Golden Software: MapViewer Versions 2 and 3 FAQ

Q1. How can I get the latest version of MapViewer?
A. Minor updates (e.g. version 3.07 to 3.08) may be downloaded for free if your serial number is registered. If you have already registered, send a message to mapviewersupport@goldensoftware.com with your serial number. Once your serial number is verified, we will send you download instructions. If you have not already registered your serial number, enter the requested information on the Register Software page including your e-mail address, and add a note in the Comments field to Attn: MapViewer Support indicating that you would like to download the latest version. Information about the latest version is listed on the Version History page.

Major upgrades (e.g. version 2 to version 3) cost US$79 plus shipping. Refer to the order form page for more information.

Q2. My pin map labels are overlapping, how can I move some of the labels?
A. Labels displayed via the Labels check box in the pin map dialog box cannot be moved individually in MapViewer 3. MapViewer 4 allows you to move the pin map labels by dragging the labels..

To move labels in MapViewer 3, use View | Show Objects to display labels as Primary or Secondary IDs because these labels can be moved individually. This method displays any Primary or Secondary IDs on the same layer as the pin map so you may want to create or move your pin map to a separate layer.

Create a pin map. Make sure the Primary ID (or Secondary ID) column contains the data you wish to show as labels.
Make sure the Label check box in the pin map dialog box is unchecked. Press OK. No labels should show for the pins.
Select View | Show Objects.
Check the Primary ID (or Secondary ID) box in the Show Objects dialog box. Labels are displayed for each of the pins.
Click on an ID (you may need to use Ctrl+Click to select the label) and drag it to a new location. Each ID can be moved separately.

Note: text defaults such as font sizes can be set in File | Preferences. To change the properties of existing selected text use Draw | Properties.

Q3. How can I create custom symbols for MapViewer?
A. Any third party TrueType font-editing program can be used to customize the default symbols or create additional custom symbols of your own. Here are several TrueType font editors we have researched:

SOFTY: A shareware program.

TYPETOOL: A commercial program with some nice features and full technical support. (Golden Software used TypeTool to create our "GSI Default Symbols" typeface.)

FONTOGRAPHER: Considered by many to be the premier font-editing program.

Please refer to MapViewer's readme file for recommended editing steps. Alternatively, the Altersym program from the DOS versions of Surfer and Grapher can be used to create and edit symbols.

Q4. My symbols are running together in my Symbol Maps. What can I do about this?
A. The most current version of MapViewer 3 contains line and fill options for symbols. The Symbol dialog box should contain Fill and Line option buttons at the bottom of Color group box. If you do not see these options please contact technical support for an updated program. When contacting technical support please have your registered MapViewer version 3 serial number available as well as the version number located in Help | About. Your serial number is located in the inside front cover of your MapViewer manual.

Q5. I would like to use international characters in my text strings in MapViewer.
A. MapViewer was designed to use English characters. Double-byte and 16-bit Unicode international characters are not supported in Golden Software products.

Q6. I have a lot of information in my data files for my maps. Is there any way to speed up the processing of the information when making the map?
A. There are two ways you can improve the processing speed when making a map with a lot of data.

To optimize the speed of the worksheet data searching and calculation, one should sort the worksheet according to the PID column in ascending order before creating a map. The sorted worksheet helps MapViewer 3 find a cell much faster. If the data are used repeatedly it is a good idea to save the data after it is sorted. All worksheet files distributed with MapViewer 3 are already sorted according to the first column.
Another factor of the speed affecting the worksheet data searching and calculation is unlinked data. You can remove the data rows not linked with the map (except the column heading row) from the worksheet via Edit | Delete Unlinked Data in worksheet window. If possible, also remove the boundaries not linked to worksheet data.

Q7. I cannot find the File | Print View command from MapViewer 2 in MapViewer 3. How do I print a portion of the map in MapViewer 3?
A. There are two methods for printing a portion of the map in MapViewer 3:

Change the size of the page in File | Page Setup to cover the area you are interested in printing (i.e. 3 inches by 3 inches).
Select Map | Move/Size Entire Map to place the part of the map you wish to print over the page area.
Select File | Print and make sure the Truncate method is selected. This will print the area contained within the small page area only.

