Map Style?

[DavidW]

I've hunted around and haven't found an answer to this - if I've missed it, my apologies.



In the Properties screen, General tab, one of the options is for "Map Style". You can choose "Paper map" (the default) or "Electronic".



I guess this is something to do with visual display of a map - but I can't find any differences no matter which I have selected.





Does anyone know what this is supposed to do, and what visual differences it makes?









David

[alanparrott]

David Hi, I too struggled with this recently.

I find the background of the Brittanica too pale and you can't see the small white roads, so I switched to Germanica and found the background a lot greener and thus the white roads show up better (of course the M'ways are a differnt colour).



I then thought I would try paper again and lo & behold it puts a thin dark edging to the white roads, then switching back to Brittanica it looked beteer. I think I still prefer Germanica providing you can stop your traditonal UK map colour thinking.



Try also the new download (Blue & Yellow), I just wish you could choose your own colours, I did find an add on once but can't find it now.



I know that was a long answer to your paper question!

[lbendlin]

"paper" means the street is framed with black lines as we are used to see it on the printed maps. "electronic" will just show the streets, but not the black framing. Pretty much a question of personal taste and usability - depends what is more important for you.



The application to change the TomTom colours can be found here http://cyril.vonken.com/tomtom

Lutz
_________________
Lutz

Report Map Errors here:
TomTom/TeleAtlas NAVTEQ

[Dave]

Yep, Cyril Vonken

[alanparrott]

Great stuff, but my Dutch aint so good. I can see to download the Greys but is it possible to get the program and change the colours.

[Dave]

Alan, use Wordlingo they have a free Dutch to English translator.

[bobnuts1]

Not a complaint but . . .



* Sla het te downloaden bestand 'greys.zip' op op je PC



Was translated as:



* Lettuce to download resistant greys.zip your PC.



Made I Larf



Richard

[bobnuts1]

On a more serious note I have discovered that the .clr file is text based, so a simple edit in "Visual" Notepad enabled me to alter the more readable Germana.clr to show a deep Blue for Motorways - nice.



Would still like to use Cyril's app though.



hth



Richard

[alanparrott]

I sent Cyril a mail to see if he would be prepared to let me use it. But your discovery is interesting Richard, I'll have a go. Basically I think Germanica with a Blue M'way is about it!

[alanparrott]

Richard,



It's amazing sometimes how blindingly obvious things are. Since reading about your notepad use, I have had great fun, changing my motor way to all blue and my route background to bright green instead of the drab grey. etc.



Only trouble is looks like another weekend gone!

[Buffy Beagle]

Thank you DavidW for bringing this topic up. We too had wondered what the difference was, and thanks to everyone for all the explanations.



alanparrot mentioned "the new download (Blue & Yellow)"



What is this, please? I've looked on the support pages of TomTom's website but can't see it.



Hugh

[alanparrott]

Hugh try





http://www.tomtom.com/products/platform/extra_info.php?Extra_Page=20&Language=1&ID=55#col

[alanparrott]

I think the technical answer to the original question is that the paper map uses EDGE lines, which are set in the .CLR files and are mostly black.



However, as Richard pointed out, you can edit the .CLR file in Notepad with whatever RGB values you want (what you see may depend on screen resolution). So if you want PINK edge lines go ahead!



So you can completely set up your colours as you want to with refernce to a RGB pallette. The only slight inconvenience is that TT will only display 4 in its dropdown list so you need to rename your new one as either Brittana, Germana, Belgica or Greys. Back up your original if you want to keep it.



If anyone wants a copy of one I have set up roughly akin to an AA Road Atlas colour scheme, then email me.



As Cyril has done this can be done by program. I tried to do something with Excel but the colours are limited, so I set a template up in PowerPoint and then just changed the RGB values in the .CLR file



This sound like a very useful add-on to personalise maps/routes and if some benevolent programmer out there wants to have a go, it could easily be a freebie. If I had the time I would try it myself.



When you have changed values and reloaded the file, keep your TT on a familiar route and set in demo mode, you can then go to properties select another map style and then change back to the new one, Demo keeps going and returns with the new scheme. It's not too fiddly once you get used to it.

[Boxbrownie]

Hey! wonderful tip there, I have now altered the backgorund colour to a deeper green 150.250.150 and I can actually see the small white roads so much better. Although it would be nice to be able to save the file as a custom set up, but I guess I will never use grey colour anyway so thats my custom file for now. I found just to change the file in notepad was easier, and refer to the colour palette in Photoshop or any similar picture editing programme will do the trick for a colour reference.



Best regards David

[Mark G]

Excellent stuff, should make a big difference to back road use. Just to stick my oar in, does anyone know if the safety screen can be changed to red for night driving. The blue is a bit bright for long M'way journeys after dark.

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