TopoFusion

Last updated
TopoFusion
Developer(s)
  • Scott Morris
  • Alan Morris
[1]
Initial release2002;21 years ago (2002)
Stable release
5.51 / 5 August 2018;5 years ago (2018-08-05) [2]
Operating system Microsoft Windows
Type GPS Mapping
License Proprietary
Website www.topofusion.com
As of27 October 2018

TopoFusion GPS Mapping software designed to plan and analyze trails using topographic maps and GPS tracks.

Contents

History

The software was created in 2002 by two brothers who were outdoor bikepacking enthusiasts and felt software could help them plan better trails. [3] They developed the first version of the software in 2002 and one included it as part of his doctorate dissertation on GPS Driven Trail Simulation and Network Production. [4] In 2004 the developers and one other jointly presented the paper Digital Trail Libraries which illustrated some of the graph theory algorithms used by the software. [5] [1] As of 2018 the software remains supported with refined functionality and improved support for additional maps and GPS Devices. [6]

Features

The software was designed to plan and analyze trails. [7] When used for planning proposed routes may be planned and checked against different maps, and the result(s) downloaded to a GPS tracking device. [7] Topofusion is particularly noted for eased of switch and combining maps and for capability of simultaneously managing multiple trails. [8] After a trail has been executed the resultant GPS log can be uploaded to TopoFusion and the actual route analyzed with the addition of any photographic images recorded on route. [7]

The product is marketed as a fully featured 'professional version and a more basic version with reduced functionality at lower cost. A fully featured trial version which is not time limited is available which restricts usability by watermarking map display tiles by overlaying the word 'DEMO'. [2] The software is available directly Microsoft Windows only, [9] however TopoFusion has claimed users have reported success using VMWare Fusion and Parallels emulation on Mac OS. [3] [10]

Applications

TopoFusion has been found useful by those engaged in the sport of geocaching. [11]

The software has been used in assisting analysis of GPS routes. A survey reported in 2004 of GPS tracking of motorists visiting the Acadia National Park in Maine, United States was assisted by use of Topofusion to review the scenes visited. [12] It has also been used in studies of agriculture transportation logistics. [1]

TopoFusion can also assist in determining where photographs have been taken on a trail and can geocoded photo the image or tag it onto a map. For this to be successful the digital camera's time must be synchronized with the GPS unit time, and both the GPS track and digital images made available to Topofusion. The time when the image was taken can then be matched to the time on the GPS log and this enables the image to be enhanced with geocode fields when Real-time geotagging was not available when the image was taken. TopoFusion can also optionally annotate maps with images. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geographic information system</span> System to capture, manage and present geographic data

A geographic information system (GIS) consists of integrated computer hardware and software that store, manage, analyze, edit, output, and visualize geographic data. Much of this often happens within a spatial database, however, this is not essential to meet the definition of a GIS. In a broader sense, one may consider such a system also to include human users and support staff, procedures and workflows, the body of knowledge of relevant concepts and methods, and institutional organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geocaching</span> Outdoor recreational activity

Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called geocaches or caches, at specific locations marked by coordinates all over the world. As of 2023, there are over 3 million active caches worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topographic map</span> Medium to large scale map that shows a precise map of the terrain

In modern mapping, a topographic map or topographic sheet is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief features, usually using contour lines, but historically using a variety of methods. Traditional definitions require a topographic map to show both natural and artificial features. A topographic survey is typically based upon a systematic observation and published as a map series, made up of two or more map sheets that combine to form the whole map. A topographic map series uses a common specification that includes the range of cartographic symbols employed, as well as a standard geodetic framework that defines the map projection, coordinate system, ellipsoid and geodetic datum. Official topographic maps also adopt a national grid referencing system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeLorme</span> Personal satellite tracking and navigation technology company

DeLorme Publishing Company was a producer of personal satellite tracking, messaging, and navigation technology. In 2016, Garmin acquired the company's products and the DeLorme trademark. The company's main product, inReach, integrates GPS and satellite technologies. inReach provides the ability to send and receive text messages anywhere in the world by using the Iridium satellite constellation. By pairing with a smart phone, navigation is possible with access to free downloadable topographic maps and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) charts. On February 11, 2016, the company announced that it had been purchased by Garmin, a multinational producer of GPS products and services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geotagged photograph</span> Photograph associated with a geographical location

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geotagging</span> Act of associating geographic coordinates to digital media

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Address geocoding, or simply geocoding, is the process of taking a text-based description of a location, such as an address or the name of a place, and returning geographic coordinates, frequently latitude/longitude pair, to identify a location on the Earth's surface. Reverse geocoding, on the other hand, converts geographic coordinates to a description of a location, usually the name of a place or an addressable location. Geocoding relies on a computer representation of address points, the street / road network, together with postal and administrative boundaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3D scanning</span> Scanning of an object or environment to collect data on its shape

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">OpenStreetMap</span> Collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">TomTom</span> Dutch manufacturer of automotive navigation systems

