INTRODUCTION

WHAT'S HOT

SETUP

    In order to use PathAway GPS 3, you will have to have a GPS unit.  Fortunately, the program is set up to work with any NMEA0183 v2.0-compliant GPS (that includes the vast majority on the market).  You can also use Delorme Earthmate™, and Tripmate™ proprietary protocols.
    You can use PathAway GPS 3 without a map at all.  You can capture and use previously created routes.  However, one area where the PathAway GPS 3 really excels is in being able to get maps from virtually any source.  With hard-copy maps, you'll have to scan them into a computer and save them in either JPEG or BMP graphics formats.  With electronic maps, you'll also have to convert to JPEG or BMP but, even if the program doesn't have export features, you can use a screen capture to do so.  For the purposes of this review, I scanned in an aerial photo of my neighborhood and a US Geological Survey map of a nearby State Park where we've done some cross-country skiing in the past.  To show you how easy it is, I'm going to take you through the process of making the scans usable with PathAway GPS 3.

The Map Manager

    I began with two scanned images, cropped to the specific areas in which I was interested:

USGS Map of Eagle Creek Park

Aerial Photo of Herron-Morton Place

    Next I started the Map Manager software and "imported" the graphic images into that program:

Map Manager program preparing to Import a JPEG or BMP graphic map image

    After selecting the map image from the standard Windows Open File Dialog, I was able to set some options for the PathAway GPS 3 map I'm creating:

Map Manager allows you to change image depth, compression, and scale.

    You can change the name, set the color depth from full 16-bit color all the way down to black and white, and change the size of the image from 100% down to 25%.  I left things as they were.  A 16-bit color map can take up a lot of room, though.  You might want to drop the color depth down a bit to save on storage space.  There's also a check box for Compression.  This isn't the same as JPEG compression in that the image remains sharp, but the file takes up somewhat less space.  The reference to "OS 3.3+" indicates that compression is only allowed on Palm devices with OS 3.3 or higher.  There is a version of PathAway GPS 3 for Palm devices.  All versions use the same map format.

    Once the map is loaded into the program, you can either "calibrate" it in Map Manager or save it and calibrate it in the Pocket PC program.  We'll look at both procedures.  Calibration is what allows the Pocket PC program will be able to translate a GPS position to a point on the map.  To calibrate the map in Map Manager, simply click on the [Calibration] button.

Map Manager allows you to "calibrate" the map using several different techniques

    PathAway supports three different types of calibration methods.  You can calibrate to latitude and longitude lines.  You can calibrate projected maps in either Lambert Conformal Conic or Transverse Mercator form, or you can calibrate Touratech-QV 3x3 maps.  The Longitude/Latitude format is by far the most common and the one I used for the test maps.
    The "Map Datum" setting, allows you to select from the most common map transformation sets in use.  If you know the datum setting for your maps, select it.  If you don't, you can use the "WGS84" setting with is the most common, the default, and the format used internally by the PathAway software.
    The "Coordinate Type" setting lets you which data you'll enter to calibrate the map.  You can select from providing Top-Left and Bottom-Right Longitudes and Latitudes, a Center point Longitude and Latitude and the Width and Height of the map, or the Longitudes and Latitudes of several known points on the map.  I found the third option to be the easiest in most situations.  You can find the Latitudes and Longitudes via most desktop mapping software or you can simply walk to some points on the map and enter the GPS readings.
    One of the nice features on the "Known Points" entry screen is the ability to "Mark" points on the map.  You can see a "marked point" on the above screen with a target pattern and the "1" next to it.  Marking a point automatically enters its MapX and MapY values, leaving you to just enter its Latitude and Longitude.  You can enter as many points as you wish, the further apart on the map the points are, the more accurate the calibration will be.
    Once you've converted the map using Map Manager, you'll want to transfer it to your Pocket PC for use.  If you use a Memory Card and have a card reader on your desktop PC, you can simply save the map to the card in the PathAway folder.  If you want to save into Main Memory or don't have a PC-base card reader, you can fire up your ActiveSync link and use the "Send Map to Windows Mobile Device" option in the File Menu of Map Manager.

