getting started with quo -...

Getting Started with Quo

Getting Started with Quo 2

Contents

INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................3

WALKTHROUGH........................................................................................................4

Display your maps .................................................................................................................................................4 Loading more maps.............................................................................................................................................4

Navigating the map................................................................................................................................................5

Draw a Route..........................................................................................................................................................6

The 3D Viewer........................................................................................................................................................8

Add labeled Waypoints .......................................................................................................................................10

Add Areas .............................................................................................................................................................12

Saving and sharing your project.........................................................................................................................14

Printing your project ...........................................................................................................................................15

Use the Explorer to customise your features .....................................................................................................16

HOW DO I…? ...........................................................................................................17

Import data from other sources?........................................................................................................................17

Export data?.........................................................................................................................................................17

Load somebody else's project?............................................................................................................................17

Merge two projects? ............................................................................................................................................17

Get more maps? ...................................................................................................................................................17

Add content to a Waypoint? ...............................................................................................................................18

Hide parts of my project?....................................................................................................................................19

KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS.......................................................................................20

INDEX .......................................................................................................................21


Introduction There’s certainly nothing quite like the ‘great outdoors’… whether your passion is hiking, cycling, bird watching, angling, or just family fun.

But finding the right spot or route, or perhaps discovering new paths and beauty spots isn’t always easy… and all those maps can be expensive … especially if you’re a keen traveller.

There used to be only two main options for getting hold of high-quality digital maps … either buying paper versions then illegally scanning them, or buying expensive software and then adding even more expensive maps.

Thankfully there’s now a better option…

Quo is a FREE smart digital mapping program that allows you to buy maps as well as share your favourite places with your friends, fellow cyclists, hikers, birdwatcher or even anglers… you can even discover new ‘hidden’ walks, places to fish or new bird sightings.

Quo is more than just a map … it’s an easy-to-use interactive mapping device to help you get the very best from your outdoor pursuits.

It’s specifically designed for people who enjoy outdoor sports, pursuits and explorations. All routes can be easily stored with pictures, sounds and videos. It’s perfect for clubs and societies using the Internet to share experiences and practical information. All you need do is add a low-cost map of the specific area, then tailor it to your requirements.

If you experiment, you’ll find that Quo is packed with powerful mapping tools. What follows is just a taster of some of the simpler tasks it handles.

“Bringing all of the ‘outdoors’ to you…”

“Get the very best from your outdoor pursuits and have access to any map… anywhere in the UK!”


Walkthrough This walkthrough demonstrates how to zoom in on the right map, then add a route, mark out an area, and add labelled waypoints.

Display your maps Quo opens showing part of the standard UK map at its original zoom (left).

Quo enables you to create map features such as Routes and Areas. It can display these on any map of the relevant location.

You can share your features with other people, but the maps themselves remain with your copy of Quo. So, to make use of your - say - walking map, your friend will need to purchase the relevant map.

Many maps come in smaller tiles, so there’s no need to buy maps for an entire region just to mark out one afternoon’s stroll.

Loading more maps

If you already have a map, you can load it using the Maps menu.

To load a map

1) In the Maps menu, select the map. The map appears selected on the Explorer Loaded Maps tab (right):

2) Show the map at its original zoom by clicking

3) If it has tiles, click “+” and double-click a tile:

The map now appears at what should be a useful zoom (see next page).

Explorer window floats over map


Navigating the map Once you have your map displayed, it’s easy to move about it, zooming in and out as required:

TIP: If you get lost, return to To load a map Step #2 on page 4. You can also use the Explorer Mini-Map tab to focus on a particular location.

Use the arrow buttons to move the map:

Use the zoom buttons to zoom in and out:

Right-click and drag the map as required.


Draw a Route Once you have the map the way you want it, you can add your own features, each made up of Waypoints. The simplest feature is the Route, which is just that - a line on the map indicating a route.

To mark a route

1) Click

2) On the map, click the start of the Route. The first point appears. Note that the tooltip shows summary information about it.

