MAPFIX.txt  Ver 1.4        NOTES  ABOUT  USING  MAPFIX


MAPFIXxx.bas/exe is a very versitile program for drawing, building and
fixing APRS maps.  This file consists of a lot of text removed from the
program to give room for more routines.  Each time you run a new version
of MAPFIX, be sure to look at the first help screen for any changes.

MAKEMAPS.BAS is a very handy program written by Jack Cavenaugh KB4XF which 
automates the process for extracting 32 to 64 mile APRS maps directly in
one step from the 2,000,000 CD ROM.  Then you can use MAPFIX alt-SCRUNCH
command and other aids to get points below 3000.  This is better than the
built in MAPFIX alt-USGS process which takes many steps.  See MAPS-CD.txt.

USGSMAP1.bas/exe  Is a revision by W4NMK of MAKEMAPS so that it can work
with data files downloaded via the internet instead of from an attached
CD ROM.  The internet address for these maps is:

     http;//edcftp.cr.usgs.gov/pub/data/DLG/2M/{area of interest}
              /{transportation/hydrographic/political/railroads}/



OVERVIEW OF MAPFIX:

MAPFIX can build and edit APRS maps in a variety of ways:

   FREE-HAND: Good for filling in roads, but hard to make roads exact
   CDROM:     Gets points from 2,000,000:1 and 100,000:1 USGS CD ROM.
              Both generate Mbytes worth of points that take a lot of
              time to filter down to a useable APRS size!
   TABLET:    Connect a digitizer tablet and draw! BEST METHOD!
   GPS DATA:  Replay any APRS GPS track history file and DRAW map lines
              over the track
   CONVERSION:Change origin or scale on-line (old function of MAPCNVRT.bas)
   IMPORTING: Import features from other maps with auto-point conversion!

   Although MAPFIX is very versitile, manipulating points with a TEXT
   EDITOR is still useful for whole scale rearranging of points and
   features in a map file.

   MAPFIX uses the normal yellow APRS cursor, and a White MapPoint which
   marks the next point to be processed.  ALT Keys allow you to MOVE the
   MapPoint to the cursor, ADD a new point at the cursor, or DELETE the
   MapPoint.  The G key will GO to the MapPoint and conversly, F will
   FIND the point nearest the cursor.
 
   CAUTION, THIS PROGRAM IS NOT PERFECT... KEEP BACKUPS!  Do a little
            at a time!


BOUNDARY BOXES AND ORIGINS DISPLAY:  First, you will notice that MAPFIX
draws a few permanent and temporary boxes and markers on the map as follows:

YELLOW ORIGIN:  The 0,0 point for pixels

YELLOW BOX:     MAX values.  Extending from the ORIGIN to the right and
                down to show the maximum values for X (2048) and Y (1024)

PURPLE BOX:     Temporary display of MAX values at different PPD scales.              
                Use the BOX (B) command to test other PPD values. 

WHITE BOX:      The RANGE limit around the center of the map.  This is
                used by APRS and the MAPLIST.xxx file for deciding when
                to load this particular map.  The WHOLE screen must fit
                within this white box, before the map is loaded for use.
                DOES NOT affect any map points or data. (only the RANGE
                listed in MAPLIST.xxx is actually used by APRS).


WHITE CROSS:    The MAP CENTER as to be listed in MAPLIST.xxx along with
                the RANGE for APRS to know when to load this map.  Does
                NOT affect any map points or data.  Only the CENTER
                listed in MAPLIST.xxx is actually used by APRS).

WHITE CIRCLE CURSOR:  Marks the current MAP POINT for editing...

APRS YELLOW CURSOR:   Simply a pointer for all functions.
               

