Product Description

Scout the terrain as if you were there with our realistic 3-D and downloadable aerial images. Automatically create driving and hiking routes based on the most up-to-date data available. Print detailed, customized maps and effortlessly upload your GPS waypoints, tracks and routes to your receiver...then hit the back roads and trails with total confidence. Entire US on one DVD!

From the Manufacturer

With Delorme Topo USA 6.0 National Maps you get completely updated USGS topographic map and elevation data on DVD integrated with the most recent DeLorme street, trail, campground, and highway network. Plus, a newly-designed 3-D mapping engine produces lifelike views of your favorite terrain, allowing you to soar above rivers and lakes, ascend mountains, and explore new places -- all from your computer. Topo USA 6.0 is also GPS ready, meaning it exchanges waypoints and draw objects with most popular handheld GPS models, including in-car systems such as the Earthmate GPS LT-20.

Unlike online imagery sources, with Topo USA you can draw, print, measure, and a whole lot more with 3D maps and imagery. View larger.

Using the New Trail Draw tool, you can draw in new trails where you believe them to be. Once your new trail is added, it can be recognized as a routable object when generating automatic trail routes. View larger.

Easily create custom routes that also feature hiking times and distances. View larger.

Embed photos you took during your adventures and then display them as embedded hypertext objects located precisely on the maps. You can even share them via Topo USA's online MapShare feature.View larger.

Use the Handheld Exchange tab of Topo USA 6.0 to download your waypoints. New in Topo USA 6.0 is the ability to explode an additional view in the sub menu showing your comments and notes about each waypoint. View larger.

Select different sections along your routes and see climbing distance, elevation gain, and other useful information. View larger. Topo USA offers the best of both worlds -- the latest USGS digital topographic data and the latest DeLorme street network. Unlike the scanned raster USGS paper maps used in many other topographic software products, this unique DeLorme vector data blending assures you are working with the latest information. Many scanned USGS quad maps were made decades ago, so the roads shown are oftentimes outdated or nonexistent. Topo USA's vector -- or intelligent -- blended data enables smart searching, better labeling, and many other powerful software capabilities. You can even take the maps with you on your Pocket PC, Palm OS, and Windows Mobile 2003 devices.

In addition to topo maps, you can also gain access to Aerial Data Packets (ADPs). These DeLorme-processed packets consist of three distinct data types to supplement the included topographic maps:

1. Black-and-white Digital Orthoquads, best used for up-close views.
2. Sat-10, 10-meter colorized satellite images, ideal for viewing major land features from farther away.
3. For those who like the look of the USGS scanned 7-5 minute quad maps, Delorme includes these for download. Using the Netlink tab of the software, you connect to the DeLorme imagery servers to download your geographic areas of interest. Once downloaded, you can view in 3-D, track on imagery using GPS, draw, measure, and use the various software tools. DeLorme offers these ADPs in large quantities for free with initial purchase. Core Functions
   Maps can be controlled using a variety of methods, including the traditional push-button zooming, which drills in/out while keeping the map exactly centered. Also, holding down the left mouse button enables you to drag and zoom, left-to-right, across the map, and moving the mouse in the same manner but in the opposite direction zooms out.

   The 3-D software engine has been completely rebuilt for this new version, and you can see the terrain in vivid detail using the 3-D map views and controls. These realistic views also retain the various elements you add to your customized maps, such as trails, MapNotes, GPS waypoints, and draw objects. The split-screen framework lets you see 2-D and 3-D maps side by side, with linked Draw tools that move and update in tandem. Now you can also grab the 3-D map views using the image grabber tool and scroll rapidly through 3-D views with great precision.

   DeLorme employs several powerful search capabilities within the software. The first is a simple box called QuickSearch where you type common requests including towns, cities, lakes, mountains, lat/lons, ZIP codes, street addresses and many more to receive the quickest possible matches. Meanwhile, the Advanced Search helps clarify more complex searches to provide the best possible results.

   The Profile tool lets you click on a route, line object, or body of water and see the elevation gain between one point and the next. Ideal for bikers, hikers, and large rigs wanting to know the elevation on their trips. Meanwhile, the Measure Tool lets you measure linear distance and area on the map based on the units chosen in the Display tab of the Options dialog box. Draw polygons on the map and see the square footage or acreage of plots of land.

   For detailed information about the map you're viewing, simply right-click on the map to learn more about what's underneath your cursor. Lat/Lon, names of streets and bodies of water -- even local radio station information -- can be viewed in this manner. Moreover, the bottom toolbar of the software displays a continuously updated readout of what's underneath your cursor. You can also add your own images, live Web URLs, and diagrams and documents to the maps. For instance, you can embed photos and diagrams showing fleet personnel what they will find at each location. Or, embed URLs next to your important stops on the maps for easy access when additional information is needed or updated online. You can even link your digital photographs to a GPS log so you can see exactly where you took a picture along your trip.

   Ease of Use
   Topo USA 6.0's E-Z Nav Toolbar runs along the top of the interface and offers access to commonly needed options, including GPS settings, the Measure tool, MapShare and Routing functions. You can also set your own keyboard shortcut preferences for optimum control when using GPS. The new key-bindings function is very powerful and advanced so you can design your ideal in-vehicle navigation solution to your own personal specifications. Plus, a service called Netlink provides important technical support messages. It's also the place where you select the download areas you want for use within the software.

   Routing
   Create automatic road routes to get you to the trailhead, then use automatic trail routing to bring on your hikes. You can create routes from the Route tab or by simply right-clicking on the map and setting your Starts, Stops, and Finish points. You can also create and save commonly-used names for places you visit often, such as "home," "work," or "Dad's." Once these names are assigned, the routing Starts, Stops, and Finishes also display these names making retrieval easy for repeated usage.

   DeLorme's exclusive "Add Local Roads" feature is the best way to update local roads when new developments are planned or added between DeLorme software releases. This tool is located within the Draw tab and lets you draw in the road segment, connecting it to another local road within the database. Assign a name, save it, and when you create automatic routes, the software is smart enough to include these new local roads in the routing calculations and also update the directions.

   GPS Features
   A handy GPS waypoint exchange system allows you to use an automatic route generation tool to create the route you want without hand-drawing each object. Then exchange this track log to your handheld GPS receiver and bring the information with you into the field. Bring your field data back into the desktop software from your GPS receiver to see where you have been. Topo USA 6.0 supports Garmin, Magellan, and most other NMEA-compliant receivers.

   With GPS Log Playback, you can create a route along your favorite trail, right-click on the trail and save it as GPS Log File. Open the GPS tab, switch to 3-D mode, and play back the log file showing various icons moving along the trail. It's as close to being there as one can get without actually leaving your home. Topo USA 6.0 also supports the popular geocaching site file formats .gpx and .loc, which makes geocaching more fun than ever.

   Printing and Sharing
   With Topo USA 6.0 you can print crisp color or black and white maps that you control to best match what is seen on screen. Include the elevation profile with your print outs, or simply print the elevation profile by itself. Meanwhile, the MapShare feature makes it easy to share your customized maps and directions with family, friends, and business associates. You create exactly the content you want and then post within our online MapShare library, which includes private administrative tools for you to manage. Similar to some of the better online photo resources, MapShare allows you to provide controlled access to your important maps without worrying about email and spam filters.