MapMap Manual

http://mapmap.8m.com

(c) 2002-2004 Paul Sokolovsky

Contents

  1. What is MapMap
  2. MapMap Features
  3. Technical Specifications
  4. System Requirements
  5. STANDARD DISCLAIMER
  6. Support
  7. Purchasing Full Version
  8. MapMap Reference
  9. Maps

1. What is MapMap

MapMap is a map viewer for PalmOS-powered handheld computers, aiming to be a simple GIS (Geo-Informational System). The main idea behind MapMap is to create a map viewer, maps for which could be produced without extraordinary effort by the end users. As such, MapMap is:

If you have some experience with computers in general and graphics editing in particular, you will be able to produce a good-looking map of arbitrary size with dozen points of your interest in just few hours. Producing a map covering each street of a big city may take several days if done manually, but nonetheless it is nowhere near to the effort required to create a vector map.

This is exactly the aim of MapMap: provide tools and knowledge required for someone to easily create and use his/her own maps in the Palm of the hand.

However, there is a growing collection of maps immediately available for use with MapMap - both prepared by MapMap authors and contributed by the users.

2. MapMap Features

There are two versions of MapMap available: freeware Lite and low-cost commercial Full. Both Lite and Full versions offer following core features:

Features of the Full Version

Full version offers both additional technical features and user interface improvements for frequent, on-the-run, use:

See also side by side screenshot.

More features are planned!

3. Technical Specifications

4. System Requirements

For handheld viewer: For preparing maps:

5. STANDARD DISCLAIMER

THE SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION REMAINS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE OR DOCUMENTATION (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

6. Support

MapMap's website is http://mapmap.8m.com please visit it for more maps, news, new versions, and other services/events.

Support for MapMap is provided via mailing list with web forum interface at Yahoo Groups:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mapmap_palm

Please use it to share your experience, ask for help, request features, discuss availability of maps, etc.

If you would like to contact the author directly, you can do this via email. Please allow for some time to reply.

7. Purchasing Full Version

As described above, MapMap is provided in Lite, freeware, and Full, commercial, versions. If you find MapMap useful, and would like to use its full potential where it can really replace (possibly lots of) paper maps, please consider purchasing Full version. Your selection of Full version will also allow to provide support, maintenance and further development of MapMap.

To purchase Full version, please visit MapMap website, click on "Download/Buy" link, and follow the instructions. Purchasing services are offered via a specialized provider, who may offer several payment options, besides the most commonly used credit card method. Once you commited purchase, you will download or will be sent via email the Full version. To activate it, you will need a key, which you will receive within two business days directly from the author.

8. MapMap Reference

8.1. Menus

MapMap menu is called in standard way by tapping on Menu Icon in Graffiti Area:

The screenshot above shows silkscreen layout on a classic Palm model. On a newer model, there may be virtual grafitti area or another button layout, etc. If you cannot find Menu button, please refer to the manual which comes with your Palm model.

8.1.1. File Menu

Use this menu to open maps.

File -> Open
Open map. You will be presented with Open Dialog like:

Select location of the map via dropdown box: either internal memory (shown as "mem:") or, for Full version, storage card (shown as "c:", "d:", etc.), then in the filelist (sorted alphabetically), select image file of the map (with extension ".bmp"). To open it, either tap it again once selected, or press "Ok" key in dialog.

8.1.2. Map Menu

Use this menu to perform operations on currently open map.

Map -> Lookup
Find object on the map by its name. You will be presented with Lookup Dialog like:

You can select object of interest to you via combination of two following methods:

8.1.3. Help Menu

This menu contains About Dialog and online help.

8.2. Map View

When you start MapMap for the first time, it will show screen similar to below:

Afterwards, it will remember last used map and will open it automatically on startup.

Most part of MapMap screen is occupied by map, with two scrollbars on left and bottom with carrets showing relative position of currently visible part within entire map (in this version scrollbars are static and do not allow to scroll map):

To scroll map, just tap at the point which you would like to become new center of the screen. This method allows for easy, quick, and precise panning of a map, and also screen-friendly (dragging map with stylus can lead to trails or scratches on screen). Suppose you tapped at "CHAD" from the previous screenshot:

9. Maps

9.1. Sample Maps

MapMap download package includes some sample maps to immediately show program features. However, due to size constraints, these maps may be of not the best resolution and readability. It is recommended to visit MapMap site to get more detailed maps.

