MOVMAP

MOVEMAP has several unique functions for a non-commercial moving map program. It also has a combination of functions that I've never come accross in any other package commercial or otherwise and a couple of features that I've not seen in any other moving map package. Also, as far as I can tell it is the only moving map software available for the OS/2 operating system.

The functions currently provided are:

• Interface to GPS through serial ports 1-4 using NMEA 083 1.5 and 2.0 standard sentences.
• Support for bitmaped maps in Windows BMP format. There is a companion calibration program that is required to calibrate maps (MAPCALIB).
• Support for USGS Digital Line Graph data maps at the 2,000,000 :: 1 and the 100,000 :: 1 precision levels. There is a companion extract program that is required to extract the USGS data and build the custom map files required by MOVEMAP (EXTRACT).
• Support for displaying site pictures and WAV file presentations for user selected sites on BMP maps.
• Support for screen (Window, Client, Desktop) capture.
• Support for in memory look-ahead caching of CD-ROM DLG extracted map data.
• Support for saving tracks and rerunning them in simulation mode.

The software includes about 40,000 lines of C source code. It's taken me about seven years to get this far. My most recent addition is a method to mathematically warp maps containing regular distortions so that the distorted map can be used to track a GPS reading. This feature allows me to use old (and very beautiful) civil war maps during my battlefield tours. I can see my track in reference to the actual trenches, battle lines, etc.

MOVEMAP opening screen.

Like many folks who are interested in the American Civil War my interest was significantly enhanced when I found William Frassanito's book "A Journey in Time." I have since purchased all of his books and have reread them many times. "A Journey in Time" was the book that got me started in visiting the battlefields and eventually lead to my need for the MOVEMAP software. I still enjoy looking for the precise location that the many photographs in Mr. Frassanito's book were taken from. Even with the maps provided it is not an easy task to find all of them.

Sample of Digital Line Graph Screen

This is a sample of a DLG screen. There are five themes display above plus the major places information. The themes are lakes and streams, roads and streets, pipelines, railroads and boundaries. I have partial information for a sixth theme, Topology. The teal colored line is the GPS track and the bulls eye is the current location. The morning I saved this track I started at the Comfort Inn motel in Gettysburg.

Sample of Bitmap Screen

This is a sample of a Bitmap screen. The map is a very old one I found in a book published in about 1880 by an author named McClellan on JEB Stuart. This particular map shows Stuart's ride around McClellan during the Peninsula campaign of 1862. He started near Yellow Tavern and took the path indicated by the roads highlighted in red. The roads highlighted in yellow are roads he sent part of his men off to scout. I attempted to take the exact same route with only partial success. On one occasion I had to turn around and backtrack as the road went to ground. On several other occasions the road seems to have been moved or is just flat gone. The caption on top of the screen "Richmond High 13 Sites" refers to the map set being Richmond; the map magnification being high and the calibration requiring 13 sites.

If you're interested in trying this software I encourage you to look at the README file first.

Readme.txt

Movmap32.zip (367 KB)

You can send me your comments at   porteralexander@nc.nospam.rr.com (remove the ".nospam") 

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