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VACATION PLANNER
(Version 4.0)
by
R.L. Volkmar
2354 Sirius St
Thousand Oaks, Ca 91360
A. INTRODUCTION
1. VACATION PLANNER (VP) helps you plan vacation and business
trips by car. It determines the shortest route to your destination even
if deviations from the most direct route to visit friends or visit
popular vacation spots are needed. Additionally, VP produces a trip
plan that gives you valuable directions including highway, time and
distance information. VP can print this in a convenient format that
eliminates the need to unfold large maps while driving. "Map Maker",
a provided utility, allows you to customize the "Map" files furnished
with VP to include your own areas of interest such as your home,
Grandma's house, favorite vacation spots, or your own short cuts.
2. Included files.
a. readme.bat: A batch file with essential instructions
for getting started. To use enter <readme> from the DOS prompt.
b. vp.exe: The Vacation Planner program file. To use
enter <vp> from the DOS prompt.
c. usa-#.map and ca-#.map: These are the USA and
California map files used by VP to create trip plans. The "-#"
represents the version number of your maps. VP maps are continually
being improved, corrected, and updated. These were these latest USA and
CA maps available. After registration you will any updated versions and
maps for other states. You can tailor these files to your own needs
using the map maker utility.
d. sample.trp: A sample trip plan that can be loaded
from within VP.
e. vp-tp.doc and vp.doc: These are the documentation
files for VP. They can be loaded as an ASCII file and printed from a
word processor. Alternatively, it can be printed from DOS. Enter
<print vp.doc> or <type vp.doc> to print the documentation to the
printer or screen, respectively. "vp-tp.doc" only includes
documentation for using VP's trip planner. "vp.doc" also includes a
section on using VP's map making utility and is provided only to
registered users.
f. q-start.doc: A short, two page documentation file
for those who do not like to read masses of documentation. It runs
through a sample trip planning session to illustrate many of VP's
features.
3. VP is Shareware. You are welcome to use my program and
distribute it to friends, computer clubs, etc. If you find it helpful
in your travels and use it frequently, please register by sending $15
to the address above. In return for your support, I will send you one
5 1/4" disk with the most current version of Vacation Planner, current
documentation files to include the Map Maker utility, and additional
"Map" files. Additionally, I will keep you informed of future updates
and mail them to you, if requested, for a small fee ($5.00) to cover
postage and disks.
4. Requirements. VP is a compiled Quick Basic 4.5 program
and should operate on any IBM compatible computer with any monitor. No
problems have been encountered on the printers tested to date.
Compressed pitch, either hardware or software selectable, is helpful.
A single floppy system or hard drive easily supports program operation.
All files should be on the same drive in the same directory.
B. VACATION PLANNER TUTORIAL. VP is rather simple to use once you
have seen it in operation and are familiar with the terminology and
menus used. The following tutorial will teach you how to use VP by
working through an example. You may find it helpful to have a road map
available that includes the South West United States.
1. Conventions.
a. VP was written to require a minimum number of
keystrokes. In most cases, you will not have to use the enter key. For
example, when answering "y"es or "n"o questions or making menu
selections, only a single keystroke is necessary. In this tutorial, I
indicate this with
Select <y>.
If completing the input requires the enter key, I use
Enter <data>.
b. Menus. Select menu items using any of the following
three methods: select the number of the item; select the letter (in
parenthesis) representing the item (e.g. (p)rinter); or hit the enter
key after highlighting the menu item with the up/down cursor keys. To
indicate the first two of these options, I will use
Select <1>/<p>;
meaning select either "1" or "p". You can also highlight item #1, but
I will not indicate that option in the tutorial.
c. Throughout VP selecting or entering an "*" exits to
the previous screen or menu. Prompts remind you of this convention.
d. Selecting "esc"ape sends you back to the opening
screen. Unfortunately, when "entering" information, "esc" has no
effect.
2. Maps.
a. When performing automatic trip planning, VP performs
similarly to what you would do with a paper map. That is, VP uses the
map you designate, compares road distances between the start and
destination cities, and picks the shortest route. The accuracy of the
calculated trip plan is totally dependent on the accuracy and detail of
map being used. For example, just as you would have trouble planning
a detailed trip from Phoenix, AZ to Seattle, WA with side trips to Las
Vegas, the Grand canyon, etc. on a one page map of the entire USA, so
does VP. That map may have only the major interstate highways and not
even include the Grand canyon. While a trip plan can be made, a
shorter, more detailed, and more accurate plan could be made with a map
of the western US or even individual state maps.
b. VP comes with two map files. One is a map of the US
that contains almost two hundred major US cities. The interstate system
connects most of these cities; however, some selected major US and state
highways are also used. This map is perfectly adequate for general
vacation planning, especially for trips between major cities using
primarily interstate travel. However, when more detail is needed, use
a smaller map such as the California state map, which is also included.
