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MAPIT (v 1.3)
Allison Software
166 Shady Lane
Apollo, PA 15613 USA
412-727-2198 CompuServe 72600,1200
Product Description:
MAPIT - Bringing detailed world mapping to your PC.
MAPIT is an integrated world-wide mapping system of amazing detail
which lets you create customized maps for work, school, or fun.
Use MAPIT to:
* Print detailed, professional-quality, customized maps.
* Import maps into your word processing documents.
* Record and track data.
* Add your own customized detail: text, hidden text, figures, and
line data.
* Zoom to any level and navigate around the world.
* Plot great circles - the shortest distance between any two points.
* Measure distances in miles, kilometers, or nautical miles.
* Calculate to/from azimuth bearing angles.
* Plot range curves and calculate associated areas.
* Save your private data in compact files for easy, efficient
distribution and retention.
* Do all of the above with 100 foot precision - ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
A powerful reference tool, MAPIT contains a wealth of information and
is just plain fun to use.
Insert or import lines to customize features. Mark locations with
multiple copies of your own figures (simple line drawings). Document
with MAPIT's seven stroked text fonts in any size at any angle. Use
hidden text to hide a screen's-worth of data behind a small marker you
can pop up with the click of a mouse.
School age children will amaze their teachers and friends with the
accurate maps of foreign countries and states they can plot from
MAPIT's database. And your little ones will love to color-fill the
oceans, lakes, islands, and countries imported into their favorite
paint brush program from MAPIT
The more serious user has a choice of exporting data in the colorful
.PCX screen dump file format or in the ultra-detailed HP-GL/2 graphics
plotting language format accepted by many laser printers and pen
plotters. You can even merge this data into publication-quality
compound (text and graphics) documents supported by modern word
processors.
MAPIT displays a true Mercator projection, the choice of navigators.
Layout great circle tracks between multiple points totaling their
distances in statute miles, nautical miles, or kilometers. Dynamically
plot range curves up to half way around the world measuring the
enclosed area as you go.
MAPIT includes almost 6000 international cities and 19,000 US cities
with their 1990 populations. Click on any city to pop up its size.
The underlying vector-based geographic database consists of over 5
million points organized by coastlines, lakes, rivers, canals, reefs,
salt flats, national boundaries, and US and Canadian state and
provincial boundaries. Believe me, you'll find places in this
database you never imagined existed.
MAPIT comes network-ready for multi-user installations. The large
read-only main database can be located on a shared disk for more
efficient operations.
If you are looking for more than just a pretty picture -- or perhaps
need many different pretty pictures, let MAPIT be the end of your
graphical quest. Home, school, or office, MAPIT can do the job!
MAPIT, your electronic notepad on the world.
Quick Start:
MAPIT, as a compute and disk-intensive application, requires a fast
IBM-compatible computer, 512KB RAM, an EGA or VGA display, and a MOUSE.
Install a Mouse.
MAPIT REQUIRES A MOUSE. Unless you have a mouse physically attached to
your computer AND have installed its driver, you will be unable to
operate MAPIT. You can exit MAPIT from the keyboard by entering
<CTRL>Q.
Install the mouse driver by issuing the following command at the
command prompt.
> "path"\MOUSE (e.g. C:\WINDOWS\MOUSE)
where "path" is the path to the directory containing the mouse driver.
Place this command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT so MOUSE is always available.
Caution: Windows is smart and will show a mouse cursor without the
mouse driver's being installed. If the cursor doesn't appear when you
run MAPIT, <CTRL>Q out and try to edit a file with the standard DOS
editor from the DOS prompt (EDIT README.DOC). If you don't have a
mouse cursor in the editor, the driver isn't loaded. Try loading it
from the DOS prompt as above, and if that works, add the same command
near the end of your AUTOEXEC.BAT but before any call to WINdows.
Install MAPIT.
