Is Mapsource 6.15.x safe / ok?

[+wandering4cache]

I don't frequent here all that much, but I do know at one time there was a long thread saying NOT to upgrade to Mapsource 6.14.x due to problems. It was suggested to stay with 6.13.7. That's where I'm at.

 

I see there is now a 6.15.x? What's the feeling on this version so far? I couldn't find a thread.

 

Thanks.

 

Also, any known issues with it on Windows Vista 64-bit?

[+splashy]

If you don't have to, stay with the old one.

[MtnHermit]

I've been using 6.15.6 for sometime and I like it. While it certainly is slower, likely due to the questionable softer look of contours, it has pluses. The biggest win is how it depicts secondary roads, greatly enhancing them.

 

If you're running V64 then you've got a horse, simply load both and rename one of the Mapsource.exe files something else.

 

BTW, 6.15.6 has one bug: If you load a track and save as gdb then open the gdb and try to save as gpx Mapsource will crash. Their are several workarounds, search for the crash thread here.

Edited July 25, 2009 by MtnHermit

[+Tequila]

I stayed away from 6.15 because I was on an older PC running XP.

 

Sadly, the hard drive died last week and I was forced to buy a new PC with Vista.

 

I installed 6.15 and love it. It does require lots of power but if you got it, you will love it.

[+jotne]

MapSource 6.14+ has a huge ratio error.

If you make a proximity circle it is not round but oval. The longer north, the more error.

 

I have complained to Garmin on every version released since 6.13.7 (latest ok version) and Garmin has confirmed the error and told that they will fix it, but have not done it.

[+Hrethgir]

Man, I am way behind the times with my version of Mapsource, just checked, I'm running what came with my Legend HCx, 6.11.6! Works fine for what I do, so I see no reason to update it.

[+Chuy!]

I stopped upgrading with 6.13.5 for the reasons indicated above about power resources.

 

Here is Garmin link to download it: http://www8.garmin.com/software/MapSource_6135.exe

If you want .7, just change the five to seven.

 

Hrethgir, if your version doesn't have the track edit functions, you are missing out.

[+Prime Suspect]

MapSource 6.14+ has a huge ratio error.

If you make a proximity circle it is not round but oval. The longer north, the more error.

 

I have complained to Garmin on every version released since 6.13.7 (latest ok version) and Garmin has confirmed the error and told that they will fix it, but have not done it.

 

IT'S NOT AN ERROR. In case you haven't noticed, the maps use non-convergent longitudes (equirectangular projection, to be precise). Since it's impossible to truly show a spherical world on a flat surface, some sort of compromise must be made. On this type of map, the latitude and longitude lines meet at right angles and form same-size rectangles. The compromise here is that the further away you get from the equator, the more you have to "stretch" the earth's surface east to west, to fill in the grid, since the distance between the longitudinal lines gets closer, the closer you get to either pole.

 

So what you're calling an "oval" is actually a correctly expressed circle, at that latitude, using this very common type of map projection. You can prove this to yourself by positioning the map way up north, making a waypoint, and adding a proximity circle of 100 miles around it. Now switch to the distance measuring tool, and measure the distance from waypoint to the edge of the "oval", in any direction. You will see that the distance measuring tool will show it's always the same, regardless of whether you're measuring to the short side or the long side of the oval.

 

Once again, it's NOT AN ERROR.

 

Edited July 26, 2009 by Prime Suspect

[MtnHermit]

IT'S NOT AN ERROR. In case you haven't noticed, the maps use non-convergent longitudes (equirectangular projection, to be precise). Since it's impossible to truly show a spherical world on a flat surface, some sort of compromise must be made. On this type of map, the latitude and longitude lines meet at right angles and form same-size rectangles. The compromise here is that the further away you get from the equator, the more you have to "stretch" the earth's surface east to west, to fill in the grid, since the distance between the longitudinal lines gets closer, the closer you get to either pole.

 

So what you're calling an "oval" is actually a correctly expressed circle, at that latitude, using this very common type of map projection. You can prove this to yourself by positioning the map way up north, making a waypoint, and adding a proximity circle of 100 miles around it. Now switch to the distance measuring tool, and measure the distance from waypoint to the edge of the "oval", in any direction. You will see that the distance measuring tool will show it's always the same, regardless of whether you're measuring to the short side or the long side of the oval.

 

Once again, it's NOT AN ERROR.

 

Makes sense except . . .

 

When Red90 posted a circle from Olatha it was perfect and an oval in Calgary. According to your explanation a circle should only be perfect on the equator. Hence I believe their is still an error with Mapsource.

 

Your thoughts?

[+Hrethgir]

I stopped upgrading with 6.13.5 for the reasons indicated above about power resources.

 

Here is Garmin link to download it: http://www8.garmin.com/software/MapSource_6135.exe

If you want .7, just change the five to seven.

 

Hrethgir, if your version doesn't have the track edit functions, you are missing out.

 

Nope, no track editing function, but I've rarely needed that. And when I did, I just exported it to GPS TrackMaker and used that. Besides, my DeLorme is my primary unit anyways, so I almost only use Mapsource to send PQ's to my Legend HCx for a backup. But I might just update it, couldn't hurt!

[+coggins]

IT'S NOT AN ERROR. In case you haven't noticed, the maps use non-convergent longitudes (equirectangular projection, to be precise). Since it's impossible to truly show a spherical world on a flat surface, some sort of compromise must be made. On this type of map, the latitude and longitude lines meet at right angles and form same-size rectangles. The compromise here is that the further away you get from the equator, the more you have to "stretch" the earth's surface east to west, to fill in the grid, since the distance between the longitudinal lines gets closer, the closer you get to either pole.

