Creating Oruxmaps MVUMs

Displaying Georeferenced MVUMs on Android Devices Using OruxMaps

Once you've created a georeferenced motor vehicle use map, Oruxmaps Desktop can be used to convert the GeoTIFF file into a file for use with Oruxmaps on an Android phone. If your phone has a GPS capable of working out of cellular range, your position on the MVUM can then be overlaid on top of the MVUM on your phone while in the woods.

Requirements

• Android Mobile Phone or Tablet with Built-In GPS
• OruxMaps for Android
• OruxMaps Desktop v1.5.1 or greater
• Georeferenced Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM)
• Adobe Photoshop or similar to convert a TIFF file to a PNG file

Creating the Map in OruxMaps Desktop

Next step is to craete the map using the OruxMaps Desktop utility.

1. Double click on the OruxMapsDesktop.bat file to launch OruxMaps Desktop. If prompted with a security warning, click "Run." Ignore the command prompt window and wait for the main window to appear.
2. Click the "Image file" button and select the .png file you saved earlier in the work folder.
3. Click the "Calibration file" button and select the .tfw file you copied to the work folder.
4. Click OK in the unknown datum and unknown projection dialog boxes. We'll set those up manually next.
5. Use the "DATUM:" pop-up menu to select North American 1983. This is the correct answer for most MVUMs. Check the collar of your MVUM if unsure.
6. Use the "PROJECTION:" pop-up menu to select "UTM." Again, this is the correct answer for most MVUMs. Check the collar of your MVUM if unsure.
7. Use the "ZONE:" pop-up menu to select the UTM zone of your MVUM. For most Colorado MVUMs, this is 13. Check the collar of your MVUM is unsure.
8. Type in a name for your map in the "Map Name" field.
9. Click "Destiny Directory" to select a destination directory for the converted map.
10. Click the "png format" radio button.
11. Click the "Create Map" button and wait for the necessary map files to be created.
12. Click OK if you get the "Image compression not supported!" warning.

Here's the OruxMaps Desktop dialog box completely filled out for my GeoMVUM of the Hahns Peak Bear Ears Ranger District on the Routt National Forest:

And once OruxMaps Desktop is finished, I have a new folder called the name of my map in my selected destination directory:

Copying the Map to the Android Device

Once the map directory has been created, the next step is to copy the map directory to the oruxmaps directory on the phone.

1. Connect the Android handset to the computer using a micro-USB cable.
2. If prompted for a connection type, select "Disk drive."
3. Click on the Start Menu / Vista Logo / Windows 7 Logo then select Computer / My Computer.
4. Find the "Removable Disk (?:)" corresponding to the phone's micro sd or sd flash card and double click on it.
5. Find the "oruxmaps" directory and double click on it. If this directory does not exist, create it now.
6. Find the "mapfiles" directory and double click on it. If this directory does not exist, create it now.
7. Drag the map directory (not the work directory) to the mapfiles directory
   

   Click image to enlarge.

8. Close the window for the mapfiles directory.
9. Left click on the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon in the Windows Toolbar (near the clock in the lower right-hand corner of the screen) and select the Removable Disks corresponding to your phone.
10. Unplug the phone from the computer.

Using OruxMaps

1. Launch OruxMaps on your phone or tablet.
2. Tap "Browse maps."
3. Select the map you just created.
4. Voila!
5. For more information on using OruxMaps, see the on-line instruction manual.

Notes

Here are some additional notes and clarifications on the process:

• I don't trust the GPS in my phone.
• My phone is much less rugged than my GPS and much more likely to be destroyed out in the field.
• But the phone's display sure is sharp and roomy!