The shareware version of MAPIT is distributed as a one, two, or
three disk set. The entire set must be loaded onto your hard drive
before beginning.
Insert the first MAPIT diskette into floppy drive A: (or B:) and enter
> A:INSTALL
The install program will ask where you want the MAPIT data stored
(C:\MAPIT ?) and complete the installation for you.
Run MAPIT.
Run MAPIT with the shareware data by entering
> MAPIT (or MAPIT DEMO)
Each time MAPIT runs, it looks for the private database EXTENDED.MP3.
If not found, it creates a zero length EXTENDED.MP3.
To run MAPIT with the Columbus demo, copy COLUMBUS.MP3 over
EXTENDED.MP3 before runing MAPIT.
> COPY COLUMBUS.MP3 EXTENDED.MP3
> MAPIT
You may also wish to print the text file COLUMBUS.DOC to have a
hardcopy in front of you as you run the demo.
Follow the instructions in Hidden Text 1 (Press Left Mouse button in
triangle 1) to follow the Columbus demo and learn to use MAPIT. When
you are finished with the Columbus demo, delete EXTENDED.MP3.
In general, MAPIT is started from the command line by entering
> MAPIT [main_mp3_data] [/extended=mp3_data_file]
[/figure=figure_file] [/font=font_file] [/save=save_file]
[/delete]
where
main_mp3_data -
The primary .mp3 format data file opened read-only.
Defaults to WORLD.MP3 if not specified.
MAPIT looks for four other files at startup time:
/extended=mp3_data_file -
A private .mp3 format data file opened for update with user
data or changes. If none exists, a zero length file is created.
Defaults to EXTENDED.MP3 if not specified.
/figure=figure_file -
The standard figures file. Normally this file is
user-created by FIGEDIT and contains the user's custom figures.
Without it, figures won't be displayed. Defaults to STD.FIG if
not specified.
/font=font_file -
The standard font file. Without it, stroked text
doesn't work. Defaults to STD.FNT if not specified.
/save=save_file -
The file holding MAPIT's final state. Defaults to
MAPIT.SAV if not specified.
/delete -
Allows the MAPIT menu selection EDIT/Copy & Delete to work by
opening main_mp3_data for update.
Enter MAPIT /? from the command line for a listing if you forget
these options.
You can abbreviate command line switches short of the point of
ambiguity. /fig=x is the same as /figure=x, but /f=x will induce an
error message listing the ambiguous possibilities as /figure and
/font.
Entering just a / is a sly way of forcing MAPIT to list all
its command line switches.
Using the Mouse
There are two distinct ways to use the mouse.
DRAGGING - Some selections (eg. Zoom by Corners) require depressing
the left button to establish the starting corner or position and, WITH
THE BUTTON STILL DEPRESSED, dragging the cursor to the second corner
or position to be measured BEFORE RELEASING THE BUTTON. If you press
and release at the same point when a drag is required, nothing happens.
POINT & CLICK - Other activities, notably those requiring
one-at-a-time point selections, look for the depression and release of
the left mouse button without any intervening movement. Sometimes use
of the RIGHT mouse button is required to signal the end of multiple
point entry.
Tuning Your System.
MAPIT requires a properly tuned high performance computer. The most
significant performance boost you can give is by using disk cache such
as SMARTDRV which comes with DOS and WINDOWS.
The disk cache must be of adequate size, at least 500K, if it is to be
of any use. If when redrawing a portion of the world, you notice a
lot of disk activity, your system will perform better with a larger
disk cache.
MAPIT's .mp3 data files are LARGE, but they are efficiently designed
and already compact. Data compaction drivers such as DOUBLESPACE will
NOT gain you appreciable space and may SLOW your disk system (by as
much as one half). Do NOT place MAPIT's data files on compressed
drives without first verify performance loss versus space savings for
your hardware/software combination.