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HERE IS THE BASIC HELP SCREEN FOR MAPFIX:


 OPERATIONS          MAP FUNCTIONS         POINT FUNCTIONS     LABEL COMMANDS

 H - HELP SCREENS    @C- Change CENTER     @A - ADD point      S - SHOW labels
 D - map DIRECTORY   @R- set map RANGE     @D - DELETE point  @L - add a LABEL
^S - SAVE MAP!!!     @T- TRIM border Pts   @K - Kill feature   L - LABELS off
^L - LOAD NEW map    @I- IMPORT from map   @M - MOVE point     K - KILL Label
@G - GPS Overlay     ^O- OVERLAY a map     @N - NEW feature
 C = CLEAR Sngle Pts  M- show MAPLIST      ^C - CHANGE Color
 Q - QUIT             O- OTHER map bordrs       


 DISPLAY COMMANDS     POINTER MOVEMENTS   USGS CD ROM CMDS  DIGITIZER/MOUSE

 SPACE to draw map    N- Next Feature     B- BOX PPD area   @O- OPEN COMMS
 ARROWS  (shft)       P- Prev Feature     U- USGS overlay   @B- BEGIN new line
 PgUP/DN (ctrl)       G- Go to Pointer    T- Test Scruncher F1- MOVE cursor
 HOME to Cursor       F- Find point      @S- SCRUNCH file        vice ADD pt
 HOME(shft) to Orign ^F- Find another    @U- USGS Load!     F3,4,6,7,8,10,
 END to map center    R- RESET to 1st Pt @J- JOIN lines     F1,2shftd=11,12
                     ^R- REDRAW on/off                        HOTKYS begin Ln
                     ^A- AUTOCENTER on/off                  F9- Init Mouse
                     +/- move Pointer

 F1 Temporarily re-defines Digitizer point to move cursor vice ADD point
 F2 Convert Origin to new point and/or Pix/per/deg
 F3 (SHFT) Save mapfile in COMPRESSED format
 F4 (SHFT) Save mapfile in ASCII format
 F5 Slows GPS Overlay so you can see chronology of replayed points
 F8 (shft) Adds MARKER to map.  Useful for re-calibrating MOUSE
 F9 Initialize Microsoft serial port mouse


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MOUSE MODES:

 CURSOR: Use F9 to open appropriate MOUSE port (must be MICROSOFT SERIAL
         MOUSE).  Left button is ALT-ADD and right button is FIND command.

 POOR-MANS-MOUSE DIGITIZER:  Use alt-O to OPEN COMM port and READ MOUSE.txt




HELP PAGE 2:

   1. Ken Swaggart has refined his tools for converting 100,000 USGS data to
      the same format used by MAPFIXER for 2,000,000 data.  See CDROM.txt.

   2. MAPFIXER uses the smaller VGA fonts and alternate screen for the map
      and HELP screens.  Therefore it will NO LONGER run on CGA screens

   With MAPFIX.bas, you can modify features by moving, adding or deleting
   Points or Killing whole features, ie: roads, rivers, borders, etc.

   If the MapPointer and FeatureName get out of sequence, the RESET command
   may fix them, but you should save the file immediately and check it with
   an editor.


   The TRIM command is sort of the converse of IMPORT.  It will TRIM all
   points outside of the white RANGE box.  It keeps at least one point
   of each line outside of the box, and may need a little clean up at the
   edges.

   The MAPLIST command shows your MAPLIST.map file; and the OTHER MAPS
   command shows all MAP borders so you can see how your new map fits in.
   You may use F3 and F4 keys to select smaller or larger map borders to
   draw.


HELP PAGE 3:        Using GPS Track History Files to draw maps!"


   To aid in creating accurate maps, W7KKE in Calif wrote a module to
   overlay GPS Track Histories into MAPFIX.  Use this to build and fix
   your own maps!

   After you have loaded your map, type alt-G (GPS Track History') and
   enter the history filename.  This will overlay the track history file.
   You may then use the normal MAPFIX.bas routines to move map segments
   and add so that the map will agree with the GPS data contained in the
   track history file.  This is especially useful with the history files
   saved by a laptop during mobile GPS operations.