Other state maps are provided to registered users of VP.
c. All VP map files may be, and in fact should be,
modified to meet your individual needs. If every map contained every
city and road, the file would be too large, trip plans too detailed, and
calculations too time consuming. Rather, maps are deliberately kept
small and a "map maker" utility provided to allow modifications,
additions and corrections. In fact, you can create an entire map from
scratch if you desire.
d. Before changing the maps provided with VP, I strongly
suggest renaming them. This way, when you give a copy of VP to a
friend, he does not have your Grandmother's house on his California map.
e. City Naming Conventions.
1) City Name Only. Identifies the major road
intersection near that city; not necessarily the city center. If the
major intersection is not obvious, then paragraph 2) applies.
2) City Name-I#/US##. Identifies the road junction
in the vicinity of "City name." Interstates highway numbers will be
preceded the letter "I", US highways by "US", and state highways by the
two letter state abbreviation. When there are several junction in the
vicinity of a major city, the junction closest to the city center will
be indicated with the highway junction in parenthesis (e.g. St Louis-
(I70/I44)).
3) Jct I##/US#. When there is not a city near a
road junctions, only Jct I##/US# will be used.
4) City names are limited to 20 letters. Cities
with more than 20 letters will be abbreviated.
3. Setup. Install all VP files on the same drive and
directory. Set DOS to that drive and directory. To load and run VP...
Enter <vp>.
4. This tutorial will assume you live in Delano, California,
a small town about 30 miles north of Bakersfield and are planning a
vacation trip to St Louis, Missouri.
5. Getting Started.
a) From the VP main menu (VPMM) select "Trip Planner"
with...
Select <1>/<t>.
b) While VP does make manual trip plans, it will
probably be used for automatic trip planning so let's start with that
option.
Select <1>/<a> ("A"utomatic Trip Planning).
c) If you already have a map in memory, VP will use it.
Since this is the first trip plan, there is no map loaded and VP asks
you to enter the name of the map you want. Note that the screen
displays all available "map" files at the top. For our example, we want
the map of the United States so...
Enter <usa-#> (use the actual version number of your
usa map).
Note: Entering the ".map" extension is not required.
d) When VP finishes loading the map it asks if you
desire the most direct or shortest trip. I'll explain the implications
of this later. But, for now...
Select <y>.
6. Selecting Starting and Destination Towns.
a) VP now displays the towns available on the map 20 at
a time so you can select your starting and destination towns. To get
help,
Select <F1>.
The help screen will explain how to cycle through the map with the page
up and down keys and highlight the desired town with the cursor up and
down keys. Additionally, you can go direct to towns beginning with a
certain letter by select the first letter of the city while holding down
the "alt" key.
b) To select the starting point or town, cycle through
the towns and try to find Delano or a city in the vicinity of Delano.
The fastest way to find Delano is
Select <alt><d> (alt key and "d"elano together).
As you now see Delano is not on this map. This is not really surprising
as Delano is a small city and the USA map covers the entire United
States. You will learn later that this is not a problem and you will
still be able to make an accurate trip plan and even add Delano to you
USA map. For now let's find the closest city that is on the "map." If
you are not familiar with the area where you are trip planning, you will
find it easier to refer to an actual road map to find the city closest
to your desired starting city or destination. To page through the list
of towns...
Select <Pg Dn or Pg Up>.
On the first screen notice Barstow, . Continue scanning the list of
cities to learn the various selection methods. Try finding Los Angeles
with <alt><l>. Normally when using "alt" the first town beginning with
that letter is at the top of the list. If no towns begin with that
letter VP displays towns with the next letter in the alphabet. Try
<alt><z>. For cities at the end of the list, VP displays the last 20
cities.
As you have probably found, there is nothing closer to Delano than
Barstow so pick it as the starting point for your trip by highlighting
it with the cursor key and then
Select <s> (for "s"tarting point or town).
Notice Barstow is displayed as the starting town on the right side of
the screen. If you change your mind, just highlight another city and
select <s> again.
Select the destination, St Louis, MO, in a similar manner. Cycle
through the "map" to find St Louis (page up/down or <alt><s>), highlight
it, and then
Select <d>
If you are satisfied with your selections,
Select <f> ('F'inished).
Don't do it now, but any time during this selection process you could
exit by
Select <*>.
d) Confirming Your Route, Speed, and Trip calculation.
VP now asks you to confirm your selections. Note your starting and
destination points and also the default planning speed. Selecting <n>
(no) will start the city selection process over again. To change the
planning speed, select <c>hange speed and enter the correct speed when
requested. As soon as everything is satisfactory,
Select <y>
and VP will start calculating the shortest route from Barstow, CA to St
Louis, MO. This calculation can take as long as 5 minutes depending on
the length of the trip, size of the map, and, of course, the speed of
your computer. VP displays the distance of the trip plan it is
checking. If you know the approximate total distance, you can judge
VP's progress. (In this case the distance is 1726 miles.) When
finished, VP returns to the main menu.
