Orienteering NZ Wiki

Discussion of guide and reference material. Orienteering maps in NZ are based on the International Orienteering Federation Mapping Standards, with some NZ tweaks.

• IOF Mapping standards
• Orienteering NZ Mapping standards

I've been working with Linley Earnshaw on a map and we have decided to standardise on the numbering of symbols designed to help drawing and maintenance of the map but hidden on production prints.

I use several of these but have until now just used any old number (eg generated by “duplicate symbol”) and this randomness is a pain when copying bits of one map into another. Here's our list. Anyone got any others?

750.0 Construction line Purple solid line used for miscellaneous purposes, mostly a track/road visible on a photo but not yet verified in the field.

750.1 Miscellaneous contour Purple dashed line used for stuff that can't be seen on a photo, such as old contour position during extensive changes, contour while looking for anomalies such as loose ends (orphans).

751.0 Vegetation line Green line used for definite edges of vegetation visible on photos.

751.1 Uncertain vegetation line. Green dashed line for lines on photos which might be edges of vegetation, or edges in shadow where it is hard to make out the true position.

752.0 GPS track line Blue dashed line, may have colour variations to distinguish lines on different occasions, eg 752.1

753.0 GPS Waypoint. A small blue dot. May have colour variations to distinguish readings on different occasions, eg 753.1

754.0 Cartographers Notes Purple 5pt text used for miscellaneous purposes. General notes off the edge of the map, or specific notes relating to an area eg “?” to indicate fieldwork ambiguity needing revisit. May have size variations for specific purposes, eg 754.1

Continuing from my post of 11 Jul 08 about standardising symbol numbers for symbols hidden on production prints.

We've got another one to propose.

750.2 Cut lines used for boundary of “partial map” so that eg the same part of a big mapped area can be extracted for production prints. Purple dotted line (actually very short dashes).

Linley and I have another recommendation for a “hidden symbol” number. This is for GPS waypoint labels, which you can optionally import with the points themselves.

754.1 “GPS waypoint label” purple text very small eg 1pt

For reference our initial recommendations are on p10 of this thread, plus we have added

750.2 “cut line” for use with partial map

As you can move symbols around in the symbol panel its good to group these ones together so that, when doing production printing, you can easily hide the lot.

There are new MTBO mapping specifications. Summary on the MTBO website www.mapsport.co.nz/mtbo/mtbo.html

Several years ago I announced that I was using the brown cross symbol 118.0 for Geocache sites. Sort of following in the footsteps of topographic cartographers who are reputed to have drawn patches of bush in the shape of their initials etc. But this had a purpose in that looking for geocaches with a map is a test of its geo-referencing.

I've caught myself leaving these brown crosses inadvertently switched on so I think a better idea is to use a number in the 750-series of hidden symbols, evolved by discussion between some NZ mappers. After some consultation I'm going to use 753.9 for Geocache sites.

Surely a geocache is a man-made feature and therefore should be black (cross)?. You could still use the same number(753.9) with a newly created black cross which can be switched on and off depending on its needs.

I know its for NZ but doesn't Oz use a brown cross for termite mound?

I don't think we have (or need to) agree on the details of symbols designed to be hidden, the purpose is “symbol table housekeeping” and perhaps sharing ways of working. I use dots of different colours for waypoints, you probably use something else?

Yeah I think all those (visible) circle and cross symbols are for each country to decide. I dunno where those NZ decisions are documented (remember that Flock House meeting?)

I have the VHS tapes of that meeting.

Selwyn has just pointed out that the Aussies have quite a good section about mapping on their website. Worth knowing about. http://www.orienteering.asn.au/technical/mapping/