Interact With Trails

May 25, 2016Help ManualStephen Johnson

Topo Maps+ 5 includes over 500,000 trails that can overlay the maps. You can tap on any of these trails to see their distance and to get an elevation profile.

You can rename the trail or tap on the settings to customize how the trail looks on the map.

In the elevation profile you can move the crosshairs to see the distance and elevation between any two points in the profile. When you do this the trail on the map will highlight the section of trail that is between the crosshairs in the elevation profile.

When you zoom in on the map, it will show the distance between trail segments, right on the map. As you continue to zoom in, you will see red dots at each of the trail junctions.

When you trace your own rotes you will also see red dots where they intersect other trails and you will see distances between trail segments. In these examples the brown route is a traced route.

With Topo Maps+ PRO, when you select a trail on the map you can also move the crosshairs at the ends of the trail. You will be able to move these crosshairs over trails that connect to the trail that the crosshairs are on. This lets you easily create new routes from existing trail networks.

If there is a gap in the trail network you add your own trace routes between any two trails to connect the trails. Here is an example where the brown trail joins the two green trails.

To learn how to trace a route on the map click here.

Printing Topo Maps

May 5, 2016Help Manual, UncategorizedStephen Johnson

We all know we should never solely rely on technology in the backcountry, but it can be easy to get lazy and not take the time to get a printed map. While appropriate use of technology can make our adventures more enjoyable it can also give us a false sense of security. Thankfully printing maps before you head out is easy in Topo Maps+. Having a printed map can sometimes be the difference between making it out and being lost with an iOS device that ran out of battery. Topo Maps+ makes it easy to print maps on your printer at home, even if you don’t have an AirPrint printer. To make sure your map lasts during your adventure you can print your maps on Adventure Paper or put them in a water proof map case.

To print a map in Topo Maps+ select Prepare from the toolbar and then Print Map. You can then choose if you want to print the map directly from your iOS device or email yourself the map to print from another computer.

Zoom and pan the map to get the region you want to print. The printed map will use a zoomed in map for the area you selected.

You can customize the map with the print options. The print options let you choose the paper size, the collar size (are around the outside of the map), and turn waypoints and routes on or off.

Once you have zoomed to the area you want to print tap on the Preview button to see what the printed map will look like.

When you have the map ready, use the Share button in the upper right corner to print the map or to email it to yourself.

Using Topo Maps+ you can easily create beautiful printed maps to help you discover the great outdoors.

What’s New in Topo Maps+ 3.5

November 9, 2015ReleasesStephen Johnson

Guide Me

You can use the new Guide Me feature to have Topo Maps+ help you navigate to a waypoint. See “Guide Me” for more information.

iOS 9 Support

Topo Maps+ now supports iOS 9 split screen, 3D touch on the iPhone 6s, and the new iPad Pro.

Native watchOS 2 App

Topo Maps+ runs faster as a native app on watchOS 2 and uses the digital crown to zoom in and out on the map. Your current trip distance can be displayed right on the watch face using a complication and you can also download maps directly to your Apple Watch.

Improved distance and elevation profiles

Newly traced routes use an improved distance calculation and have more accurate elevation profiles.

Distance and heading from current location

Distance rings now show distance and heading from current location.

New Waypoint Options

You can view waypoint titles on the map.

If you have the waypoint in the wrong location you can now move it.

While adding a waypoint you can now easily view & edit the coordinates.

5×5 UTM Coordinate Support

You can enter just the first 5 digits of the easting and northing for UTM coordinates and Topo Maps+ will figure out the rest from the center of the map. See this article for more information.

Support for importing KMZ files

KMZ files are now a supported file type for importing.

What’s New in Topo Maps+ 3.4

July 9, 2015UncategorizedStephen Johnson

Topo Maps+ version 3.4 added a new Outdoor Trails Map with world wide trails. You can access this map by tapping on the map icon in the upper right corner.

If you had previously downloaded maps for the MapBox Outdoor Map you will need to delete and redownload those maps if you want to get the new Outdoor Trails Map in those areas.

What’s New in Topo Maps+ 3.0

April 10, 2015UncategorizedStephen Johnson

New User Interface

Topo Maps+ has an updated the user interface which makes features more accessible and downloading maps even easier.

Use the following links to learn more about using version 3.0 with each of these features.

You can now choose low resolution maps when downloading so that you can download maps over a larger area.

Apple Watch Support

Now you can view your offline maps and current location just by glancing down at your wrist. You no longer need to pull your iPhone out of your pack to check your position. Read more about using Topo Maps+ on the Apple Watch.

New Maps

You can now use the New Zealand Topo50 from the LINZ (Land Information New Zealand).

You can now use the Run, Hike, & Bike map from MapBox.

The MapBox street and outdoors maps have been updated.

Added a settings to make waypoints visible at all zoom levels.

Now you can show waypoints on the map even when you zoom out.

Bug Fixes

Fixed importing GPX files into Garmin Basecamp.
Reduced energy usage by turning off GPS when the app is in the background and it is not recording a trip.
Fixed adding a waypoint while recording a trip leaving a blue trace on the map.
Fixed orientating the map with the compass when in landscape.
Fixed bug where the kph for speed was off when you tapped on the current location.
Fixed an issue where map passes were not always sync’d between your iOS devices.

What’s New in Topo Maps+ 2.7

October 10, 2014UncategorizedStephen Johnson

1. All New Print Map Features

While Topo Maps+ is an awesome application to help you go deeper into the backcountry it is not wise to rely solely on technology. Having a printed map can sometimes be the difference between making it out and being lost with an iOS device that ran out of battery. Topo Maps+ makes it easy to print maps on your printer at home. To make sure your map lasts during your adventure you can print those maps on Adventure Paper or put them in a water proof map case.

