Suggestions for mapping software?

[TheAxeman]

I know quite a few of you use Streets and Trips. Is this the most functional, up to date, and most user friendly mapping software? I googled "mapping software" and, of course, came up with an overwhelming amount of offerings. A little help would be appreciated.

 

[airboss]

I don't know about best or easy, but I use streets & trips, if I can make it work anybody can, $34.95 at Best Buy and Bill Gates sent me his personnel check for $10 just for buying it. :blink:

 

[jwilly]

I have used MS Streets and Trips for several years and I think it's pretty good. One thing that is nice using the same software as most people is you can email routes and directions to someone else and they can open them easily.

-jwilly

 

[tcfjr]

+1 on Streets and Trips.

 

[Scab]

Is that software useable on any GPS or is it brand-specific?

Yes, I am GPS ignorant.

 

[Ignacio]

Often discussed and usually subjective with MANY threads on the subject of this forum. Try entering +mapping +software in the Search button of the forum. I saw at least a half dozen very helpful threads.

 

[TheAxeman]

Often discussed and usually subjective with MANY threads on the subject of this forum. Try entering +mapping +software in the Search button of the forum. I saw at least a half dozen very helpful threads.

Call me stupid.

I put in mapping+software and came up with one thread that didn't tell me much.

 

[ionbeam]

I put in mapping+software

Be sure you put in +mapping +software
I've mentioned this to Ignacio in the past, if I put in +mapping +software and search I may only get one or two hits, but if I immediately try a second time I get up to a couple of pages of hits. When I put in +mapping +software this time I also only got one hit but when I did a second search using the very same terms I got two pages of hits. It has become SOP for me to do at least two identical searches before moving on and trying different search terms.

 

[Ignacio]

Often discussed and usually subjective with MANY threads on the subject of this forum. Try entering +mapping +software in the Search button of the forum. I saw at least a half dozen very helpful threads.

Call me stupid.

I put in mapping+software and came up with one thread that didn't tell me much.

Don't put in mapping+software. Put in +mapping +software. There's a space and an extra + sign you're missing.

Or read this Search FAQ

 

[Chips]

Is that software useable on any GPS or is it brand-specific?
Yes, I am GPS ignorant.

Not brand specific but can be used to create routes to import into several GPS brands using GPSBabel (https://www.gpsbabel.org/). Depending on your GPS, results will vary but I've had success transforming the Streets and Trips .est files into Garmin .gdb files

 

[XHD4FJR]

I work in transportation and logistics I have tried other programs but streets & trips is best IMO. Address & street names are accurate 98% directions can be a little wordy but aren't impossible to follow. The route planner is easy to use just click on your stops or waypoints and set your choices (senic, fastest, shortest, freeway, secondary)and your good to go. The Virtual Earth link that gives you aerial views is a great feature allowing you to see landmarks and buildings and in some cases street level pictures of an area.

 

[HaulinAshe]

+1 on MS Streets & Trips

Might I suggest to create one map file with your home as the START point and all your preferences established. Then always start a new trip plan by opening that file and SavingAs. Saves me a lot of time with all those preferences.

 

[radman]

Not brand specific but can be used to create routes to import into several GPS brands using GPSBabel (https://www.gpsbabel.org/). Depending on your GPS, results will vary but I've had success transforming the Streets and Trips .est files into Garmin .gdb files

That would be nice. Garmins MapSource blows manipulation wise compared to S&T. I'll give it a try this week, thanks for the tip.

 

[slapnpop]

I put in mapping+software

Be sure you put in +mapping +software
I've mentioned this to Ignacio in the past, if I put in +mapping +software and search I may only get one or two hits, but if I immediately try a second time I get up to a couple of pages of hits. When I put in +mapping +software this time I also only got one hit but when I did a second search using the very same terms I got two pages of hits. It has become SOP for me to do at least two identical searches before moving on and trying different search terms.

Are you sure searching exactly the same each time? Forums to search in, dates, etc?

There's no good reason for why it would only return part of the results the first time.

 

[ionbeam]

Are you sure searching exactly the same each time? Forums to search in, dates, etc? There's no good reason for why it would only return part of the results the first time.

I agree, it doesn't make sense, however you can't argue with actual results. I do Ctrl C/Ctrl V same screen, same settings, within seconds of each search. Same wildly different results on several different machines, each machine using different servers. Happens using Windows 98; Windows 2000; Windows XP (see a bad trend? :glare: ) Doesn't matter if using Earthlink, GSI Net, Charternet or Ready Hosting.
Now that I have found that two quick back to back searches using Ctrl C/Ctrl V yield hugely different results I can live with it. Some things just can't be explained....

[it acts almost like a time-out issue. Try double searches for a while.]

 

[HaulinAshe]

Slappy,

Makes sense if the data is stored in SQL (which I assume it is). Most every SQL library returns partial result sets whenever a timeout occurs. Some are tweakable on the timeout setting, some are not. Most all web-serving libraries are set for a fairly short timeout (and typically hard coded). Designers figure that a partial result set is better than the user abandoning the viewing process.

This also would explain why the second search yields full results. Some, or most of the data records are stored in cache at that point, resulting in a complete record return without a timeout on the second pass.

Jeff

 

[Scab]

I put in mapping+software

Be sure you put in +mapping +software
I've mentioned this to Ignacio in the past, if I put in +mapping +software and search I may only get one or two hits, but if I immediately try a second time I get up to a couple of pages of hits. When I put in +mapping +software this time I also only got one hit but when I did a second search using the very same terms I got two pages of hits. It has become SOP for me to do at least two identical searches before moving on and trying different search terms.

Are you sure searching exactly the same each time? Forums to search in, dates, etc?

There's no good reason for why it would only return part of the results the first time.

Tis true. Tried it myself. I duplicated the results exactly. Would also explain a lot of the frustration with searches.