Setting Events with Digital Maps

Contents

In recent years, the use of digitally printed maps has increased exponentially. Digital maps, produced in OCAD, have many advantages over pre-printed maps:

• Less wastage - maps are printed as they're needed.
• Fewer (or no) map corrections - the master copies can be updated as features on the ground change, and each event can use the most up-to-date map available.
• Easier integration with Corpse - no need to battle the plotter to pre-print courses on paper maps.

Of course, using digital maps presents its own set of unique challenges. This page will provide a concise set of instructions on how to produce maps using Corpse.

When you're ready to begin armchair setting your event, contact the Mapping Convenor, Paul Dowling - he holds the master copies of all the digital maps. He will provide you with an EPS file of the map you need. He can also customise the map if you want to run an event on a small section of a larger map, or if the master map is A3 size and you want to print on A4 to save money. Load your EPS file into Corpse as a background map and start setting.

If you don't have Corpse, ask Paul for OAWA's copy.

Printing Maps

The easiest way to print digital maps (with courses marked) is to use Corpse to generate a set of EPS files, one for each course. You can then take these EPS files, on a CD or memory stick, to a printer such as Worldwide Printing and they'll do the rest. But first you need to make Corpse generate the maps as you want them to appear:

Map markup is the control descriptions, event name, course name and the Corpse logo that Corpse likes to put on every map. All of these items can be repositioned on the map so they don't obscure map details or the course itself. Remember that since we're printing on a blank piece of paper, you don't have to worry about finding whitespace on the map itself - Corpse will blank out anything under the bits it wants to add.

• In Corpse, select the first course you want to print
• Under the Event menu, select Map Markup. You'll see a dialog with three tabs - General, Front of Map, Back of Map.
  
• Leave the General tab as it is, and select the Front of Map tab.
• Under Titles:
• Change the caption to the title of your event (eg. 'JFNP State Series 9/09/07'). For all of these options, you'll need to uncheck the 'From Master' box to access the settings for an individual course, or you can configure everything on the master map and have the other courses inherit their settings from that.
  
• Change the position to X = 2mm, Y = 2mm. This brings the text in slightly from the edge of the paper.
• Under Control Descriptions
• Set the Type to IOF, or English if you're printing VE, E or M courses
• Change the position to X = 2mm, Y = 8mm. (Leaving 6mm space for the title)
• Under Logo:
• Leave Default checked in most cases - this will position the small Corpse logo directly under the descriptions, which is fine in most cases. Corpse generally won't let you get rid of the logo altogether, but you can try!
• Click the Okay button.

• Under the File menu, select Print
• Click the Options button. You'll see a dialog with four tabs - Page Margins, Map, EPS and Overlays.
  
• The Page Margins tab is self-explanatory.
• On the Map tab:
• Set Area to 'Full Map'
• Set Size to 'Full Size'
• Set Identifiers to 'Sequence' (or 'Control' if you're printing a master map)
• Set Approach Arrows to 'No' (unless you're printing a master map and you explicitly want them.)
• On the EPS tab:
• Move the C (Cyan) slider down to about 20. This will darken the default magenta colour slightly, making it easier to see.
• Under Background File, make sure 'Template' is selected.
• Under Stretch Printed Output, make sure X and Y are both set to '100%'
• Click the Okay button
• Back on the Print dialog, select Current Course
• Select EPS Files
• Click the Print button. You don't need to choose or configure the printer.

Corpse will generate an EPS file, and save it in the same location as your Corpse event file - if you're organised like most orienteers, you'll have a separate folder set up for all the files for your event, and the EPS files will be saved there. The filename will be Master.eps, Course 1.eps or whatever you've called your courses.

You can have a look at what your maps will look like using an EPS viewer. Corpse has one included (Utilities -> EPS Viewer) or you can use any program that supports EPS files. Check that your markup isn't obscuring anything important, adjust the positions if necessary and regenerate the EPS files. When you're happy, load the files onto a CD or USB drive and head for the printers. Many of the Worldwide Printing stores already know about orienteers, but our requirements aren't overly arduous.

Make sure you specify 120 GSM (or higher) matte paper - definitely not shiny paper, and standard 80 GSM paper is too flimsy for our purposes. Work out the quantities you want of each map beforehand, and add a few copies of the master map for the setters, controller and control collectors. Printing costs should be $1 for A4 and $2 for A3 - make sure you keep the receipt, and send it to El Treasurer.

Hard copies of your courses, along with a technical report, should be sent to the holder of the map bank - currently Ken Brownlie. In addition to this, if you find map corrections please give either a hard or soft (OCAD, or just marked up in Corpse indicating the changes) copy to Paul. Changes will be checked before being integrated into the master copy of the map.