MapForums

It is generally known by now that some next version of MapPoint (2005, 2006 ?) is in the works though what form it will take is still very much under wraps. (The biggest outstanding questions is perhaps data for Brazil and Australia which are already in the MapPoint Web Service or will be shortly.)

What would you like to see in the next version? Let's compile a list for the MapPoint team at Microsoft before the specs for the new version are set in stone, maybe they will be able to consider some things or get some good ideas.

Eric

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1- Ability to hide names of cities/towns. Other GIS packages have "layers" of data. It wouldbe nice if there was a city name layer and the user could hide/unhide the layer.

2- Continuing with the layer idea, to be able to create/identify a layer for each data set. So I could have a Customers layer, a Warehouse layer and I could hide/unhide the layers

3- Lines should also be able to be identified with a layer.

4- Able to specifiy where the arrowhead is on a line. Most lines have the arrowhead at the end (----------->) , but it is nice to be able to show the arrowhead in the middle of a line (----->-----), or at regular intervals on the line (--->---->---->).

Whew ... thanks for asking. That was almost therapeutic.

Z.

1. Be able to either modify the mapped roads and other features or be able to download updates in a timely manner.

2. Be able to set up an Avoid Area at any location, irrespective of intersections.

3. Make Golf Courses/Country Clubs part of the searchable Nearby Places.

Apollyon

1. Allow user to select pushpin color from a pallette instead of 8 preset colors many of which are too similar.

2. Change the balloons. You should be able to resize pushpin balloons and move them freely so they don't always overlap one another!

3. Give me the option to label shaded area maps with a value so I can see an identifier in addition to the color when i print the sheet out. This way I don't have to guess what shade of green Idaho is.

There are a couple that consistently bother me

-Jake

1. The abilities to merge and divide shapes (especially free form/polys) via both the builtin gui and through the object model.
2 . Toolbar customization, at least though the object model. Certain users are dangerous with certain tools and work better with fixed version of those tools.
3. Add a property to Shapes(Index).Line in the object model called .Visible just like with .Fill, etc.
4. Make the size of a shape available as a property. Show and Hide isn't really enough if you need the value for a calculation.
5. Some features, available only through the object model, could be pretty useful in the builtin user interface. Like naming shapes.

I would like to see an option for track-up display of the map for driving with a GPSr.

I like that the next version of MapPoint could order object queryallrecord after the execute linkdata.

1. Ability to hide names of city/state etc
2. Driving instructions that tell you when a road is dirt!!!!
- I have had it twice send me on dirt roads as the quickest route a warning would be nice.
3. Zip Codes for Puerto Rico that I can map data to.

I would like to see the start and end point locations of each individual route segment made available.

This would make writing navigation type applications using GPS far easier. The information must already be calculated by MapPoint and just needs exposing.

Roger

I hope it is not too late to add another suggestion:

Make the zip code boundary information upgradable. It would be nice to be able to "refresh" the zip code information when the post office changes zipcode boundaries and/or adds new zip codes.