Course settings

[dg0yt]

Somebody reported on Sourceforge [tickets:#242]:

On Mac there are zero course setting programs available. Therefore it would be nice if Mapper had one built in!

[dg0yt]

• Milestone: 1.0 --> 3.0

[dg0yt]

At the momemt, there are still many open issues concerning the map drawing component itself, so this will have to wait.

Before starting with a course setting component, it would be helpful to have a specification of mandatory, optional and nice-to-have features, such as types and elements of courses, numbering schemes, types of feature description etc, The Purple Pen software (for Windows) gives a good example.

[dg0yt]

oskarlin posted on Sourceforge:

There is an alpha version of course settings for mac now!

http://o-cour.se

[dg0yt]

Hello Oskar, this is good news for Mac users.

Just to clarify: O-course is an independent effort, neither related to OpenOrienteering Mapper nor to Purple Pen. There is no hint whether this is free or open-source software.

[dominikzalewski]

I use Purple Pen as well, unfortunately need to use Virtual Box machine, since it runs only on Windows. There is already a discussion on Purple Pen user group: http://purplepen.uservoice.com/forums/13891-general/suggestions/349544-create-purple-pen-for-mac

Since it's written in .NET it has the potential of being ported to other systems as soon as .NET framework is ported (and there are rumors it will be ported).

Having had 3 months experience now with course setting for 100+ competitor's competitions I'd concur with dg0yt that it would not be wise to invest into course setting in OO Mapper now. It's really not that easy task to write such 'extension'. Take a look at the number of features there are in Purple Pen and try to use it for a real competition. You'll soon realize that both programs (Purple Pen and OO Mapper) have very little overlap now.

[ghost]

@dg0yt, think this issue related with http://github.com/openorienteering/mapper/issues/718 and now presented in https://github.com/OpenOrienteering/mapper/releases/tag/v0.6.4

[dg0yt]

The new symbol set is nice for a single course or maybe a small number of courses (training, school class) but insufficient even for medium sized events.

[bilbo2]

Well, in OCAD you have special course setting mode, where you first create a new "map" in this mode (base map that cannot be edited), then you can load another map as background and start plotting courses in it. It does have some automation (place controls, add descriptions to them, then you can create categories and just throw elements (start, controls, mandatory routes, finish) in them. It can then generate some stuff automatically (connecting lines, proper angle of start point, control descriptions) and check some stuff automatically (warn about control with incomplete description, or controls too close to each other)

So, instead of trying to add set of symbols to draw the course manually (that might do the trick for one or two training courses), either we can use some different mode, or even different application (but within same repository, so it can reuse the components) that will use the map drawing component and offer course setting over it.

[ghost]

where you first create a new "map" in this mode (base map that cannot be edited), then you can load another map as background and start plotting courses in it

You can do it by using "Course_Design" symbol set, where use some map as template (readonly) and import another one directly in it as part (editable)

• http://www.openorienteering.org/mapper-manual/pages/course_design.html
  • http://www.openorienteering.org/mapper-manual/pages/map_parts.html
  • http://www.openorienteering.org/mapper-manual/pages/templates.html

It does have some automation (place controls, add descriptions to them, then you can create categories and just throw elements (start, controls, mandatory routes, finish) in them. It can then generate some stuff automatically (connecting lines, proper angle of start point, control descriptions) and check some stuff automatically (warn about control with incomplete description, or controls too close to each other)

No, there no automation for such things in OOMapper yet (I wish it would be implemented soon if we could find free programmer for writing this functionality code).

Currently you will try use Purple Pen (ver.3.0.0 beta 1, or newer) that now allows an OpenOrienteering Mapper file (.xmap or .omap) to be used as the base map for automation course design.

• http://purplepen.golde.org/news.htm

[ghost]

While I'm working on finishing "Course Design-2018" (ISCD2018 symbol set), still thinking about "Course Design" widget for Mapper. Soon will add few mockups of my vision on this widget design 😉