Brief Notes on Creating a Street-O Map & Course File for MapRun =============================================================== You need: + a georeferenced OCAD base map file, and its KMZ export (tiled, 150dpi) + either OCAD or Purple Pen mapping program nb. Purple Pen is a free download from: http://purplepen.golde.org/ - a couple of useful tutorials if new to using Purple Pen are: o How to use Purple Pen - http://www.markroberts.id.au/OQ/OQ_PurplePen.pdf o Installing / Updating Purple Pen - https://act.orienteering.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Purple-Pen.pdf + Google Earth Pro program nb. free download from https://www.google.com/earth/versions/#earth-pro Create Initial Course Map in OCAD or Purple Pen: + create a new course using the georeferenced OCAD base map file + set course options as needed, and define a new StreetO course. Try to choose control locations that you can see in Google Earth or Streetviews, as otherwise you will need to confirm accurate location with GPS, and which people can walk up to and around + layout the course start/finish (co-located) and all controls + I find it useful to have a browser window open with Google Maps, using Street View to confirm the location of desired control features + once happy with initial course design, save file, export course PDF & print + and also export the course as an IOF XML v3 file (nb. need to change from default v2 export in Save dialog) + NOTE - if you export the default "All Controls" course, rather than a specific course for the event, the start & finish controls will have the wrong names (STA1 & FIN1), and both be at the start of the list. You will need to change the names to the expected S1 & F1, and move F1 to the end of the list, when reviewing the control placements in Google Earth in this case Convert Course XML to KML: + for MapRun use, the control locations are specified in a KML file + use my online IOF XML v3 to KML File Convertor utility at: http://lpb.canb.auug.org.au/omaps/iofxml2kml.php - you specify the XML file you exported the course to, and it creates a KML version. nb if there are multiple courses in the XML file, for MapRun use the options to export each course into a separate KML file. This should not be an issue with Street-O Refine Control Locations Using Google Earth Pro: + You need to accurately position each control using the aerial view, as this is critical for people using the course to accurately register a GPS punch at the correct location + run Google Earth Pro + open the course KML file, which will be placed under "Temporary Places". You may wish to move it to "My Places" by dragging it up (just be careful to place them between, not within, existing items) + You will see the controls displayed overlaying the aerial view. You can click the arrow icon next to any folder in the "My Places" view to expand (or collapse) display of its contents. + Zoom in as far as necessary in order to nudge each control into place exactly over the desired feature. + To move any control, right/control click on each control (either on the icon on the image, or name in the "Places" box) and select "Properties/Get Info" (for PC/Mac respectively). This opens the info box and highlights the control icon. You can now click and drag the icon to the desired location. You can also edit its name or description. + You may need to move the properties box to find the icon to move whilst doing this. + Then select "OK" to save. Then zoom out and move on to next control. + You may well find it useful to have a browser window open with Google Maps whilst doing this, so you can check the Street View for your desired location. It can also be helpful to relate the house shapes in maps to the aerial view seen in Earth. + keep note of any control that moves significantly, in order to correct the map if needed + *PLEASE NOTE* when zooming in and out, you will find Google Earth shifts your view and compass angle. This will throw out your perspective for locating the controls, as these do need to be done when viewing from above. So you need to reset these with View -> Reset -> "Tilt and Compass" (or use shortcut keys "u" for up and "n" for north). Also there is a Preference setting you can change to reduce this. In Preferences, select the Navigation tab, then in Navigation box select "Do not automatically tilt while zooming". But it will still move the compass heading around. + When everything is in place, you need to ensure the controls are listed in the correct order in the course folder with S1 first, then all controls on course and F1 last. Shuffle any controls into correct position as needed. + you my wish to open the KMZ file also at this point, and check the control locations in relation to the map file. nb. again you may wish to move this from "Temporary Places" to "My Places" + Save your updated course details by right/control click on course folder in the "Places" box, and select "Save Place As...". Change the file type to "Kml", choose the desired target filename and folder and Save. + You have your new course KML file. + At this point you may need to go back to OCAD or Purple Pen, and nudge any controls that have moved enough to matter to refine your course map Create a MapRun CheckSites Course + a MapRun CheckSites Course is used to check the accuracy of control locations + you create this on the MapRun server, at: https://console.maprun.net/#/check_sites_create + fill in all the details on the form. In particular the "Event/Map Name" is *critical*. It must uniquely identify this test instance of the event, and include the correct course type codes. So start with the event name (eg. "Florey May 2020"), add a tag for testing (eg. "test1"), and the correct course type codes (eg. "PXAS ScoreV60" for our Street-O events). So a suitable name to use here would be something like "Florey May 2020 test1 PXAS ScoreV60". + Leave the expiry date as is, since usually enough. Fill in your name & email details. Select the KMZ map file, and your new KML course file. Double-check everything :-) Then "Submit". TAKE NOTE of the map code then shown at the bottom of the page. You need this for you or anyone else to access the course in the MapRun6/F app. And this is the only place you will see it! + And thats it! Now you can go out and try the course out. + In the MapRun6/F app, select "Check Sites" from the menu on the home page, and enter the course code + I then highly recommend changing "Option and Settings" to: - Display present location (so you can see where MapRun thinks the control actually is in relation to your current position) - punchTolerance changes to 8m (so tighter than used in actual event, again to ensure positioning is accurate enough) - Display location pins (so you can place markers at corrected control locations, which you can view later, nb. MapRunF only, MapRun6 enables this automatically if display present location is on) - Start Anywhere (if you want to start checking at other controls) + then head to the course start, and select "Go to Start" in the MapRun6/F app + navigate the course, checking placement of each control is close enough to the chosen feature. If not, place a location pin at the correct location. + once you've completed the course, when viewing the course Results, you can use the "Email Track" menu option to email (or save to Drive) the track, including location pins, for the course you've just checked. + then open the GPX track file in Google Earth Pro. After its converted, you can see the track you took, and any location pins, and compare with current control locations. You can then nudge the control locations as needed. + iterate above steps as needed to refine map & course until satisfied Finalise Printed Map PDF + you can now add any additional text, and perhaps images, as needed to the Purple Pen or OCAD course. The text should include the full MapRun course name, start/finish location, course setter, and any other required instructions. + since the maps are often printed in black & white, its best to optimise readability for this. You should move control numbers around for best visibility. In Purple Pen, I recommend altering "Event -> Customise Appearance" as follows: - uncheck "Use IOF standard size" and change: x center dot diameter to 0.50mm x white outline around numbers to 0.30mm x control number height 4mm (should be default) - uncheck "Use purple color from map" and make darker with say "Black 30%" + if you haven't already, create a PDF for the course + since Purple Pen does not support free text control descriptions, these need to be added separately. I find the easiest way to do this is to type them into a table in Word, save as PDF, crop & export to JPEG image. This can then be added to the map, either in Purple Pen, or directly onto the PDF with Acrobat or similar. Or you can just add multiple text lines to the PDF directly. Arrange for Course to be Published + then send the course KML and course PDF (and map KMZ if requested) to a local MapRun admin to upload to the server with required options as needed - currently either Lawrie Brown or Jon Glanville for Canberra (ACT) courses. There is rather more detail on this process (as well as other ways of doing this) in my "Guide to Creating MapRun Courses" at: http://lpb.canb.auug.org.au/omaps/MapRun_Course_Creation.shtml Cheers Lawrie 13 May 2022