MAPIT is designed to display graphics adequately without a math
coprocessor. Stroked text, however, which can be oriented at any
angle, is compute intensive and will respond positively to the addition
of a math chip.
Making Maps
MAPIT supports a variety of methods of producing output which differ
in quality and complexity.
Direct Output
The simplest method of generating output is to direct hard copy
directly from the screen to your printer. GRAPHICS, a TSR (Terminate
and Stay Resident program) at the DOS command level, outputs a
graphics screen when you press the Shift+Print Screen key
combination. (You cannot be running under Windows when you do this.)
If you have a laser printer, the results from within MAPIT can be
quite good. Entering
> GRAPHICS LASERJETII
after bootup loads the TSR GRAPHICS and readies it for an HP LaserJet
II or III. Check your DOS manual for a complete list of supported
printers.
Screen Capture
A number of stand-alone programs, word processors, or TSR's can
capture the screen image produced by MAPIT. If, for instance, you run
MAPIT within a Windows' DOS box, you can capture a screen with the
Print Screen key, switch back to Windows (ALT-TAB), and Shift/Insert
the image into Paintbrush, a standard Windows appli cation. If your
intent is create line images for import into a word processor, use
Paintbrush's PICK/Inverse option to change the black background to
white (and other colors to their compliments). Typically you might
want to select a part or all of the image for direct insertion into
your compound document.
.PCX Files
A more controlled way of capturing screen images from MAPIT is to
select the TOOLS/.PCX menu items and save the images to files. The
.PCX command allows you to invert MAPIT's black background to white
first, if you so desire. The entire screen including the menu
heading and footer, just the mapping area, or a selected rectangle
from within the mapping area can be saved to a file whose name you
choose. Later you can import these files from within Paintbrush by
selecting File/Open with List Files of Type: set to PCX files. Then
print the output to your output device.
HP-GL/2 Output
Hewlett Packard's Graphics Language/2 provides the most detailed
output possible. Unlike the .PCX format which is limited to the
resolution of your screen, HP-GL/2 is a vector format output which is
limited by the resolution of MAPIT's underlying database and the
resolution of your laser printer or pen plotting device. MAPIT
directs this output to either your printer/plotter attached to the
PRN port or to a .HGL file. If, for instance, you want to import
HP-GL/2 input into a Microsoft Word for Windows document, first
produce the file from within MAPIT, then, from within Word, select
Insert/Picture setting the List Files of Type: option to HP Graphics
Language (*.hgl). (In this example you must be using Word for
Windows version 2.0c or later. Other word processors may or may not
support .HGL format or compound documents.)
Working from within Windows
Working between MAPIT and paint or word processing programs can be
facilitated by running MAPIT from within a Windows DOS box. This
allows you to switch between MAPIT and your other program(s) by using
the ALT-TAB task switching sequence. (Hold the ALT key down while
clicking the TAB key until the desired program's banner comes up.)
You needn't quit MAPIT each time you want to switch to the another
program. The down side of this example of power computing is its
demands on computer resources: you should have at least 4MB of RAM to
insure adequate response and MAPIT will be slowed by approximately
30%. Be certain that your DOSPROMPT's PIF is set for High Graphics,
Full Screen, Background, and that Advanced Options include Uses High
Memory Area, High Graphics, Emulate Text Mode, and Retain Video
Memory.
Fun with Maps:
If, as a child, you enjoyed paint-by-numbers, you'll understand why
young children will love to create .PCX bitmapped maps in MAPIT,
import them into paint programs (such as Paintbrush provided in
Windows), and color them with flood fill. In Paintbrush, File/Open
looking for *.PCX (see scroll box "List Files of Type"), open a map
file, set the color to light blue and the tool to the paint roller, and
begin color filling away. The files AFRICA.PCX and MID_EAST.PCX are
provided for you as examples. If color bleeds across national
boundaries, choose the paint command Zoom and add missing pixels to
shore up the dike. (Note, you can't unflood dithered colors.)