7. Viewing the Trip Plan. IMPORTANT--Due to numerous updates
and improvements, your map may not be identical to the one used in
preparing this tutorial. Do not be alarmed if the examples described
are not identical to what you see on your screen. There is usually
sufficient information to determine the correct response.
a) Let's first confirm VP did what you asked. To print
the trip to the screen, first
Select <3>/<p> (Print)
Select <1>/<s> (Screen).
b) After a few calculations VP displays the trip from
Barstow to St Louis. Study the display. For each leg of the trip, it
shows the route to that point along with the distance, speed, and
driving time. The speed is the default speed. Also shown is the total
time and distance traveled from Barstow and the total time and distance
remaining to St Louis. Among other things the latter numbers help
answer that notorious question, "How much further, Daddy?" For trips
with more than 15 points, use the page down key to cycle through the
rest of the trip. Before continuing, let's discuss the conventions used
in identifying the route between cities.
c) Route Naming Conventions. Route names, as described
in paragraph 6b(2) above, will normally be used to identify the road
connecting two cities. Where more than one route is used, route names
will be connected with a "+" or "&" symbol. If more than three route
names are needed and there is not enough room to include all of them,
then only the route out of each of the two cities will be used.
To return to the main menu,
Select <*>.
8. Making Corrections. You may want to enhance or correct
VP's trip plan. Those corrections and enhancements may be something as
simple as changing the speed on a couple legs or as complicated as
adding, deleting, or combining several towns.
a) To Make Corrections,
Select <2>/<c>.
Notice an abbreviated version of the trip on the screen with only the
town name, route to the next point, distance, and speed. A menu at the
bottom gives you several options. The page up and down keys allow you
to cycle through longer trips.
b) Let's start with something simple like changing a
point. I-40 to Flagstaff is often snow bound during the winter, so
let's assume we think we can only average 30 mph from Kingman to
Flagstaff.
Select <c> (change a point)
Enter <3> (the number of the leg to Flagstaff).
When asked for the new point, route, and distance, you can enter new
information or just hit "Enter" to leave them unchanged. When asked for
the new speed,
Enter <30>.
The screen now displays the change.
c) To learn how to add a point, let's do something more
meaningful. Remember we wanted to go from Delano to St Louis, but the
current plan is Barstow to St Louis. Let's add Delano as the first
point and Bakersfield as the second. From a real California map, you
get the route and distance for these legs. The route from Delano to
Bakersfield is 30 miles using California highway 99. From Bakersfield
to Barstow it is 127 miles using highway 58. To correct these
omissions...
Select <a> ("A"dd a point)
Enter <1> (add point # 1)
Enter <Delano>.
Note VP does not ask for the route, distance, and speed to Delano, since
Delano is the starting point. For the same reason, note there is no
route, speed, or distance information for Barstow (the new point #2),
since it used to be the starting point. We'll fix that in a minute.
Follow a similar process to add Bakersfield.
Select <a>
Enter <2> (add point number 2)
Enter <Bakersfield> (the town name)
Enter <ca-99> (the route)
Enter <30> (the distance)
Enter <55> (the speed).
Now correct point #3 by changing it. You should be able to do that with
what you've learned up to now. To review...
Select <c>
Enter <3>
Enter <> (leaves point name unchanged)
Enter <ca-50>
Enter <127>
Enter <40> (slow going on off-Interstate travel)...
If you didn't notice, you do not have to capitalize route names. VP
will handle that for you.
d) As a further review and to learn the other options,
let's see if VP really made our corrections. Print the new trip plan
to the screen again. From the current screen...
Select <p> (for "P"rint)
Select <1>/<s> (remember this)
Select <*> (after noting our corrections)
Select <2>/<c> (return to make more corrections).
e) While adding Delano and Bakersfield, as we have, is
a frequently used option, there is actually a better and more automated
method that we will learn later.
f) Inserting a Town between Two Others. Note the leg
to Albuquerque is 323 miles long. This is almost a day's trip and too
long to be helpful. Let's break it into two legs--one from Flagstaff
to Gallup, NM and the other from Gallup to Albuquerque.
Select <a> (Add a point)
Enter <6> (The point after Flagstaff)
Enter <Gallup> (The new town)
Enter <i-40> (The route)
Enter <187> (The distance)
Enter <65> (The speed).
Note it added Gallup, but the distance from Gallup to Albuquerque is
incorrect. So change it with ....
