This isn't as exciting or useful as the other posts, but I do have some good examples of Topofusion use.
Here is the method I used, whether driving, riding, or hiking:
I start with GPS track logs (recording one point every 10 feet)
• Sometimes use another program to make some manual cleaning--clip off unwanted trails recording before trails, etc.
• Made little "x" on the end of trails to ensure they average.
• Re-save tracks as GPX.
Opened the GPX in TopoFusion and used the Network function to automatically:
• Average tracks where I used the same road/trail more than once
• Remove stubs where I pulled down a road/trail for a second then got back on.
One example: A GPX file reduced from 1.3 meg (11,000 points) to 1.1 meg (7,300 points) and made multiple-track roads more accurate due to averaging. But I want to go smaller so I have room for more tracks on the GPS.
I then used the Simplify function where you can specify how many final points to have.
Offroad 4x4 Take original track and (% of original track points)
• Div by 9 (11%) General track. Use when memory is at a premium or you don't need a perfect map.
• Div by 7 (14%) good on curvy mountain roads, overall pretty good representation for high zoom (Zoom 15 in DeLorme Topo). You won't get lost.
• Div by 5 (20%) virtually indistinguishable from original tracks at zoom 15, during 'regular' dirt roads. Is great on switchbacks. When going to zoom 16 and 17, it's still very good.
Offroad Hiking/Mountain Biking Take original track and (% of original track points)
If there aren't a lot of side trails you can use the greater reductions above. If there's a lot of trails, you may want greater resolution to more quickly determine if the correct fork in the trail.
• Div by 3 (33%) and the file is nearly indistinguishable from the original even at the highest zooms.
• Divide by 2 (50%) and it's essentially perfect. This gives one point about every 20 feet but intelligently reduced to give more points on curves, less on straights. I would question using this resolution, however. It's "compulsive-attentive" level of logging (unless you count not reducing track sizes at all).
I then saved the new GPX file, imported back to Topo, applied colors, thickness, and notes.
• I rode (mountain bike) most of the Tucson Mountain park and used/combined those trails. The files are in DeLorme Topo format here:
http://forum.delorme.com/viewtopic.php?t=15943• I hiked/rode all around the Grand Canyon / Little Grand Canyon area. Those files are in DeLorme Topo format here:
http://forum.delorme.com/viewtopic.php?t=9278I wanted to put up another example of how I use Topofusion. I'm not good with all the other features and am slowly learning more. The track average and track reduction are really the sole reason I bought the program, and they work great.
