Virtual Screen software to make big gps maps ?

[Zuber]

Anyone come across some decent virtual desktop software that lets you have ne big oversized desktop (with scrol bars or panning etc.)

I've had a good look around, but all I can find is stuff that gives you multiple desktops.

The reason for wanting it is so tat I can run autoroute at a higher res and so generate bigger detailed maps for GPS. I reckon with a bigger virtual screen size, I should be able to do it. Not sure what the biggest image size qpegps will handle though.

Thanks,

[Zuber]

Plan is, to find something free that everyone can use. (You would stil have to get Autoroute though)

Then generate some standard saved files for use with autoroute so that you can quickly produce maps without having to get all the scales, map points etc.

Can't actually give maps of course, because of copyright.

But if you have the software, you can simply open the saved files and you have same map on screen with details aready available...

[iamasmith]

Here's how to get a really high quality bitmap map out of Autoroute...

1. Configure Windows XP to have a high quality A0 PostScript plotter that prints to file. I use the HP DesignJet 760C/PS driver.

2. Configure your paper size as ISO A0.

3. Bring up the map that you want to print and print it to file with 'Presentation Quality' settings. Due to the percieved resolution you get a LOT of street names on the map. Far more than you normally would on screen.

4. Print and name the file as something.eps.

5. Move the resultant EPS file to machine with GIMP and GHOSTSCRIPT installed. You may be able to use WINGIMP but I run all my M$ stuff under VMWare on Linux and have only tried this with GIMP 2 on SuSE Linux.

6. Open the EPS file, GIMP will use GHOSTSCRIPT to render it into a bitmap and you will be asked for resolution details for the rendering process. You may want to play around to get size/quality within workable parameters for your target.

7. Save as JPEG or whatever format you like.

Warning you can easily produce 20Mb JPEG maps like this but at least this is a good way of overcoming the screen res issue.

Hope this helps,

Andy

(oh and BTW: thanks for the new cable end for my charger, it fits a lot better).

[mikew]

Thought that most GPS software converted the image file into it's own format, I could not find one that would accept large, high resolution maps.

I copied the autoroute screen (Alt & PrintScreen) & pasted this into Paint, which I used to trim off the non map bits, using copy & paste, as Paint does not have a crop option.

Never managed to get the GPS software to load the image.

The Autoroute location sensor (Tools>Location Sensor) will enable you to display latitude & longitude for the corners.

At least some of the GPS software will automatically move from one map to the next, when it gets to the boundary, so negates some of the benifit in having large maps.

You also need to find some decent GPS software that will work reliably with a GPS unit, I found it to be very hit & miss, mostly miss

Mike

[Zuber]

Friend of mine has a C750 with qpegps and autoroute and a bluetooth GPS card (and bluetooth CF card of course).

I've played with it (set it up basics for him and let him play with maps).

Working well I'm told.

He finds that the representations are a little off sometimes (you are not exactly on the road, more near it). Not sure i that is quality of map data or bad settings for map type, scale etc.

Also,

Make sure you try out the .0.92 pre release version for better clamshell support.



iamasmith,

Thanks for that. I forgot about the postscript printer option.

Been playing with print to pdf and entering big page sizes and then saving from pda to image file to try and get a similar result but I reckon postscript will work better.

Anyone come up with a workin size limit that qpegps will work with ? No point making huge image files if they are too big to handle.


If we can get a consistant solution, then we can have a repository of autoroute files that can be used by anyone that owns autoroute (Not the maps, just the route files). All co-ordinates presaved etc. so it saves people having to take measurments every time etc. Kind of ironic that it would encourage MS software sales.

At least that is the idea...