Basic MapMaker v3.5 Question

Greetings:

I just downloaded an evaluation copy of Map Maker.

I would like to be able to draw lines and see the distance and angle of
each line as I draw it....but not have the information become part of
the data on the map layer.

I have found a tool that shows distance and makes it part of the data.
I have found a tool that measures angles...but doesn't draw a line.

I haven't found anything in the user manual concerning this.

It seems to me that this is a very basic type of operation....so its
hard to believe that its not possible.

If anyone can point me in the right direction, I would highly
appreciate it.

Thanks!!

In a recent message
voice_of_reason@australia.edu wrote.

[...]
[...]

The free version of GPS Trackmaker does this. As you draw the line the
length and angle are displayed in the bar at the bottom of the window.
This does leave a track on the screen, but this can be blown away easily

http://www.gpstm.com/

Regards,
Nick.
--
Nick Hopton and Anne Hopton
Caversham, Reading, England

Hi,

Thank you for your response.


Actually, I did figure out how to do it in Map Maker. There is a
checkbox buried down in the system set up options menu.

But now I'm struggling with some other "basic" operations that I just
can't figure out how to accomplish.

If anyone can give hints on the following, I'd realy appreciate it:

1) How do you add new layers?

When you start up, it defauts with a clean clear layer. I add some
features and now I want to overlay a 2nd set of features....so how to
do I add a new clear layer? The "Add Layer" menu option is only for
adding existing layers (it opens an windows explorer type file dialog
box)

2) How do you add text labels to features?

You'd think it would have something to do with the "TEXT" tool....or
maybe the "EDIT" tool. If it does, I can't figure it out. And the user
manual doesn't help.

3) How do you stitch together adjacent map sheets -- or alternatively,
though less preferred -- how do you segment a large map into sheets?

4) How do you edit symbols and "map furniture". The blurb says that
this is one of the nice features of the program......can't for the life
of me figure out how to do it. For example, I'd like my default lines
to be "roads" and I'd like my footpath to be a double line (like
road....but without the red/white hashing fill-in). Can't figure out
how to make that happen.

As I mention before, all these operations seems as if they *should* be
"basic"....but trying to figure out how to accomplish them from the
USER's manual is proving to be a nightmare.

In general, is there another....more *intuitive* GIS mapping program
available with similar features?


I checked them out. The downloadable freeware version doesn't have the
features I need and the "pro" version doesn't offer evaluation (plus
you need a USB key to operate)

Thanks again......

Nick Hopton wrote: