It has been estimated that 10,000 miles of new roads are added each year in the U.S. That’s an average of nearly 30 miles of pavement per day! Because of this, ensuring that maps are up-to-date is a constant challenge for any map publisher or spatial data management company. Immediately after a product is released, work must begin on the next version.
As is evident in the 2011 release of the XMap North America Topographic Data, DeLorme’s data management team produces a remarkably thorough, accurate, and up-to-date database of roads and other geographic features; however, it is inevitable that there will be roads that are not included in the base map database. This might be because a new subdivision or neighborhood has just been added; the roads in question are not publicly maintained, such as those in industrial facilities or private developments; or the road in question happens to be your driveway.
Several years ago, DeLorme software engineers developed a tool that has become a key component of all Delorme software products, including the current versions of XMap. The Routable Road tool allows you to create your own searchable and routable road networks that are integrated with the vector base map. This feature is accessed from the Draw tab and all of the roads that are created are stored within a Road Layer that can be easily shared with other XMap users.
There are several methods for adding new roads in XMap:
Freehand Road Creation
After selecting the Routable Road tool, type a name for your new road in the Road Name field and position your cursor at the point on an existing road where the new road begins. A yellow diamond will indicate that the road will be snapped to that point. Either draw the new road in freehand form by clicking and holding with your left mouse button or click repeatedly to create shape points that define the alignment of the road. If the end of the new road intersects with an existing road, position the final shape point at the point of intersection, look for the yellow diamond as before, and either double-click the map or click the Done button on the Draw tab.
You can also use this freehand method to trace a road from an aerial image or raster topographic map. In this case, use the secondary map window to display this reference map while the primary map shows just the existing roads to ensure that connectivity is established.
Creating Roads using Coordinate Geometry Input
This method of road creation ensures that the precise dimensions of the road can be transferred from some source information into XMap. After selecting the Routable Road tool and clicking the point of origin for the new road on the map, select the Distance and Bearing (or Angle) option and type the appropriate values. Repeat this process for each line segment and, when finished, click the Apply button.
Creating Roads from a GPS Log or Track File
The most accurate method for creating new roads is to drive along the road while recording a GPS track or log file. This file can then be converted into a routable road in XMap. Track files are recorded using a handheld GPS receiver, such as the PN-Series receivers from DeLorme, while log files are generated within XMap. In either case, it is a good idea to disable the default logging or tracking function on the device or in the software until you reach the starting point of the new road. As you begin to drive along the new road, enable the logging or tracking function and stop recording and save the file when you reach the end of the road. This ensures that the log or track is limited to the required road segment.
Before creating a road from a track, the track file must be downloaded from the handheld GPS device using XMap’s Exchange function. After this is complete, each individual track will be listed in the File area of the Draw tab. To convert a selected track to a routable road, right-click the track name and select either Copy To or Move To and choose an available road layer. If this option is not available, click the New button to the right of the tab area to create a road layer.
A GPS log file is generated by XMap when a GPS receiver is connected to the computer, GPS is activated, and logging is enabled. Log file recording, and playback functions are accessible by clicking the GPS Log button in the GPS tab. To convert a recorded file into a routable road, click the File button in the Draw tab, click import, and browse to the GPSlogs folder in your DeLorme Docs folder. Make sure to select Road under the Save as Type drop-down list.
To ensure that roads created from GPS data are connected and therefore routable, click the Select button in the draw tab and move the first and/or last shape point so it snaps to an existing line.
Creating Roads from Third Party Files such as Shapefiles
Any linear object in XMap, whether it is included in the base map dataset or imported as a GIS layer, can be easily converted into a draw object and then copied or moved to a road layer as outlined above. You can then use this function to create routable roads from any data format supported by XMap.
After importing the required layer, simply right-click the line object, select Manage Draw and choose Copy to Draw Object.
Sharing Road Layers with other XMap Users
As with other draw objects, roads are stored in an .an1 file that is saved in the Draw folder in your DeLorme Docs folder. To send your road updates to another XMap user, simply attach this file to an email. Upon receiving the .an1 file, the recipient can display the new roads by adding the .an1 layer to their current project using the Data > Add… function in the Map Data tab.
An alternative to the manual .an1 file transfer process is to create a transfer file in the Map Data tab and send this to other XMap users. This function creates an identical version of your XMap project in the recipient’s copy of XMap, allowing you to simultaneously send multiple layers and to stipulate a specific zoom level and map center location.
In a connected environment, it is also possible to store the roads layer on a server and have each XMap user view this one copy. This ensures that everyone has access to the latest road updates as they are added by the administrator. In this situation, it is crucial that only one person is tasked with updating the layer. Simultaneous edits by multiple users will inevitably lead to problems with new edits overriding older changes.
The Routable Road tool enhances the functions of XMap in many ways:
- When viewing a map onscreen or after sending the map to a printer, the added road looks identical to those in the original base-map—even its label looks the same.
- You can search for added roads by name using either the QuickSearch or Advanced Search options in the Find tab.
- You can use added roads to create a route, and, if tracking with GPS, the road name will be included in the onscreen and spoken directions.
- An address database imported using XMap’s geocoding functionality will correctly place the appropriate points on an added road.
Even for novice users, the Routable Road tool significantly alters the focus of the software by transforming it from simply a map-viewing application to a map-making one. Additionally, it offers a means to ensure that your version of the XMap base map data is as current as it can be.