OR:

Select Map | Scale and change the length and width of the map to something considerably larger.
Select Map | Move/Size Entire Map and move the map to display the area you want to print on the page outline.
Select File | Print and use the "Truncate" method. This will print the map on the current size paper.

Q8. I need a single map containing all U.S. counties, but no such file is included in MapViewer 2. How can I create this map?
A. This is accomplished by importing all the county files (i.e. CO.GSB, CT.GSB…) at the same time. Choose Import from the File menu, and locate the Sample (or BND) subdirectory. Simultaneously import all the state files by holding down the CTRL key while you click on each file. Click OK and MapViewer will create a map of all the counties in the U.S. Export this map as USCOUNTY.GSB for future use.

Q9. I need to print my map on a printer attached to a computer that does not have MapViewer installed. Can I do this?
A. This can be accomplished by printing to a file rather than to a printer. Check to see if you have the printer driver installed for the printer you will eventually print to. If the printer driver is not installed on this computer, you will need to install it (see your Windows documentation for directions). If you are running Win95/98 or Windows NT, choose the Printers command from the Settings menu under the Start button. Right click on the relevant printer and choose Properties. Look for the “Details” or “Port” tab. Choose the FILE option as the port you would like to print to. Click OK to exit the printer properties box. If you are running Windows 3.1x, double click on the Control Panel icon under the Main group in the Program Manager. Double click on the Printers icon and select the relevant printer driver. Click the Connect button. Under the Ports box, find and select the port that says FILE. Choose Close and OK to get out of control panel. In MapViewer, select the appropriate printer, then print the map (i.e. HP LaserJet 4 on FILE). MapViewer will then prompt you for a file name. Locate this file on your hard drive, then move this file to the computer with the printer. At the computer with the attached printer, open the DOS prompt. Copy the file from the disk to the printer port, using the syntax: copy filename LPT1. The map will print.

Q10. How can I create a prism map with color fills?
A. MapViewer versions 2 and 3 cannot automatically create prism maps with color fills. MapViewer 4 has this capability.

Q11. When I import a map onto an existing map, the imported map is not in its proper position. What am I doing wrong?
A. When you import a map into an existing map window, make sure that the Append Image checkbox is checked when you choose Import from the File menu. This will align the coordinates of the maps.

Q12. I want to use two different map types (i.e. a density map with a hatch map) and display them on the same map, but MapViewer only lets me select one map type at a time. How can I display more than one type of map?
A. MapViewer lets you combine as many map types as you want. However, you can only have one map type per layer. Create one map type on the existing layer. Choose the Layers command from the Map menu (Set menu in MapViewer 2), and click on the New Layer button. Import boundaries onto the new layer, then create the second map type. To edit a layer, select it in the Layer dialog box then go to the appropriate menu selection (i.e. Map ||Density Map or Map | Hatch Map). To set the order of the maps, select a layer in the Layers dialog box and use the Move to Back or Move to Front button to change the order of the maps.

Q13. I want to see a North Pole view of the world, how do I do this?
A. First, you must create a map of the world by importing all the necessary files and exporting the map as a [.GSB]. It is a good idea to leave Antarctica out of this world map. Next, go to File, then Convert File Projection. You will be asked to choose a boundary file to convert. Convert the map to Albers Equal Area. To see the world from the North Pole, we need to change the default parameters. Click on the Change Parameters button. Reset the Standard Parallels to 90 and 89.9. You can name the new map in the Save New Projections dialog box. There is a second way to convert the projection in MapViewer 3. Import or create the World map. Go to Map, then Convert Map Projection. The next dialog box gives you a choice of which projection you would like to use. Select Albers Equal Area, then change the standard parallels to 89.9 and 90. The map that is in the current map window will automatically convert. Go to File | Export to save this map with a new name. MapViewer 2 users can create a world map in a similar way, then export the file. Go to File | Convert Projection and choose the world boundary file. In the Output Projections dialog box, choose Albers Equal Area from the projection list. Press the Change Params button, then change the standard parallels to 89.9 and 90. Name the new file under “Save file as."

MapViewer 4 has over 25 projections, including the sterographic projection that can be used to view the North Pole.