3) Now click your way along your chosen path, drawing the Route:


4) When you come to the end of the Route, right-click the last point and select “End Route Here”:

Your Route is complete. Now’s probably a good moment to see whether it’s sensible. That’s what the 3D Viewer is for…


The 3D Viewer The 3D Viewer lets you get a sense of what your features look like in the real world. However, it’s probably at its most useful if you change the settings to exaggerate the contours.

To use the 3D Viewer

1) Centre the display on your features. (An easy way to do this is open the Explorer and double-click a Waypoint).

2) From the Tools menu, select “3D View”. The 3D Viewer window opens. The display is empty.

3) Click Create 3D View. The 3D Viewer fills with a three-dimensional view of your features.

Use the mouse to drag the viewpoint around, and the mouse wheel to zoom.

Open the Settings window

Rotate the “camera”

“Fly” forward/back.

Increase/decrease altitude.

Zoom in/out

Reset view.


4) Open the Settings window by clicking

5) Change the settings as required:

3D View - View Area: Specify the dimensions of the square of terrain displayed in the 3D Viewer.

- Background Colour: Select a colour for the background. The default is Black.

- Lock Altitude above terrain: Fix the altitude of the virtual camera at the specified height.

Lights - Lights: Switch on/off the virtual lights. Turning off the lights reduces the shadow.

- Lights in View: Select to have the virtual light cast shadows from behind you.

- Lights from direction: Select to have the virtual light cast shadows from the specified compass point.

Altitude Stretch Use the slider bar to stretch or squash the 3D terrain.

6) Click OK The display resets to the original viewpoint, and reflects your changes.


Add labeled Waypoints Now you’ve confirmed your choice of Route, you might want to add some standalone Waypoints, e.g. landmarks, points of interest, or just places affecting the Route. Waypoints come in Waypoint Sets.

To add a Waypoint

1) Click

2) Click on the display. (If you click on a Route, the new Waypoint sticks to it.) A red Waypoint appears. The Explorer opens with the new Waypoint Set selected:


3) In the Waypoint Set’s Map Behaviour section, change Show Labels to “True”:

4) Click the Waypoint in the list to display its details.

5) Change the Waypoint’s name to something useful:

Back in the display, the Waypoint now appears with a label:

To continue a Waypoint Set

1) Right-click the Waypoint, and select “Continue Waypoint Set”.

2) Click to add Waypoints as above.


Add Areas Quo also enables you to mark Areas on your map, for example to indicate places of ornithological or archaeological interest.

To add an area to a map

1) Click

2) Click the first part of your Area:

3) Click each point of the Area:


4) When you get to the end, right-click and select “End Area Here”.

The Area completes itself:

(Use the Explorer to change any of the settings)

5) To add a label, add a Waypoint to one of the Area’s points:

(See To add a Waypoint on page 10.)


Saving and sharing your project Now you’ve created your personalised map, you’ll want to save your work. You can also share it with your friends.

Quo projects contain just Routes, Areas and other features, so they’re easy to email to other people.

To save your project

*) From the File menu, select “Save Project”. A standard Save window opens. Use it to save your project.

To load a project

*) From the File menu, select “Open project” and navigate to the project file.


Printing your project You can print just the contents of the screen, or print your entire project on several pages.

To print the current view

*) From the File menu, select “Print View Area”. Quo prints the contents of the screen.

To print your project

1) From the File menu, select “Print”. The Print… window opens:

2) Select which map to use. (This can be important if you have several maps loaded):

3) Click Next. Quo use grey lines and shading to indicate how the page boundaries. (See right). You can drag these around if required.

4) Click Print. Quo prints your project on one or more pages.


Use the Explorer to customise your features The Explorer contains the settings for all your features. The Explorer organises everything into Groups, Layers, features and Waypoints. You can customise each feature directly, and also make changes to its Waypoints, for example editing, then displaying, its labels.

TIP: Select an option to see an explanation at the foot of the window.

To open the Explorer

*) If it’s not already open, open the Explorer by clicking

Click to drill through the tree to find your feature.

Selected option explained here.

All features are built of Waypoints

Options for selected feature or Waypoint here.


How do I…? Import data from other sources? You can import text-delimited files, GPS files, files from earlier versions of Quo, and also map images in any common graphics format.

To import a file

1) From the File menu, select “Import”. The Import from… window opens.

