At last, automated DIY mapping (advertisement)

The question is often asked whether software could automatically convert a
raster image into vector format, suitable for uploading to a consumer GPS
unit. I have always defended the view that this is not practical. It's
sometimes hard enough for us humans to work out which label belongs with
which feature. How can software determine whether a small line segment is
part of a label, an icon, decoration, or an important geographical feature?
Even if it sort-of worked, you would lose one of the principal advantages
of DIY mapping - the ability to decide which items to include in your map
and which are unnecessary clutter. I think any fully automated conversion
process would require so much post-processing as to render it not worth the
trouble.

However that doesn't mean software can't do _something_ to help. It was
that germ of an idea which led to the birth of the "Automapit" feature which
I am officially launching today in the latest version of my MapMan
application.

It works like this. You still need some sort of calibrated background image
and you still need to decide which features you want to include in your
digital map. Suppose there's an intricately shaped lake you want to
include. You still have to click on the lake, tell MapMan that it is a lake
and give it a name if desired. But you only need to click on it once. You
then hit Ctrl&A and sit back and watch in amazement as MapMan's Automapit
explores the boundary of your lake using the colours in the background image
as a guide. A similar idea works with lines, such as roads. This time you
have to click twice so that MapMan knows which direction to set off in, but
again Automapit will set off on its own, following a trail of colour across
your background image.

Typically background images aren't always clear cut, particularly jpeg
images. A lake, for example, is unlikely to be a conglomeration of
identically coloured pixels. More often it will be an assortment of pixels
of similar, but different, shades of blue. Automapit has user-adjustable
tolerances to cater for this. I don't claim 100 percent perfection.
Sometimes it will get it slightly wrong in which case you may have to to a
little post processing. More often than not, though, Automapit will trace
out lines and regions as well as (sometimes better than) you could do by
hand - and it's much quicker and less strain on your mouse click finger!

You can download MapMan with Automapit from
http://homepages.tesco.net/~Keith.Sheppard/MapMan.htm and try it for
yourself, free of charge. MapMan's basic feature set is freeware but
unfortunately that doesn't include Automapit. For advanced features like
Automapit you can "try before you buy" using the automatic 30 day free trial
period (commencing when you first use any advanced feature). After that, a
one-off licence payment (currently 30 UK pounds - see web site for details)
will permanently unlock all the advanced features including Automapit. If
you have already used up your free trial period but would like to try
Automapit, just let me know (my email address is in the help contents page)
and I'll send you a free new 30 day trial licence.

The good news is that if you already have a MapMan licence then you get
Automapit for free. MapMan's licence policy is that once you've bought a
licence there's nothing more to pay, ever. Even new features are unlocked
by existing licences.

Regards
Keith Sheppard
Author of MapMan.