# OT dogs, but mapping



## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Guys, you need to check out topofusion if you have not already done so.

I am blown away compared to Maptech TNP. The maps are not as slick looking but you can overlay aerial with topo on a user added map and have UTM grids with tickmarks - so you can enlarge an area and not need a grid reader.

It looks to be a sweet little program. Right now I am getting 2008 aerials off of our county gis site and layering them over topos. You can also scan and calibrate, say a park trail map right over your other maps

And it is GREAT with different GPS [no having to go through the process to change in the file/preferences/etc problem and no issues with it freezing between GPS units of different type!

And when I look for things it is missing - for example compute sector area, viola! IT is all there!


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

I am admittedly behind in the area of technology as it pertains to dog work.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Got it....and Ditto to what Nancy said....


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Jennifer, I would guess your area does not change rapidly but both our geographic features and even the topography are in a constant state of flux. 

Add to that that some areas won't fix a GPS [thought it is much better than 10 years ago!] So being able to overlay satellite imagry with topography offers some real advantages for field maps and for reporting coverage back to IC.


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

Very cool, Nancy. Thanks for sharing!


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

I've always had a fascination for maps and mapping software, but I've never used a GPS before. I figured I'd wait until they came out with one in fullcolor-realtime-satellite-imagery. I'm kind of selective minded in ways that sometimes makes people wonder if I grew up in a cave. Like example, for maybe ten years, I could build a computer from scratch, but I've never _even operated _a fax machine until last year.










But technology moves so fast maybe I'll wait...










until not only full color realtime is availiable...










but when I can also see the heat signatures of the trail this guy left behind from his vehicle...










and measure under-the-hood temperature that will help indicate how long it's been parked...










the depth of the tire treadmarks to guage the cargo weight of the now empy pickup bed...










_And dang it, if I should be able to bounce a laser of that grain tower to read his liscence plate too!_


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

LOL- 

Daryl, I actually think you can do a lot of that with a ruggedized PDA and a receiver - of course they eat batteries.

And, of course the satellite imagry available to us is static not realtime which is what you want  

The map does help though in planning a search ops and giving folks more up to date geographic features on a field map. And even with the best GPS in the world, map and compass skills are still required.


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