Students will find the ability to print maps of foreign countries
invaluable in their shool work and helpful in visualizing the
places where world events are unfolding.
MAPIT Explained:
MAPIT is a professional-level mapping application which includes a
detailed database of the world and programs to interact with and
supplement that database. You have the shareware version of MAPIT, a
data-truncated version designed to give you the feel of MAPIT's full
capabilities in an affordable format.
Registered versions of MAPIT come in a range of mapping detail to fit a
variety of users' mapping needs, hard disk limitations, and
pocketbooks. The full MAPIT requires upwards of 28 MB of disk storage
and is shipped on 24 1.44 MB 3.5" floppies.
The different detail options of MAPIT's database can most easily be
explained in terms of zoom factor. The initial MAPIT display including
the whole earth is defined as zoom factor 1 (shown in the lower left
corner of the screen). Zooming in to half that distance changes the
zoom factor to 2. Zooming in on the US so it fills the whole screen,
for instance, requires a zoom factor of approximately 5.
The world database included with shareware MAPIT holds resolution to a
zoom factor of approximately 6. Zoom much closer than that and you
begin to notice the jaggies - a decided compromise in object detail.
The island of Cuba, just south of the United States off the coast of
Florida, is supplied in its full detail as an example of that available
elsewhere in the registered data. You should be able to zoom in to a
factor of 750 or so before detail becomes an issue. At Cuba's
latitude, this means the entire screen width covers a distance of 31
miles (as opposed to 24,857 miles at zoom factor 1). As noted above,
to provide this level of detail everywhere in the world requires a
significant amount of disk space.
Not everyone needs or wants to devote resources to supporting the
maximum available detail world-wide. MAPIT's World Base Data level
supports a global zoom level of 24 and requires more than 3 MB of disk
space. Those wanting maximum detail are free to order from the six
Detail packages, divided roughly by continent. See REGISTER.DOC for
particulars.
Included Programs:
MAPIT
The central display program for working with the voluminous MAPIT
database. Detailed instructions are beyond the scope of this file.
Turing the system with the Columbus Demo is the best way to learn its
capabilities. (See Run MAPIT above.)
Anytime you enter data into MAPIT, the data is stored in the private
file EXTENDED.MP3. Copy or rename EXTENDED.MP3 to an unused filename
to save the data permanently.
> COPY (or REN) EXTENDED.MP3 myfile.MP3
Copy makes an additional copy of EXTENDED.MP3 while rename effectively
deletes the original so that you'll start out with a fresh zero-length
EXTENDED.MP3 the next time you run MAPIT
Alternately you can run MAPIT with a command line argument specifying
an alternate name for your private data file.
> MAPIT /EXTENDED=myfile
Enter MAPIT /? at the command line for a complete list of arguments.
You can combine several of your private files with the binary copy
command.
> COPY /B FILE_1.MP3+FILE_2.MP3+... BIG.MP3
or
> COPY /B FILE*.MP3 BIG.MP3
Remember that once files are combined, they can't be separated. Don't
delete the orginals until you are sure.
MAPIT TIPS
MAPIT is busy scanning the databases when the cursor disappears
between repaints. When it becomes visible again, MAPIT is ready to
accept command input again. Remember, you can cut short each database
scan by pressing the Esc key _ once for the main database and again,
if necessary, for your private database. (Usually the main database
scan is much longer.)
Use the cross hairs displayed by POSITION/Center for more accurate
lat/long display in the status line while measuring positions of
objects. Cancel when finished with the right mouse button.
Use DOS's NUL file name if you need an empty file to read from or a
bit bucket to write to. For example, if you wish to view or operate
on the private database file EXTENDED.MP3 file by itself without
possible interference from the data in the main database WORLD.MP3,
open MAPIT using the NUL file as the main database name:
> MAPIT NUL
FIGEDIT
The figure creation/editing program. This program operates on files
ending in the extension .FIG.
