How do I replace the GPS protocol file on Freshmap for Windows

What do I do if Freshmap 3D either doesn't work or doesn't work properly?
The problem is almost certainly the graphics card. Unfortunately there are hundreds of cards and there is no way to test them all.
There are several things to try that might get it working, though it still won't work well if it's that marginal:
1. Reduce the screen colours to 16 bit instead of the default 24 bit.
2. Run the program in a smaller window rather than full screen.
3. Reduce the screen resolution.
4. Finally purchase a newer graphics card. Of course if the computer is a laptop then this probably isn't an option.
All of these things reduce the load on the graphics card.

The 3D icon is greyed out when I open Freshmap. Why is this?(Taken from Freshmap's Help File)
If the 3D menu item is greyed out then it is most likely that your computer's graphics card is inadequate or you have selected a map series that doesn't contain 3D data. Your card should support DirectX 9 at least although some DirectX 8 cards will still work, albeit rather slowly. Some cheap graphics cards will support DirectX 9 but will deliver poor performance. This is characterised by slow jerky response to panning the map. You should also note that 3D mode can consume a fair bit of memory and computer resources generally. It will perform much faster on a modern computer with plenty of memory and a good graphics card. If you are trying to use 3D with an old graphics card you can improve performance a bit by reducing the screen colour quality to 16 bit and displaying Freshmap in a smaller window.

I would like to get a better quality screen image from Freshmap than the screen dump allows. How can I do this?
You will need to buy a 'Print to bitmap' program of some sort. There are many of these. For example this one http://www.zan1011.com/download.htm looks ok and doesn't cost too much and you can try it out before buying. These programs install theselves as virtual printers and you can set up the dpi for the quality and page size you want and then set them as the map printer in Freshmap. This means you can export ('print') selected areas from Freshmap in a much better quality than the 96dpi of a screen and then use or edit them as you would any other image

I want to add x,y data to show locations. Is there a way to enter this information into a separate spreadsheet then import it into Freshmap?
The only way to import data is via GPX /XML files. There are numerous utilities on the internet that will convert csv files to GPX - just Google csv gpx utility. These will only work with WGS84 coordinates.

Can I see the Paper Roads on Freshmap?
In order to see the paper roads, you need Freshmap Cadastrals. What you can then do is use Freshmap Cadastrals to draw the paper road, switch to Freshmap Topo and Streets, and view the location of the paper road.

(See image. The blue line has been drawn on Freshmap Cadastral 1:50,000, and then the screen shot was taken from Freshmap Topo and Streets to show the location of the paper road. This location is near Hilltop on Banks Peninsula.)

How to configure Freshmap and a GPS10? (Thanks to Ray for these instructions.)
1.   Via the Control Panel in Windows, open "Blue Tooth Devices" and click Add
2.   When the Blue Tooth Wizard opens, tick "My device is ready to be found"
3.   In the "Bluetooth devices", click on COM port TAB and write down the outgoing port number (x)
4.   Open Freshmap, File, Options and set the following:
    * GPS - select NMEA (it will show Garmin)
    * GPS port - set to (x) from above
    * GPS port settings - 9600,N,8,1
    * OK to return to Map (must be either 1:50,000 or 1:20,000)
5.   Go to User Features, Capture live data from GPS, and make a selection.

Is it possible to print off the Legend?
It is not possible to print off the Legend directly from Freshmap, but it is possible to print the Legend file. Go to c:\Program Files\Freshmap\Legends and double click on the file called "Legend_50k.bmp" and it will open in whatever Paint program your computer has as its default. Then you can print off the image.

Can I use GPX files with Freshmap?
GPX is a non proprietary GPS orientated variation of an XML format. See http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1 for further information about gpx files. If you export user features in gpx format the resulting file will be somewhat larger than an xmlf file. All user feature attributes are exported from Freshmap using the gpx format, but gpx files imported from other sources may not contain all details.

Can Freshmap do on-screen area calculation?
Draw a track on Freshmap (right click, New, Track/Route). Once you've drawn the line around the area to be calculated, point to the Track, right click and go to Properties. In the status bar at the bottom of the dialog box, you will see not only the distance covered, but the area calculated in hectares.

How can I delete a series of waypoints in Freshmap Topo?
Use the following list of instructions:

How much space does Freshmap take on my hard drive?
    * New Zealand Topo and Streets   4.2gb
    * New Zealand Cadastrals    700mb
    * New Zealand Aerials   3gb

Can I import waypoints from other programs?
Freshmap is designed to accept waypoints in .xml format. Waypoints from TopoMapPro are also recognized. If you want to use waypoints that are in other formats, try the following link: www.gpsbabel.org

How do I set Garmin symbols on the waypoints?
When you are creating a waypoint on Freshmap Topo and Streets (right click, New, Point feature) you are able to choose which Garmin icon you want to allocate to that waypoint. This will not appear on the screen. The icons are downloaded to your GPS and visible there.

Does Freshmap Topo and Streets have road mapping too?
Freshmap's road maps cover the urban or built-up areas. Once the map gets out into the country area, you need to switch to the 1:50,000 scale maps to get the roads.

Does Freshmap support integrated graphics processors like the Intel GM45?
Freshmap 3D should work on graphics processors that support at least DX9 and have access to sufficient video memory. This includes integrated graphics processors if they are powerful enough. There are hundreds of graphics processors out there so we can't guarantee support as the only way to find out is to try and see. From looking at the specs of the GM45, it looks likely that it should work (albeit slowly) but the only way to be sure is to try it.

Freshmap for Garmin GPS

Why are some features visible on Freshmap Topo and Streets, but not visible on the maps on the GPS? Mt Herbert and Packhorse Hut, for example, are missing from the GPS mapping.
These features definitely are present in the Freshmap GPS maps. GPS maps are 'object oriented' maps. In this context that means that vector objects are supplied together with description data to the GPS, but the actual display format is largely under the control of the GPS firmware itself. In particular the firmware has a mind of its own regarding the display of object names. This is influenced by the text size you have chosen, the length of the object name, the current zoom of the GPS and the presence of other nearby features that the firmware deems more important to name.

Is Freshmap on my GPS a substitute for taking a topomap with me outdoors?
A topomap covers approximately 1350 square kilometres. You simply can't view this amount of map on a GPS screen, so just as you should always take a compass with you, so you should always have a topomap too.

What do I do if Freshmap for Garmin GPS is no longer visible on my GPS?
Remove the card from the GPS, and put in back in. This is the quickest method to "reintroduce" the mapping and the GPS. Once you put the card back into the GPS, it should recognise the existence of the mapping straight away.

Is it possible to download maps from Freshmap onto my Garmin GPS?
In order to have Freshmap mapping on your GPS, you need a GPS that is able to take a microSD card (GPS with "x" at the end of the name), and you need Freshmap for Garmin GPS which is only available on microSD card.

Is it possible to overwrite Freshmap on the data card?
Yes it is. If you want to save other maps or information onto the card, it's a good idea to make a separate folder on the microSD card to save that data into.

Is it possible to save tracks to the Freshmap microSD?
To save tracks to the microSD card of a GPS, follow these instructions: