On this page you will find various links to resources that are useful for beginner and experienced mappers.
Introductory Maps
Guides
Various guides exist to help in the mapping of relatively simple areas such as schools and simple parks that are suitable for introductory orienteering events. A few examples can be found here:
- New Zealand Schools Map Making – (PDF 429KB)
- British Orienteering specification for School Maps – (PDF 380KB)
- Parkland Mapping Manual (Western Australia) – (PDF 1108KB)
- Junior Mapper’s Guide (Georgia O Club) – (link)
OCAD Symbol Sets
Here you can download two OCAD 9 symbol sets developed for the British Orienteering Federation specifically for schools maps
- OCAD 9 Symbol set for map scales 1:2500 – 1:4000
- OCAD 8 Symbol set for map scales 1:2500 – 1:4000
- OCAD 6 Symbol set for map scales 1:2500 – 1:4000
- OCAD 9 Symbol set for map scales 1:250 – 1:2500
- OCAD 8 Symbol set for map scales 1:250 – 1:2500
- OCAD 6 Symbol set for map scales 1:250 – 1:2500
Base Maps
Here are a few sources for base map (digital images, contours) information in South Africa:
- Try your local municipality. Many have GIS (Geographical Information Systems) departments.
- The South African National Directorate: National Geo-spatial Information
Mapping Software
OCAD
Most orienteering maps are drawn using OCAD, which is a commercial cartography software.
OCAD 6 is available for free download and use.
O-scape (free)
O-scape is a free extension that couples into a powerful open source vector graphics editor called Inkscape. More details about O-scape can be found by clicking this link.
Collaborative Maps (free)
The drive to reduce the cost of producing orienteering maps is not unique to South Africa. There are a number of projects that piggyback on Open Street Map (OSM), which is a free editable map of the world. There are two systems worth looking at:
- The COMO project.
- The Open Orienteering Map (OOM) project.
There is a discussion thread on Attackpoint that discusses these tools.
Mapping Standards
On the main mapping page links can be found to the IOF standards for both classic and sprint orienteering.
Examples
Here is a really good website by Kell Sønnichsen who mapped the area used in the WOC2006 Sprint in Denmark. He shares his interpretation of the ISSOM sprint specification.
Map Design
And then when you’re all done, consider this document by Brian Mee (BoF), in which he discusses the design elements that make an aesthetically pleasing map.
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Hi,
Orientering looks like great fun. Is there somewhere in Port Elizabeth that it is done?