This page discusses the use of MapSource when a saved file is to be loaded into CueSheetMaker See MapSource Paste for a discussion of using MapSource when directions are to be pasted into CueSheetMaker. Pasting is by far the best method to use.

MapSource is software for drawing routes to be used by a Garmin GPS device. See the GPS page for details about its usage. It is by far the easiest and most satisfactory mapping program for cue sheet making. Its only defect, a minor one, is that it cannot draw routes off road: thus no trails.

MapSource is distributed as part of Garmin's MapSource City Navigator North America v8 DVD. One does not need a GPS unit to use it. As of this writing, the product is available from several sources on the Internet for about $120. (The following source has been reliable, but caveat emptor: http://gpsnow.com/gmmap60acc.htm).

To make cue sheets, the MapSource file may be saved as a .txt file. Use the “Save As” item on the “File” menu to do this.

Each turn should be marked with a waypoint or via. Only turns so marked are output by MapSource. Dog legs, quick lefts and rights, and bear lefts and rights are difficult to detect in the MapSource output: they may be in error, so check them on the Edit cue sheet of CueSheetMaker.

By default, MapSource assigns short names to via’s (less than 10 characters) because this is the usual limit for Garmin devices. Longer names are available in the .txt file, and these will be used if the route starts with a waypoint named “Start”. The names may of course be changed on the Edit Cue Sheet.

If still longer or more appropriate names are desired when using MapSource, they may be inserted by using waypoints instead of via’s. Simply mark waypoints on the map, name them as desired, and connect them up with the route, , tool. Such waypoint names are saved by MapSource in place of its usual short names. These short names including the waypoint names will be used if the route does not begin with a waypoint named “Start”.

In other words, when CueSheetMaker sees a waypoint named “Start” at the beginning of the ride, it will use the long names, otherwise it will use the short names and whatever waypoint names there are.

See the GPS page for details about drawing routes and marking waypoints.

Edit Cue Sheets

When a routes produced by MapSource is loaded into CueSheetMaker an “Edit Cue Sheet” is created in EXCEL. The first two rows of this sheet should not be changed. Anything else in the sheet may be changed in the usual way. For example rows may be deleted by selecting the entire row by clicking on the row number and pressing the delete key. The final cue sheet is produced by selecting a cue sheet from the drop down menu in the CueSheetMaker toolbar.

The distances produced by MapSource for calculated routes are very accurate, and it is by far the easiest program to use when making cue sheets. The only problem is that it is sometimes impossible to make a calculated route go where one wants it to go. This is a defect in the routing information on the maps, and is not a fault of the program. Fortunately this difficulty is rare.

Here is an Edit cue sheet produced from a MapSource file:

.And here is the cue sheet after the Edit cue sheet was revised.

This particular cue sheet was made from saved .txt file, and the editing required in this case was minor; a few name changes and some minor adjustments to “close” turns. In general, substantial editing is required for saved .txt files.

The problem with .txt files is that MapSource tends to take the name of a via from the road preceding the turn, rather than the road after the turn. The modifications are not difficult, but keeping track of them can be a nuisance. I suggest that the MapSource map be displayed on the left of the screen and a portion of the Edit Cue Sheet on the right. Begin with the first point of the route, and each time a point is traversed make a check mark in column D of the Edit Cue Sheet. These check marks will be ignored when the cue sheets are made from the Edit Cue Sheet.

Illustration of making a cue sheet and GPS file with MapSource

The start of the ride may named by inserting a waypoint with the waypoint tool, . Simply click on the start location with the waypont tool and fill in the waypoint name. I usually change the symbol to a red flag. If the starting waypont is named “Start”, long names will be used by CueSheetMaker when it processes saved .txt files -- any name may be used for pasted directions. Next, select the route tool, , and click the first waypoint or if you have chosen not to insert a starting waypoint, simply click on the starting location. Then click a few times on the map laying down via’s that roughly describe the route, winding up with a final click on the starting point. Press the “Esc” key to finish. The following picture will give you the idea: here I have chosen four via’s in addition to the waypoint named “Start”.

In general the route will not be precisely what is wanted, so the next step is to add a few more via’s to pull it into the shape desired. To do this click on the selection tool and drag it through one of the purple lines to turn the route yellow. When it is yellow, placing the selection tool on any point of the route (including on via’s) will enable that point to be dragged somewhere else. A new via is deposited when you click after dragging. It is best not to place via’s at turns at this time if the file is to be downloaded to a GPS unit. The following picture shows the route after a couple of changes. Note the via’s appear to be at turns, which is OK when the file is not intended to be downloaded to a GPS unit, but poor practice otherwise.

When the route is as you like it, save it as a .gdb file for use with your GPS.

Check the route on your GPS unit, because the route calculated there may differ from the one in MapSource, and it may be necessary to add additional points in MapSource to make the route on the GPS unit agree with what you want. In case of real difficulty, check the “Follow road options” on the unit to make sure you have allowed the unit to select road types of interest.

 To remove via’s on the route, turn it purple by clicking the selection tool, , someplace off the route, and then right click on a via, select it from the pop up menu and check the “Remove waypoint from route” item.

It is necessary to add via’s at each turn in order for CueSheetMaker to process the saved .txt file properly. The following illustration shows the result of adding via’s at each turn.

Save this as a .txt file for input to CueSheetMaker. It is probably a good idea to also save it as a .gdb file, but use a different name than that used for the previous .gdb file intended for your GPS unit.

All that remains is to load this .txt file into CueSheetMaker using the open folder, ,on the CueSheetMaker menu bar, and an Edit Cue Sheet will appear.