Let's talk about such a wonderful program as OziExplorer why do we need it in building your own routes, All in all instructions:

OziExployer– a program for viewing vector maps with rich capabilities. Simply put, this is a program through which we can open a map of Crimea (as an example) in full detail, which will fully correspond to your purchased atlas or map of mountainous Crimea in duplicate.

This program can open any part of the planet (if there is a map), after which you can create your own route, checkpoints or comments.

Why do we need this program, what can it do?

• Viewing the map on the monitor. Those who have ever searched for a map on the Internet may have come across various scanned maps, old maps. They are made as a high image picture. Watching such an image is extremely uncomfortable, I personally do not.
• Building a route and planning it in a convenient way. Sitting at the monitor of your favorite computer, opening the OziExplorer program, you can plan your trip, where you will go, what you will see, how exactly and which route. All this can be planned with this wonderful program.
• Creating waypoints and tracks. You can create waypoints, save them in a separate file and simply share them with your friends. They will open it using the program and see your route and possible comments on it (we’ll look at how this is done below)
• Connection to GPS, if you have a laptop, netbook, PDA, then you can connect a GPS receiver and see where you are now. This is the most important function, because as a specialized program for GPS navigators and PDAs, it works amazingly; anyone who has used it or is at least a little familiar with navigation knows. My acquaintance with GPS came from this program.

How to use

To work you need to buy it. But because If you don’t do this, download the cracked version of the program (may the developer forgive me). I think about how to install the program and crack it, you know, I don’t want to talk about it and I won’t.

The program looks like this:

And where map you ask.

Maps format ozf2, ozfx3, map you need to download separately. To find good maps of Crimea, I had to spend a couple of days in Yandex and Google. I found not bad maps of the General Staff of the entire Crimea, but as you understand, they are old and, unfortunately, black and white, I will not post them.

You have downloaded the maps, now you need to open it using the program, this is done extremely simply and trivially.

“File” – “Download” – “Download map”

In the window that appears, select a map on your computer, there are four files: Eastern and Northwestern Crimea (two for each). It happens that you don’t immediately get to the selected map :)

If you have not done this yet or are in doubt, then look at the screenshot of the program with this map loaded (as you can see on the map - Ghost Valley):

The map is very detailed, which is a great success for OziExplorer maps.

I briefly told you the theory of the program, let's move on to practice.
The program is needed, in my opinion, for three needs:

• View map
• Creating a track on the card and recording it in a separate file with distant transfer
• GPS connection to find out your location, speed, altitude, azimuth.

You already understand how to do the first, it’s as easy as shelling pears. But to figure out the second one you need a lot of clicks to nowhere, and now I myself often end up in the wrong functions, because there are a huge number of them. Who wants to spend a couple of sleepless nights, you can tinker with the program and tell me or subscribe to so as not to miss a review of the program’s functions.

Creating a track occurs by clicking on the icon. After which you can indicate on the map points and subsequent ones (they will be connected by a red line) and another, third.
For example, I made the track “Radiant” - “cow path”:

If you suddenly did something wrong, labeled it in the wrong place, or generally messed up, there is a solution. Remove dots you can: “Select” – “Select track points” – select the points of the newly built track on the map (if you selected points, they will be highlighted in blue) and click on “Delete selected objects”

Here's a note right away. The coordinates are recorded, so if your friend does not have this particular map, but has another one, the track will (should) show the right road, regardless of which map is currently loaded.

OziExplorer for PDA

Owners of PDAs running Window Mobile (WM) 5-6.5 can install a simplified version of the program.
I personally have two of these PDAs of different models, WM versions, resolution and screen size - it works with a bang!

This means that my PDA becomes a full-fledged GPS navigator (complete with a GPS receiver). I have OziExplorerCe 2.17 Russified on it, it can open maps (as for a desktop computer), and with the help of the built-in GPS or Bluetooth receiver you can find out your coordinates and location on the map in real time.