2) Select the type of file and click Next. A standard Windows Open window opens.

3) Select the file and click OK. Quo imports the file.

Export data? You can export data to a text-delimited file, and to files readable by a GPS or mobile device.

To export a file

1) From the File menu, select “Export”. The Export to… window opens.

2) Select the type of file and click Next. A standard Windows Save window opens.

3) Select the file type and supply a name, then click OK Quo exports the file.

Load somebody else's project? To load a project

*) From the File menu, select “Open project” and navigate to the project file.

Merge two projects? To merge two projects

1) Load one project.

2) With the first project open, select File, Add existing project and select the second project.

Get more maps? To buy more maps

*) With the Internet connected, click

and follow the on-screen instructions.


Add content

Delete selected content

View selected content

List of content files Details of

selected file

Add content to a Waypoint? You can add almost any kind of content to a Waypoint, and then review it in the same way. The content becomes part of the project.

Content files open in their standard application, e.g. a picture usually opens in Picture Manager.

To add or review Waypoint content

1) Right-click the Waypoint and select “Manage Content” The Content window opens (right).

2) Use the buttons to add, delete or review content.


Hide parts of my project? Use the explorer to assign different features to Layers, then hide the Layer.

To assign features to Layers

1) If it’s not already open, open the Explorer by clicking

The Explorer opens.

2) Add a Layer by clicking

The new Layer appears in the tree:

3) Select items, then right-click and select “Edit”, “Cut”.

The items disappear.

4) Select the new Layer, then right-click and select “Edit”, “Paste”. The items appear in the new Layer:

5) Select the new Layer and, in Map Behaviour, set Visible to “False”:

All the items assigned to the Layer vanish from the screen.


Keyboard Shortcuts Keyboard Shortcut

Description

CTRL + N New project. CTRL + O Open project. CTRL + SHIFT + O

Add to existing project.

CTRL + S Save project. CTRL + P Print. CTRL + I Import data. CTRL + E Export project. CTRL + Q Quit application. CTRL + Z Undo. CTRL + SHIFT + Z

Redo.

CTRL + X Cut. CTRL + C Copy. CTRL + V Paste. DEL Delete. CTRL + A Select all points (project points grid only). F1 Show help. F2 Print view area. F3 Show Search tab in Explorer window. F4 Show Jump to Coordinate window. F5 Show / hide Explorer window. F6 Show / hide Navigation window. F7 Show / hide Drawing window. F8 Show / hide History window. F9 Show all. F10 Hide all. F11 Toggle full screen on / off. F12 Show Preferences window. LEFT Move map left. RIGHT Move map right. UP Move map up. DOWN Move map down. CTRL + LEFT Move mouse cursor left. CTRL + RIGHT Move mouse cursor right. CTRL + UP Move mouse cursor up. CTRL + DOWN Move mouse cursor down. ESCAPE Break current operation (drawing, selecting, …). SPACE Deactivate current active map object. CTRL + SPACE Deactivate current active map object and create new one (activate). PLUS (+) Zoom in map. MINUS (-) Zoom out map.


Index 3D Viewer, 8

Adding graphics, video or other files. See Waypoints, Adding content

Advanced options. See Explorer

Areas, 12

Marking, 12

Bird's eye view. See 3D Viewer

Buying maps. See Maps, Buying

Current view

Printing, 15

Explorer, 16

Exporting data, 17

Fly through. See 3D Viewer

Hiding parts of a project. See Projects, Layers

Importing data, 17

Keyboard shortcuts, 20

Loading a project, 17

Maps

Buying, 17

Displaying, 4

Loading, 4

Maps,

Tiles, 4

Merging a project. See Projects, Merging

Navigating, 5

Pan. See Navigating

Printing. See Projects, Printing

Projects

Layers, 19

Merging, 17

Printing, 15

Saving and Loading, 14

Projects, Hiding parts. See Projects, Layers

Quo

What it's for, 3

Routes, 6

Marking, 6

Saving your work, 14

Sharing your work, 14

Tiles. See Maps, Tiles

Waypoints

Adding content, 18

Continuing a set, 11

Labeled, 10

Part of a Route, 6

Zoom. See Navigating

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