Exporting Maps

QUESTION: ACI: Why does GeoLocator hang as the map is being exported back into my appraisal?

ANSWER: Due to a memory constraint on some computers, GeoLocator cannot completely generate the bitmap image to export back to your appraisal location map. You can correct the problem by reducing the image size by change the following option in ACI:

In ACI, select Environment from the Options menu. Select Mapping. For ACI versions 8.5x and later, select the plus sign next to Mapping and then select GeoLocator. Change the GeoLocator Map Quality from Medium to Low and select OK.

QUESTION: ACI: Why does my Location Map look fuzzy?

ANSWER: Disable the Auto Resize option: On ACI's Options menu, select Environment. Click the plus sign next to Image and select Auto Resize. Set the Default Map Size to Do not resize.

QUESTION: How can I export a map into my appraisal forms software?

ANSWER: The method for each forms package is documented below. Click on the name of your vendor. For all forms packages, except a la mode, you start GeoLocator from within your forms software. If you have started GeoLocator from the Windows Start | Programs menu, or from an icon on your desktop, your forms package will have problems trying to start GeoLocator.

ACI Rapid Reports
a la mode WinTotal
Bradford Technologies Clickforms
Day One Forms
United Systems Appraisal Studio
Wilson Computer Real Easy Forms
Other Forms Software

a la mode WinTotal:

Start GeoLocator by clicking on Start | Programs | Map Solutions | GeoLocator. From GeoLocator's Task Menu, select Create CMA / Appraisal. After locating your Subject, select Add Comparable from GeoLocator's GeoLocate menu to add your comparable properties.

Set the Page Layout. You can fit the map into the image frame of your Location Map Addendum -- From within GeoLocator, select File | Page Layout | Edit. Set the page margins to:

Top: 0, Bottom: 0, Left: 0, Right: 0
Paper Width: 7.05, Paper Height: 10.85
Disable the Header and Legend. Select File | Page Layout. Deselect Print Header. Also deselect Print Legend. If you wish, you can set the bottom margin to 3 inches to provide room for the Property Legend printed below the map and leave Print Legend selected. NOTE: You can choose which legend format is used by selecting File | Legend Format. Select "CMA / Appraisal".
Create the Image. From within GeoLocator select File | Export | GIF. Select OK to accept the default image file name of MAPS.GIF. Then select MEDIUM to set the resolution, then OK to create the image. The map will be left in the folder into which you installed GeoLocator.
Import the Image. From within WinTotal, import the MAPS.GIF image file from the GeoLocator folder in to your Location Map Addendum page.

Bradford Appraiser's ClickForms: Add a Location Map Addendum to your report, if you have not already done so. Then select GeoLocator from the Tools menu.

Day One Forms: Select Configuration | Directories | Mapping. Select Color and OK. Start GeoLocator by clicking on the Create Map button on your Toolbar (looks like a little North Symbol). On the next form, indicate that you want GeoLocator to create the map image and select OK.

If your map is still black and white, you must do the following to enable color maps:

1. Make sure GeoLocator is closed
2. Double Click on My Computer icon on your Desktop or Start Menu
3. Double Click on the Winmaps folder
4. Double Click on TIFCOLOR.CFG
5. Open the file with NOTEPAD
6. Edit the following two lines as shown:

ExportType=47
PrintBits=4

7. Click Save on the File menu and exit from Notepad.

ACI Rapid Reports: Select Configuration | Environment | Mapping. Ensure that you have enabled GeoLocator. If you want a color map select Color, HIGH quality, and OK. Start GeoLocator by selecting Tools | Mapping | GeoLocator or by clicking on the Generate Map icon on ACI's tool bar.

United Systems Appraisal Studio: to start GeoClick on Forms in Report. (If necessary, click Add/Remove Forms to add a Location Map addendum.) Double-click on Location Map. On the Insert Graphic Image form, select Launch an external program, then select Configure. For “Location Maps”, enter C:\WINMAPS\WINMAP.EXE and click OK. If you have installed GeoLocator on another drive, change “C:\” to the correct drive letter. Back on the Insert Graphic Image form, select OK. Confirm the city, state, and zip codes are correct and press OK to start GeoLocator.

Wilson Computer Real Easy Forms - NOTE: you must obtain a separate interface module from Wilson Computer to enable the GeoLocator interface. To start GeoLocator, click Tools | RealEasy Maps (GeoLocator). On GeoLocator's File menu, select Page Layout | Edit. Change the page layout margins to:

Top: 0, Bottom: 1.0, Left: 0, Right: 0
Paper Width: 7.0, Paper Height: 11.0

Select OK to set the layout. Then select File | Page Layout again and turn off Print Header and Print Legend. Once you have the map looking right, export a map image by selecting File | Export | GIF. Click OK to accept the default image file name. When asked what resolution to use, select MEDIUM. When the export operation is complete, just exit from GeoLocator and the map is transferred into your Location Map addendum.