Select <c>
Enter <7>
Enter <> (Don't need to change the town name)
Enter <> (or the route)
Enter <138> (The correct distance)
Enter <>.
g) Combining Two Points. While not the case here,
sometimes on very detailed maps a trip plan will contain several points
that are within a few miles of each other. When you do not need that
much detail, combine the points. To see this, let's assume you are so
familiar with the drive to Barstow that you really don't need a separate
leg for Bakersfield. Combine points 2 and 3 by
Select <t> (combine "T"wo points)
Enter <3> (the latter of the two points).
Note the second point is now Barstow, the route and speed are the same
as before, but the distance is the total (30 + 127).
h) Deleting a Point. Delete Delano with the following.
Select <d) ("D"elete)
Enter <1> (Point #1)
i) Exiting. That completes most menu options except "*"
which we'll do now by returning to the main menu.
Select <*>
9. Saving a Trip Plan. Let's save our work so far. From the
main menu...
Select <5>/<s>.
VP now prompts for the trip name. It saves trip plan files with the
extension ".trp", but you do not need to add it to the name of your
trip. The trip name can only have eight letters, so let's name ours
"bar-stl" for Barstow to St Louis.
Enter <bar-stl>.
10. Combining Two Trip Plans. To review what we've learned
so far and also learn some of the advanced uses of VP, we will create
the California section of our trip (to Barstow) with the more detailed
California map. Return to the TPMM. If we select automatic trip at
this point, we will only be able to use the USA map which is still in
memory. Select the california map with...
Select <1>/<t> (To get to TPMM if you are not there)
Select <7>/<m>
Enter <ca-#> (version # of the california map)
After the map is loaded, select <a> to do automatic trip planning, and
then select <y> (the direct route).
Pick Bakersfield as the starting town and Barstow as the destination.
Use Page Up/Down to cycle through the california map to find and
highlight Bakersfield and Barstow.
Select <s> (with Bakersfield highlighted)
Select <d> (with Barstow highlighted)
Select <f> (finished with selections)
Select <y> (to confirm the route)
VP should now be calculating the route from Bakersfield to Barstow.
When finished, go to "Corrections/Manual Trip Planning" and add Delano
as the first point as we did before (<a>, <1>, <Delano>). Additionally
add the route, distance, and speed to Bakersfield (<c>, <2>, <>, <-99>,
<30>, <50>). Exit "corrections" and save this version as "del-bar"
(<*>, <5>/<s>, <del-bar>).
c) Combining Trip Plans. To complete the trip plan to
St Louis, let's add the previously calculated Barstow-St Louis trip plan
to the Delano-Barstow trip plan ("del-bar") now in memory.
Select <6/<b> (Com"b"ine Current trip w/ another)
Enter <bar-stl>
(You probably remembered the name, but the screen displayed it with
other trips just in case you didn't.) Have a look at the new route by
going to "Corrections/Manual Trip Planning" (2/c). The plan now has
both trips, but repeats Barstow since it was on both routes. Delete the
second one as follows:
Select <d>
Enter <6>.
We now have a complete trip plan from Delano, to St Louis, Mo. Save it
by exiting to the main menu (*), selecting "Save a Trip Plan" (<5>/<s>),
and entering <del-stl>.
11. More enhancements.
a) Reversing a Trip Plan. With the Delano to St Louis
trip in memory, let's quickly plan the return trip. Go to
"Corrections/Manual Trip Planning" (2/c) and note the menu selection at
the bottom "Reverse a Trip."
Select <r>
As simple as that we have the trip home planned. Save this version as
"stl-del."
b) Taking the Scenic Route! During the automatic trip
planning accomplished earlier (the trip from Barstow to St Louis), we
requested the direct or shortest route. Answering "n"o at this prompt
means we do not want the most direct route, but have an intermediate
town in mind that we definitely want to visit. For example, we have the
shortest trip back to Delano planned and saved, but let's assume we want
to visit Grandma in Salt Lake City which is definitely not along the
most direct route. For our return trip we will work through this
example. From the main menu, first reload the "usa-#" map and then
answer "n" after selecting automatic trip planning when asked if you
want the most direct trip. To do this...
Select <7>/<m>
Enter <usa-#>
Select <1>/<a>
Select <n>
The prompt asks for the number of detours or intermediate towns. In
this example, we have only one point--Salt Lake City. If you wanted to
return to Delano via Grandma's and the Grand Canyon, then you would
answer (2). Continuing...
Select <1> (One intermediate point).
We now have the cities displayed to allow us to select the starting and
destination towns as we did before; however this time we must also
select the intermediate town (Note a place for the intermediate town on
the screen). Selecting an intermediate town is easy--highlight the town
and select "#" where "#" represents which intermediate town (In this
case "1.") After cycling through the cities, find and highlight St
Louis, Salt Lake City, and Barstow. Select the points with ...
Select <d> (with Barstow highlighted)
Select <s> (with St Louis highlighted)
Select <1> (with Salt Lake City highlighted)
Select <f> (when finished with selections)
The screen displays the routing for you to confirm and start the route
calculation or return to the previous screens. If correct, select <y>.