9.1.1. World Political Map (small)

This map consists of World-small.bmp.pdb and World-small.xy.pdb files in maps directory of installation. It was scaled as down as possible, just to leave countries' names at least comprehensible (even such, it totals at at around 800Kb - the world is a big place). If you are the user of the Full version, you can download larger World map (around 2Mb, and the dimensions above the supported by the Lite version) from MapMap site. On it, even cities' names are readable, compare Europe (the most crowded place on Earth) on it with the previous screenshot (made with World-small):

Both maps however contain the same coordinates database which includes 950 objects:

The map source is Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection.

9.2. Installing Maps

MapMap, both Lite and Full versions, allows to install additional maps - either downloaded from the Internet or prepared by yourself. Subsections below discuss these choices.

Downloaded Maps: Installing To Main Memory

The downloaded archive usually contains README file with the description of a map and two files representing the map itself: one ending with ".bmp.pdb" and the other with ".xy.pdb". To install the map, you should HotSync both files, selecting internal memory as the destination.

Downloaded Maps: Installing To Memory Card (for Full version only)

Since version 1.2, MapMap Full supports installing to memory card using HotSync. You just follow instructions outlined above, but select "Memory Card" as HotSync destination. Afterwards, you can find your maps in "/PALM/Launcher" directory of your card (this means that in Open dialog, you should locate "PALM/" and double-tap on it, and then locate "Launcher/" and double-tap on it - you will see your maps).

Custom-made Maps: Installing To Main Memory

Before installing map files to handheld's main memory, you need to wrap them in PDB databases (NOTE: sample maps distributed with demo version are pre-wrapped and can be installed directly).

This is achieved by running WinBox utility which is included in MapMap archive (NOTE: WinBox utility is part of ZBoxZ suite which is distrubuted under the terms of GNU General Public License (GPL) 2.0, WinBox source is included in the MapMap archive).

Simply run WinBox with filename as parameter to wrap that file. By default, output filename will have ".pdb" appended. If you run WinBox without parameters, you will be able to select file to wrap using Windows common dialog.

You should repeat this procedure for each file in Map set (i.e. for .bmp and .xy files) and then HotSync them altogether.

Custom-made Maps: Installing To Memory Card (for Full version only)

Since version 1.2, MapMap Full supports reading .pdb files from a memory card. So, for most users the easiest way to install custom-made maps is to wrap them in .pdb files as described above, and then HotSync them to the memory card.

Advanced users may find useful that MapMap Full allows to open "pristine" desktop files from memory card. That is right, you can put standard 4-bit BMP file and open it in MapMap. If you want to use this feature (once again, since version 1.2 you do not have to, see above), there are several options to install pristine files to a storage card. They are described below.

Installing Using Card Reader

Probably the most convenient way to install map files on a card is using a card reader. As map files may be big, this method will allow you to copy them significantly faster. Also, as the procedure happens on your desktop, you can use your favorite file manager to select destination folder and do the copy operation.

Installing Using Pilot Install

If you do not have a card reader, or just do not want to flip the card back and forth between handheld and desktop, you can use Pilot Install tool which allows to install arbitrary files on handheld's VFS card. Please note that this may take long time, especially if you are using serial cable (10Mb file can sync up to half an hour).

Installing Using Terminal Emulator on Handheld

The last option possible is installing using application like CFX, which emulate terminal on your handheld - you connect to it from the desktop terminal program and then can transfer files to/from the storage card. Note that this may take even longer than in the case of Pilot Install.

Either way, when you have chosen which transfer method to use, all you need is to copy map files intact (without any further conversion) fron desktop to a designated folder on your storage card. As MapMap allows to open files anywhere on a card, it is up to you in which folder to keep maps.


(c) 2002-2004 Paul Sokolovsky