Other Forms Software:

Set the Page Layout. Fit the map into the image frame of your document by selecting File | Page Layout | Edit within GeoLocator. Set the page margins to Zero so that the map image will fit up against the edges of your frame. Then set the Paper Width and Height to be the size of your frame. For Example:

Top: 0, Bottom: 0, Left: 0, Right: 0
Paper Width: 7, Paper Height: 11.
Disable the Header and Legend. Select File | Page Layout. Deselect Print Header. Also deselect Print Legend. If you wish, you can set the bottom margin to 3 inches to provide room for the Property Legend printed below the map and leave Print Legend selected. NOTE: You can choose which legend format is used by selecting File | Legend Format. Select "CMA / Appraisal".
Create the Image. From within GeoLocator select File | Export | GIF. Select OK to accept the default image file name of MAPS.GIF. Then select MEDIUM to set the resolution, then OK to create the image. The map will be left in the folder into which you installed GeoLocator.
Import the Image. From within your forms program, import the image file into your Location Map Addendum page. Remember that the high resolution map image is sitting in GeoLocator's folder (normally C:\WINMAPS\MAPS.GIF).

QUESTION: Why are do the roads look jagged in my appraisal forms package? The image is not as crisp looking as it was in GeoLocator. Has the resolution of the image decreased?

ANSWER: While exporting the map image from GeoLocator, it's possible that your forms software has reduced the map image resolution from high to low to display the map on your 100 dot per inch screen. Most forms software has a way of changing the display scale or "Zoom" factor so that you can zoom in to see the true resolution of the map image. When you print this image, the resolution should be better. If not, then increase the resolution of the map image as follows:

SOLUTION: GeoLocator has three types of resolution for exporting. High (300dpi), medium (150dpi), and low (100dpi). Many appraisal forms software vendors provide an option for setting the resolution of the GeoLocator map image. If yours does not, then before you exit GeoLocator, type the following command (when you start typing, a GeoLocator command line will appear below the map in the Status Bar):

Resolution ExportRes

Then select MEDIUM OR LOW for the resolution you prefer. Medium resolution is a good compromise between saving hard disk space, time for image to print, and clarity of your image. Medium will use 4x the disk space as low, and high will use 4x the disk space as medium. You must do this each time you want to export a map image into a form, before exiting GeoLocator.

For distributors, system integrators, or users of our Client Application Program Interface product, add the following line in your alternate configuration file:

ExportRes=MEDIUM

The line PrintRes=AUTO should be deleted if present.

QUESTION: How do I change the size of the exported image on the location map or add a legend below the map?

If you have GeoLocator Version 4 or 5 contact Map Solutions Customer Support or contact your vendor to upgrade to Version 6.
Download the Version 6.13 (or higher) update from this website. Click here for details.
Start GeoLocator and edit your layout settings using the Edit Export Layout on GeoLocator's Page Layout menu. The correct settings are:

Top Margin: 0.0
Bottom Margin: 0.0
Left Margin: 0.0
Right Margin: 0.0
Paper Width: 7.5
Paper Height: 11.5
Click OK. These settings are now the default for exported images.
If you wish to add a legend at the bottom of the map, set the Bottom Margin to 2.0 and enable the Print Legend option on the Page Layout menu.

QUESTION: How do I export a map to Microsoft Word?

ANSWER: First change GeoLocator's page layout to match your document requirements, then export the image. For example, assuming you wish to insert a 5 inch by 5 inch map with a 2 inch legend below the map:

Set the Page Layout. Fit the map into the image frame of your document by selecting File | Page Layout | Edit within GeoLocator.

Set the page margins so that the map image will fit up against the top and sides of your picture frame and reserve a 2 inch bottom margin for the legend. Then set the Paper Width and Height to be the size of your picture frame (not the actual paper size). For Example:

Top: 0, Bottom: 2, Left: 0, Right: 0
Paper Width: 5, Paper Height: 7
Disable the Header. Select File | Page Layout. Deselect Print Header. Also select Print Legend. NOTE: You can choose which legend format is used by selecting File | Legend Format. Select "CMA / Appraisal". If you do not want to print a legend below the map, then deselect File | Page Layout | Print Legend.
Create the Image. From within GeoLocator select File | Export | PCX Color. Select OK to accept the default image file name of MAPS.PCX or give the file a name of your own. Then select MEDIUM to set the resolution to 300 dots-per-inch, then OK to create the image. The map will be left in the folder into which you installed GeoLocator. (Normally C:\WINMAPS)
Import the Image. From within Microsoft Word, select Insert | Picture | From File. Then locate and insert the high resolution map image sitting in GeoLocator's folder (for example: C:\WINMAPS\MAPS.PCX).
Adjust the size of the map. Word stretches the map image to fit the current margins. To change the size of the map, drag the lower right corner up and to the left in toward the center of the map.
Adjust the way the text and map interact. By default, Word will insert the map in line with your text. If you want to control how the text flows around the map, double-click on the map and select the Layout tab. Select In Front of Text which will let you drag the image anywhere on the page. More text control can be found under the Advanced button.