Calibrating on the Pocket PC

PathAway GPS 3

    Now lets take a look at calibrating a map on the Pocket PC:

Calibration on the PPC provides a new tool -- Nudge Controls

    You can use exactly the same calibration methods on the Pocket PC as you do on the desktop through an options dialog, but PathAway also provides you with a "Nudge Controls" tool that takes advantage of the Pocket PCs portability.  Often, when you get out in the field, you'll notice slight discrepancies between where you are physically and where the map image says you are.  The Nudge Controls will allow you to make small adjustments to eliminate the discrepancies.

Nudge Controls allow small adjustments to the map calibration to bring it into line with your GPS readings.

    The "Nudge Controls" allow you to "bump" a map by the amount in the Nudge entry box as follows:

The Single arrows adjust the horizontal coordinate to longitude or the vertical coordinate to latitude base value.
This is the equivalent of moving the map sideways or up and down.

The Double arrows adjust horizontal to longitude or vertical to latitude scale independently.
This is the equivalent of changing the scale of the map.

The Quad arrows adjust all directions equally, changing the map to latitude/longitude scale.

Other Pocket PC Settings

PathAway GPS 3

    PathAway gives you a great deal of control over what information is displayed by the program and how it is displayed.  We'll begin with the Options Menu:

The Options Menu provides settings for all the basic elements of the program.

    Selecting "Points..." brings up the Point Database dialog you see below:

The Point Database dialog allows you to create and edit individual point data.

    "Points" are simply individual locations on the map.  They're assigned a name, an icon that displays on the map, a text note that can be displayed as well, and a location either manually or via the GPS readings.  Points can be manually created with this dialog box or they can be "captured" from the map view as you're using it.  Once a point is created, you can edit its data, add it to a route, or use the [Show] button to move the map immediately to that point.  Created points are placed in the current database of points.  You can create and use as many point databases as you have storage to keep.  Each database has a descriptive name and can also store the "mode of transportation" to differentiate between walking, boating, and ballooning maps, for instance.
    At the top of the screen is a drop-down that will allow you to select the current point database from a list of available databases.  Below that is a Find entry box that will allow you to look for a particular point by name.
    At the bottom of the Point Database dialog are three menus:  The "Database" menu also gives you the ability to "Beam" a point to another user, Move or Copy a point to another database, and send or receive points from GPS units that store point data (such as a Garmin or Megellan GPS).  The "Options" menu allows you to create a new point database, change to a different database to edit, add points from a different database, or split the current database.  The "Sort" menu allows you to order the point list by Name, by Proximity to the current location, by Icon, or by Note.

    Selecting "Routes..." calls up the Routes Database dialog you see below:

The Routes Database dialog allows you to create, edit, and manipulate route information.

    The Routes Database dialog lists all the available route files.  Routes are point data that's collected into a sequential path which you can follow on your map.  The dialog allows you to turn route following on or off and to proceed along the route forward or backward.  When you're following a route, your progress will be displayed on the screen.  Routes are assigned a descriptive name and can be assigned a transportation mode.
    At the bottom of the screen are three menus:  The "Database" menu allows you to Edit the Points in your route, to Duplicate the current route, to Join two routes together, to Delete the current route, to Beam the route to another user, to Move or Copy the route to a different location or database, and to send or receive a route from a GPS unit that stores routes.  The "Options" menu allows you to sort the route list by Name, Date, Transportation, Location, or not at all.  It also has options to rebuild databases in case the data becomes corrupted.  The "Sections" menu allows you to select between viewing Routes, Tracks, Points, or Maps.  This has the same result as selecting the corresponding option from the main menu.

    Selecting "Tracks" brings up the screen you see below:

The Tracks Database dialog allows you to create or edit GPS tracking data.

    Tracks and Routes are very similar.  They have exactly the same kind of data.  The difference is simply a matter of how they're created.  Tracks are made by tracking GPS readings over time, creating a history of where you've been.  Routes are created by entering a sequence of important points along the way.  Other than that, they act and can be used in identical ways.  The tracking dialog box replaces the [New] button, which creates a new route, with the [Activate] button, which begins tracking GPS readings at your current location.  All other options are the same.

    Selecting "Maps" calls up the screen you see below:

The Maps Database dialog allows you to choose and work with map data.

    The Maps Database dialog allows you to select which map you'd like to use.  There are three menus available for further options:  The "Database" menu allows you to Calibrate, Delete, Beam to another user, or Move or Copy the currently selected map.  The "Options" menu allows you to sort maps by Name, Location, Transportation mode, or Scale.  The "Maps" menu performs the same function as the "Sections" menus in the previous dialogs, giving you quick access to the other database file types.