My kit:

Communicator Samsung I710 + BT GPS. It works great, I checked the performance, endurance and maps during the X-Crimea multi-race. P.S. At night without it you could just sit in one place :)

OziExplorer for Android

Now a version of the program for Android has begun to be released, I personally am not particularly familiar with this OS, but I managed to install the program on it (they asked me once). Now they seem to be releasing betas, but they are functional.
You won’t get any specific details from me because you don’t know, but I’ll give you a download link.

Install, test and tell us (how to send an article)

That’s all that is not clear - write in the comment and don’t forget so as not to miss the next publication of interesting and useful programs for tourism.

P.S. The answer came from Tkachuk Vladimir:

Hello. I looked at your website and article about creating routes using OziExplorer - I liked it. I recently purchased a Sony Ericson ARC S and there is no such program on the market. I downloaded your link for Android, but this is a trial version and is buggy. There is a replacement name on the market. Androzic works great. I downloaded the maps of Crimea, they work great, there are no slowdowns. I compiled a route on my computer at home and uploaded it to my phone. Shows everything perfectly. I found topographic maps of Ukraine immediately with permission for these programs, uploaded them, and they show everything perfectly. Thank you for the article. Good luck in tourism.

– a navigation program that allows you to use raster maps for navigation purposes. Designed for Windows CE- and PocketPC-compatible devices, such as car navigators and PDAs, and belongs to the OziExplorer family of programs.

The OziExplorerCE program (Ozi Explorer CE) shows the location of the GPS receiver on a raster map and provides a number of additional features that make navigation using raster maps clear and convenient.

You can either create raster maps yourself - by scanning a paper map and linking it to geographic coordinates, or use ready-made maps in digital format.

The OziExplorerCE program implements the ability to lay out your own routes in manual mode - by specifying intermediate route points and then guiding the OziExplorerCE program along the laid route with voice prompts about approaching the next route point. Due to the peculiarities of storage formats for raster maps, it is impossible to implement the function of automatic routing (automatic routing) from point A to point B in navigation programs for raster maps. If you need to use the automatic routing function, you must use navigation programs for vector (routable) maps.

A car navigator with OziExplorerCE can be used when traveling as an electronic map that displays your current location, facilitates visual orientation and helps you choose the direction of further movement. Also on the OziExplorerCE maps you can mark with dots places of good fishing, mushroom spots, forest paths, fords, dangerous swamps, the location of a car in the forest, a route through the forest or around a reservoir. The OziExplorerCE program is indispensable for those places where there is no cartographic coverage of roads with navigation programs for vector (routable) maps.

To use all the features of OziExplorerCE, you must have a registered copy of OziExplorerCE and a registered copy of OziExplorer for a personal computer (PC). Unregistered versions of OziExplorerCE and OziExplorer for PC are functional, but have limitations in capabilities.

What is a map for OziExplorer family programs?

A map for OziExplorer is a graphic file with a map image, calibrated (linked) in such a way that each pixel on the map corresponds to real geographic coordinates.

Thus, a map for OziExplorer consists of two files:

1. a graphic file in raster format with a map image (in one of the graphic formats .ozfx3, .ozf2, .ecw, .sid, .rml, .tiff, .jpg, .png, .bmp, etc.);
2. .map file - calibration file, contains the following information:

• Link to graphic file.
• The type of map projection used.
• The coordinate system used.
• Calibration information for the card.

Loading a map into OziExplorer means copying graphic and .map files to the folder with maps for OziExplorer, opening a .map file (for example, World.map) in OziExplorer. In this case, OziExplorer will read from the .map file:

• Name the graphic file and open it;
• Map coordinate format;
• Map projection;
• Calibration information and calculates the geographic coordinates corresponding to the image pixels.