When finished you can add the remainder of the route from Barstow to
Delano as we did before using "Corrections/Manual Trip Planning." Then
view the new trip plan through Salt Lake City by printing it to the
screen. Note that Salt Lake City, your intermediate point, is marked
with "I-" preceding the name and the other cities are intended one
space.
12. More capabilities. We've covered all the primary
functions of the submenu in "Corrections/Manual Trip Planning," but some
the capabilities of this area are more subtle.
a) Recalling a Previously Saved Trip. From the TPMM...
Select <4>/<r>
to load a previously saved trip. The top of the screen displays the
current drive/directory and all previously saved trip plans. Let's use
"del-stl" for our example so
Enter <del-stl>
when prompted for the trip name.
b) Entering Breaks (lunch, dinner, sight-seeing, etc.)
in the Plan. Go to Corrections/Manual Trip Selection. Let's assume you
need a very detailed plan and want to enter a one hour lunch break at
Barstow and a four hour delay at Flagstaff to visit the Grand Canyon as
part of the trip plan. VP does not have an official method of entering
breaks such as these, but you can trick it into having one. We can add
cities named "Lunch" and "Tour G. Canyon" at the right place and leave
the "route" blank. We will enter an artificial speed and distance that
will give us the break time needed. I like to use a distance of 1 mile
for these breaks so it does not significantly effect the total distance.
Entering speeds 1 mph and .25 mph will result in breaks of one hour and
four hours respectively. To walk through just one of these examples,
let's add the break at Flagstaff...
Select <a>
Enter <8> (The point after Flagstaff)
Enter <Tour Grand Canyon>
Enter <> (Just hit enter)
Enter <1>
Enter <.25>
That should be enough to explain this capability. Print the trip to
screen to view our four hour break. For those of you less
mathematically inclined, the following chart may help you select the
speed needed to provide the correct break time:
Break time (hrs:min): 4:00 3:00 2:00 1:00 :45 :30 :15
Speed: .25 .33 .5 1 1.33 2 4
Dist: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
c) Deleting an Entire Trip. Return to
"Corrections/Manual Trip Planning". To set up for the next example,
let's totally delete this trip. Of course, you can delete each leg one
at a time, but to delete an entire trip just enter "0" as the number for
the point to be deleted.
Select <d>
Enter <0>
With the trip plan now blank, we can learn one more capability of VP.
d) Manual Trip Planning. While normally used for
corrections such as adding and changing legs of an automatically
calculated trip, you can use this section to build a trip plan manually.
This is frequently necessary when a map file is not available or the
scale of the map is too big. For example with the California and USA
maps, automatic trip planning of a two week vacation in Nevada would be
difficult. VP is also not restricted to r trips. By using speed around
3 or 4 mph and 10-15 mph, you can plan a hike through the mountains or
a bike trip to the beach. Practice creating a few trips until you
understand this capability.
13. Printing a Trip Plan. We've been in this section before,
but only to print to the screen. Recall any previously saved trips and
then select "Print Trip Plan" (3/p) and printer (2/p) rather than
screen.
a) Printer Setup. Before printing, you have the
opportunity to setup your printer. Several printers allow you to select
several printing modes through push-buttons on the outside of the
printer. The pitch--pica, elite, or compressed and the quality (NLQ)
are typical modes selectable on most printers. If your printer is one
of these, select your desired modes. Then indicate you are already to
print by
Select <2>/<p> (Print).
b) Printer Escape Codes. If your printer does not allow
external selection of printer modes or you prefer additional modes, you
can select these by sending escape codes to the printer. Your printer
manual has details, but an example may help. To get compressed pitch
on my printer, I must send at 27 and 81. Other printers have different
codes, but they all usually start with a 27. To setup my printer in
this manner, I select the first option and then enter the codes as
follows...
Select <1>/<s> (Send escape codes)
Enter <27>
Enter <81> (Compressed pitch)
Enter <0> (0 indicates the end of the escape code sequence)
Note: Entering a "*" rather than a "0" or another number will
abort the process and return you to the previous screen.
We are now back to the previous screen and can either choose to enter
another escape code sequence (to select NLQ or bold print for example)
or starting printing. To continue this tutorial just start printing
with
Select <2>/<p>.
c) Trip Plans with Compressed Pitch. The normal trip
plan printout is 80 columns and fills the standard 8.5 x 11 sheet of
paper. I personally find it a bit awkward to use the full sheet when
driving and prefer instead to use a compressed pitch printout. When cut
to fit and taped on a 5 x 8 rd, it is easier to work with in a r.
14. Trip Cost. Another feature of VP is a utility that
calculates the costs of the trip plan in memory. To use this feature
return to the VPMM (opening screen) and ...
Select <3>/<u> (Utilities).
From the next screen,...
