Acquiring Maps (Getting Maps Into Bit Map on the iPhone)

Bit Map includes only a very basic world map, and is designed for you to view your own maps from a wide variety of map sources.  Before you can make any substantial use of Bit Map, you'll need to install your own maps.  For instructions on installing your maps, please refer to the:

Files Acquisition Guide (for map image files and KML route/waypoint files)

Viewing Maps

Bit Map begins by displaying the main map view and the map view's toolbars.  After 5 seconds, the toolbars will disappear in order to better view the map on the entire screen (toolbar hiding can be disabled in settings).  Tap the screen once to make the toolbars re-appear in order to access other functions.

Pan and Zoom

The map can be scrolled and zoomed by dragging and pinching.

Double-tap with one finger to zoom in 2x, or with two finger to zoom out 2x.

By default, if you zoom in or out by more than 4 times the default scale factor, Bit Map will automatically switch to another map with a finer or coarser scale if it can find another map covering the same location.

Switch Maps

	Quickly cycle through all avilable maps using the previous and next buttons on the top toolbar.
	Quickly switch to the next available map of the same location with a finer or coarser scale using the plus and minus buttons on the top toolbar.

Additionally, the Maps Manager can be used to select a map from a list of instaled maps explicitly (see 'Managing Maps' below).

The name of the current map will be displayed immediately above the bottom toolbar when the toolbars are visible.

Follow Location On Map

If the current location is on the map being viewed, it will be marked with a cross-hairs symbol (with a translucent red circle indicating the accuracy of the location reading).  Additionally, Bit Map uses its 'Follow' mode to automatically scroll the map to keep the current location centred on the screen.

While in follow mode:

• If your current location moves off the edge of a map and an alternative map is available in the same map set that does include your current location, the maps are automatically switched so that your location will be displayed on the alternative map (can be disabled in preferences).
• Device sleep is disabled if the device is also connected to a power source.

Record Waypoints

Bit Map can record waypoints of locations and keep waypoints organised in routes.  A 'route' is a stored group of waypoints.  The 'active route' is the route to which any new waypoint will be added.  If there is no 'active route' when a waypoint it taken, a new route named after the current date and time will be created which the waypoint (and future waypoints) will be added.

Save a waypoint for the current location using the (push-pin) save waypoint button.  The waypoint will be saved to the active route, and the waypoint editor will be displayed.  Tap 'Done' to confirm the waypoint or 'Delete' to cancel the waypoint.  Optionally, before tapping 'Done', the waypoint can be given a name and a note, and the coordinates can be changed if desired.  The name will be displayed on the map when this waypoint or route are selected for map display (the active route is displayed on the map by default).

Turn automatic waypoint recording on and off using the (3 push-pin) auto on/off button.  While automatic recording is on, waypoints will be automatically saved periodically (according to the settings in preferences.  A tick (check mark) or a cross on the button indicate whether recording is on or off.  The active route will be displayed at the bottom of the map view while recording is on, even when the toolbars are hidden.

WARNING:  While automatic waypoint recording is on, the device will NOT go to sleep, so that Bit Map can keep running and recording waypoints.  This will consume battery power rapidly, and can drain a full battery in an iPhone 3GS in about 4 hours flat.

In order to limit battery drain Bit Map uses the proximity sensor to disable the screen and many of the other map functions while it is not actually being viewed.  To take advantage of this while using automatic waypoint recording, place the iPhone face down, or in a pocket, or in a case that will cover the invisible proximity sensor near the iPhone's speaker.  This will turn the screen off in the same way that it is off while held against your ear during a phone call, and will minimise the battery drain.  (Test this feature by placing your hand over the area around the earpiece above the iPhone screen while automatic waypoint recording is on).

Recorded Routes & Waypoints Displayed on Map

Search for Waypoints or Routes

Tap the Search button to display a search bar which can be used to search for wayoints and routes by name.  A selected result can be then be displayed on the map.

Type text into the search bar's text field, and the search results will appear in a dynamically updating table as you type.  Tap the 'Routes' button or 'Waypoints' button to switch between searching for routes or waypoints respectively.

Tap a found waypoint or route to display it on the map (or if it is not on the current map, it will be displayed on another map if it can be placed on any of the available maps).  The selected waypoint or the starting point of the selected route will be displayed on the centre of the map.

Viewing Current Information

Tap the Info button to view information about the current location, including coordinates and speed.

Settings and More

To access the other features of Bit Map, including Settings, Maps Manager, Routes Manager, tapping the More (dots) button on the top toolbar in the Map View.

The settings and more button wil leave the map viewer to access the other features of Bit Map.

This will display a tab bar along the bottom of the screen.  Tap the 'View Map' item to return to the map viewer.

Manage Maps

In the map viewer, tap the more button (3 dots), then the 'Manage Maps' item to display the maps manager.  The maps manager displays a list of all the available maps installed in Bit Map.

View Map

Tap on one of the maps in the list to view that map in the map viewer (if it was not the last viewed map Bit Map will either centre the view on your current location on the map (if available) or on the centre of the map).

