sotal Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Someone else asked me this and I couldn't give them an answer, Basically they want to know how far it is round an off road track, they can't get access to the track to just drive round and watch the odometer, but they can get an aerial view of it from google maps, along with a scale. As a quick bodge I used photoshop to paste the scale over and over again to get the full distance, but I thought there must be some software to do this my first click at either end of the scale and entering the distance, then clicking round the track. Anything obvious I'm missing here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 If the track is shown on memory map, you can click the "route" around it and it'll show you (roughly) distance travelled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WALFY Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I think you can also do distance on Google Earth. I'm sure on the course I did last year that was how we measured distances when it came to doing our calcs for distance/time/speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbarton Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Go to Microsoft's maps Live Maps Open a collection and at the bottom of the collections dialogue there is a tool for drawing a series of straight lines on the map. Follow your route and the total length is totalled up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Use a piece of string. Cut to length, then measure from the map scale. Good old fashioned way of doing it. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzaz Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 something like this with google earth, there is an icon on top, its like a ruler, then select path...you should get the length in km or miles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WALFY Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Use a piece of string. Cut to length, then measure from the map scale.Good old fashioned way of doing it. mike Mike that is OK ish but you have to be carefull about stretch in the string. Better way to do it is using a sheet of paper and a pencil. EXPL Make a small mark on the edge of the paper. This will become the start point. Place this on your start point and place the edge along the track/road you want to use. Where the track/road leaves the edge of the paper make a mark. Rotate paper so it again lines up with the route and continue. You will end up with a sheet of paper with lots of pencil marks on it. Move to the base of the map to the scale line and measure your track length. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 We found that the string was the most accurate when workinhg mileages out for an RAC MSA road rally permit. Devideres set at 1 tenth of a mile on the map scale also works. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 This sort of thing works rather well, proper old school *CLICKY* Just a quick google result, but you should be able to find one in a local hiking/outdoor type shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Mike that is OK ish but you have to be carefull about stretch in the string. Better way to do it is using a sheet of paper and a pencil.EXPL Make a small mark on the edge of the paper. This will become the start point. Place this on your start point and place the edge along the track/road you want to use. Where the track/road leaves the edge of the paper make a mark. Rotate paper so it again lines up with the route and continue. You will end up with a sheet of paper with lots of pencil marks on it. Move to the base of the map to the scale line and measure your track length. mem map or Walfys bit above plus the string all work well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WALFY Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 We found that the string was the most accurate when workinhg mileages out for an RAC MSA road rally permit.Devideres set at 1 tenth of a mile on the map scale also works. mike I'll bow to your prior knowledge then Mike. When we teach the younger blokes at work the string method is WAY off for accurate readings and the paper method is used as there is not a lot that they can do to get an accurate reading. With the string they just pull and pull and then get a false reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I was taught the "edge of paper" trick as well.... makes life easier as you (should) always have a notepad handy, and it saves cutting up bits of bootlace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WALFY Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I was taught the "edge of paper" trick as well.... makes life easier as you (should) always have a notepad handy, and it saves cutting up bits of bootlace But you were a STAB so everything had to e made easy for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Worse than that.... a REME STAB!!! but my regt afterwards made up for it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WALFY Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Worse than that.... a REME STAB!!! but my regt afterwards made up for it... We all have crosses to bear.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landmannnn Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Go to Microsoft's mapsLive Maps Open a collection and at the bottom of the collections dialogue there is a tool for drawing a series of straight lines on the map. Follow your route and the total length is totalled up. You can do the same with autoroute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotal Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 Thanks for all the replies - exactly what I was after - fantastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bull Bar Cowboy Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Oziexplorer, Fugawi, and MM all allow you to measure from the map ................. some better then others........... Professional stuff like Plato also takes into account the topography when calculating the distance............ Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WALFY Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 If you measure the route and need to work out the time to walk the route don't forget to use NAISMITHS rule Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 For those that don't know.... some good info on Naismiths' rule Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.