Many thanks
We’d like to acknowledge the enormous contribution to the mapping community from Michael Wood, who stood down from the Mapping Committee at the start of this year. Michael has single handedly carried the Committee for many years. Thankfully, Michael still continues to share his wealth of knowledge with the committee, as well as any technical issues that he becomes aware of with mapping software. The Committee is still looking for another experienced Mapper to join Michael Croxford and Selwyn Palmer. It’s been a while since the last Mapping Bulletin and the plan is to include monthly updates in Compass Point, each time highlighting a new topic.
New mapping specifications
The IOF have released a number of new mapping specifications since the start of this year. Copies of the documents are now available for download on the IOF website and the symbol sets have been updated in the latest updates of OCAD2018. There have been a number of minor updates within ISOM2017-2 to a number of symbols which are listed at the end of the most recent version available online. A new mapping specification has been released for MTBO (ISMTBOM 2022).The NZ MTBO Committee advises that they do not support the revision as it does not adequately represent off-track travel within the New Zealand context and the current advice is not to update maps.
The Mapping Committee recommends, as a minimum, that these changes should be implemented for all A Grade events going forward unless the mapping has already been completed. We also recommend adopting the specification for any new mapping for clubs going forward. We urge clubs to consider a strategy for the progressive upgrade of any existing maps. Lastly, for clarity for competitors, we strongly recommend that all Event Bulletins and competition maps should clearly state which version of the specification has been used.
We have been advised that Mappers should be aware that there is often a lag between publishing of the new Specification and adoption by the various cartography software packages. For this reason, we recommend that all maps should also list the Mappers name, date of publication and map specification.
The updates affect several uncrossable map symbols:
The dark green ‘Uncrossable Vegetation’ [411] has been reinstated to the specification with a new CMYK definition 100-0-80-30. The symbol is to represent an area of larger vegetation such as a hedge and is distinct from the ‘Area that shall not be entered’ [520] that still represents a flower bed;
‘Out-of-bounds area’ [709] line widths are thinner and spacing is wider to allow recognition of underlying map information.
Also, the updates mainly address the mapping of multi-level structures including:
Redefinition of the bridge symbol to instead show now use a symbol called ‘Bridge or tunnel entrance’ [512.1] to show when it is possible to pass under the bridge. Whereas the ‘Uncrossable Wall’ [515] is to be used when it is not possible to pass under the bridge;
Following on from this is clarification of the use of the symbol for ‘Underpass or tunnel’ [512.2];
new numbering, name and redefinition of the symbol from ‘Paved area in multilevel structures’ [501.2] to ‘Area passable at two levels’ [512.3] allow combination with a wider variety of area symbols to show passability at two levels.
The IOF Map Commission has also prepared a document ‘Guidelines for mapping and course planning in complex urban structures on sprint orienteering maps’ to provide guidelines and present solutions how to appropriately and fairly map and draw complex urban structures on sprint orienteering maps. The new version of ISSprOM 2019-2 and aforementioned guidelines can be downloaded from IOF mapping pages.
All documents available at: https://orienteering.sport/iof/mapping/
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
OChatNZ Slack
