Let me begin by saying, I think it's amazing these days to be able to take a GPS out on the trails and later download your tracks into software that shows you exactly where you've been. Maybe I'm just a fool for technology, but this is really cool stuff!

I bought National Geographic's TOPO! software back in February 2001 to map the snowmobile trails we ride in Washington state. For the most part, I am very happy with the product and like it a lot. However as with most products, I feel there are always a few things that could be improved upon or completely redone to make the product even better. I haven't considered switching to a competitor's package yet (like Delorme's Topo USA or MapTech's Terrain Navigator) but would be interested in working with these other topographical mapping products to see how they work in comparison.

Here are my product improvement suggestions that I believe could help make TOPO! even better.

OFFER MORE COLORS - BRIGHTER IS BETTER
Problem: It sure would be nice if this software provided a wider range of color choices for routes and symbols. Of the mere SEVEN colors available in version 2.6.6, only TWO of the choices (red and yellow) provide a decent amount of contrast to stand out on every map level without blending in too much. As for the remaning FIVE (dark green, dark blue, dark purple, black and white), these are practically useless unless you're showing climbing routes on glacier covered peaks. ...and even then, I still think brighter is better.

I can't be the only one with such a request. I haven't compared TOPO! with their competition (yet) but anyone else familiar with this type of mapping software will likely agree that the shade of blue offered looks too much like rivers and streams, the shade of green too much like the landscape and the base color of these maps, purple and black are easily mistaken for topographical or mountain contour lines (regardless of the Shaded Relief setting). ...and do I even need to comment about white?? Red can also be debatable on some levels since it can easily blend in with major roads such as those displayed on map level 3.

Solution: I realize it's no longer the 80's but FLOURESCENT is O.K. in this case!! Don't most of us use this software to "highlight" tracks and trails like you would on regular printed maps?? Then give us some bright, high contrast colors to make it easier to distinguish my tracks from map trails.

Oh, and remind me to make sure my kids aren't using black highlighters for school...

DOH! - GOTTA HAVE UNDO
Problem: Has anyone else spent hours upon hours tracing, splitting and joining routes as you plot different trail connections or plan the ideal legs of a long hike?? ...and then accidentally delete a route because you clicked the wrong button in this process? ...or thought you were selecting one route for deletion and you were really on the other because they were too close together to tell??

Solution: A feature to "undo" your last action would be a real nice enhancement. It doesn't have to be a super fancy feature like Adobe Photoshop with the ability to step backward or forward X number of times (I'm a version 6 user), but it would be great to at least be able to back out of the very last change ot two that was made, accidental or not.

LAYER IT ON BABY
Problem: Here's a feature that would make TOPO! the BEST topographical software in the WORLD!! Allow for multiple .tpo files to be opened up as "layers". In other words, each file opened would overlap and remain SEPARATE until you chose to "flatten" or merge the layers into one. Why is this such a big deal? Maybe I've hiked a popular trail and want to compare my tracks with those of a friend's or one posted to mapXchange. I want to view these side-by-side -- comparing my tracks with another, making changes only to mine without modifying the other -- tracking my progress along some backcountry hike overlaying someone else's map using it only as a reference.

Solution: To view maps "side-by-side" (or as overlays), maybe you use a tab interface vertically along the left side of the window to bring to the forefront the page you wish to alter. By selecting the different tabs, you would toggle between the different maps you wish to change. The mapping elements for that foreground file would always appear on top of the others. This would allow you to trace your route plan over a "master" route for example. This tab layout would also allow users to 1) save files individually (by selecting "Save" while that tab was the highlighted file), or 2) "Save All" to save each file separately but all at once or 3) "Merge" to flatten all the files into one and then save. You might also consider the ability to "hide" some of the layers to help users quickly identify which route or symbol exists on which layer as they would all appear as one in this "virtual" space. Again, Adobe Photoshop version 6 does a great job at providing layers for graphic design and manipulation.