There is a limit of 100 entities per figure.
The key is to KEEP FIGURES SIMPLE. Detail which looks good at full
screen is clutter at 10%.
.FIG files can be concatinated with the binary copy just as .MP3 files.
MP1TOMP3
A conversion utility designed to convert straight text files
containing strings of latitutde/longitude pairs as might be generated
from a CAD system or digitizer into .MP3 file format. .MP3 files
require only about 1/3 the disk storage of their .MP1 counterparts.
The .mp1 file format is a simple ASCII listing of latitudes and
longitudes representing strings of connected points. String
termination is marked by separator records.
Enhancements:
Many obvious and some not-so-obvious enhancements are in planning.
Register your copy of MAPIT and let me know what YOU'D like to see.
The best ideas come from users. This is your chance to influence the
direction of product growth.
Contents of Disks:
The shareware distribution disks contain the following files:
install.exe installation program
installx.fil installation scripts
vendor.doc distributor information & product description
mapit?.pak packed archive files
*.pcx example screen dumps for color fill and ad material
readme.doc general information and instructions
register.doc shareware registration form
columbus.mp3 Columbus demo instruction database
columbus.doc text from the Columbus demo
demo.mp3 Shareware MAPIT's main data file
manual.doc user's manual
mapit.exe main program
mp1tomp3.exe ASCII to .mp3 data converter
mp3tomp1.exe .mp3 line data to ASCII converter
track.mp1 example GPS data
std.fig example figure file
std.fnt stroked font file
figedit.exe figures creation program
Legal Considerations:
Copyright:
The collection of software described in this file and contained on
this disk is the Shareware Version of MAPIT (the Software) and is
Copyright 1992, 1993 John B. Allison.
Ownership:
You have purchased or otherwise obtained media containing a copy of
the Shareware Version of MAPIT. The Software contained on the media
and all rights pertaining thereto remain the sole property of John B.
Allison.
Shareware License:
You are licensed to use Shareware MAPIT for a 21 day trial period
afterwhich you must either register or cease using it. The data found
in this Shareware Version is not nearly as detailed as that found in
the registered versions. Most people are eager to move up to a higher
level, and we encourage you to take that step today by registering with
Allison Software
166 Shady Lane
Apollo, PA 15613 USA
(412) 727-2198 CompuServe 72600,1200
(See the file REGISTER.DOC on the distribution disk for registration
instructions.)
Shareware Distribution:
Use Shareware MAPIT to distribute your own data so that others can
view and use data of your authorship.
You are free to copy and distribute the Shareware MAPIT IN ITS UNMODIFIED
ENTIRETY on a separate diskette to friends or to other parties. Please
label the diskette "Shareware MAPIT".
You may distribute copies of the Software IN ITS UNMODIFIED ENTIRETY
on a commercial basis for a fee not to exceed TEN DOLLARS total, or
you may post the Software on electronic bulletin boards if you package
the Software so that each diskette must be downloaded IN ITS
UNMODIFIED ENTIRETY.
If you post it, you must compress or otherwise package the Software in
either a combined file named "MAPIT11.ext" or as two separate files
named "MAPIT11A.ext" and "MAPIT11B.ext" where ".ext" reflects the type
of compression or packaging used.
You may not list the Software in advertisements, catalogs, or other
literature as "FREE SOFTWARE". Shareware is "Try-Before-You-Buy"
software, not free.
Liability:
SINCE YOU ARE NOT PAYING ANY MONEY FOR THIS SHAREWARE VERSION, YOU
RECEIVE IT ENTIRELY "AS IS", AND NEITHER ALLISON SOFTWARE, THE AUTHOR,
NOR ANY AGENT SHALL BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DAMAGES OF ANY KIND
WHATSOEVER.
ASP Member:
This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware
principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a
shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member
directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you
resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide
technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP
Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 or send a
Compuserve message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.