Hi guys.
I have started a project of a lake in Australia and want to try and cover all of it in time.
I'm using a Lowrance HDS 7 Gen 1 with structure scan.
I have done a bit of Mapping before, using .lcm files from GPSMapedit, but this type of mapping is a first for me.

Anyway I went out yesterday and recorded some sl2 files and have produced this map on my HDS using RM.

You can see where the old river is that runs through the lake.


I would like to use the side scan in my map. Would I be best to use SonarTRX to do this and then add this to RM. I have never used SonarTRX so is it any good to do what I want or are the better programs out there. Would be great if RM could do this. Is there and plans for the future?

Can you use .lcm files and AT5 files together on the one card?

Also would just like to say that I'm findind RM awesome and the step by step on how to make these maps are great and would be lost with out them.

Cheers Curado

Hello Curado,

lcm and AT5 you can diplay together, but there is a problem with firmware version from HDS Units.
You must test it. Especially newer firmware versions on Gen2 make problems.
With help of a AT5 You can also display the lcm on Planner, but the depth values not correct appears.

But why You want to use lcm, if You have AT5?

Best wishes
fjordfisher

First: lcm is dead!

You could use at5 with only one lcm. If you have more than one lcm on your SD, there will be more problems.

In a few days of practice you will create your maps as at5 in raster and vector, which is a much better idea than to use imperfect lcm's.

I think Matt look for side/structure scan in an next version!! wait and see!
You can make log of scan for that and kkep them!

I thought of using .lcm files to mark snags, roads and rivers. Can you draw lines or shapes with at5?

You can create anything you want. You simply need to create shapefiles in a GIS application (QGIS is free) or GPSMapedit, and include them in your fileset in IMC. I would suggest a different shapefile for each object type.The new attribute facility in IMC will sort out the attributes for you. You'll need the manual.

Good luck

Trevor

Edit - If you wants a small tutorial on how to do this kind of thing I'll put one on my website. You will need the original data that you created the lcm with.

Trevor has right! Much more possibilities as lcm.

But if You need roads and other topo element, check for OSM file. These are ready for use. You can create AT5 simply from this source with IMC: element selection as pbf file or single element as shapes (if available and a bit harder)
e. g. :

download.geofabrik.de/index.html

Your lake AT5 data You can also lay over topo AT5.


Best wishes
fjordfisher

Hubert wrote:
I`m actually not familiar with these formats but what can I do with raster and vector maps and what is the difference between them?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raster_graphics

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_graphics

fjordfisher wrote:
So if I understand it correct, you better create maps in the vector format because of higher detail and resolution?

Walleye_Fisherman wrote:
Hi Walleye,

In the context of Lowrance maps, the raster layer refers to the background graphic, which is coloured according to depth. The vector layer is the contours on top, and could also include the land areas, islands, points of interest etc.
To generate a map like the ones you see on this forum, you will typically combine both - so that you have a general idea of depth from the background colour, with the more precise/scalable vector contours overlaid on the top. It is easy to do this from RM, by exporting the background raster from the contour map view, and then exporting the contours as shapefiles which can then be processed by the Insight Map Creator.

Matt

Yes,

"the problem" is the zooming function of HDS and other Units.
Raster AT5 is much simpler to create, but if You want to keep good quality, You must create templates from different sight heighes in high quality (RM has at the current time one picture in screen quality). The creation of more complex raster templates is a bit expensive.

Vektor AT5 display the same content with 100 % quality in all zooming levels. But the creation is much harder. Still RM is the sole program, which create ready good templates for IMC or further processing.


Besr wishes
fjordfisher