Topo Maps+ Works with many Different Maps

July 29, 2014Help Manual, UncategorizedStephen Johnson

Topo Maps+ supports a wide variety of maps to help you with your next adventure.

You can easily change to a different map by selecting “Map Types” in the menu.

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1. USGS Topo Maps

In the US the USGS Topo Maps are the ultimate backcountry map. They have the most detail for off the grid locations. They include rivers, lakes, trails, timberlines, and many more backcountry features. Most of these maps were made between 1940 and 1960, so they are not the best for urban areas where there has been new developments over the last 50 years.

Topo Maps+ has two different USGS maps sources and you can view the maps either with or without shading. You can use the USGS topo maps from either CalTopo or Glacier Peak Studios. In general the maps from CalTopo have higher resolution.

2. NRCAN & GEOBC Topo Maps for Southern and Western Canada

The Topo Maps from CalTopo also include NRCAN & GEOBC Topo Maps for southern and western Canada. These are excellent backcountry maps for Canada. Unfortunately, these maps from CalTopo do not cover all of Canada. You can use MapBox Outdoors and Thunderforest for all of Canada.

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3. World Wide Topo Maps with Thunderforest Topo Map

Thunderforest Topo Map is a world wide topo map that has hiking, biking, and ski trails. The data for Thunderforest comes from the Open Cycle Map and it is continually being updated.

4. World Wide Topo Maps with MapBox Outdoors

MapBox Outdoors is another great option for world wide topo maps. This map is still in beta and is also being continually updated.

5. Satellite Imagery with MapBox Satellite

When researching where to have your next adventure it is often helpful to look at satellite imagery. The satellite map from MapBox lets you view you routes and waypoints on a satellite map.

6. MapBox Street Maps

When you just need a street map to get a to campground or trail head you can use MapBox Street Maps.

Use These Maps Offline

You can use all of these maps offline. You will need to download the regions you want available offline before you go into the backcountry.

What’s New in Version 2.6

July 17, 2014UncategorizedStephen Johnson

Version 2.6 is our biggest release yet! It is packed with new features to help you get out and enjoy the great outdoors.

Organize with Beautiful Tags

You can now organize your routes, trips and waypoints using tags. You can access tags from the menu.

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Topo Maps+ comes with a number of tags already set up and ready for you to use. You can easily add, remove, or edit the existing tags. To add a new tag, scroll down to the bottom of the list of tags and tap on add new tag. You can name the tag and select an image for the tag. You can use one of the built in images or scroll down to the bottom of the list of images to add your own image or to use an image from the map.

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If you want to reorganize or remove a tag, simply scroll to the top of the list of tags and tap on the edit button.

There are two ways to add routes, trips, and waypoints to tags. First, you can go into a tag, tap on “Add Items to Tag”, and then select the items you want in the tag.

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You can also add a route, trip, or waypoint to tags from the route or waypoint details.

Share with Your Friends

You can now easily share your tags, routes, trips, and waypoints with your friends.

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Once you have selected the tags, routes, trips, and waypoints you want to share, tap on the share button at the bottom of the screen. This will generate a URL you can give your friends.

When your friends go to the URL you gave them they will be able to import that data into Topo Maps+ or export the data into KML or GPX files which they can use in other apps like Google Earth.

The data in the sharing link gets updated every time you sync your data in Topo Maps+. You can share a tag with your friends for an upcoming backpack trip and then as you update the tags, the routes in the tag, and the waypoints in the tag, those updates will be reflected on the sharing web page for the tag. Also, if your friends import the same route into Topo Maps+ multiple times the app is smart enough to know to update the existing route and not create a duplicate.

Export to Other Apps

In addition to sharing data in Topo Maps+ you can also export your data into KML and GPX formats. This lets you view your data in other apps like Google Earth. To export your data just tap on “Sharing and Export” in the menu, then “Export Data”, and then select the tags, routes, trips, and waypoints you wan to export.

Once you have selected the data you want to export, select the format (KML or GPX), and then tap on the Export button. You will then be able to email that file or open it in another app that supports that file format.

Import From Other Apps

Topo Maps+ also supports importing routes and waypoints from KML and GPX files. To import the data into Topo Maps+ email yourself the file, then on your iPhone find the email, select the file, tap on the share button, and then select Topo Maps+.

When Topo Maps+ opens it will show you the routes and waypoints from the file. You can choose which ones you want to import and then tap on the import button.

Free Low Resolution Maps

In Topo Maps+ version 2.6 low resolution maps are now completely free. You can download them for offline use and the app will not keep bugging your to upgrade when you don’t have an active pass.

ICS & NWCG Symbols

Firefighters and search & rescue personal can now add Incident Command Symbols and NWCG symbols to waypoints. When you add a waypoint, open the waypoint details, scroll down and tap on the “ICS & NWCG Symbols” button, and then select the symbol you want.

iOS_Simulator_Screen_shot_Jun_26__2014__7_35_27_AM iOS Simulator Screen shot Jun 26, 2014, 7.36.06 AM

New MapBox Maps

Topo Maps+ now has two new MapBox maps. It has the all new MapBox Outdoor Maps and it has the MapBox Street Map which you can download for offline use.

Add waypoint at search hit

You can now easily add a waypoint at a search hit, just tap on the search hit location and select add waypoint.