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point of interest</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Journey planner</span>

A journey planner, trip planner, or route planner is a specialized search engine used to find an optimal means of travelling between two or more given locations, sometimes using more than one transport mode. Searches may be optimized on different criteria, for example fastest, shortest, fewest changes, cheapest. They may be constrained, for example, to leave or arrive at a certain time, to avoid certain waypoints, etc. A single journey may use a sequence of several modes of transport, meaning the system may know about public transport services as well as transport networks for private transportation. Trip planning or journey planning is sometimes distinguished from route planning, which is typically thought of as using private modes of transportation such as cycling, driving, or walking, normally using a single mode at a time. Trip or journey planning, in contrast, would make use of at least one public transport mode which operates according to published schedules; given that public transport services only depart at specific times, an algorithm must therefore not only find a path to a destination, but seek to optimize it so as to minimize the waiting time incurred for each leg. In European Standards such as Transmodel, trip planning is used specifically to describe the planning of a route for a passenger, to avoid confusion with the completely separate process of planning the operational journeys to be made by public transport vehicles on which such trips are made.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satellite navigation device</span> Device that can calculate its geographical position based on satellite information

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Here Technologies</span> Netherlands-based mapping data company

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The Ricoh 500SE digital compact camera is suitable for outdoor photography and networkability. Capability includes external information such as GPS position or barcode numbers within the image headers. External vendors sell hardware and software for workflows involving GPS positioning or barcode scanning. Most NMEA compliant bluetooth GPS receivers can be used with this camera through its built in bluetooth communication capability. The body is resistant to dust and water, making it robust for many environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Fusion Tables</span> Data management web service

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Wikiloc is a website, launched in 2006, containing GPS trails and waypoints that members have uploaded. This mashup shows the routes in frames showing Google Maps. The service is also available in Google Earth. There are mobile apps for Android and iPhone. The product has more than 11M members, is offered in many languages and has more than 37.9M tracks of dozens of activities in many countries and territories. Wikiloc began as a worldwide online reference for hiking. Additionally, photographs on Wikiloc enabled automated content analysis to characterize the landscape in the Ebro Delta Natural Park, Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Locus Map</span>

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Lauer, Johannes; Zipf, Alexander (2010-05-11). Painho, Marco; Santos, Maribel Yasmina; Pundt, Hardy (eds.). A workflow for improving the availability of routable data (OSM) for logistics in agriculture - using data from Telematics-systems and community-based quality management (PDF). The 13th AGILE International Conference on Geographic Information Science. Guimarães, Portugal. ISBN   978-989-20-1953-6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-10-28. Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  2. 1 2 "TopoFusion download page". TopoFusion. Archived from the original on 2007-01-07. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
  3. 1 2 "The Complete Route Planning Guide: Get out of the ether". BIKEPACKING LLC. 16 June 2016. Topofusion. Archived from the original on 2018-03-07. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  4. ↑ Scott Morris. GPS Driven Trail Simulation and Network Production (PhD).
  5. ↑ Morris, S.; Morris, A.; Barnard, K. (2004-06-07). "Digital trail libraries". In Chen, Hsinchun; Wactlar, Howard; Chen, Ching-chih; Lim, Ee-Peng; Christel, Mike (eds.). Proceedings of the 2004 Joint ACM/IEEE Conference on Digital Libraries. JCDL '04 ACM/IEEE Joint Conference on Digital Libraries 2004. Tucson, Arizona, United States: IEEE. pp. 63−71. doi:10.1109/JCDL.2004.1336099. ISBN   1-58113-832-6. Archived from the original on 2018-10-29. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  6. ↑ "TopoFusion Pro Revision History". TopoFusion. Archived from the original on 2018-10-29. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  7. 1 2 3 "About TopoFusion". TopoFusion. Archived from the original on 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
  8. ↑ Gardiner, Geoff (2009-12-31). "Gadget Guy – TopoFusion Pro" (PDF). The Dog House (11th ed.). susark9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-10-28. Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  9. ↑ McNamara, Joel (10 Oct 2008). GPS for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 254. ISBN   978-0470156230.
  10. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". TopoFusion. Archived from the original on 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
  11. ↑ McNamara, Joel (10 October 2008). Geocaching for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN   9781118054383. TopoFusion.
  12. ↑ Hallo, Jeffrey C.; Manning, Robert E.; Valliere, William; Budruk, Megha (2005). "A Case Study Comparison of Visitor Self Reported and GPS Recorded Travel Routes" (PDF). In Bricker, Kelly (ed.). Proceedings of the 2004 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium. Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-326. Newtown Square, PA: Northern Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. pp. 174−176. doi:10.2737/NE-GTR-326. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-06-30. Retrieved 27 October 2018.{{cite conference}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  13. ↑ Erle, Schuyler; Gibson, Rich; Walsh, Jo (19 Jun 2005). Mapping Hacks: Tips & Tools for Electronic Cartography (1st ed.). O'Reilly Media. p.  34. ISBN   978-0596007034.
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