Mapping Software

[Guest scanguy]

I have garmin rec. and roads cd and want to map the trails for a local state park. I am a volunteer there and have been informed they need a new map. I just walk around with my etrex velcroed to my backpack and use the track feature to draw the trail. I then go to the computer and download it there. My problem is I need to label the trails and do some minor touch up to the map and I cannot do it with that program. The file extension is .mps and nothing seems to support that except for maybe autocad and I can in no way afford that. Any suggestions?

[Guest trilobites]

Try this,

I use the tracklog feature on my etrex to update streams courses for my field projects (I work for the USGS water resources bunch). I downloaded a program called GPSTrackmaker (found it using dogpile search engine). Trackmaker will allow you to download the waypoints and traklog file from your garmin GPS unit (and many others). The tracklogs come in as linework and the program will allow you to export these as ascii points. You can also input a scanned image in the background and pseudo reference it using two points. Then your tracklogs will lay on top of the image.

I import the data directly into Arcinfo (which very few people can afford) from GPStrackmaker and it work great.

[Guest Miles678]

What about importing the the text points into ArcView and converting them to shapefiles? ArcView is expensive, but a darn site more cheaper than ArcINFO.

 

Miles678

[Guest bob_renner]

I've done this same thing using Topo! from National Geographic. It has scanned images of the USGS topo maps and allows me to import the track log as a freehand route. If you don't want the topo map on the background, you can run the program without the CD and zoom in. It will ask for the CD and if you cancel it will just show you your route on a blank white map.

 

Bob