Project Maps for Memory-Map (M4MM)

Introduction

As a Memory-Map user I am keen to collect maps which I can use with Memory-Map. The first option is collecting ready to use maps. But these sources are scarce.  The second option is to calibrate maps by myself, which is a time consuming process with a lot of possibilities to make mistakes. For me, this is the last resource, if there is nothing else left. The third option is looking for maps which are already calibrated, but not in a proper format (to use with Memory-Map) and convert these data to an usable format.

This option to convert exiting calibration data was the start of the project “Map for Memory-Map” (M4MM); to develop a set of conversion tools. Although projects primary goal is Memory-Map, but FUGAWI® users aren’t excluded. The the final maps (in QCT-format) can be used with Memory-Map, AlpineQuest® and PathAway®.

The project is split in two parts. In the Memory-Map section of this website you will find the "How to use"-part (this page). In the programming section you will find "How it is was build"-part.The project documentation has a similar split. The users documents you will find on this page, the technical documentation in the programming section.

History

I started to create some little applications to extract the georeferenced data and rewrite these data in to the format of a JPR-file. this resulted in 3 little applications:

• MAP data to JPR (M2J) which converts the the OziExplorers georeferenced MAP-file to a Memory-Map georeferenced JPR-file.
• Mobac MAP data to JPR (Mob2J) which converts MAP-files created by Mobile Atlas Creator to a Memory-Map georeferenced JPR-file.
• GDAL DATA to JPR (G2J) which extract georeferenced data from GeoPDF- and GeoTIFF-files and converts them to a Memory-Map georeferenced JPR-file. The extraction of data is done with GdalInfo, a part of the Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (GDAL).

The development of these applications has stopped in favor of M4MM.

The next step in this project was an integration of M2J, Mob2J and G2j in an application called M4MM and adding more functionality.

The current version of project M4MM

The current version is 1.0.0, which is the formal release! This version has the following functionality:

• Viewing and printing georeferenced data from GeoPDF-, GeoTIFF- and MrSID-files.
• Extracting georeferenced data from GeoPDF-, GeoTIFF- and MrSID-files and creating JPR-files with these data (using GDAL).
• Converting MrSID-files into PNG-files.
• Viewing and printing georeferenced data from OziExplorer and MOBAC MAP-files.
• Extracting georeferenced data from OziExplorer and MOBAC MAP-files and creating JPR-files with these data.
• Converting OziExplorer OZF2- and OZFX3-files into PNG-files (using GDAL).
• Viewing, editing and printing JPR-files.
• Extracting specific meta data from PNG- and TIFF-files. The size of the image file is restricted to 2 G byte of pixel information.
• Viewing PNG- and TIFF-files. The size of the image file is restricted to 2 G byte of pixel information.
• A DPI calculator.

M4MM is released with a cover document, a  users manual (The cookbook) and technical documentation (The technical document).
The cookbook contains workflows, the users manual for the application M4MM, additional information about Memory-Map and in the applications mentioned in the workflows.
The technical book contains information about the development of the cookbook and the application M4MM.

Third party applications

The project M4MM uses GDAL (3.0.4 or later) utilities. Before using M4MM it is recommended to install GDAL; stand alone or as part of QGIS.
To extract the image of a GeoPDF-file you need a third party application. PDF-XChange Editor is a good option.
In some workflows you need to convert images into a 8bit (256 colors) PNG-format. If you haven’t one, you may consider Paint.NET or GIMP.

Current release Maps for Memory-Map 1.0.0

Formal release! This version was build with Visual Studio 2022 community (Visual Basic), is 64 bit only and tested on Windows 11.

- Installation files M4MM (download > unzip > install)
- Documentation file M4MM (download > unzip)

Beta release Maps for Memory-Map 0.7.0

32 bit (last) and 64 bit. This version was build with Visual Studio 2019 community (Visual Basic). The development of this version is ceased.

- Installation files M4MM (download > unzip > install)
- Documentation file M4MM (download > unzip)

Old versions

Versions 0.8.0 0.9.0 were removed and replaced by version 1.0.0.
Versions 0.5.0, 0.5.1, 0.5.2, 0.5.3, 0.5.4 and 0.6.0  were removed and replaced by version 0.7.0.

The applications M2J, Mob2J and G2J (version 0.2) will not be maintained. When using these applications be aware use WKT1 (GDAL 2.x.x or QGIS 2.x.x)

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OziExplorer maps

An OziExplorer map consists of two files, a image file and a georeference file (MAP-file). The application M2J extracts all the necessary data and translates them in to the JPR-file format. The current (experimental) version 0.2 he some limitations: the map datum will be reduced to WGS 84, NAD 27 and NAD 83 and the projections to Mercator, Transverse Mercator, UTM and Lambert Conformal Conic.
- Installation files M2J (download > unzip > install)
- Documentation files M2J (download > unzip)

The development of this version is ceased.

Mobac maps

The Mobile Atlas Creator (Mobac) is a universal Windows application which extracts data from several online topo maps and converts these data into offline maps for many offline map applications (Android and IOS too). One of the options is to create maps for OziExplorer. Mobac generates an image file (PNG/24 bit color depth format) and a MAP-file.
The current (experimental) version 0.2 converts this MAP-file into a JPR-file.
- Installation files Mob2J (download > unzip > install)
- Documentation files Mob2J (download > unzip)
Before using the image file in combination with Memory-Map the color depth has to be reduced to 8 bit (256 colors).

The development of this version is ceased.

GeoPDF and GeoTIFF maps

GeoPDF and GeoTIFF maps have their one "On board" georeference data. G2J uses the function GDALInfo of the GDAL suit to extract these data. Before using G2J you must install the GDAL suit. I personally installed GDAL as a part of QGIS, which installation is strait forward. The current (experimental) version 0.2 converts only the necessary georeferenced data into a JPR-file. It can't handle the map collar (NEATLINE). This issue is on the wish list.
- Installation files G2J (download > unzip > install)
- Documentation files G2J (download > unzip)
To extract the image of a GeoPDF-file you need a third party application. PDF-XChange Editor is a good option. In the "workflow and manual" you will find some directions.

The development of this version is ceased.