Requirements for maps for programs of the OziExplorer family:

• You can create your own maps for OziExplorerCE, download them for free online, or purchase them in digital format.
• OziExplorerCE understands maps in many different graphic formats. However, when using cards of large size/volume, to increase the performance of the program, it is advisable to convert graphic files in the formats .jpg, .png, .bmp to the .ozfx3 format using Img2Ozf converter(the converter is available on the official OziExplorer website). The .ozfx3 format is specially designed for use in OziExplorer; this format loads the image page by page from the hard drive and requires a minimum of RAM.

Card format converter "Img2Ozf"

• The .ecw format, as well as the .ozfx3 format, allows you to load an image into RAM page by page, but for OziExplorer this is a third-party format and the program performance with it is slightly lower than with the .ozfx3 format.
• The .ozf2 format, as well as the .ozfx3 format, was developed specifically for the OziExplorer family of programs, but it is now considered obsolete and the OziExplorer developers recommend using only the .ozfx3 format.

Compatibility of OziExplorerCE with car navigators and other devices

The OziExplorerCE navigation software is compatible with the following platforms based on the Windows CE operating system:

• Car navigators (PNA), handhelds (Handhelds), personal navigation devices (PND) - with the Windows CE operating system versions 4, 5, 6.
• Devices on the PocketPC platform - PC2000, PC2002 (with Windows CE versions 3.0 and higher)
• Devices on the PocketPC platform - (Windows Mobile 2003) PC2003 (with Windows CE versions 4.2 and higher)
• Devices based on the PocketPC platform - Windows Mobile 5
• Devices on the PocketPC platform - Windows Mobile 6, 6.5 Classic and Professional. But devices based on Windows Mobile 6 Standard (phones without a touch screen) are not supported.

The following types of processors are supported as part of the above platforms: ARM (SiRFatlas), MIPS, SH3, SH4, Intel PXA2xx (Xscale). Please note that the executable files of the same version of OziExplorerCE for different types of processors differ and an executable file that is incompatible with your processor type will not run.

Main features of the OziExplorerCE program

• Ability to use maps in a variety of graphic formats: .ozfx3, .ozf2, .ecw, .sid, .rml, .tiff, .jpg, .png, .bmp, etc.;
• Ability to use in OziExplorerCE any maps created in OziExplorer for a personal computer (PC)
• Supports various exchange protocols with GPS receivers from different manufacturers
• Automatic map movement according to navigator movement
• Automatic selection and use of the most detailed map for the current position of the car navigator, automatic loading of the next map
• Using multiple maps with different levels of detail and automatically changing them depending on the scale selected by the user
• Search for all existing maps in the navigator for the position indicated by the cursor
• Mode “Rotate the map in the direction of movement”
• “3D perspective” mode, increasing map visibility:

• Supports various types of objects on the map - Waypoints, Routes, Tracks, Comments, Object Symbols:

• Creating various Events when objects approach an area, creating the boundaries of Dangerous Zones
• Laying and editing a driving route on the car navigator screen using a stylus
• Automatic guidance along the route laid by the user, using sound prompts: turn left, turn right and others
• Loading and simultaneous display of up to five user tracks (previously traveled points)

• Automatic recording of tracks to a file
• Display on the screen of the car navigator speed (speedometer), direction of movement (compass), distance traveled and time (odometer)

• Sound indication of exceeding specified speed thresholds: Minimum speed, Set speed, Maximum speed
• Search for objects by name, maintaining search history:

• Using various "Toolbars" to facilitate operations:

• Designing an interface for OziExplorerCE using the OziExplorerCE Screen Designer program for PC:

• Much, much more

Where can I download OziExplorerCE?

The latest version of the OziExplorerCE navigation program can always be downloaded from the official website of the developers: http://www.oziexplorer.com.

How to install OziExplorerCE on a car navigator?

You can install the OziExplorerCE navigation program on your car navigator yourself. To do this you need:

1. From the official OziExplorer website (http://www.oziexplorer.com) download the archive with the OziExplorerCE installation package and the executable file corresponding to your processor type.