Need a few sample files to illustrate what I'm talking about? Say you went out on your snowmobile last weekend to your favorite riding area and found some new trails you had never been on before. In order to get to them, you had to tavel a series of other trails that you've traveled a hundred times over. Since you don't like to fuss with the GPS during the ride, you always have it set to record your tracks from beginning to end (sample file #1). When you get home and download the tracks, you want to show these new found trails on your "master map" of this riding area (sample file #2). Ok, here's the challenge: update sample file #2, using sample file #1 as the actual/accurate reference, without changing sample file #1. Make sure to keep the "master" file, sample #2, clean! I know there are tricks you can use to accompish this - I'm not looking for tricks - I'm looking for an intuitive user interface intended by the software!

I think an advanced feature like this would offer great functionality for advanced users.

ONCE ON A LEVEL, STAY ON A LEVEL
Problem: Say you open a TOPO! map file and zoom in to one of the more detailed levels looking for a specific landmark or point of interest. For example, the most detailed view at "Level 5 of 5, 7.5' Map Series". You realize you opened the wrong map but have pinpointed the location you were after. Upon opening the corret tpo file, you are automatically brought back to the General Reference Map, Level 1 of 5... why??

Solution: As the user who should be in control of the software, I had already opened a file and took steps to drill down to an intended view of the map. When I open another file (maybe to look at ajoining areas stored in separate files), the software should leave me at the map level I specifically navigated to from the previous action. Especially when you have the Overview Maps pane showing in the right frame. In any case, if I found my way to Level 5 in the first map file I opened, I can certaintly find my way back to Level 1 on any subsequent file open if I needed to zoom out to expand my view again.

NEED TO SAVE STATE
Problem: Why is it that when you close TOPO! and start the program over again, the File Open dialog box prompts you with where the program is installed instead of the folder of files you last opened? Maybe I'm not like the rest, but Microsoft Windows for the last several years has trained me to install applications in the "Program Files" folder while saving data files to the "My Documents" folder structure.

Solution: Software these days should at least be as smart as knowing where you opened or saved your last data file.

BUG OR BY DESIGN
Problem: I have always wondered why the Bookmarks in TOPO! don't display alphabetically? Is this a bug or by design? I'd say it's a bug... or if it's by design, at least give users the ability to customize the order of bookmark entries in a way that makes sense to them. I can understand why the list may not auto-sort from A-Z if someone wanted to make bookmarks on a trail from say, north to south. In this case, I sure would hope you don't enter 15 or so and realize later you forgot one near the top!

Solution: Bookmarks should at least have the ability to be manually sorted just in case you did need to slip in the forgotten location that should appear 3rd in the list of 15 from north to south. If you need an example, take a look at Microsoft Windows. Click on the "Start" button, then hover your mouse over "Programs". When the next level of choices flys open, notice how you can drag and drop items in that list to arrange the order of this menu how ever it makes sense to you.

FILE, NEW
Problem: Here's another question of BUG or BY DESIGN?? Open a .tpo file that may store your favorite bike routes. Say you now want to start a new file for your favorite hiking routes. With BikeRoutes.tpo open, there's no graceful way to start a new file but to choose "Delete Contents (New)". The problem is, once you've selected the types of objects you want to delete (which would very likely be all) and select OK, the file BikeRoutes.tpo is still open as the active file! How easy is it to accidentally save over the top and lose all that work you've collected in BikeRoutes.tpo? I shouldn't have to do a "Save As" in this case in order to not screw up my data when I thought, in essence, I selected "File, New".

The expected behavior takes place with waypoint files. Open a .tpg file like BikePoints.tpg. Now decide you want to start a new one called HikePoints.tpg. From the File menu, select "Close (.tpg) File (New)". Notice how it instantly replaces the open file name in the title bar to "Untitled.tpg". How easy it is now to accidentally overwrite BikePoints.tpg? Much more difficult than it would be to overwrite in the scenario described above.

Solution: Upon selecting OK from the "Delete Contents (New)" dialog box, it should instantly replace the open file name with "Untitled.tpo" to completely avoid any situation where you might accidentally overwite personally valuable data files.

Care to comment on my feature improvement ideas?
Drop me a line...