Microsoft has recently released a new update with Windows 11, which can be installed on newer computers.
We have tested OCAD on Windows 11 and have not encountered any problems or received any reports from other users.
OCAD can be used as usual on Windows 11. Only the dialogs appear in a slightly different style.
Did it ever happen to you that you wanted to add objects or symbols from one map to another map?
As long as the symbols, respectively color table of the two maps is identical, a simple copy/paste is sufficient.
It becomes more challenging if this is not the case. That’s why we have created an OCAD Wiki page called Copy from Map to Map for this purpose.
You also learn how to create an own symbol set with custom symbols.
With the latest OCAD Update, we added new symbol sets for mountain bike orienteering (MTBO). The symbol sets are based on the final draft of the ISMTBOM 202x, released by the Internation Orienteering Map Commission, in cooperation with the MTBO Commission. Please find more information here.
In OCAD, you can use the symbol sets for testing in different ways:
Start a new MTBO map
We recommend you to start a new map with the New Map Wizard. There you have the possiblity to directly georeference the map and import OSM data and convert these data into OCAD symbols.
To start with a new map, you can also go to menu File > New and open the ISMTBOM 202x Final Draft symbol set.
New 15’000 map: Choose the ISMTBOM 202x Final Draft 15’000.ocd. No symbol scaling needed.
New 12’500 / 10’000: Choose the ISMTBOM 202x Final Draft 15’000.ocd. Choose 12’500 / 10’000 as map scale. Scale symbols.
New 7’500 / 5’000 map: Choose the ISMTBOM 202x Final Draft 5’000.ocd. This symbol set contains additional sprint symbols. Choose 7’500 / 5’000 as map scale. No symbol scaling needed.
Update an old MTBO Map
In OCAD, you can use the function Symbol Set Conversion to easily update a MTBO map with an old symbol set to the new symbol set.
Change an Foot Orienteering map into a MTBO map
Use also the Symbol Set Conversion for that purpose.
After the release of a pilot project for a Swiss MapAnt last summer, we are happy to present our final MapAnt Switzerland, which covers the whole of Switzerland.
The creation of this map became possible after the Federal Office of Topography swisstopo made many of its data available online free of charge as Open Government Data (OGD) this March.
MapAnt can animate to discover new areas. However, please note, that the possession of this map does not entitle to any orienteering activities in the terrain. Before using this map in the terrain, it is mandatory to contact the local orienteering club or the regional orienteering association to clarify forest use, private property, nature reserves, wildlife reserves, protected areas and other restrictions.
You can find more information about the development of MapAnt in our OCAD Wiki.
Have fun exploring Switzerland digitally!
The OCAD Sketch Layer is designed for sketching objects on a tablet.
Of course, objects can also be drawn directly with a drawing mode such as Curve, Straigth line or Freehand mode.
However, the Freehand mode was not very intuitive until now. Fortunately this has improved since the last OCAD update.
The Freehand mode for tablets now feels as intuitive and natural as drawing with the Sketch Layer, as you can see in this video.
For that, you need to select the option Freehand mode: Adapted for tablet with pen in the OCAD preferences.