Q14. How do I change the name of a Primary ID on my map?
A. Changing a Primary ID is simple to do in MapViewer. Import the base map that you would like to change. Double click on the area to be renamed. When the Selected Area dialog box appears, type in a new name in the Primary ID line. Go to File | Worksheet and check to make sure the change took place in the worksheet as well. Go back to the map using the Window menu. If you need to make a change to an existing map [.GSM], or if you created a map type before you decided to make the change, you will have to manually edit the Primary ID in all worksheets associated with the base map. You will need to change the Primary ID in the base map as well.

Q15. I have a map of the United States counties, how do I show the state boundaries around them?
A. Showing state borders around the counties involves using map layers. Create or import your county map. Next, create a new map layer. Import US50.gsb into this new layer. Change the line color and thickness, and make sure the color fill pattern is set to “None." You should be able to see the counties and state boundaries. One caveat: you need to make sure both maps have the same projection. The county map is an Unprojected Lat/Long, while US50alb.gsb is Albers Equal Area. You will need to convert one of the map projections to match the other before you can import them into the same map window.

Q16. How do I create custom boundaries?
A. If your base map needs are not met by any digital map you have found in MapViewer or elsewhere, then you will need to create your own base map. There are several ways of going about this and there are several tools in MapViewer to help you in this process. Let’s say you have areas defined by several counties, and you want to combine them into one area. In MapViewer 3, you can select multiple counties by holding down the Shift key while you click on each county. Once you have selected the all the applicable counties, go to Boundary | Auto Trace. This command will create a new boundary that shows only the outer edges of the county boundaries you selected. Once you have created the new area, double click in it and assign it a Primary ID. Please refer to your MapViewer User’s Guide for more information on Auto Trace options. New areas can be developed using the Draw | Area command. If you have some sort of base map (i.e. a scanned image) to go on, you can simply draw areas on your screen free hand. If your areas follow specific areas on [.GSB] files, you can trace the line exactly by holding down the Control key and dragging the pointer along that line. This will cause your new line to “snap” to the existing line. Double click on your new area and assign a Primary ID to it. If you have a paper map with the boundaries or if you have many areas to create, you may want to consider digitizing. In order to digitize you will need a digitizing tablet and digitizing software such as Didger.

Q17. I am using Windows 3.1x (version 2 only), Win95, 98, or Me and I want to plot my map onto really big paper, but MapViewer only accepts paper sizes less than 32.76 inches. How can I bypass this limitation?
A. These operating systems restrict paper sizes to under 32.76 inches. If you are using MapViewer 3 with Win95, 98, or Me, you can alter the map.ini file to plot on larger sizes of paper.

Close out of MapViewer 3 if you have it open.
Add a line in the [MapViewer] section of the map.ini file. Type logperinch=500 in that line. Make sure this new line is above the [Symbols] section.
Save the map.ini file and exit.
Restart MapViewer 3.

This will allow you to set your page size up to 64 inches in height and width. Logperinch affects the internal scaling of MapViewer. This method doubles the maximum paper size to 64 inches, but it also doubles the size of all MapViewer files created without the logperinch=500 setting. The opposite is also true; maps made under the logperinch setting and then opened in MapViewer without the logperinch setting become half the size they were.

If you are running MapViewer 2, please do not alter you map.ini file with logperinch=500 because MapViewer 2 did not support this setting. If you are using MapViewer 2 with Windows 3.1 or Win95/98, you can side step this limitation by designing your map at half scale and then printing at 200% scale. For example, I want to print to 24"x 40" paper. I would set the paper size in MapViewer 2 as 12"x 20" and design my map at half scale. When I print the map, I would specify in the Print dialog box that I wished to print at 200% scale. This would result in a printed map of the correct scale on 24"x 40" paper.

Windows NT does not have a paper size limitation.

Q18. I am using numbers as my Primary IDs. When I choose a map type from the gallery menu, MapViewer says “Insufficient data in column __. Press F1 for Help.”
A. In MapViewer 2, Primary IDs must be text strings before MapViewer can link the associated data to a map. This error message often indicates that MapViewer does not recognize your numeric Primary ID as a text string. Choose the Worksheet command from the File menu and open the worksheet containing the data you wish to link. If the numbers in column A are justified on the right side of the cell, it means that the numbers are not text strings, they are numeric. You can force MapViewer to treat your numeric Primary ID as a text string by placing a single apostrophe (‘) in front of the number. For example, the zip code 80401 can be changed into a valid Primary ID by adding an apostrophe to make it ‘80401. The apostrophe must be added to each numeric Primary ID that you wish to link. You can do this in the worksheet or in an ASCII text editor. Sophisticated worksheet packages, such as Microsoft’s Excel have features that let you add this apostrophe automatically. This is not a problem in MapViewer 3 since it can handle both numeric and text strings as Primary ID’s.

