Recommended mapping software for PC

[Bledlow]

As a latecomer to the world of mapping software, GPS devices, etc. (up to now new technology has meant Ergopower & customised OS maps), I am profoundly ignorant about the variety & qualities of the map software available, & would be profoundly grateful for any advice.

Basically, I want something that Just Works, for planning & drawing routes that I can then load onto my new Satmap Active 10 GPS. I don't want to spend more than I have to, but neither do I want to pay peanuts if it means getting the monkey model. I don't care about frills. Ease of use is important: this is not for playing with.

What's good, what's OK, & for what should I carry a bargepole with extensions?

[jellied]

I'm sure SatMap do their own mapping software, some web based product.

Personally I use Memory Map - good coverage of the UK, including city maps if you are so inclinded. Not sure about interface to SatMap but it does a GPX export so it might be OK.

I plan routes on my PC, can down load to my Garmin, or export to Bikely etc. Can also upload routes from Garmin too and then edit these.

Software prints well, can do route cards, heart rate import from some devices, shows profile too.

[Bledlow]

I'm sure SatMap do their own mapping software, some web based product.

Yes, but it's in very extended testing mode, & I'm wondering whether it's worth shelling out for something I know works.

Also, it's a bit of a keyhole view. I'd prefer something where I could view rather more map at once. For route planning, a small, fixed-size window is poor. I see from the PocketGPS forum that others think the same.

[perpetual dan]

I've been using Bike Route Toaster for planning routes for my active 10. It's yet another google maps application ... but straightforward enough and exports GPX OK. I'm too tight to pay for mapping again, having bought various paper maps and now active 10 cards. 

[Rob S]

Another Memory Map user since 2003. Having looked at the Satmap online planner I do think it's tried a little too hard to replicate the A10s very small viewing window.....perfectly fine for viewing where you are but planning a route in a part of the country you don't know is a bit of a pain.

[GruB]

I bought Tracklogs as it was the CTC approved mapping software.  I am more than happy with the programme as it does what it is designed for.  I was initially disappointed that the quality could not be sent to my GPS but I am over that now, having a much better base map on the GPS has improved my lot no end.

[toekneep]

Another Tracklogs fan here. I can't comment on the GPS export as I don't use a GPS but the software keeps getting better the more I use it. It takes a bit of effort to get to know it well enough to really get the benefits but it is well worth it. I am building up a nice library of routes now and it takes just a few minutes to open one and use it as a base to create a new route. I have just bought Scotland at 1:50,000 so now I have the whole of GB which is just a great excuse to do more touring.

[frankly frankie]

All OS-based mapping software on the PC is decidedly - er, quirky, in terms of its user interface.  I assume its some kind of fall-out from the cartographic community, thinking in 'overlays' etc.

The one I'm most familiar with is Memory Map, but AFAIK they're all more than a little strange.
In MM, you have what is at first glance a standard Windows UI - until you look again at the menu bar and realise there's no File or Edit menus.  So there's no 'File, Open' or 'File, Save' for example.  No Copy, Cut or Paste.  OK there are ways of achieving the same end results but they are not all terribly intuitive and I think this is pretty unforgivable in a mature piece of software.

Tracklogs meanwhile doesn't seem to have any GPX capability (I'm looking at v3) - that seems a fairly fundamental flaw to me.
[edit] see below - my version was updatable ...

[toekneep]

You can save a Tracklog file in .gpx format, does that not count? I don't know anything about GPS so forgive me if I am being unbearably stupid.

[frankly frankie]

My v3 is probably a few versions out of date.  It only opens/saves in proprietary .trl format, and has no export facility, and the import facility does strange unexplained things.

If its improved since v3 then I'm very pleased for all Tracklogs users, but unfortunately in the meantime I switched to a competing product that seemed to me to be more capable.

[toekneep]

I'm using Version 3.12.05 so I guess they introduced it into a minor upgrade which I get automatically as a registered user. As far as I know that is the most recent version available as I have just loaded the Scotland data this week.

[frankly frankie]

Have downloaded update!

[edit] and open/save as gpx now supported.

[toekneep]

  YACF strikes again.

[Bledlow]

Yep. All very useful. I've downloaded & tried the trial version of MemoryMap, & it seems rather easy, & suitable for what I want. A good selling aid, that trial download. The full screen mode much better than Satmaps tiny work area. But then there is the cost of maps!

[frankly frankie]

Yep. All very useful. I've downloaded & tried the trial version of MemoryMap, & it seems rather easy, & suitable for what I want. A good selling aid, that trial download. The full screen mode much better than Satmaps tiny work area. But then there is the cost of maps!

The problem is that they are only packaged in rather large areas - larger than you would even contemplate if you were buying paper.  Get over that, and like-for-like the MM maps are much cheaper than the paper equivalent.
If you do France, the MM IGN of all of France for about £30 is exceptional value (and that price includes the MM program itself).

Then again, if you could wean off the loveliness of OS maps then Google Maps gives you most of what you need, for most of the world, for nothing.  (But then you probably wouldn't be using a Satmap ... ;- )

[inc]

Isys  ISYS Outdoors - Munros, Corbetts, The Lake District, Ordnance Survey 3D Maps, GPS Routes on CDs were doing a special offer,the whole of the UK in OS 50,000 for £79. It is a Windows application but it works fine under Wine in Linux. They are currently working on getting their native .hwr format into Gpsbable. They also do 25.000 series tiles.

[Bledlow]

Then again, if you could wean off the loveliness of OS maps then Google Maps gives you most of what you need, for most of the world, for nothing.  (But then you probably wouldn't be using a Satmap ... ;- )

Ah, but it was a birthday present from Mrs. B, & I didn't know what it was (she didn't aske me what I wanted) until I opened the box from Wiggle & found that it had an invoice and a  . . . bike mount  for a GPS. They did send the GPS when reminded, though.

I'm not complaining. It seems like a fine piece of kit, & if the online map thingy didn't have such a poky little window for working in, I'd also be happy with that. Maybe they'll pay attention to the feedback & enlarge it in the live version.

I'm not keen on Google Maps for bike routes. Looked at the local area in online things using them, & found that most of the off-road routes I use aren't shown, that some minor roads are marked as paths or tracks, & some tracks (including one bit of singletrack that's a mudbath in bad weather) look like roads.

I'm going to download more demos & free trials & think a bit.

[frankly frankie]

You might want at least a bit of coverage in 1:25,000 then, if you do off-road stuff.  That does get expensive.

I found the Memory Map 'Selections' package was rather good - it allows you to define your own custom area of 1:25,000 coverage - up to 2500 sqkm but the shape can be as odd as you like.  Mine is approx P-shaped but with lots of ins and outs even in that outline.   So I have MM with national 1:50,000 maps and then 1:25,000 available to cover my favoured local areas.  I think the other brands of OS-based software offer something similar - because I'm not really recommending MM.