Install Maps

Additional maps can be installed using the '+' button at the top of the screen.  See the Acquisition Guide for instructions on how to install maps on Bit Map.  The bundled maps can be re-installed (if they've been deleted) by tapping the 'Bundled' button at the top of the screen.

Delete Maps

Use the 'Edit' button or swipe gesture to display a 'Delete' button next to each map.  Tap the 'Delete' button next to a map to permenantly remove it.

Re-order Maps

Use the 'Edit' button to enable the re-order control next to each map.  Tap (hold) and then drag a map to move it to another position in the table.

Manage Routes

In the map viewer, tap the more button (3 dots), then the 'Routes' item to display the routes manager.  The routes manager displays a list of all stored routes (ie, series or groups of waypoints).

Routes Manager

If there is currently an 'active route', it will be displayed in the table header.  It will also have a grey background to its table cell.  If the active route is being displayed on the map, its text will be shown in the route's display colour (yellow by default).

Any other routes displayed on the map will have their table cell shown in their display colour (ie, the same colour in which the route and its waypoints will be displayed on the map).  Routes not currently displayed on the map will be shown with a white cell.

To select a different route as the active route (ie, the route to which new waypoints will be added), tap the blue disclosure button to the right of the route name, then tap the "Activate" button on the top of the Route's detail view, then tap 'Done' to return to the Routes view.

To show/hide a route on the map view, tap it to toggle its displayed status.  It will toggle between coloured and white to indicate if it is displayed on the map view or not.

Use the 'New' button to create a new route and display the route editor (see 'Edit a Route', below).

The 'Send All' button in the Routes Manager will present a mail view in which you can enter an email address (or several email addresses) to send all of the stored routes to as KML attachments (one attachment per route).  These KML files can be used in a variety of desktop applications, including Google Earth, to display your route, including labels for named wayoints.

Use the '+' (acquire) button to display Bit Map's acquisition view, from which you can acquire KML files from a desktop/laptop computer, or from a web server.  Use the acquisition view to install KML files in exactly the same way as it is used to install map image files.  KML files will be converted into Bit Map routes and waypoints.  See the Acquisition Guide for details on importing KML files into Bit Map as routes.

Edit a Route

Use the blue disclosure (>) button next to a route name to edit an existing route in the route editor.

Using the route editor, the route can be renamed (default name for new routes is the current date and time).  The route editor also shows a colour selector from which the colour for the route can be chosen (Yellow, Red, Green or Blue).  A routes colour is used for its background in the table on the Routes view as well as for the display of the route on the map, and in the exported routes (KML) which can be viewed in Google Earth and a variety of other applications.

Use a swipe gesture or the 'Edit' button to display 'Delete' buttons next to the waypoint, then tap a 'Delete' button to delete a waypoint.

Tap a waypoint to show the map view with the waypoint displayed on it (if a map which covers that waypoint can be found).

Tap the blue disclosure (>) button next to a waypoint to edit the details of that waypoint (name, note, coordinates).

Settings

In the map viewer, tap the more button (3 dots), then the 'Settings' item to display the settings (preferences) view.  The settings view can be used to change some of the default behaviours of Bit Map.

Use the 'JPEG Compression Quality' slider to change the compression of downloaded images from 10 (uses less storage space, but is poor image quality) to 90 (uses more storage space but is better image quality). The default is 50%.

The 'Auto Hide Toolbars on Map' switch controls whether the toolbars on the map view automatically hide after 5 seconds or stay on the screen permanently.

Use the three 'Switch to Another Map When...' buttons to enable/disable automatic map switching for zooming and/or for when you move on/off the edge of the map while in Follow mode.  Automatic map switching when zooming and when moving off the edge of a map (while follow is on) are both on by default.  Map switching when moving on to the edge of another map with a finer scale (while follow is on) is off by default.

When automatic map switching is enabled, Bit Map will automatically switch to an alternative map, if a more suitable alternative can be found for the focal location in the same map set as the current map.

If map switching is on for zooming, Bit Map will automatically switch to a map with a coarser scale when you zoom out more than 5 times the default scale of the current map, or switch to a map with a finer scale when you zoom in more than 5 times the default scale of the current map (is such a map can be found in the current map set).

If map switching is on for when you move off the edge of the current map so that your current location is no longer on the current map, and follow is enabled, Bit Map will automatically switch to another map that does include your new location (if such a map can be found in the current map set).

If map switching is on for when you move onto the edge of another map with a finer scale than the current map, then Bit Map will scan all maps in the current map set every time your location changes, and if it finds any maps in the current map set with a finer scale than the current map that includes the new location, it will switch to the map with the finest scale that includes the current location.

The 'Auto Waypoints' settings control how often Bit Map will automatically record waypoints when Auto Waypoints are on for the active route.  The default is to automatically record waypoints every minute or every 100 metres, whichever comes first.  If the location reading does not have an accuracy at least as good as the accuracy value set here, the waypoint will not be recorded automatically.

Map and Image Compatibility

See the Acquisition Guide for lists of compatible map projections, datums and image formats.

The maps used for the Bit Map icon and screenshots are derived from Geoscience Australia’s free maps http://www.ga.gov.au/mapconnect/ © Commonwealth of Australia 2009 used by permission.