MapPro61.OCX General Questions and Answers

1.      Do you need to be a programmer to use the MapPro?

Yes.  Depending on the application you intend to use MapPro for, you can be a beginner programmer (simple app), or you may need to be a fairly advanced programmer (to use some of the more involved capabilities of the control).  You also need to own, and be familiar with, a mainstream development environment (like VB, Delphi, Visual C++, ASP, etc.)

2.      Does this cover the entire US and at what detail?

Yes, both TIGER (Government Data) and GDT (Premium Third Party) datasets, available for MapPro, cover the entire US.  In terms of detail, both data sets include data down to neighborhood road level, with GDT providing a better coverage (e.g., including recent street data that is not always available in the TIGER data set).

3.      How hard is it or long does it take to create an application?

That depends on the complexity of the application you are interested in developing.  In its minimal form, you can actually create a simple mapping application with just two lines of code in the FormCreate event.  One to open up the configuration dialog, so that you can point to the appropriate data files, and one more to make the built-in toolbar appear.  In visual development environments, you actually do not need ANY lines of code, since you can set these parameters in the Property Inspector, and simply run the application. On the other hand, a complex application like Traveler (from Undertow Software, Inc.), which is build around MapPro, can be tens of thousands on line of code, and fairly involved.  Answering the question, it could be 10 minutes or 10 weeks depending on the complexity of the resulting application.

4.      Can I insert my own points on the map?

Sure.  You can insert points, with optional associated markers (bitmaps), and/or text, anywhere on the map, by simply identifying the point’s Longitude and Latitude.

5.      Can I plot points on the map based on addresses in my database?

Yes, the control includes the ability to search and find the Longitude and Latitude of a given address, which you can then use to plot the desired point.  All you would need to do is to somehow pass the address information from your data source to the MapPro control and loop through your database.

6.      Does it geocode?

Yes, the control has built-in geocoding capabilities.  Simply pass the address as a string and it will pass back the Longitude and Latitude.

7.      Does it support GPS?

No, there is no native GPS support, although the control has built in user object management capabilities, which can be used to dynamically manage a moving map display.  Take a look at Undertow’s Traveler product to see how a GPS application was built around the MapPro control.  Most custom applications work with custom GPS receivers which usually have their own format.  Since we can’t anticipate every possible format, we leave that up to the developer to parse the incoming data and display it on the map.

8.      Can I use this on the internet, and how would I do that?

“Use it on the Internet?” If you mean to serve maps on a web server that can be viewed by a web browser client, the answer is YES.  You can write a server wrapper around the control, in the way you are most comfortable and familiar with.  ASP, XML and .NET are commonly used.

9.      What type of applications can this be used for?

Any type of application that would need to display information on a map or retrieve information based upon its location.  Use your imagination and the possibilities are endless.  Almost any type of data can be geographically reference able.

10.  How much does it cost?

The developers kit generally costs about $459.99 (see current price page).  This gets you everything you need to develop an application.  Once your application is completed, you would need to get a license to distribute the OCX or use it on an internet server.  Client seat pricing ranges from $120-$15 per seat based upon quantity purchased.  Server licensing is usually based on a per transaction fee for each map generated.  Call for more details and pricing.

11.  Is it royalty free?

No.  Once your application is completed, you would need to get a license to distribute the OCX or use it on an internet server.  Client seat pricing ranges from $120-$15 per seat based upon quantity purchased.  Server licensing is usually based on a per transaction fee for each map generated.  Call for more details and pricing.

12.  What is Tiger data?  What is the difference between TIGER and GDT data.  TIGER, or better yet TIGER/Line data is a comprehensive data set compiled by the US Census to represent roads, political boundaries, etc.  It provides 100% coverage of the United States in terms of Political boundary polygons (Counties, Cities, Towns, Places, etc.), and close to 100% in terms of roads and hydrographic data, but 60% - 80% coverage of address block information.  GDT (licensed from a third party) is significantly better quality data, which provides more extensive and better quality coverage.  It is based on TIGER data that has been cleaned up and augmented by using other, external reference sources.  For reference purposes, TIGER data is updated every few years, whereas GDT data is updated on a quarterly basis.

13.  What is the registration process about and why do you do it?

When the OCX first runs on a client system, it pops up a generic dialog box that asks them to register the software for quality assurance.  They then have three options, 1) Register over the Phone, 2) Register over the Internet, and 3) Register later.  They have 15 days to register the software.  There are a number of reasons for the registration.  First, and foremost, it automates the licensing process and it is needed so that we can give developers less restrictive and better priced options, where they pay only for copies of their product that have been deployed and are being used, rather than making them pay for fixed blocks of licenses which may never be used!  The second reason is to help us provide technical support to registered users, where applicable, and finally it allows us, and the developers, to know where the tool is being used.  Is some situations, our customers make more money since they can track where their software is being used and charge their customs accordingly.  This is a transparent process to the end user.

14.  Can I create a product like MapQuest with it?

Yes!  Although MapPro is a much broader tool and not specifically created for the internet, you can quickly develop a web-based solution.  Whether it’s providing directions or just showing store locations, MapPro can provide you with a solution.

15.  Can it import other map data? Can I change a street if I need to?

No, unfortunately MapPro was not designed to import custom map datasets.  In order to make the control easy-to use, and allow the user to create full blown mapping applications with a few lines of code, the core data had to be massaged and optimized to the point that it’s not possible to read-in other, third party map data on the fly.  And, conversely, because of this closed nature of the data, you cannot add/change street information in the core data.  However, the control gives you the ability to define new street segments (and attributes) which may be transparently loaded, and used in conjunction with the core data sets.  If you need to import custom data, refer to MapTivate, which is a Mid-Level GIS system with import capabilities.

16.  How often do you update your data?

TIGER data updates are based on the update schedule of the Census Bureau.  It seems that there is an update every 2-3 years, but we don’t control that.  GDT data updates are done on a quarterly basis.

17.  Do you have a trial version of the program?

Due to the size of the map data, there are no trial downloads available, but all of our products are backed by an unconditional, 30-day money back policy.

MapOCX Pro v6.1 Technical Support Questions and Answers