Mapping and course software

Mapping and course setting software

By Geoff Mead, July 2021

OCAD is a software package used for map drawing and setting orienteering courses. NWOC has invested (fee is over $100 per license per year) in 5 OCAD team licenses. A team license can be transferred between club members as required, one transfer per license every 24 hours. So, at any one time five club members can be using OCAD. Gene Beveridge manages the NWOC OCAD licenses and the NWOC map library. Gene contacts course setters / controllers well before each NWOC event and supplies a course setting package (O map, course setting guidelines, access to OCAD, etc).        

The club policy for the allocation of the OCAD licenses is that course setters / controllers for NWOC orienteering events and mappers working on club mapping projects have 'first call' on the licenses. When there are several events close together and an active mapping project(s) the OCAD licenses can be in high demand. It is also very common that most events will require some map updates (new tracks, vegetation change with tree felling, etc).

Don’t panic, we have options to manage these periods of peak OCAD license demand.

Free tools can be used and they are also a great option when learning about O mapping and course setting.

• Purple Pen: free orienteering course setting software. Purple Pen can easily be used for events like a rogaine or an AOS (Auckland Orienteering Series). Purple Pen is only used for course setting, it can’t be used for any map updates.
• OCAD viewer: free OCAD software that can be used to view OCAD maps and courses (but can’t be used to make any changes).
• Openorienteering: free orienteering mapping package that is almost as good as OCAD. The Openorienteering package can work with OCAD files. For example, you can open an OCAD map in Openorienteering, make changes (e.g.  add a new track) and then save the file as an OCAD file. Openorienteering cannot be used for course setting.     

Here are some scenarios when there is a high demand for the NWOC OCAD licenses. We need to help Gene in his job managing the OCAD licenses.                   

• A course setter / controller duo can use one OCAD license and the OCAD viewer. Either swapping the OCAD license between themselves or limiting map and course changes to one person and the other person uses the OCAD viewer to review the changes & courses.
• A course setter / controller duo uses Purple Pen for course setting and one OCAD license OR Openorienteering for any map changes. So, this can be a no OCAD license option.
• A mapping project, perhaps someone learning / experimenting, or a long-term project, use Openorienteering.

Next >