Re: Putting dots on a map

On Fri, 30 May 2008 23:56:14 -0700 (PDT), Scott Nazelrod
<Scott5114@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On May 30, 10:11 pm, Rich Piehl
<rpiehl5REMOVETHIS...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
richard wrote:
I would like to put some colored dots on a map showing the routes I've
taken throughout my trip.

Any software available to do this?
Any ideas on how it can be done?

If you want to wait until you get home I use a large laminated wall map
and a dry erase marker.

Take care,
Rich

God bless the USA

--
Pat Paulsen (1927-1997) for President - 2008

Even though he's dead it makes about much sense
to vote for him as it does for the choices
that we have who are living.  At least he's not
going change his position on anything.

If you want to be simple about it, go get a copy of Inkscape (
http://www.inkscape.org ) and an SVG U.S. map (several available at
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Blank_maps_of_the_United_States
) and draw the dots on there however you please. Then either embed the
SVG into the webpage (IE users may not be able to see it, but Firefox
and Opera can) or use Inkscape's export to PNG feature. (Note: be
careful using the Wikimedia Commons images; they may require you to
give credit to the authors of the map and/or license your map under
the same free license as theirs. Be sure to read the little boxes
under the images before using them.)

If you want to be precise about it, go get a copy of QGIS ( http://www.qgis.org
) and find a U.S. shapefile somewhere, like ESRI's website or the
Census Bureau's TIGER/line data. Then you can start a new point
shapefile and add points to your heart's content, even adding metadata
along the way (so if you want to add dates, for instance, you can
later select only things labeled with a certain date). QGIS can be a
pain in the ass to deal with, but it's probably more precise. But if
you're just looking for a way to slap dots on a map, QGIS is probably
overkill, and Inkscape is the way to go.

Thanks. Looks like fun time.
.

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