Select <1>/<t> (Trip Costs).
The screen now displays six trip costs parameters such as lodging,
gasoline, food, etc. Most are self-explanatory, but pay attention to
the time period if necessary. For example, lodging costs are the
average cost per night that you expect to pay. Other costs are the
total for the trip and might include entrance fees and other
entertainments costs. To change any of the parameters, select the item
as on other menus--either select the item number, the letter
representing the item, or highlight the item with the cursor key and hit
enter. After changing the item, you are returned the same menu and have
the option to change another. After all parameters are as you desire,
display the trip costs with...
Select <7>/<d>.
The trip costs screen shows the total distance and driving time. The
total nights of lodging is displayed as is the total driving time on the
last day. If this latter number is small, you may want to consider
increasing the hours driven per day and avoid a night lodging. An
itemized breakout of each of the separate cost categories is displayed
as are the total costs for the trip. When finished, return to the VPMM.
C. MAP MAKER. Map Maker (MM) will help you make a map from
scratch such as a map as large as Nevada or Europe, or as small as your
county road system. It also makes additions, corrections, or deletions
to an existing maps. For example, we could add Delano and Bakersfield
to the California and USA maps as in the previous examples.
The MM utility is included in Vacation Planner and available for
immediate use. The MM documentation is provided for registered owners.
It is, however, rather simple to use and with a little computer literacy
and a lot of trial and error, you may be able to use it without the doc
file.
MAP MAKER DOCUMENTATION
(Provided only with registration)
1. Introduction:
a) Unlike the Trip Planner documentation, Map Maker
documentation is written as a reference manual rather than a
tutorial. Examples will be used to clarify difficult concepts.
b) Map files contain a list of cities or major points.
Cities are in alphabetical order and also have a state abbreviation
and a number associated with them to aid in identification. To
complete the map, each city is connected, like spokes on a wheel,
to the closest cities that are also in the file. This connection
is the major route name and distance between the two cities.
2. Map Maker Main Menu (MMMM). From the opening screen,
select the MMMM with
Select <2>/<m> (Map Maker (Advanced Users)).
The MMMM contains seven options. Each will be covered in order
along with their submenus.
3. Select Map to Use. This option functions exactly as it
did in Trip Planner. If a map file was previously selected from
Trip Planner, it need not be reselected after moving to Map Maker
from the opening screen.
4. Add Cities to Map/Start New Map. This section allows the
addition of new cities to a map. When building a map from scratch,
this includes adding all the cities. The screen displays the total
cities in the map and also the maximum that can be added. When you
reach the maximum that can be added, MM will suggest saving the map
and reloading it. A new maximum is calculated every time the map
is loaded from disk. As prompted enter the city or point name.
Then enter the state name. MM saves you time during multiple
entries. If using the same state as in the previous entry, you do
not need to retype it, just hit enter. The maximum length of city
names is 20 characters. MM will only accept two characters to
identify a state.
5. Change Current Map. This section is most frequently used
to tailor a map file to our own situation. Following the example
used in the previous Trip Planner section, one could add
Bakersfield to the USA map or Delano to the California map.
Tailoring a map like this will save considerable time when planning
trips. Other uses include changing route and distance between
cities if errors are discovered. For advanced users this section
is used to create a map file from scratch after cities are added.
a) Selecting the City to Change. After selecting this
section, the screen displays the cities in a manner similar to Trip
Planner. Cycle through the cities using the page up/down key or
proceed directly to the desired city by using <alt>/<1st letter>.
After highlighting the desired city just hit enter. Also, as
before, you can Select <*> to exit this screen or Select <?> for
help.
b) Making Changes. MM now displays the selected city
and its connections (if any). From this screen, you have five
options.
1) As always, "*" to return to MMMM.
2) "G" for go to new city, allows you to select
another city without returning to MMMM. Note, you can also cycle
to the next city by selecting the right or left arrow keys.
3) "A"dd a connection.
4) "D"elete a connection.
5) "C"hange a connection.
d) Adding a Connection. After selecting "A", MM
displays the cities so you can select the desired connection.
Highlight the desired city and select <>. After selecting the city
number, MM allows you to confirm it. If correct, MM asks for the
route and distance information for this connection. The maximum
length of the route is 28 characters minus the length of the
longest city name it is connected to. The maximum number of
connections to any one city is seven. If more than seven
connections are required, one technique is to connect the city to
another point that is perhaps a suburb of the first or a nearby
primary road junction. Then put some of the connections on that
second point.
e) Deleting a Connection. After selecting "d", MM asks
for the connection number (if there are more than one). Unlike
"A"dd which asks for the city number, "d"elete requires the
connection number as displayed on the screen. After selecting the
number, MM asks for a confirmation.
f) Changing a Connection. If a connection was entered
in error, use this option to correct it. After selecting "c", MM
prompts for the new city, state, route, and distance. In each of
these cases the current data is displayed. If no change is
required, just hitting the enter key will leave that data
unchanged.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If the city name is changed, its
location in the alphabetical listing of the cities will not be
changed. If significant changes to the city name are required, the
correct procedure is to delete all connections, delete the city
from the map, add the city to the map with the correct spelling,
and then add the connections.
