colours.The only thing to bear in mind is that you have to remove all the icons out of MM before adding new ones.

 

Can anyone else give this a go to confirm this will work with possibly any small graphic please?

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I would have thought Lord Elph's lovely icons would have been great for most people

 

Wait till you see LordElph's *Lovelier* icons then!

 

I'm quite happy with the original icons, Edge's GSAK export script and import to MM and the PDA. Works a treat.... but lovelier icons??? Can't wait!

 

Chris (MrB)

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Just got Memory-Map V6 installed.

 

Has anyone managed to get "Lord Elph's Lovely Icons" working on this new package?

 

Still have GSAK outputting the informative icons into MM V5 so the GSAK output file(s) do contain the right data. (Hence icon.txt and memory.txt do not need amending).

 

I cannot see what needs to be done to MM V6 to get the improved icon graphics showing on-screen and on printed maps.

 

I note that all the icons are listed in MMV5 but not in MM6, I've tried "Adding" a few but even then, there are no icons showing in the new program.

 

Any clues anyone?

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Just got Memory-Map V6 installed.

 

Has anyone managed to get "Lord Elph's Lovely Icons" working on this new package?

 

Still have GSAK outputting the informative icons into MM V5 so the GSAK output file(s) do contain the right data. (Hence icon.txt and memory.txt do not need amending).

 

I cannot see what needs to be done to MM V6 to get the improved icon graphics showing on-screen and on printed maps.

 

I note that all the icons are listed in MMV5 but not in MM6, I've tried "Adding" a few but even then, there are no icons showing in the new program.

 

Any clues anyone?

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I have raised this issue with Memory-Map and received the following:

 

'There have been some changes within Memory-Map 6 as to how icons work and are displayed.

We have forwarded your email onto our development team so that they are aware of an issue with importing custom icons and can write a fix for the next update of the Memory-Map 6 software application or provide a workaround in the meantime.'

 

Basically version 6 ignores IC01 records for custom icons.

 

So, I am continuing to use version 5 until the problem is fixed.

 

I suggest that you contact Memory-map as well to let them know that this feature is still required.

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Hello Sue & Bernie,

 

I'm still using MM European Edition v5.4.2 don't now know why I favour it.

 

Your query struck me as being a bit strange, as far as I was aware there was no problem with MM6 and the famous icons. So I opened up MM6 (checked that it was MM6 via help, about, mine is MM6 v6.0.1 build 1155). I then imported my .mmo geocache file that I had compiled with GSAK and usually use in MM5. MM6 imported the file and zoomed out to show the "World North" map. All the 5000 caches were showing but just off the screen. Pan and zoom in so the cursor can be placed on the area where the dense Icon group is, right mouse click, choose the map you want.

 

Regards

Bernard

Edited by BCNorwich
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Hi Bernard

That's interesting, I didn't know GSAK exported an .mmo file. How do you do that?

When I export from GSAK in Memory-map format it produces a .csv file which includes the IC01 records which MM ver 6 ignores.

regards

John

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Hi Bernard

That's interesting, I didn't know GSAK exported an .mmo file. How do you do that?

When I export from GSAK in Memory-map format it produces a .csv file which includes the IC01 records which MM ver 6 ignores.

regards

John

 

I do beg your pardon, It was the .csv file first opened in MM5 then saved as an .mmo file. This .mmo file can then be properly opened in MM6. Sorry for the added confusion.

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