Planning routes and OS OpenData

[sloth]

Does anyone have any experience using the (freely?) available OS OpenData maps? If so how have used them, what are/aren't they good for?

I currently have up to 100 sites dotted about Essex for one client. I spent a whole tedious day opening up the geo referenced digital maps provided, checking location and then marking on an old fashioned road atlas so I can plan my routes. I couldn't help but feel that there is an easier way! Maybe dropping a 'pin' into google maps or an OpenData map, but I just don't have the technical savvy to know how to go about it.

Thoughts please...

[openspaceman]

Does anyone have any experience using the (freely?) available OS OpenData maps? If so how have used them, what are/aren't they good for?

I currently have up to 100 sites dotted about Essex for one client. I spent a whole tedious day opening up the geo referenced digital maps provided, checking location and then marking on an old fashioned road atlas so I can plan my routes. I couldn't help but feel that there is an easier way! Maybe dropping a 'pin' into google maps or an OpenData map, but I just don't have the technical savvy to know how to go about it.

Thoughts please...

 

Yes I use them to plot railway access points and the nearest post codes. They don't have the detail that the 1:25000 had but with the contours added (as provided by mapmaker) you get a fair idea of the lie of the land. You can also construct a map using all of your georeferenced diagrams and the render them on google earth using mapmaker.

[sloth]

I can get my maps (or any feature of them) to show in Google earth, is that rendering? But where do I go from there!? I don't know how to use that as a route planner, hence I have then gone through all the sites rendered on Google earth and put a pen mark on a paper road map to take in the car with me.

I feel once the points are in Google earth or similar, I should then be able to use it as a sat nav to get me around the sites quickly using the best routes between them all.

[openspaceman]

I can get my maps (or any feature of them) to show in Google earth, is that rendering?.

 

Yes

 

 

But where do I go from there!? I don't know how to use that as a route planner, hence I have then gone through all the sites rendered on Google earth and put a pen mark on a paper road map to take in the car with me.

I feel once the points are in Google earth or similar, I should then be able to use it as a sat nav to get me around the sites quickly using the best routes between them all.

 

I just do it by eye to decide a route, mine are simple line of route. If you have postcodes or use the nearest post code then you can put them in a route planner. I have not used these since I first connected a garmin 45 to a laptop using win95 but there are apps now and MapQuest Route Planner amongst many others plus many coordinate converters like Get the GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) of an address or place and get directions to/from that place

[sloth]

Ahh, I'll look into those thanks...