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The precise brand and model of GPS receiver must conform to the requirements of the GPS Utility program.
The GPS should be hand-held or mounted during usage so that its antenna has maximum exposure to the sky.
If mounted, the trail walker or rider must have easy access to the push buttons on the GPS receiver.
Mapping of a trail that is covered by a heavy forest canopy should be deferred until late fall or early spring.
The GPS receiver can use any convenient Datum, the native WGS84 could easily be the best choice.
The recording of each 'waypoint' must be manually initiated by pushing the 'Mark' button on the GPS receiver. This can be done as often as desired until the sheer Waypoint capacity of the GPS receiver is exhausted.
Each 'waypoint' must be given a unique identifier within the memory of the GPS receiver. Sheer expediency suggests the quick acceptance of the sequential number assigned by the GPS receiver.
The use of a small notebook is strongly recommended to write down the significance of each 'waypoint' as it is recorded.
'Waypoints' can be used to note the locations of sharp turns and other very important points along the trail that could easily be missed by the automatic 'tracklog' recording process. Some waypoints might be manually recorded during a 'tracklog' session, but other 'waypoints' can be recorded at any other convenient time.
Carefully selected 'waypoints' should eventually be organized into a 'route' to be offered to GPS users as a means of quickly monitoring their progress down the trail. Such a route file can also be helpful to GPS users when returning to the trail after any kind of off-trail excursion. Note that 'route' files can be easily distributed to potential users through Web Sites.
'Waypoints' can also mark the locations of trail facilities and other points of interest to trail users that are not adjacent to the trail, but easily reachable via village streets and quiet rural roads. Such 'waypoints' can likewise be recorded at any convenient time.
In any event, users must remember that the GPS regards each 'waypoint' as being totally independent of each other (until such time as some of them are organized into 'routes').
The Utility program can use any convenient Datum, the native WGS84 could easily be the best choice.
Native binary format on hard disk might be best for quick and strictly temporary storage purposes.
Comma delimited Waypoint+ format on diskette might be best for archival purposes.
Uploading the entire data content of the GPS receiver in combined format could easily be the best choice.
Redundant data uploads must be considered before the GPS receiver 'waypoint' memory is cleared for new data.
It may be appropriate to clear the program memory, then read a previously written file from temporary or archival storage.
Datum should be set to NAD83 to match the Census TIGER data (not enforced by conversion program)
The output file must be written in comma-delimited text format (enforced by conversion program)
The output file must be strictly limited to 'waypoint' data (enforced by conversion program)
Output coordinates must be written in signed decimal degree format (enforced by conversion program)
Use of the '.txt' extension for the 'waypoint' file is suggested (not enforced by conversion program).
A finished 'waypoint' file can be edited by hand with the Notepad program if necessary. Note that every file must contain just one 'Datum' line as its first line, while every other line in the file must be confined to 'waypoint' data.
All of the 'waypoints' within any given file that will be converted for use within the Landview III program should be located within the same State and county. Otherwise, hand-editing of the output file must be considered to avoid potential problems in the operation of the Landview III program.
The program has been tested using a Garmin II+ GPS receiver and the Waypoint+ for Garmin GPS program.
The Waypoint+ text output feature of GPS Trackmaker has not been tested with this conversion program.
The Waypoint+ text output feature of GPS Utility has not been tested with this conversion program.
The Waypoint+ text output feature of GARtrip has not been tested with this conversion program.
The following data fields must be entered (in any order) before pushing the 'Start File Conversion program' button:
Three boxes under Waypoint+ WP allow the selection of Drive, Directory, and Filename of the input file in that order. Note that the file should have the '.txt' extension (not enforced).
Four boxes under 'Landview III MIE' allow the selection of Drive & Directory, the easy review of existing file names, and final specification of new filename in that order. Clicking an existing filename in the third box copies it to the fourth box so that the file can be re-used, or the filename modified as desired. Absence of a file extension results in the automatic assignment of '.mie', otherwise use of that extension is strongly suggested but not enforced by the conversion program.
Each 'waypoint' will automatically be given a name that corresponds to the identifier that was assigned within the GPS receiver. Note that these 'names' may appear to be sequential numbers.
Entering a 'Landview Map Layer' specifies the layer to which this file is assigned as it is imported into the Landview III program. Assignment of this tracklog to an appropriate map layer is strongly suggested but not enforced by the format conversion program.
Entering a 'State - County' code specifies the 5 digit FIPS code that will be stamped in the appropriate field of the Landview III MIE record heading. Users should become aware of the correct code for each State-County as data files are downloaded during setup of the Landview III program. Use of the correct code is strongly recommended but not enforced by the Conversion program.
The conversion program will automatically enter a '0' for the FIPS place code in the current version as users are unlikely to have access to a complete set of place codes.
The conversion program will automatically enter a '0' for the scale code in the current version.
The 'CFCC' field specifies the three character Census Feature Class Code that will be assigned to every segment in the 'waypoint' file. The default code 'D00' is appropriate for an unspecified landmark. Other codes can be found in Section 3 of the Technical Documentation for TIGER/Line Files, 1997. Use of the correct code may be helpful but is not enforced by the Conversion program.
Choosing an appropriate 'Symbol Color' specifies the symbol color in the Landview III MIE record heading. A default color has been chosen for its ability to stand out on the finished map. However that color is easily changed at this point, and again within the Landview III program.
The conversion program will automatically enter 'POINT' for the GIS Line Type.
The conversion program will automatically enter 'LANDMARK' for the Line Pattern.
Choosing an appropriate 'Line Width' specifies the line width in the Landview III MIE record heading. A default line width has been chosen for its similarity to the commonly accepted map symbol for trails. However that line width is easily changed at this point, however the effect of changing the line width at this point and the ability to change it again within the Landview III program is not known at this time.
Pushing the 'Start File Conversion program' button initiates the file conversion as specified above.
The 'Records Processed' window reveals the number of records successfully converted.
The 'Done' message indicates that the program terminated successfully.
The 'InFile ERROR 1' message indicates the existence of a serious file format error in the first two lines of the Waypoint+ file:
The first field of the first line must equal 'Datum' to indicate a Waypoint+ Text File
The first field of the second line must equal 'WP' to indicate a 'waypoint' record.
The second field of the second line must equal 'D' to indicate that coordinates are expressed in Decimal Degrees.
The 'InFile ERROR 2' message indicates the existence of a serious file format error in the remaining lines of the Waypoint+ file:
The first field of every line except the first must equal 'WP' to insure that the file is limited to 'waypoint' records.
Pushing the 'Clear Results' button clears the record count window and restores the word 'Ready' to the results window. This window does not clear or restore default values to any other field so that the program can be easily rerun to convert a series of closely related files with similar data!
