UK mapping and User Maps

[Rikk]

Just bought the program to do some trail mapping for all the local mtb routes.
Didn't realise till to late that the quality of the maps outside the US is well, awful. The view of my local forest is a large green featureless blob.
So, two questions.

1. As MS virtual earth maps are free to use can these please be integrated into this great program so us outside the US can actually get some decent maps.

2. I'm trying to create a user map to give me some detail but the problem I've come up against is to do this it seems I need to match a landmark on my map to one on the maps already in TF, problem being the maps are so poor I can't even make out major roads so calibrating the map is impossible.
How do I do this?

Thanks

               ..........Rikk

[Krein]

1.  Unfortunately, it seems the answer is no.  The data is more highly protected in terms of licensing, etc.

2.  The best way is to use waypoints.  If you have some coordinates of known landmarks, you can enter a new waypoint.  Or, you can even load up a track or two and "line up" the map with the track, in TopoFusion.  It's easier when you have a high quality terraserver map, but you should be able to do it OK.

Sorry about the confusion with the map availability.

[Rikk]

Just interested as to why the majority of GPS trail programs/websites can use the likes of google fine? Google have just updated the majority of the UK to hi-res now as well which is great.

I tried loading a track into TF then trying to align the map, if you like doing rubiks cube it may be fun but otherwise

I'll try taking 3 waypoints next time I go and see if I can match it up to those.

[Krein]

Yeah, well, you can use google maps from a browser, but you can't cache them locally.  We're going to look at having TF do exactly that, though.

Good luck with the user maps.