    Selecting "Folders" will bring up the screen you see below:

The Folders dialog allows you to select which folders will be checked for databases.

    The Folders dialog shows you which folders on your Pocket PC the program is checking for data.  The default is the "PathAway" folder on any media you have attached to the Pocket PC when you installed the program.  You can add new folders to the list or you can remove some of the current folders to speed up the time it takes for database dialogs to display.  I chose to eliminate my File Store and CF Card from the list.

    Selecting "Preferences" calls up the tabbed screen you see below:

The General Preferences tab allows you to set display units and options.

    On the "General" tab, you can change the units used to display distance, elevation, and volume.  You can also force the course to take right-angle directions, allow 45 degree directions, or even half-45 degree directions.  You can select position display Latitudes and Longitudes in Degrees, Minutes and decimal or Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds.  You can also display positions in Universal Transverse Mecator (UTM) or Ordinal Survey of Great Britain (OSGB) Grid Zone, Northing, and Easting.  You can also select to start a new trip when the program begins (or load the last trip) and whether the device stays on when connected to a GPS unit (over-riding the timed auto-shutoff).

    Clicking on the "Time" tab calls up the screen you see below:

The Time Preferences tab allows you to set speed and time zone options.

    The Time Preferences tab sets speed and time related items.  You can choose to base Time Estimate on the Recorded speed of a track or the Current Speed, Average Speed, or Vehicle Speed as determined by your GPS unit, or even to a Custom value you set for yourself.  The default Custom value works well with vehicular travel.  You can also set the Time Zone in terms of offset from Greenwich Mean Time.  If you're wondering what number to use, look at the Settings|System|Clock&Alarms applet on your Pocket PC.  It gives the offset along with the location.

    Clicking on the "Map" tab calls up the screen you see below:

The Map Preferences tab sets what items are placed on viewed maps.

    The Maps Preferences tab controls whether you show a map at all.  (PathAway works well without a map, providing text instructions for following a stored route or capturing a current track.)  You can also Automatically select a map based on your GPS' reported position, auto zoom on the map, use grays for four-color maps, scale maps for zoom operations, show the Active Track or all Enabled Tracks (more on that later), Show the Active Route or all Enabled Routes, draw a Line to the next point on a track or route, draw a Circle around the next point, draw a circle around the next direction change, Show Points, Icons, and/or Text Labels, Highlight the Closest Point, Hide or show the "Dashboard" (a display of current position, speed, direction, etc. placed on the map), use Normal Text, Large Text, or Small Text, and Show or hide the program Toolbar.

    Clicking on the "Tracking" tab calls up the screen you see below:

The Tracking Preferences tab sets whether and how to record GPS trackings.

    The Tracking Preferences tab allows you to choose whether you are currently tracking GPS readings.  You can also specify a maximum Track Data size to preserve storage space.  You can choose to track by time, course change, minimum distance moved, or all of these.  You can also choose to record the track by a given set distance.

    Clicking on the "Alarm" tab calls up the screen you see below:

The Alarm Preferences tab allows you to set off warnings for various tracking events.

    When you're following a route or track, you can't always be looking at your Pocket PC.  PathAway provides a handy alarm feature which will make sounds when you're Off Track by a certain amount, within two different Proximities to known points, within two proximities of direction changes, and if you reach a certain difference in elevation from the route.  You can select the sound from 14 predefined alarm sounds.  The [!] buttons allow you to test the sounds.

    Clicking on the "Route" tab calls up the screen you see below:

The Route Preferences tab allows you to deal with Route Warnings and Route Navigation settings.

    The Route Preferences tab has a proximity setting similar to the Track setting in the previous dialog.  (One's for tracks, the other's for routes.)  For routes, you can also set an Elevation Warning to trigger an alarm at a particular elevation.  The Route Preferences tab also allows you to set whether you have to follow the route in sequence or can proceed in a random order, how far away from the next point the program will advance to the following point, and whether the route track will automatically advance or advance only when you tell it to do so.

    Clicking on the "Point" tab calls up the screen:

The Point Preferences tab allows you determine how known points are displayed on the map.

