About the upcoming map updates

Well thanks to Qlandkarte GT it is now possible to view even more information from OSM on your computer screen. I will add tracktype and sac:scale information to the Openmtbmaps. There is one catch. While the additional information will be displayed on most GPS units (at least on Vista HCx and 60CSx) – it will not be shown in Mapsource.

Qlandkarte GT however will display the Overlays. Note that because I don’t want to increase the tile number too much tracktype will only be shown outside of tunnels and bridges (here you should not need tracktype anyhow). And sac:scale will be shown in preference to oneway streets (an unlikely combination too).

Installation of Qlandkarte GT in Ubuntu x64 did run very smooth BTW – took me bout 15 minutes. For instructions read on here: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin/QLandkarte

While I got Qlandkarte GT running on Windows XP 32bit after the hassle of adding gdal to system path (I used the free tool Redmond Path for this as for all of the progs I have to add to Win system path) which is not done in standard installation (Qlandkarte complained on startup that gdal.fw cannot be found), I have not yet suceeded in Windows […]

Mountainbike and Bicycle Autorouting Revamped – New Maps / Karten

O.k. my fellow Mountainbikers, Hikers and Cyclists.

The Openmtbmap.org as of today got a new routing that simply kicks ass. I implemented about 100 additional lines into my main lines stylefile (now 500 lines longs – I will write a spreadsheet for future changes as the rules get really complex by now. Only for highway=track there are about 50 lines to check for most common things like routes, access restrictions, mtb:scale, mtb:scale:uphill and tracktype.

So to get to the point. If you activate “avoid toll roads” on your GPS or in Mapsource you get pristine bicycle routing respecting all laws (if the access rights are set correctly), not using footways, bridleways except if they are part of a bicycle route or have bicycle=yes or bicycle=designated added. Oneway streets (except primary, secondary, tertiary) will also be routed against their direction ( I hope that mkgmap coders find out about how we can set the unpaved and the carpool option – then oneway streets will get their own switch to be respected).

If you deactivate the toll roads option your GPS is ready for Mountainbike and Hiking action. No access rights are respected anymore, gnarly trails will be chosen and if the […]