Hi Eric,

I use MapPoint 2004 in a commercial desktop app that needs to run disconnected from the internet. Recently, I've had inquiries about licencing the app in Australia; very exciting!

I've just realized, however, that MapPoint doesn't offer street level maps for Australia. I did a little searching. According to this guy, it's available: http://www.viavirtualearth.com/VVE/Forum/8/456.ashx, but I couldn't find it on either microsoft.com or the australian microsoft site http://www.microsoft.com/australia/. I did use http://local.live.com/default.aspx?wip=2&v=2&style=r&rtp=~&&msnurl=home. aspx?%26redirect%3dfalse&msnculture=en-US to get to the street level in Sydney, Australia, so that tells me that Microsoft has the data.

Any suggestions on how I could get a local version of the Australia data so I can continue to work with it offline in MapPoint 2004?

Thanks,
Doug

Hi Doug,

I think on the ViaVirtualEarth site they are talking about Virtual Earth, not the desktop of CD version of MapPoint.

I have not heard about any plans to incorporate the Australian data into a CD product of MapPoint. If they do decide to do this it would be at least a couple years away with the MapPoint 2008 versions ?

Unfortunately there is no way to incorporate your own GIS datasets into MapPoint except by importing as shapes, which doesn't give you any of the routing or other functionality of MapPoint.

hope this helps,

Eric