Using OCAD
(A collection of guides, tips and hints on how to use this popular mapping package)

OCAD is the standard for drawing maps in Park-Street orienteering in Melbourne; the standard version of the package provides a minimal set of tools that is easy to learn but still meets the needs of even the most experienced mapper. The reality is, however, that the tool is quite flexible and that there are often many ways to do even the simplest activity. These web pages are provided as a guide:

• For those with little OCAD experience - e.g. people that have been given an OCAD map and asked to set a course.
• For those that have used the package for a while that would like to comply with local 'standards' for maps or exploit some of the ideas here to make their maps more maintainable.

If you have feedback or suggestions on the site - this would be most welcome. If you have suggestions - or material - that would make a useful addition to our web pages, please forward these to
 

Table of Contents

Setting your first Park-Street Course

• A guide for new course-setters
  • Importing the map as a template
  • Printing the course + underlying template
• How to remove a previous course without damaging the underlying map
• How to put following objects onto a map:
  • Start triangle
  • Control Circles
  • Control numbers
  • Control descriptions
  • Logos/advertising
  • Other text
• Printing a map without control circles on it
• Using only part of an existing map

Introduction to OCAD

• Introduction to the toolbars
• Starting a new map
• Standard template
• Standard symbols/names of same
• Naming of maps
• Using a template

Drawing Objects

• Straight lines
• Curved lines
• Point symbols – e.g. control circles
• Area symbols

Other things you can do to a drawing object

• Fence bits are on the wrong side
• Cutting and pasting between maps
• Duplicating a symbol
• Enlarging a symbol
• Rotating a symbol/text
• Adjusting the symbol set

Printing your Map

• Does 1:10,000 mean it will print at 1:10,000?
• Correcting the internal scale-factor on your map
• Adjusting orientation – portrait/landscape
• Printing part of a map

Suggested Standards for Black and White Park-Street Maps

• Roads
• End of divided road – is there a standard way of doing this
• Tracks
• Paths
• Buildings
• Fences
• Drawing open areas – such as parks
• White borders on lines
• White background on paths
• Background/fill colours – contrast/ability to copy them

Advanced OCAD Functions

• Adjusting Map Scales in OCAD 8
• Importing maps from other packages
• Colour mapping within OCAD

ABOUT NILLUMBIK EMUS
Contacts
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USEFUL LINKS
Melb Street Orienteering 
Emus Download Pages
Vic Orienteering Assoc.
Victorian Rogaining Assoc.
Mountain Bike Orienteering