2. Unpack the archive with OziExplorerCE system files into the root directory in the internal Flash memory or memory card of the navigator into the “OziExplorer” folder (instead of the “OziExplorer” folder name, any other name can be used, you just need to reconfigure the configuration accordingly). All additional files (common files) will be installed in internal subdirectories located in the OziExplorer directory.

3. Copy the executable file for your processor type to the "OziExplorer" folder.

4. Copy the required raster map (in one of the graphic formats .ozfx3, .ozf2, .ecw, .sid, .tiff, .jpg, .png, .bmp + calibration .map file) to the "Maps" subdirectory in the "Maps" folder OziExplorer" (or any other folder, then setting the paths to graphic files with map images in the OziExplorerCE program settings).

5. Buy a license key and register the program to remove all restrictions of the demo mode.

6. If necessary, Russify the program.

7. Launch the OziExplorerCE program and configure it by specifying the paths to the graphic files in the “Image File Path(s)” and “Map File Path(s) & Data File Path” sections.

Other program settings are optional.

How to register OziExplorerCE and remove demo mode restrictions?

To remove restrictions from the OziExplorerCE program, you must enter a license key (registration). You can buy an OziExplorerCE license key both in our online store (for rubles, without the need for an international plastic card) or directly from the program developers (you will need an international plastic card and registration in the PayPal electronic payment system).

After entering the license key into the program, all restrictions of the demo mode will be removed and you will be able to use OziExplorerCE without any restrictions.

OziExplorerCE program interface

The OziExplorerCE program is controlled using the “Menu Bar” located at the bottom of the screen:

OziExplorerCE is based on multi-page concept. In the standard version of OziExplorerCE, the program developers have designed 17 pages. Each page is a “blank screen canvas” on which various objects are placed: Map, Menu, toolbars, Indicators of various “sensors” (geographic coordinates, date, time, speed, altitude). The appearance of each Page can be created or changed to your taste using the OziCE Screen Designer program - additional “sensor” indicators can be added to each page, or unnecessary indicators can be removed or the location of objects can be changed. You can also add or remove entire pages.

Pages are accessed using the Page Select menu:

Overview of the OziExplorer program

OziExplorer is one of the most important programs for owners of any GPS navigators. Manufacturer's website - www.oziexplorer.com. Descriptions of this program are present on almost all sites dedicated to GPS navigation. The Realbiker website is rightfully considered one of the best in terms of describing the principles of working with OziExplorer. There you can find a lot more interesting information on a variety of issues - from equipment to ready-made maps and routes.

However, I will briefly tell you about the main features of this wonderful program.

It is designed to work with raster maps. The same ones that are obtained after scanning and with which editors such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel PhotoPaint, etc. work. Formats - BMP, TIFF, JPG, PNG, GIF, CAP, KAP, OZI. As you can see, the downloadable map formats are quite versatile and convenient. I didn't notice any restrictions on file size. Navigators with which the program can work are Garmin, Lowrance, Eagle, Magellan, MLR, Silva, Brunton, Tripmate, Earthmate and others that support the NMEA data transmission format.

General sequence of working with the program.

In some way we obtain a raster map of the area of ​​interest to us. We load it into the program in the mode of creating and linking a new card. We set the datum parameters of the loaded map. Next, the most important operation is linking the map using points that have known coordinates and are geographically located on this map. Save the linked map in MAP format. Now we actually start working with the navigator. The program allows you to perform all the necessary operations with waypoints, tracks and other navigator data - download from the navigator to the program and back, create, edit, save on your computer disk, etc. All data is displayed on the map. However, to work with the program you simply need to understand some very important points regarding many issues of cartography. You can find all the necessary information on other sites. Fortunately, a lot of information on this topic has appeared over the past 2-3 years.

You may have a completely reasonable question: where can you get such a wonderful program? First, of course, on the manufacturer’s website - www.oziexplorer.com. However, in this case, you will either have to pay the required amount, or be content with the demo version, which is practically pointless to actually work with. However, some irresponsible comrades may try to download a fully functional Russified version. The choice is yours.