    The Point Preferences tab allows you to set the maximum distance away from a known point you can be where it will still appear in the Proximity Point list.  You can also set Automatic Point Naming conventions to use Latitude/Longitude or increasing point numbers.  Lastly, you can set the maximum scale at which icons and text labels will appear near points.

    Clicking on the "Colors and Lines" tab calls up the screen:

The Colors and Lines Preferences tab allows you to change the colors or various map elements.

    For many maps, the default set of colors PathAway starts with will display routes, tracks, text, and points with good clarity.  If you use your own maps, you may find the colors disappear into the map.  PathAway allows you to set the colors of the Active and non-active Routes, the Line to the Next Point, the Active and non-active Tracks, the text and backround colors of the Dashboard and Point Labels, the color of the Position Marker, and whether the display uses a 3D Effect.

Clicking on the "Hard Keys" tab calls up the screen:

The Hard Keys Preferences tab allows you to assign functions to your Pocket PC's hardware buttons.

    The Hard Keys Preferences tab allows you to use the Pocket PC's hardware buttons to perform certain functions instead of using the menu equivalents.  The first four hardware buttons can be assigned to Add a Point, go to the Next or Previous Screen, call up the Databases dialog, Toggle on/off the GPS, Alarm, Tracking, Map Display, Zoom Map in/out, Zoom Scale in/out, revert to Full Scale, Scroll Map up, down, left or right, Set the Start or End or a Route or Track, switch to the World Map, call up the Points, Routes, Tracks, Maps, Point Databases, Folders, or Preferences dialogs, Calibrate the current Map, call up the About screen, set the View to Full Screen Map, Tracking, Proximity, Route, or Point view, Toggle the Map Display, Show or Hide the Dashboard, Show or Hide the Toolbar, Refresh the map drawing, Connect or Disconnect to the GPS, Simulate the GPS, Start or End a Trip, Advance the Route, or Set to Closest Route point.  You can also enable/disable scrolling using the direction pad.

Finally, clicking on the "System" tab calls up the screen:

The System Preferences tab sets a few remaining items.

    The System Preferences tab allows you to determine whether the system will Timeout waiting for an even and how long that will take, whether the GPS Connecting status is displayed, how close you need to be before units switch from large to small units, and how precisely the speed is displayed.

Configure GPS

    There is one further menu option in PathAway GPS 3 that belongs in the Setup section.  On the GPS menu you'll find an option to "Configure GPS..."  Selecting this option brings up the dialog you see below:

The Configure GPS dialog lets you configure the program to work with your GPS unit.

    PathAway is set up to be able to work with virtually any GPS unit that you could connect to a Pocket PC.  It defaults to using the industry-standard NMEA protocol, but you can also select Garmin-NMEA, Garmin proprietary, NAVMAN-NMEA, Magellan-NMEA, Earthmate, Tripmate, Holux-NMEA, GlobalSat-NMEA, LinksPoint-NMEA, GPS simulator, and NMEA Log Replay.  Except for the last two, each of these is designed to work with the idiosyncrasies of each manufacturer's GPS.  The GPS simulator allows you to connect the program to a computer programmed to act as though it were a GPS unit to simulate a field experience.  The NMEA Log Replay option allows you read a file that contains the output of a GPS unit.
    GPS units are serial (RS232) devices.  The next two options allow you to select a serial port and baud rate to use to communicate with the GPS unit.  Usually, if the GPS unit is connected directly to the Pocket PC via a cable, you'll be using COM1:  CF or SD card GPS units will use other COM port numbers as will a Bluetooth GPS unit.
    Below those settings are some status windows.  These show whether the GPS is connected, how many satellites it has a fix on and how many are in view and a stream of GPS output as it occurs.  You can also log that output to a file for further use.

    Tapping the "Advanced" tab brings up the following screen:

The Configure GPS Advanced tab allows some further settings.

    The "Advanced" tab has some additional serial port parameters that you'll generally not have to touch at all.  PathAway provides them just in case you do run into an odd GPS unit or, more likely, need to change these settings to work with a GPS simulator.  You can also set the program to correctly interpret SIRF GGA Altitude correction with GPS units that support this feature.  The status boxes are essentially the same as in the previous tab.

PROGRAM FEATURES

    The Setup only hints at the power of the program.  Let's turn to the main screen and see a few examples.  We'll begin with the aerial map I created in the Setup section.  PathAway is able to show the map in several different "views," each with a specific purpose in mind.