   CAUTION:  Since GPS data is only accurate to 100 yards due to the
   effects of Selective Availability, I would avoid using GPS data
   explicitely below about the 2 mile range.  For this reason, I make
   the size of the GPS positions expand below the 2 mile range to roughly
   approximate the size of the 100 yard error circle.

   Note that you can START a NEW map from scratch by just typing NEW
   instread of a MAP filename when starting up the program.


PAGE 4 INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING A DIGITIZER:

   MAPFIX.bas can also accept the serial data from a digitizer tablet or
   table thanks again to W7KKE.  THIS IS THE MOST ACCURRATE WAY TO BUILD
   MAPS!

   To use a digitizer, first you must hit the ALT-O command to open the
   COMM PORT for the digitizer.  This command also lets you test the
   digitizer while testing the alignment of the map on the digitizer
   surface.  It then prompts you to identify the upper left and lower
   right corners of the map, in order to calibrate the digitizer to the
   latitude, longitude and scale of the map.  From this point on, the
   0 button on the digitizer mouse, or the PEN is the same as the ALT-A
   ADD command.  Points will be added AFTER the current map point.  To
   start a new map feature, you must first move the cursor to the new
   starting point, before using the ALT-N NEW command.  There are 3 ways
   to move the cursr:
      1) arrow keys
      2) fourth button on a 4 button mouse
      3) press F1 and then use the mouse or Pen (once for each press of
         F1).  OR you may use the alt-B BEGIN command which does NOT
         require the cursor to be moved first.

   To speed up the screen during editing, MAPFIX does not erase and re-
   draw the entire map after each new point, but only draws the new line
   segment.  While editing points, the old line remains until you draw a
   new map.            

   Use CTRL-R to toggle on and off the RE-DRAW feature.  With RE-DRAW off,
   you can rapidly DELETE points, but you cannot see the effect of the
   deletion until you hit SPACE to redraw the map.  Hitting space turns
   REDRAW back on.  The new ^AUTO CENTER command will force a re-draw of
   the map whenever the MAPPOINT moves off the screen.  Very useful when
   stepping through the points with the +/- key.

DIGITIZER HOT KEYS:  F4, F6, F7, F8, F10, shftF1, shftF2
   These keys begin a new line of the appropriate color without having to
   enter a feature name and select a color.  This makes it much easier
   for one handed operation while using the other hand on the digitizer.

KILL COMMAND:  Move the cursor to the yellow dot just after a label, and
   then press the K Key to kill the label.  You may need to zoom in some
   in order to get close enough to the label.

CLEAR COMMAND:  This C command will scan the entire map file and eliminate 
   any 0 length lines.  THese are seen on the map as lines with one end at 
   the map origin.

IMPORT COMMAND:  Using the IMPORT command, you can IMPORT features from 
   many smaller maps into one larger map, or you can take points out of 
   adjacent maps and put them into yours.  Only the points that fit within 
   the current WHITE center-&-range BORDER will be imported.

OVERLAY COMMAND:  The OVERLAY command allows you to temporarly overlay 
   map features from one map onto the current map.  This is only temporary, 
   but allows you to compare maps, or to sketch over data from one map into 
   another.  Useful for fixing bigger maps from smaller ones without having
   to bring in all of the detail points.  The format of this command is 
   identical to the @IMPORT command, except that points are only displayed, 
   not added to existing map.

COMPRESS MAP:  The SHIFT F3 and F4 commands will COMPRESS and UNCOMPRESS
   an APRS map by about 50%.  This saves disk space by storing X-Y values 
   as binary values vice ASCII BCD.  To make this work, map X-Y values must 
   be less than 2048 for X and 1024 for Y.  No negatives.  To help you 
   choose a map origin and PPD scale, the display boxes have been modified.
   Always keep a copy of the original map file with an extension of .ORG.
   Since the normal ZIP process also compresses by the same amount, there
   is no advantage to compression for DISTRIBUTION, but only for disk
   space, for example for an 8088 laptop floppy system.
