Create a New Map

OCAD provides predefined symbol sets to help you begin drawing your map immediately.

Create a New Map

To create a new map:

1. Select New in the File menu. The New File dialog box appears.

   

2. Choose a map type. You can now choose a predefined symbol set which fits to your intended map from the selection box. If you want an empty symbol set, choose the Empty symbol set option. Click the Other file button to copy the symbols for the new map from a different map than those listed. The box lists all symbol files in the \symbol\ sub directory. To add your own set of symbols to the list of predefined symbol sets, simply copy the OCD file to the OCAD sub directory Symbol (usually C:\program files\OCAD\OCAD11\Symbol). Symbol files are just normal OCAD maps, usually without any objects. The Map notes box shows information about the specifications of the map.

   -You can add, change or delete symbols in the symbol box at any time.

   -Map notes can be edited in the template file itself. For this purpose choose Map Information in the Map menu.

   -Edit the file OrienteeringMapList.User.txt in the OCAD sub directory Symbol if you want that user defined symbol sets are listed as map type Orienteering map.

3. By clicking the OK button, OCAD creates a new map and copies the chosen symbol set to it.

Creating a new map

Set Scale and Coordinate System

Select the Set Scale and Coordinate System item from the Map menu. The Set Scale and Coordinate System dialog box appears.

Map Scale

Enter a scale and click the OK button or adjust the Coordinates settings.
Do not use this dialog to change the scale after entering the initial values. To increase or decrease the size of the map subsequently, use the Change Scale function in the Map menu.

Georeference the Map

Before loading a georeferenced raster map, work with GPS data or import spatial base data, we recommend that you first georeference the map. You should contact your data supplier, national surveying office or cartographic institute to find out which coordinate system will best suit your needs.

1. Choose wheter you want define Paper coordinates (in mm) or Real world coordinates. Click the corresponding radio button.
2. In the Easting offset and Northing offset fields, enter the coordinate values for the center of your map.
3. The coordinate system can be rotated by entering a value in the Angle field.
4. In the Grid distance field, enter the desired value for the coordinate grid.

Enter the coordinate values for the center of your map in the horizontal and vertical offset fields. This is important since the drawing area of OCAD is limited to 4 x 4 m in the Orienteering Standard and Starter Edition and 80 x 80 m in the Professional Edition. This option is used to ensure that imported spatial base data, georeferenced raster maps and GPS measurements do not lie outside the drawing area.

Coordinate System

Click the Choose button to define a coordinate system. The Coordinate System dialog appears. Choose the desired coordinate system. OCAD supports a lot of coordinate systems. The most common one is the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) system which is divided into 60 zones limited by meridians and defined worldwide.

• Zone: Depending on the selected coordinate system you must select a zone. If the coordinate system UTM is selected you can click the Find button to find the correct UTM zone. This function is described in the next paragraph.

• Map datum: This field displays the map datum for the desired coordinate system (Map Datum).

• Ellipsoid: The field displays the ellipsoid from the map datum (Reference Ellipsoid).

• Location: The field displays the location, where the coordinate system can be used.

• EPSG: The field displays the EPSG-Code (European Petroleum Survey Group Geodesy) of the coordinate system.

Click the Remove button to reset the coordinate system to Grid undefined.
If you are finished, click the OK button.

Find UTM Zone

Set the [UTM] zone based on geographical coordinate (degree of longitude and degree of latitude).

Example: Coordinate from Baar (Switzerland): 47° 12 North (Latitude), 8° 31' East (Longitude). This is in the UTM zone 32 North.

• Latitude: Enter in this field the degrees of latitude.

N (North): Click this button if the position is northern of the equator.

S (South): Click this button if the position is southern of the equator.

• Longitude: Enter in this field the degrees of longitude.

W (West): Click this button if the position is western of Prime Meridian (London Greenwich).

E (East): Click this button if the position is eastern of Prime Meridian (London Greenwich).

Click the button OK to calculate the UTM zone. The UTM zone appears in the Coordinate system dialog box.

Additional local offset

It is possible to give an additional local offset to the chosen coordinate system. Enter a value for the horizontal and vertical offset in the corresponing fields.


Click the OK button to save changes and quit the Set Scale and Coordinate System dialog.

Do not use this dialog to change the real world coordinate offset if the map is georeferenced. To move a georeferenced map, use Transform -> Center Map to Drawing Area in the Map menu and enter the new offset.

---

Previous Chapter: Graphical User Interface

Next Chapter: Colors

Back to Main Page

To the Map page.