 

So what you're calling an "oval" is actually a correctly expressed circle, at that latitude, using this very common type of map projection. You can prove this to yourself by positioning the map way up north, making a waypoint, and adding a proximity circle of 100 miles around it. Now switch to the distance measuring tool, and measure the distance from waypoint to the edge of the "oval", in any direction. You will see that the distance measuring tool will show it's always the same, regardless of whether you're measuring to the short side or the long side of the oval.

 

Once again, it's NOT AN ERROR.

 

Makes sense except . . .

 

When Red90 posted a circle from Olatha it was perfect and an oval in Calgary. According to your explanation a circle should only be perfect on the equator. Hence I believe their is still an error with Mapsource.

 

Your thoughts?

That was answered here: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...t&p=3941620

 

The parallel used need not be at the equator. Prime is correct, there isn't an error.

Edited July 26, 2009 by coggins

[+jotne]

@Prime Suspect

 

This changed dramatically from 6.13.x to 6.14.x

Its so bad that Norway does not look like the country I know, and Garmin has confirmed that this is an error and will fix it.

 

On 6.13 maps looks always wrong when zooming out to see the whole world, but become better the more you zoom in, ind maps looks like the paper map I do have. But 6.14+ does looks very bad.

 

Here is two example on the same location.

 

6.15

 

6.13

 

Here is a picture of the city Tromsø in Norway. Both picture are with the same setting.

 

Tromsø and area around looks like on paper map witj 6.13

 

Looking at this and you have trouble to see that this is from the same location. 6.15

 

 

I do not like how the maps are drawed. 6.14+ slow and blure.

6.13- fast and sharp image.

 

Look also at the roads. What is best to read???

 

I do convert my new City Navigator Europe 2010 back to old format, so It works with 6.13.7 (latest ok version)

 

Garmin, Please fix know.

[+coggins]

Here is two example on the same location.

 

6.15

 

6.13

Your 6.13 example doesn't exactly look very round to me.

 

As stated in my post, the Plate carrée projection need not use the equator, if using the Latitude of the centroid of the displaying device, a pseudo Orthographic projection results with the following TOPO US 2008 screenshot:

Edited July 26, 2009 by coggins

[+jotne]

I do agree that 6.13 is not round, but 10 times better than 6.15

[strumble]

After 66 years of my life I object to Garmin re-drawing my Country.

#1 as ordinary maps and Garmin saw my area prior 6.14.0

#2 as Garmin Mapsource sees my area now!

 

 

[+jotne]

New MapSource also makes the maps looks more blurry and roads not so easy to see.

[+hogrod]

New MapSource also makes the maps looks more blurry and roads not so easy to see.

 

This statement isn't exactly true, at least not for everyone. With the first 'new' version I had this issue where it took 8X longer to draw the maps and it would look blurry while drawing, and sometimes would never fully draw so would always look blurry. With the most recent 'new' version the re-draw times are much faster and only looks blurry for a second while re-drawing.

The new version of mapsource is much easier to see secondary roads, is very clear & clean looking compared to the very outdated look of 'old' mapsource. I still use the old verison only because of all the other issues mentioned above.

[+Red90]

Without reading all of this.... They are doing the projection calculations incorrectly. When you zoom into a spot the projection is supposed to be redone for the viewing area to give a flat image of that area so that the stretching error are limited to within the view.

 

BTW, you must use the new version with new maps as they are in a different format to the past.

[+Prime Suspect]

@Prime Suspect

 

This changed dramatically from 6.13.x to 6.14.x

Its so bad that Norway does not look like the country I know, and Garmin has confirmed that this is an error and will fix it.

 

On 6.13 maps looks always wrong when zooming out to see the whole world, but become better the more you zoom in, ind maps looks like the paper map I do have. But 6.14+ does looks very bad.

 

Here is two example on the same location.

 

6.15

 

6.13

 

Here is a picture of the city Tromsø in Norway. Both picture are with the same setting.

 

Tromsø and area around looks like on paper map witj 6.13

 

Looking at this and you have trouble to see that this is from the same location. 6.15

 

 

How exactly is this affecting your ability to use the software?

[+hogrod]

BTW, you must use the new version with new maps as they are in a different format to the past.

 

There is some software(can't remember the name) that converts the new maps so that they can be used with the older mapsource. I used it with great success.

[+Red90]

How exactly is this affecting your ability to use the software?

 

Everything is hugely distorted to what it is in the real world. It makes trip planning difficult.

 

As I stated,they hae screwed up the projections. No mater the view the cylinder should be centered over the view. It is not stuck to the entire world view. It is basic map making and it is a complete disgrace that they have let this product out on the market.

[+jotne]

For my area the map is so distorted that I have trouble to recognize the area compare to the paper maps.

 

Here is the link to the software that will convert all maps in the new format back to the old img format and at the same time install MapSource 6.13.7

http://members.ziggo.nl/zumo/cne2009_multilang.html

 

Why have someone bothered to make a software like this.

1. MapSource 6.14+ is bad regarding aspect ratio.

2. All new maps are stored to the USER folder and not to a folder that you can select (this will always be C: drive if OS is installed there)

[+coggins]

I do agree that 6.13 is not round, but 10 times better than 6.15

I was wondering why you would be satisfied with "better" but still not round. I wouldn't be, and my example which is farther North than yours shows that it can be done correctly.

[+jotne]

I do agree with you. Round is best, but 6.14+ is not usable for me, 6.13.7 is ok, but not perfect.