Discussion: Map updating

How do clubs keep their maps up to date? Do clubs have map groups or committees. Ideas has been bouncing around about updating our maps (NEOOC), and I am looking for methods that have worked for others.

This time of year is slow for us in terms of events, but it is an oppertunity to expand or develop skills that could both help the club, and also for those interested in another aspect of orienteering - the map.

When I first saw this, I was wondering whether your map was missing the north pole or the south pole:)

PTOC has a mapping committee of sorts. Just five or six people who do mapping and course setting. We have an online central file system to which we all have access. The file names include the revision data and a description and are organized by state and park. Anyone can pull a map and revise but must post the updated file to the database when finished. Seems to work for us.

Make a map open-source within the club and put it on a wiki. Worked in some places.

Just make sure you keep the originals. Maps can degrade pretty quickly when too many folks get involved in updates. I've found that updating trails, buildings, and major development (e.g., clearing a new field) can be done by committee, but the more interpretive aspects, such as vegetation density and generalization of rock features are best left alone, even if it is somewhat out of date.

Then once updated, how many copies do you print?

I believe there is still a question on the USOF Sanctioning application that asks clubs to certify that their A-meet maps will be offset printed. And offset, in order to be reasonably economical, must print at least 500 maps...perhaps both at 1:10 and 1:15 000 scales. At which point you have a map supply for a dozen years or so. That large supply definitely slows down the updating schedule.

For local events and smaller clubs, analyze your average attendance and base your printing on that. EMPO has only one map that we still have offset copies of and we don't use it often due to vandalism of controls (Central Park in Albany). The club has been around for 19 years; we have our currently used maps on OCAD and print directly from updated files (either at Kinko's or similar, or on personal laser printers).

For A-meets, you can often get dispensation from Sanctioning to print another way, though the results are variable.

To answer the original question, we have a map chairman, and he tries to make sure he has the latest version of a map after a meet takes place. If an experienced club member has changed the map after field-checking, he sends the changes to the map chair. If less-experienced folks set the course, they can make note of map changes and the map chair will update the map. It's good to have one person (or group) designated to keep up with map changes.

(Slightly off topic)

What would you prefer to orienteer on?

1) an older offset printed map that is very readable but not updated and therfore may be slightly innacurate (or even worse).

2) a laser printed version that maybe marginally less readable (in some peoples opinions) but has the latest terrain updates.

So long as they are of decent quality where the print sticks to the page (some laser print wears off) I'd always go for option 2 . It also allows clubs to do small print runs (especailly if your club has it's own colour laser like we do)

Maybe we need a new thread "What printer does your club use?" to see what laser printers different clubs own and recommend.

EDIT: just found this
http://www.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/me...

We are looking at getting a newer one as the one we have now has paid for itself many times over.

The quoted thread does cover this, but it's such a common misconception that I feel it needs to be called out. Laser printing is NOT the second best option. Ink jet using quality ink and paper yeilds results that are very close to offset at reasonably affordable prices. I estimate my cost on an Epson 1400 using 100gm/m2 stock and Claria waterproof ink to be about 40 cents for an 8.5x11 sheet. Most local meet courses will fit on a sheet that size. I have even printed maps on demand at the meet site, but this is a bit cumbersome.

That said, just today QA'd the 5-color offset run for the new S-F map. Boy, do they look nice. 44 cents each for a 19x16 map (3000 maps).

Thanks for the comments.

Printing discussion has it merits, but I am more interested in first updating ideas/methods.

This wiki idea, any examples?

Tundra/Desert: Make a map open-source within the club and put it on a wiki. Worked in some places.

I also keep in mind the comment that followed:

ebuckley: Just make sure you keep the originals...

Getting back on that thread. I generally let course setters tell me when something needs updating. If they are OCAD-literate, I'll give them the file. Otherwise, I'll just let them draw the updates on a hard copy and get it back to me and I do the cartography. Either way, I put the updated file in a separate "meets" directory. After I've had a chance to verify the fieldwork (typically on meet day), I decide whether to transfer some or all of the updates to the master file. If I do update the master, I give it a new version. About every six months I'll burn all the maps onto a CD.

It's not that much work if you stay on top of it. SLOC has about 30 maps and Carol's Team has 10. I make minor updates to half a dozen or so each year based on course-setter input.

Leepback - I generally would prefer an up-to-date map, but I know my Dad has had major issues with the massive variety of different print options used rather than offset. He is red-green colour blind, and in many cases the yellow comes through a bit too orange (or something like that) and to his eyes yellow and green become essentially the same shade of grey-brown.

He has become increasingly frustrated as more and more major events (in Australia anways) are not using the international standard for printing (whatever they are exactly)
Obviously this can have major route choice effect...

chitownclark quoth:

Then once updated, how many copies do you print?

I believe there is still a question on the USOF Sanctioning application that asks clubs to certify that their A-meet maps will be offset printed. And offset, in order to be reasonably economical, must print at least 500 maps...perhaps both at 1:10 and 1:15 000 scales. At which point you have a map supply for a dozen years or so. That large supply definitely slows down the updating schedule.

Yes, there is a question that asks whether your map will be offset printed. However, it is followed with a question that asks 'If No, how will maps be printed?' To which the answer that they will be laser printed by someone who verifiably knows what they are doing (ie not someone just selecting print in OCAD for the first time without thinking about colors or line thicknesses or ...) will almost certainly be accepted.

Sorry to follow Clark's sidetrack, but we could do without people believing that hosting an A meet in the US is about unnecessary inconvenience. We (sanctioning) are not trying to make clubs make uneconomic decisions; we're trying to ensure high-quality events. Part of that is about map printing quality. Offset is one way to ensure that, but not the only one.

(I'd add that I happen to have a map from the fall 2007 Chicago A meet in front of me, and it sure looks laser-printed to me...)

It's also possible to screw up offset-printed maps, although someone who understands how to order offset-printed maps is more likely to be qualified to make sure the maps look right.

A couple of thoughts on the version control question - what we do (Orienteering Tasmania, Australia) is to have a mapping co-ordinator who holds all OCAD files (also backed up off-site). Each mapper sends updated versions to the mapping co-ordinator. Revision information is on the actual map (something as simple as "Revised December 2008" is probably adequate). We also maintain a map register (simple spreadsheet) that includes version details. A revision history could also be maintained through the File/Information option in OCAD, which is saved with the map file.

Straying onto the question of printing methods, the IOF mapping commission Print Tech project has a test map that can be used to compare output from your laser/inkjet printer with the offset-printed version (the mapping co-ordinator from your national controlling body should have a copy of the offset-printed version).