Starting Oziexplorer and dash ideas

[Michele]

Searched but too way ahead for me and still got nothing


I bought an Acer n35 Handheld
with GPS and Ozi.
A mate kindly gave me the maps for the area I wheel in,2 CDRs full of .ozf2.map (?)files and .BMP files.

.BMP I can open/see with Photoshop on my home pc, .ozf2.map files as far as I understand are the same maps already georeferenced (is this a term?),so ready to use.

I uploaded them all in the palm but Ozi doesn't open the files nor "sees" them in the folder I created...while it sees perfectly the preinstalled sample maps.

?!?!?


I'll be off tomorrow in the countryside and really wanted to try the GPS.

Any hint?


Rover content:the handheld came with the stock cradle (which sticks to the windscreen);I was wondering about a custom dash plate to house it,alu made...or whatever.
Pics of a nice dash setup anyone?


Cheers!

[Loanrangie]

Go to the ozi website and read up on the ozi ce version, i think you need to convert them for use in the pda, i also have a pda with bluetooth gps but have only trialled a few small maps so far.

[-Richo-]

you need to make sure you have the image in .ozf2 format and the corresponding map file. Its best to get the original maps and convert them with image to oz2f, this is what i do and it works fine.

[Michele]

Uh...again went and read the ozi CE guide...

Use Img2ozf to convert the images to the ozfx3 format.
Copy the .ozf2 or .ozfx3 files and .map files to the CE device. Note the .map files can be used without change, the Image file path and extension are adjusted by OziExplorerCE.
Run OziExplorerCE and configure, making sure you set the Image File Path(s) and Map File Path(s) & Data File Path. Set other configuration options as required.


I have the maps here ending with _ozf.map and .ozf2 extension.

And a big headache.

Maybe got something to do with the setting of the paths?


Anyway I will try and convert the maps on my own and upload again.

Ozi for dummies...


Thanks.

[Bush65]

*.ozf2 is oziexplorer raster format image file.

*.map is oziexplorer txt format file which has map calibration and other information which tells ozie which raster image to display and allows it to calculate the pixel/geographic position relationship. The ozie help explains the format of the *.map file.

Ozie can work with many different raster format images, but ozie ce can only work with *.ozf2 (or ozf3 if latest versions).

The *.ozf2 format is designed so that the image is divided into tiles which reduces memory and processor demand, as ozie only reads the part of the file necessary to display what is visible on the screen.

When converting raster files to ozf2 format for use on ce devices, it is best to reduce the number of colors to a minimum and also reduce the scale (these are options when converting). You will need to conduct some trials to find out what is acceptable, but the reduction in file size is worthwhile.

Updates are free from www.oziexplorer.com

The best resource for ozie and ce information is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OziUsers-L/

[Michele]

Thanks John for the user friendly explanation


Another Yahoo group to join...hooray!



Suddenly I wonder if I tried to open the txt format file first...DOH!


P.S.
My maps are in BW...

[Bush65]

I use ozie on a laptop.

I don't know much about the ce version for handhelds. I think both the *.map and *.ozf2 files have to be in the same folder (they can be in separate folders, even on different drives in the laptop version).

When you load a map from ozie, you select the *.map file. The 3rd line in the *.map file tells ozie the file name for the *.ozf2 image file.

When converting your raster files to *.ozf2 format, or reducing the size of existing *.ozf2 files, for use with the ce version, set the number of colours as small as practical (from memory, colour maps can be ok with 6 or 8 colours).

[zooki]

you can have the image and .map files in different folders, but you must tell ozi where they are in configuration, by default it looks in the main memory under oziexplorer/maps

there is a seperate section to tell it where the .map file is and where the images are stored (normally storage card)

I have found it scans the maps in your location faster if the map files are in the above folder than the storage card (images can go on the card)

[AndrewPatrol]

There is a site

www.clicon.com.au

that sells model specific brackets etc. I have ordered one for my Dell PDA / Patrol dashboard. I'll let you know how it works out when I get it.

[void]

There is a site

www.clicon.com.au

that sells model specific brackets etc. I have ordered one for my Dell PDA / Patrol dashboard. I'll let you know how it works out when I get it.

I have one for my Ipod in our Gu and 323, both work a treat... Only problem is the one in the GU occassionally pops the dash surround out... . Will be getting the HX4700 adaptor soon.

[Michele]

I think both the *.map and *.ozf2 files have to be in the same folder (they can be in separate folders, even on different drives in the laptop version)

Hi all and thanks for the replies,
once back home I erased all the maps and files and saved them again in the default folder.
It worked!

Once in the countryside I started Ozi but the GPS connection didn't work.
It took an hour to finally see the red arrow on the map!
Halleluja halleluja!




It seems like I was running both the car navigation software and Ozi at the same time...errrr,I think that was too much!


In the end I managed to save the first waypoints,now it's just a matter of transferring the datas in the home pc without loosing all the job


So far it's a beautiful thing,now I can finally see "from above" where I am and the trails I am creating...


The main issue at the mo is the sat connection,it takes a while before the GPS hooks enough of them,and when in the thick woods it struggles to work properly.
I have an additional antenna which I placed on the dashboard of my Defender,will fabricate an iron bracket and move it on the roof,it should work better?

[physh]

It seems like I was running both the car navigation software and Ozi at the same time...errrr,I think that was too much!

Google for GPSGate to share the NMEA data between applications...

[Michele]

Slowly...slowly...slowly...I am yet getting used to these hi-tech terms...


Also I think the GPS was not properly set,so I looked at the specs under navigation software properties and fixed it in Oziexplorer configurations...oh happy day it worked then...


Ozi For Dummies chapter II