6. Delete City from Map. While not used very often, there
are times when it is necessary to delete a city from a map. The
most common use for this area is correcting a misspelling of a city
name. To keep the cities in alphabetical order, MM requires that
they be deleted and readded correctly. Cycle through the cities
and highlight the city to be deleted. MM will not delete a city
with connections and will warn you not to do this with the
suggestion to delete all connections first. (See Change Current
Map). Cities eligible for deletion (no connections) are marked
with an asterisks.
7. Save Map. Obviously, you want to save all changes. After
selecting this section, MM will prompt you for the map name. The
current map name is displayed. If this name will also be used for
the changed map, you only need to hit enter. MM has the option to
add up to four remarks that are saved with the map and displayed
when the map is selected and loaded. Remarks such as contributor's
name, common abbreviations, date of last update, etc. are helpful
to other users. To add or change remarks, enter </> rather than
the map name. Then select the remark to be changed and enter the
new information.
8. Print Map. This section will print the map to your
printer (Use the "Change Map" option to view the map on the screen.
Select the desired starting city and cycle through the map using
the right/left arrow keys or the "G"o option.) As explained in
Trip Planner, you have the option to set up your printer using
escape codes or just selecting to print.
9. Exit. This returns you to the opening screen where you
can transfer to Trip Planner to use your new map or quit.
D. MAP FILES. Trip Planner's real value comes with the
availability of map files. Upon registration I will send you all
available map files that will fit on your registration disk (If
necessary, additional disks on map files are available for $5.00).
APPENDIX A TO MAP MAKER DOCUMENTATION
(Adding Delano, CA to the California Map)
A. Introduction. This mini-tutorial will demonstrate the
various Map Maker commands by adding Delano, Ca (as used in the
Trip Planner tutorial) to the California Map.
B. Set Up. Select "Map Maker" from the opening menu and load
the California (CA) map file. It will be helpful if a California
map is available to review exactly what we are doing.
C. Adding Delano, CA.
1. The logical start is to add Delano, CA to list of
cities currently in the map.
Select <2>/<a> (Add Cities to Map/Start New Map).
When prompted for the city and state names,
Enter <Delano>
Enter <CA> or Enter <> (Read the prompt carefully)
After a slight delay (MM is adding Delano in alphabetical order and
renumbering all other cities), you are prompted for the next city
to add. To exit to the main menu,
Enter <*>.
2. To change the connections for Bakersfield and Delano
from the main menu
Select <3>/<c> (Change a connection).
Let's start by adding Delano to Bakersfield, so locate and select
Bakersfield. When you find Bakersfield, connect it to Delano by
Select <a> (Add a connection)
Then find and select Delano. Now enter the connection information.
At the "route" and "distance" prompts,
Enter <CA-99> (the route from Bakersfield to Delano)
Enter <30> (the distance).
Delano is now connected to Bakersfield, but also notice that
Visalia is still connected (connection #2). Since Delano is
between Bakersfield and Visalia, the Visalia connection must be
deleted. To do this,
Select <d> (Delete a connection)
Enter <2> (Connection # for Visalia)
Select <y> (to confirm).
Bakersfield is now correct. So is Visalia, you can use "g"o to
city to check. When a connection is deleted, MM automatically
deletes the corresponding connection in the other city. The last
step to add the Visalia to Delano connection. "G"o to Delano, CA
with ...
Select <g> (Go to a new city)
Select <> (after finding Delano)
To connect Visalia,
Select <a>
Select <> (After highlighting Visalia)
Select <y> (confirm Visalia)
Again, at the route and distance prompts, enter the connection
information for Delano to Visalia. If you were observant, you
noticed Visalia was 69 miles from Bakersfield. Since we added
Delano 30 miles north of Bakersfield, the distance to Visalia from
Delano is 39 miles.
Enter <CA-99> (the route)
Enter <39> (the distance).
Everything is now correct. If you wish to make this change
permanent, return to the main menu with
Select <*>.
Then save the new map with
Select <5> (Save the Map).
Just hitting enter will save the map as under its current name
(CA). As this is a rather specialized change that only you would
use, you can rename the map by entering something like <my-ca>.
NOTE: I suggest that you definitely change the map
name to maintain the first map in its original condition.
APPENDIX B TO MAP MAKER DOCUMENTATION
(BUILDING A NEW MAP)
1. Introduction. Building a new map is nothing more than
adding new cities and connections without loading a map from memory
first. This mini-tutorial will, however, help reinforce this
rather simple concept and allow practice with the various menus.
