Using Maprika Map Designer Tool on a PC

Q: How do I make a map myself?

A: Get a .JPG copy of the map on your PC then fire up Maprika on the PC.

Q: Tell me more about Maprika on the PC?

A: It works very well, it is available HERE. It also requires Google Earth which is available HERE if you don not have a copy already.

It is very good but there is only a windows version. Click HERE for a very good set of detailed instructions from the Maprika web site. Scroll down to the bottom half of the page to see the info for the PC version of the software. 

Q: What are some other thing I should be aware of?

A: When you a save, it will generate 2 additional files, one ending in .cmap and one ending in thum.jpg. If you upload it to Maprika, the only way to get it to your smart phone, it will generate 2 additional files, a .jpg.tiles and a .ele. I greatly prefer to create a map on the desktop, among other things it tells you how much each point you entered seems to agree with the others.  If one point is totally messed up it will be obvious.  How you load the .JPG file is not completely obvious.  You do not use File>Open or File>New, instead, click on the words "Click here to select image file" in the middle of the left big panel.
If your list of key words is too long, i.e. over 4 key word windows wide, you will get an error 100 when you attempt to upload the file.  Just shorten the list and try again.  Unfortunately it will delay the map being posted.  Normally it is posted right away but it you have this error they will not post your correction for about 36 hours. 

The .cmap is the key file.  It is a text file that can me viewed with any text editor such a notepad. Contains the name of the .JPG file.

Some words of warning are in order on folder naming and updating with new maps.

Folder naming
Since running Maprika on your PC generates 4 additional files and since the folder name gets hard wired into you data on Maprika and must be the same on you use the next time you update your map, it makes since to had a separate folder for every map. Use something like "Snow Lake" not "Snow Lake 2014"  You can have your .jpg file in that folder called "Snow Lake 2014.jpg".  Next year you can call your updated map "Snow Lake 2015.jpg" and will be able to update your files on Maprika with no problems but you must start from your "Snow Lake" with all the original files.  You can have any additional files you want in there such as a word file talking about what you have or an original pdf file.

Updating
Go toe the folder with  the map and double click on the .cmap file to open Maporika with the current data.  You may have to log in to Maprika.  If you are just changing general data or the mapping points, continue in the normal way.
If you wish to update with a new map, then put the .JPG map of the new map in a new folder with any name you want (you can probably also use the or original folder, just give the map a new name). Next in Maprika, click on File>Create New Version then browse around for the new map.  It will load it using the same mapping points and general info as you had for the original map.  Check the mapping points carefully.  If the new map is not identical to the old one, the mapping points will be all off.  From this point on, finish up like you would with any map.

Updating with new maps:
To update with a revised map.  Put the map in the folder with the original map that will be updated.  Just give it a new name like "Snow Lake 2015.jpg".  Now fire up Maprika and load the original map of the area the usual way, clicking on "Click here to select image file" in the middle of the left main window, not from one of the menu items along the top. 
Then use FILE>CRFEATE NEW VERSION to bring in the new map file. You will then have both open in the program. You can just close the original one. You will be creating a new set of files based on the name of the new map but it will upload to replace the original one in the Maprika cloud the 4 additional files that are created in the process will all have names based on the name if the new .jpg file.
The GPS points come out at the same point on the Google map but are all shifted on my new map.  You will need to reposition all of them again.  You will then need to upload the new map in the usual way.  I typically them go into the folder and put all the old files in a subfolder to keep  things clean.

Q: What is the optimum file size?

A: I have found that the .JPG file needs to be at least .5 Meg (500 Kb) I typically save .JPG files with a compression factor of 20%, a fairly low compression rate. If you do not understand this just go with the default. Some images such as ones that are only 640 by 480 are only about 0.07 Meg. These sort of files do not have sufficient detail. The big problem with these small files is that Maprika cannot zoom in very far. The fix to this problem is to read the file in to some picture manipulation program. On the program I use, IMMAGE > RESIZE > Then put in something like 3000 pixels for the width and let the high float.  If the files get really big, then Maprika cannot process them. It will just quit without an error message. Making the file smaller with more compression will not help. It seems to max out on the number of pixels. If you really need a large file, then process it on a PC. That is now my preferred method for all files anyway as long as it is a file I can make public as you have to upload the file to Maprika to get it on to your smart phone.  Try to keep the file size under 2 Megs but you can get away with 3+ if you really need it.
Maps made by screen captures do not have enough resolution.  You can make them work them work it you bring them in to a map editing program and increase the size of the file by around a factor or 5 at least/

A good scale is something like 600 pixels/Mi or 400 pixels/KM if you are covering a moderate sized area like a ski area or city center.  However I did get away with  only 150 pixels/Mi for a bicycle map that covered about 40 miles by 50 miles.  If I had used 600 pixels/Mi the file would have been 13 Megabytes.

There are some examples of much bigger maps on their web site. The Mt Rainier Topag map is 27 MB so if you really need the size, you may be able to get away with it.  You would definitely need to build the GPS enabled map on a PC.

Q: What is an “anchor” in Maprika?

A: It is a point that ties a point on your map to GPS data. It is generated by working back and forth in Maprika between the map you are working with and Google Maps or between the place you are at and the map you are working with. By the way, it is usually better to use the hybrid Google view rather than the default street view because information that shows up on the satellite view can often make useful anchor points.

Q. Some maps are .PDF files. How do I convert a .PDF file to a JPG file

A:  Click HERE for a full page on how to use various programs to make the conversion.

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