A map in OziExplorer is an image of a map which has been calibrated (georeferenced) so OziExplorer can use any pixel position on the map to determine the true geographic position.
When you calibrate a map in PC OziExplorer a map file with a .map extension is created which contains the calibration information and a link to the image of the map you are using.
A Map file therefore contains at least this information
Map Calibration and the creation of the .map file must be done in PC OziExplorer and then copied to the PDA.
When you want to use a Map in OziExplorerCE you must open a Map file which has a .map extension (example name : World.map).
OziExplorerCE then reads from the Map file
A map consists of 2 files
Before map images can be used in OziExplorerCE they must be in one of the supported formats - ozf2, ozfx3 and ecw. Maps in other formats must be converted to the special OziExplorer ozfx3 format using the Img2Ozf program. This program is available from the web site www.oziexplorer.com
Use the Open Map File option on the File menu or the button on the Toolbar.
Maps (the .map file) must be created in the full OziExplorer on a PC and then copied to the CE device, OziExplorerCE does not have the capability to create maps.
Select a map to load from the list in the Open Map File dialog. (You can navigate through the folders on your system to find a map path.)
When a .map file is opened OziExplorerCE searches for map images in this order.
The map image name is read from the .map file and the path and file extension removed.
The .ozf2, .ozfx3 and .ecw extensions are added to the file name to search for maps in any of these formats.
If not found
If not found then the name of the map file name is used for the image name and the above process repeated.
If all this searching fails the message "Image File not Found" will be displayed.
Index Files for Faster Map Searching
For faster map searching, the map files are indexed and the indexes are stored in the "System Files" folder attached to the main "OziExplorer" folder.
These index files are created the first time a map search is initiated. The time it takes to create the indexes for the first time will vary depending on the number of map files in each of the active Map File Paths (see Configuration / Map & Data Files).
The indexes are used to find maps when -
Scrolling the map - There are 3 ways to scroll the map.
You cannot scroll when -
Full Screen Mode
Use the option on the System Toolbar to switch between full screen mode and normal mode. This option only works on Pocket PC's.
Map Objects, Popup Information and Menu
Popup Information - Press and hold the stylus on the map or any map object (waypoint, route waypoint or active track point) until a red circle appears (approximately 0.5 seconds), release the stylus to show a window with information about the map or map object. (The circle color may change depending on the underlying map color.)
The window will display for 10 seconds, to hide it immediately tap the stylus on the window.
Popup Menu - Press and hold the stylus on the map or any map object (waypoint, route waypoint or active track point) for at least 1 second to show a popup menu with several menu options. The map popup menu has zoom selections, Full Map or 100% Zoom. Map Object popup menus are different for each object type.
GPS Info Status line - Shows the position coordinate on the left and NMEA status and activity on the right.
The GPS Fix data (0-no fix, G-GPS fix, D-DGPS fix + number of satellites being tracked) + the DGPS last update time are also displayed on the status line.
Moving Map (Real Time Tracking)
For Moving Map operation you need a GPS which can output the NMEA sentence $GPRMC, $GPGGA, $GPGLL, the $GPVTG sentence is also use to obtain additional information if required.
You need to configure OziCE and select the sentence type your GPS outputs, if your GPS outputs $GPRMC always select this one as it contains most information, the next best is $GPGGA and then $GPGLL.
Select the highest baud rate you can for communication, make sure OziCE and the GPS are both using the same baud rate.
Compared to PC's CE devices are very slow and they cannot refresh the screen, draw the track and waypoints, check for proximity waypoints etc etc etc in the time between the NMEA sentences, when this happens they start missing characters arriving from the GPS and scrambling the information, I have not found anyway to protect against this in code. When this happens bad data is collected and incorrect positions are calculated usually resulting in the track shooting off the map into oblivion. The other symptom is the NMEA positions will lag behind your true position.
To protect against this you need to :
1. Increase the time between screen updates to 2 or 3 or more, position data is still collected, speed is still updated on screen, proximity waypoints are still checked but the screen is only refreshed each update interval. This is the BEST and preferred method to prevent these problems.
2. Have "Use Chk Sum" (Use Check Sum for NMEA sentences) turned on in NMEA (GPS) configuration. The checksum will be calculated and compared to the checksum in the sentence, if they do not agree the sentence will be rejected. This prevents bad data from being processed but does not prevent the NMEA position from lagging behind you actual position.
3. Keep the Track Tail length set up in configuration very short, there is a limit of 1000 points but even 100 may cause problems. Turn the screen track off if necessary.
4. Keep the Track Width as narrow as possible, no more than 2 pixels.
5. Have the Screen Track Logging interval set to a reasonably high number so fewer track points are collected for on screen display, this has the advantage that a shorter track tail can be used. The logging of track points to disk is independent of this.
Changing maps - A new map will be searched for when the neat line (corner markers) are crossed. The most detailed map will be selected. If activated in configuration a more detailed map will be searched for every 90 seconds regardless of current position on the map. The maps are searched for in the Active Map File paths only (marked as active in configuration). This allows you to separate you maps into different categories, I keep my touring maps separate from my marine maps etc.
Starting Moving Map - Select the Connect to GPS option on the Map menu or press the button on the Toolbar.
Track GPS Position - The Track GPS Position option on the System Toolbar will turn GPS Tracking on and off. When tracking is turned on the map will be automatically centered. When turned off, the gps is still connected but will not automatically center the map, so the map can be dragged to view other sections of the map.
Selecting the Find Map at Cursor option on the Map menu will scan the folder where the current Map was loaded from and the active Map File Paths and find all the maps which will have the current cursor position contained within them.
A map in the list can be opened -
Selecting the Scale option on the View menu will display a scale bar on the map. The number shown on the bar is the distance covered by each segment of the bar (in other words the number represents the distance covered by the white segment, all segments are the same size.
The scale bar can be dragged by clicking on it and then dragging the caption, click on the bar again to hide the caption. The scale bar cannot be rotated.
The map can be zoomed by clicking on the magnifying glass buttons on the toolbar or selecting a zoom option on the view menu. Configure the zoom levels above 40% you require in File / Configuration / General Settings / System menu. Zoom levels below 40% are always available.
The Full Zoom option means a zoom level will be chosen for the map so it just roughly fills the screen, the zoom level chosen automatically must be one of those in the zoom list so the map may just exceed the screen size or be smaller than but it will be close.
The Full Zoom option is so useful it is also available on the Toolbar as a button and on the popup menu which can be activated by pressing and holding on the map, the 100% zoom level is also available so you can quickly return to normal zoom. The Full zoom can be used a little like MapView.
Please Note - Infinite zoom levels will not be made available (technical reasons), zooming by dragging on the map is not available.
The map view window displays the full map.
To replay a track select the "Replay Track" option on the File / Track menu
option. Load the track you want to replay. Select the "Moving map (GPS)" option
on the map menu or press the button on the toolbar. The track will be replayed using the
same configuration settings used for normal moving map operations. To cancel track replay
mode you must select the "Replay Track" menu option again.
The CE track replay option can use track files produced by the full OziExplorer.
Navigation can be set up by -
Navigation information can be displayed on a status bar. It can be turned on or off by an option on the View Menu.
The speed monitor will play wav files when the speed thresholds are crossed. If the wav files are not found the standard beeps are used.
The speeds can be activated independently by ticking the active check boxes.