Your Map control panel probably looks like one of these images (color Macs shown at left, black-and-white shown at right).
They're OK, I guess, but look what happens when you zoom the picture 8X by holding shift and option keys while opening the Map control panel (see Map zooming in Macworld Mac SECRETS, or read the end of this document, if you're not familiar with the zooming options of the Map control panel):
Obviously the resolution is acceptable only for the unzoomed image!
So how about pasting an image with 8 times higher resolution into the Map cdev, that is an image 8 times wider and taller than the default images?
Here's the answer, same part of the world, same zoom rate:
Now imagine that you could boost the image window in Map control panel, and thereby be able to see more of the image at the same time:
The folder HiResMap 1.6 contains all you need to modify your Map control panel like this.
(If you have a black-and-white Mac you won't have the legend in the Map main window. The controls will be placed side by side below the image window.)
Step #1:
Pasting the image
(Please note that you must have QuickTime installed for this stunt! You may also have to give SimpleText a bigger memory allotment. See Memory allotments for programs in Chapter 10 of Macworld Mac SECRETS if you don't know how.)
Open one of following files with SimpleText:
Map Image color
Map Image b/w
(Note for color Macs: Before opening the file, set an appropriate screen depth with the Monitors or Monitors & Sound control panel. This will become the permanent pixel depth of the image and affects the appearance of the unzoomed image whenever opening Map control panel in the future:
From top left to bottom right: appearance of unzoomed image at 16, 256 and thousands of colors, respectively. Future changes of the screen depth won't affect the appearance much. Larger pixel depth = slower image loading when opening the Map control panel.)
The method for the next step depends on what system you run:
For system versions up to and including 7.5.5:
Choose Select All from the Edit menu.
Choose Copy from the Edit menu.
Open (a copy of) the Map control panel.
Click anywhere in the map image.
Choose Paste from the Edit menu.
For system version 8.0:
Choose Select All from the Edit menu.
Choose Copy from the Edit menu.
Open (a copy of) the Map control panel with ResEdit.
Open resource type PICT.
Open resource ID -4064.
Choose Paste from the Edit menu.
Close ResEdit.
(There seems to bee a bug in system 8.0 that makes it impossible to paste a picture into Map control panel whithout tampering whith a resource editor such as ResEdit. That's why you have to use the second method. I don't know whether you can use the first method for system 7.6. Try!)
That's it!
When you get tired of browsing the world through that small window, turn to the next project:
Step #2:
Boosting the window
(The 12"screen and 13"up options also add a legend for the map.)
Depending on your screen size, choose one of the following files:
9"classics (for Plus, SE, SE/30, Classic etc)
12"screen (for Colour Classic, PB 165c, Duo etc)
13"up
Open the file with ResEdit.
Copy all the resources (except the '<DF>' resource type that appears if you have the Forker extension!!!)
Open (a copy of) the Map control panel with ResEdit.
Paste the copied resources into it.
When asked if you want to replace resources with the same id:s, click Yes.
That's it!
A couple of words about
zooming on really fast Macs:
(For basic zooming instructions see Zooming options in the Map control panel at the end of this document.)
I tried my modified version of Map on "beta tester" Tobias' 604e 200 MHz Mac (8600). The x2 and x8 zooming options involve the shift key being kept pushed during Map launching, but AFTER double clicking. The timing was REALLY tricky on the 8600 since the Map window blew open almost BEFORE the double click was completed! The obvious workaround was this:
Select the Map icon.
Hold down the modifier keys combination for the zooming rate you want, also when it includes the shift key.
Open Map with cmd-O instead of double clicking it. If you don't want the big location marks, you will have to let go the cmd key (but not the shift and/or opt keys) IMMEDIATELY after hitting the O-key. Again, this is a matter of timing! If absence of big location marks is really essential, you will simply have to use the mouse and choose the Open command in the File menu, while holding the modifier key combo for the desired zoom rate/big marks configuration.
So you want to know the name of
one of those flashing cities, eh?
Piece of cake!
Place the arrowhead in the vicinity of the mark. Push the mouse button, and keep it down while you scan the approximate center of the flashing area. Once you hit the hot spot, the name of the city will appear in the text box and won't disappear until you do a new MouseDown. As long as you keep the mouse button down after hitting the first hot spot, you may even hit others whithout anything happens.
Note that even if you choose big location marks, the hot spot is only one pixel (the lower right of the center four pixels of the mark)!
About this hack
This ResEdit hack is freeware. You may distribute it freely, compressed or not, as long as you don't split the package or modify the files, and as long as you don't charge anyone for it. Please be sure to distribute only the complete folder HiResMap 1.6 containing exactly these six files:
Read Me
Map Image b/w
Map Image color
9"classics
12"screen
13"up
About the map image
The map image started out as a b/w outline image downloaded from:
http://mapweb.parc.xerox.com/map
If you are at all interested in maps you simply HAVE to visit this superb site!!
Images are generated on line at your own specifications by their Xerox PARC Map Viewer. Map rendering options are encoded into the URL by typing in the URL textbox and/or clicking words in the text body of the HTML document. Codes are explained in a separate HTML document. The URL resulting in the map I used for this hack is: http://mapweb.parc.xerox.com/map/db=world/all/color/proj=rect/iwd=2912/iht=1456
Images are not copyrighted according to the FAQ on the same site.
I colorized the image in 4 bit color (standard system palette) using GraphicConverter 2.8 by Thorsten Lemke.
Göteborg, Sweden, Feb 12, 1998
Göran Svegler
Sten Sturegatan 25
S-412 52 GÖTEBORG
SWEDEN
Tel +46-31-181-714
E-mail: goran.svegler@mbox300.swipnet.se
(Coordinates: Göteborg 57° 44' N, 11° 58' E)
Zooming options in
the Map control panel:
_______________________________
Zoom rate | Modifier keys
x1 (default) | None
x2 | Shift
x4 | Option
x8 | Shift + Option
Hold the modifier(s) during Map launching. Note: When the shift key is involved you must wait to push it till immediately AFTER the double click, or the Map icon will just toggle between selected and deselected mode. Add the cmd-key during opening procedure if you want the size of flashing location marks to follow the zoom rate.