2. Getting started.
a. For this example we will build a very simple map of
the western US with only ten cities. I will give you the basic
route and distance information, but in actual practice, you will
need an accurate road map to collect this data.
b. Load VP and select Map Maker. If you are already
using VP and have a map in memory such as the USA or CA map, you
must quit VP and rerun it to delete the map from memory.
3. Making a map.
a. From your paper map select the major cities that you
want included on your computer map. Many factors will influence
the cities you select. Among them are:
1) Desired detail. Your trip planning will only
be as good as your map--both with the computer and paper map. To
plan a trip from Los Angeles to New York with a map that has every
road and city in the US would be very difficult. A map with only
the interstate system would obviously be better. Likewise, a trip
from Colorado Springs, CO to Oklahoma City, OK with a map
containing only the interstate road system would very likely result
in a lot longer trip than necessary.
2) Speed and patience. With too many cities, it
will take longer to calculate routes; however with too few, good
short cuts will be missed.
3) Anticipated use. A businessman my want to
include the cities he visits regardless of their size. A retired
couple with a RV may include popular vacation spots. Someone in
the military might include every military installation.
b. For this example the cities are Los Angeles, San
Diego, and San Francisco, California; Portland, OR; Salt Lake City,
UT; Las Vegas, NV; Albuquerque, NM; El Paso, TX; Cheyenne, WY; and
Denver, CO.
c. It is not absolutely necessary, but it is
considerably easier, if you enter all the cities first--before
connecting them. To do this from the Map Maker Main Menu,
Select <2>/<a> (Add cities to Map/Start a new map)
At the prompts enter the city and state names of our ten cities.
Note that if the state name is the same as the previous one, you
need only hit enter.
Enter <Los Angeles> Enter <CA>
Enter <San Diego> Enter <> (CA was the previous entry)
Enter <San Francisco> Enter <>
Enter <Portland> Enter <OR>
Enter <Salt Lake City> Enter <UT>
Enter <Denver> Enter <CO>
Enter <Albuquerque> Enter <NM>
Enter <Cheyenne> Enter <WY>
Enter <Las Vegas> Enter <NM>
Enter <El Paso> Enter <TX>
If you make a mistake, delete the city and then add it again
correctly.
d. Adding Connections.
1) A recommended technique is to make a list of all
the cities and add each city's connections on paper before trying
to enter them in MM. You can start this list using the MM "Print
Map" option with your printer line spacing set to at least double
spacing--even bigger spacing is better.
2) To each city on this list, add the connecting
cities along with the route and distance to that city. In our
case, that list will look like this...
Albuquerque, NM
Denver, CO I25 437 miles
El Paso, TX I25 266
Los Angeles, CA I40/I15/I10 811
Cheyenne, WY
Denver, CO I25 100
Salt Lake City, UT I80 436
Denver, CO
Albuquerque, NM I25 437
Cheyenne, WY I25 100
El Paso, TX
Albuquerque, NM I25 266
San Diego, CA I8/I10 733
Las Vegas, NV
Los Angeles, CA I10/I15 275
Salt Lake City, UT I15 419
Los Angeles, CA
San Diego, CA I5 124
San Francisco, CA I5/I580 409
Las Vegas, NV I10/I15 275
Albuquerque, NM I40/I15/I10 811
Portland, OR
San Francisco, CA I5/I580 637
Salt Lake City, UT I84 763
Salt Lake City, UT
Las Vegas, NV I15 419
Cheyenne, WY I80 436
Portland, OR I84 763
San Francisco, CA I80 752
San Diego, CA
Los Angeles, CA I5 124
El Paso, TX I8/I10 733
San Francisco, CA
Portland, OR I5/I80 637
Los Angeles, CA I5/I580 409
Salt Lake City, UT I80 752
3) Making the above chart is the most difficult part
of building a map. The good news is that the rest is easy. From
the MM Main Menu,
Select <3>/<c> (Change a Map).
Find, Highlight, and Select the desired city.
From here select "a"dd a connection and enter the city number if
known or use "r"eview to find it. Enter the route and distance
information from your chart. Continue adding all the connections,
and then go to the next city using "g"o to a new city or the
right/left arrow keys. As you go to new cities, you will find some
connections already exist. MM realizes that if Albuquerque is
connected to Denver by I-25 for 437 miles, Denver is connected to
Albuquerque by the same route and distance. You actually only have
to enter half of the connections shown in the chart above.
4) Remember the fundamental rule of computers.
Never type more without saving your work than you are willing to
retype. Return to the main menu frequently and save your map as
"westusa".
e. When finished make one final save. You can go
immediately to "Trip Planner" by exiting MM and selecting <1>.
After calculating a few trips, I am sure you will find yourself
back in MM adding more cities and connections to increase the
usefulness of this simple map.
