GPSmapper is a PC based program that works with GPSgrabber or GPSacreage to allow you to convert captured GPS data into text based vector maps that can be drawn on the computer screen. It also allows you calculate areas or super-impose a tracks over a bitmap picture of a map. You can even use it directly with a map picture to calculate field areas by just clicking around the screen.
GPSgrabber allows you to use your PDA with GPS as a datalogger to collect GPS co-ordinates and save them in specific database files. The GPS co-ordinates can then be transferred via serial interface cable to a desktop application called GPSmapper that will allow you to display the data as a map on your PC. When you buy, you get both the desktop GPSmapper and GPSgrabber as one package.
The purpose for this application is to give an easy to use GIS solution to people that do not need the sophistication offered by more conventional GIS applications. Examples of potential uses for the program are the following:
· Precision farming.
· Mapping an uncharted areas like a hiking trails or adventure routes
· Mapping a golf course
· Wildlife observations (where you want to log which animals were observed at which locations) Keeping track of the location of outdoors electronic equipment like base station transmitters in the case of a telecom operator.
Features of GPSgrabber
· Interfaces directly with most standard NMEA enabled GPS devices.
· Distinguishes between Markers (used to save point data), Tracks (used to save line data such a
fences or rivers), and Areas (used to save area data that will indicate acreage on the map)
· Each marker, track or area is identified by its own name, which will be displayed on the final
map.
· You can save as many markers, tracks and areas as your available device memory will allow.
(* restricted for demo version)
· You can delete individual markers, tracks or areas from memory, or delete all simultaneously.
· Synchronisation with desktop PC via serial cable (standard Hotsync cable can be used)
Features of GPSmapper
· Draws captured vectors on a grid screen or on top of a scanned bitmap image of a maps
· Generate vectors from scanned picture of any map.
· Handles jpeg, gif or bitmap images of maps
· Maps are automatically scaled to suit your computer's screen size.
· You choose which markers, tracks or areas to display on your map and can display as many as
you like on a single map (* restricted for demo version)
· You can overlay square grids of any size over the map (* restricted for demo version)
· You can display or hide acreage information for area tracks. (* restricted for demo version)
· Acreage can be displayed in a variety of units for example acres, hectare, morgen, square feet,
square yard, square metre, square mile or square kilometre.
· Markers are displayed as a small cross with a name next to it.
· Tracks are displayed is a line with its name at the starting point.
· Areas are displayed as a line where the end point and start point are automatically connected.
Its name and acreage size is shown in the middle of the area.
· You can choose to display or hide all names on the map.
· You can choose to display or hide the actual measuring points on the map.
· It is possible to export from GPSmapper to ArcView (* restricted for demo version)
· Convert GPSacreage PDB backup files to text format so that they can be imported into
GPSmapper.