Q19. In MapViewer 2, how can I simultaneously print several copies of the same map if there is no place to specify the number of copies in the Print dialog box?
A. You can set the number of copies in your printer driver. In MapViewer 2, go to File, then Change Printer. Click on the Setup button. In Windows NT4 and Windows 3.1, change the number of copies in the Setup dialog box. In Win95/98, the number of copies can be changed under the Paper tab. In MapViewer 3, there is a place to specify the number of copies in the Print dialog box.

Q20. In MapViewer 2, the hatch map, density map and prism map options are grayed out in the Gallery menu, but I want to create a map using one of these types. What am I doing wrong?
A. In order to create any of these map types, you must first import a boundary file into the Map Window. The boundary files must contain at least one ‘area’, because these map types only work with areas. If you imported a file from the BND subdirectory and these map types are still grayed out, make sure that the Areas to Curves box in the Import Options dialog box was NOT checked when you imported this file.

Q21. Does MapViewer work with Windows 2000?
A. All Golden Software products work with Windows 2000. There have been no problems reported.

Q22. Does MapViewer work with Microsoft Windows XP?
A. Yes, MapViewer does work with the Microsoft Windows XP Operating System. There are no outstanding compatibility issues that we are aware of.

Q23. I have invested in Adobe typefaces. How do I use these typefaces with Golden Software products?
A. Since Golden Software's applications are 32-bit, we only support TrueType scalable typeface technology. If you have a significant investment in Adobe Type 1 faces (i.e., you are using ATM under Windows), we recommend converting them to TrueType format so they may be used with Golden Software products. Not only will you be able to use them with our software, you'll be able to use them with any Windows program. We recommend TypeTool by Pyrus for this purpose.

Q24. How do I create an Encapsulated PostScript file with MapViewer?
A. An EPS file is generated by printing the map to a file. You need to print with a PostScript driver in order to create an EPS file.

Directions:

Click the Windows Start button.
Select Settings then Printers.
If you do not have a PostScript driver installed, click the Add Printer icon. Follow the directions and add any PostScript printer (usually PS appears in the printer driver's title).
Select FILE for the printer port.
Open the printer properties by right clicking on the printer and choosing Properties from the menu. PostScript printer drivers usually contain a PostScript tab in Windows 95 and Windows 98. Under PostScript output format on the PostScript tab choose Encapsulated PostScript (EPS). There is not a PostScript tab in most Windows NT 4 printer drivers.
To create an EPS file from MapViewer choose File | Print and select the PostScript printer from the Name list.
Next, the Print to File dialog box will be displayed. Enter the path and file name to use for the EPS file. Make sure to use the EPS extension on the file particularly if you are using Windows NT4. Click OK to write the map to an EPS file.

An EPS file produced in this manner does not contain a bitmap preview. Some software applications, including MapViewer, need this bitmap to display the image. If this is the case use another export format in MapViewer, such as the Windows Metafile [.WMF], to generate the graphic to use in other software applications.

Q25. When I try to load a [.GSB] file into Surfer 6 I get an error message stating that the file "does not appear to be in the correct format."
A. Contact technical support with your name and Surfer serial number for a resolution to this error message. If you own MapViewer version 3 please let technical support know this as well.

Q26. I have pasted my MapViewer 3 map into another program and part of the map is missing.
A. If you have a multi-layered map, be sure to use the Edit | Copy Entire Map command to copy all the layers. If you have used Copy Entire Map and part of the map is still missing, you may need to edit the map. If you are using Windows 95, 98, or Me, this problem usually occurs when an area or curve has over 5000 vertices (points). Use Boundary | Thin Boundary to thin out the number of vertices to a number less than 5000. If that does not help, contact technical support.

Q27. I have placed graticules on my map and checked the Place Graticules under Map option but my graticules still appear on top of the map. How can I place the graticules behind the map?
A. If the map contains only polylines or unfilled polygons, you will be able to "see through" the map to the graticules.

To make the graticules appear behind the map:

select the map,
choose Draw | Properties,
click the Fill tab,
select a fill pattern other than "none,"
and then select a color for your fill.

Q28. I am going through the tutorial, and my map doesn't look like the one on page 3-11. The graticules are on top of the map even though I selected Place Graticule under Map. What happened?
A. The placement of graticules have changed since MapViewer 3 was first released. Currently, MapViewer links graticules with the active layer at the time the Map | Graticule command is invoked. It plots graticules on that layer instead of plotting the graticules on the very top or very bottom of the map. When the layer with graticules is deleted, the graticules are also deleted. The legend, post map text, pin map labels, the objects representing pin map selection region and its text, are always plotted on top of the graticules on that layer.

The graticules appear on top of the map in the tutorial because the previous step included making a pin map. This means the pin map layer is the active layer. To make the map look like the example map:

Remove the graticules on the pin map layer by selecting Map | Graticule. Click in the Show check boxes to remove the checks.
Select Map | Layers.
Click on Hatch Map (or Layer 1 or whichever map layer contains your hatch map) to make it the active layer.
Click OK to exit the Layers dialog box.
Follow the instructions on page 3-11 beginning with step 1.

Q29. I want to show my map to someone without MapViewer, do you have a viewer this person can download?
A. The person without MapViewer can download the demo version of the software to view your map. The demo is available at http://www.goldensoftware.com/demo.shtml. All output capabilities have been disabled in the demo so they cannot alter the map with the demo. Alternatively, you can export your map as a picture [.WMF] or bitmap (TIFF, JPEG, etc.) since many programs read those file types.

Q30. MapViewer version 2 does not have a map of the world, how can I create one?
A. MapViewer contains all the maps you need for creating a world map. Import Africa.gsb, Antarcll.gsb, Asia.gsb, Camerica.gsb, Europe.gsb, Namerica.gsb, Oceania.gsb, Russia.gsb, and Samerica.gsb at the same time (hold down the control key and click on each file). Export this file as World.gsb. Next time you need a world map, import World.gsb.

Q31. Where can I find boundary files?
A. MapViewer boundary files and data files are located in the MapViewer Samples directory, on the MapViewer CD-ROM, and are available for download from our web site.

Q32. I have pasted a map into Word and the bottom and right side of the graphic is slightly cut off.
A. Usually, these graphics print fine although they do not appear complete in Word. To show the complete graphic in Word, add a white symbol at the lower right corner of your map before copying it.

Q33. I am having a problem printing ("Out of global memory" error, only a portion of the map prints, etc.).
A. You may be able to work around the problem by changing some of the printer settings. Different printer drivers have different settings, but here is a list of the most common remedies:

Turn off print spooling.
Change the print mode to "raster" or "bitmap" to reduce the printer memory requirements.
Change the printer driver to use the computer's memory instead of the printer's memory.
PostScript drivers often require more memory than non-PostScript drivers for the same printer. Change drivers if possible and test the print results.
Check for other compatible printer drivers in your printer documentation. For example, the HP LaserJet 4 driver could be used with the LaserJet 5 printer.
Enable the Page Protect mode if available.
Verify the version of your printer driver and possibly update it. For example, the HP DesignJet 750C driver version 4.33 requires 80% less memory than version 4.11
Turn off View | Auto Redraw to free up additional memory.
Resample the bitmaps in a graphics program (Corel Draw, Paint Shop Pro, PhotoShop) to reduce the number of pixels and color depth in the bitmaps.

If the remedies above do not help, please contact technical support with the exact nature of the problem, your operating system (i.e. Windows 98), the printer model, and the print driver version number.

Q34. When I open MapViewer, I am prompted to enter a serial number. Where do I find my serial number?
A. Your serial number is located on the inside front cover of your user's guide. Enter the serial number exactly as it appears on the card.

Q35. Is Technical Support free?
A. Yes, Technical Support is free to all users for as long as you own the product. You must register your product in order to receive technical support. You can reach technical support by phone, fax, or email.

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