PathAway GPS 3's Full Screen Map View

    The Full Screen Map View uses most of the screen to show as large a map area as possible.  You can also display Latitude and Longitude, Elevation, Time, Speed, and Direction of Travel.
    You'll also notice the two sets of colored lines appearing on the map.  The red line is a route.  The blue line is a track of me not exactly following the route.

PathAway GPS 3's Tracking Map View

The Tracking Map View shows the map and tracking navigation data.  You'll be able to see trip time and distance, current, average, and maximum speed.

PathAway GPS 3's Proximity Map View

    The Proximity Map View opens a small window at the bottom of the map display.  The window will show any known points that are within the "proximity radius with their direction and distance.  If you're following a route, you'll also see time and distance to the destination and next point on the track.

PathAway GPS 3's Proximity Map View

    The Proximity Map View opens a small window at the bottom of the map display.  The window will show any known points that are within the "proximity radius with their direction and distance.  If you're following a route, you'll also see time and distance to the destination and next point on the track.

PathAway GPS 3's Route Map View

    The Route Map View has a small window similar to the Proximity view, but, in this case it displays current route information.  You'll be able to see proximity to known points, distance from course, next point, and destination.  The Black angle icon on the screen shows the current position.

PathAway GPS 3's Point Map View

    The Point Map View will list known points, points on a route, or points on a track, giving you the ability to find a desired point by name as well.  You can display a wide variety of information about the points along with the name including position, elevation, notes, ETA, Leg Time, Distance, or Speed.

    In addition to selecting these views from the "View" menu, you can also use Hardware Button 2 (with the default settings) to cycle through the views.

    Regardless of the Map View used, PathAway's toolbar remains the same.  The toolbar buttons are shown below:

PathAway GPS 3 toolbar

    The icon calls up a cascading menu as shown below:

PathAway's Main Menu

    One thing that I noticed, the more I used the program, is that this menu is laid out in a very usable way:  It's essentially in the order you'll probably use the menu options.  You'll want to set up or at least connect with the GPS unit, then set the view, then adjust a few options, possibly go to a specific point on the map, and finally exit.  As you read that, you probably noticed that I'm reading up from the icon, not down from the top as many PPC menus do.  Down from the top works well with desktop windows where the menus drop down, but on the PPC, they pop up so it makes more sense to order it as the PathAway folks did.  We'll take a look at cascading menus, beginning with the GPS menu:

The GPS menu

    The GPS menu has the "Configure GPS..." option we already looked at in the Setup section.  At the top of the menu are options to connect and disconnect with the GPS unit as well as an option to Simulate a GPS unit using the current route.  That last option allows you to view how a route will progress before you attempt it.  In addition there are options to Set the target to the closest point on the current route, Advance the target to the next point on the route, End the current Trip, and Start a New Trip.  Choosing the last option brings up the dialog you see below:

Starting a New Trip

    To Start a Trip in PathAway, you first select a method.  You can choose from No Route, Follow a Route Forward, Follow a Route in Reverse, or Navigate to a Point.  After you choose the method, you select the Route for the first three choices or you choose a point from the database for the last choice.  You then choose whether your Route will also be tracked and, if so, whether you're starting a new track or adding to a previous one.  Finally, you can choose a Transportation mode such as Walk, Boat, or Car.  You'll then return to the main screen with the appropriate information needed to start the trip you've specified.

The View menu

    The View menu will let you switch to the various views we saw earlier.  It also provides access to the Map Display dialog we saw in the Setup section.  You can also hide the Dashboard and Toolbar to see even more of the map or restore them to view.  The Default Dashboard restores the default properties to the Dashboard.  You can change those with a pop-up Context Menu that we'll see in a moment.  The Refresh option redraws the screen.  In my testing, I never had to use it.

    The Options menu is next.  We've already seen it in the Setup section.

The Goto menu

    The Goto Menu allows you to quickly move to the Start or End of the current Route or Track.  It also calls up the World Map screen shown below:

The World Map screen shows you where you are in the world.

    The World Map provides you with a major overview.  Unless you're Forest Gump, it won't do you much good for walkabouts, but it does provide a nice overview of overseas trips.

    The final option in the Main menu is "Exit."  This is a true exit.  It will shut down the program.  By contrast, tapping the (x) in the upper right hand corner sends the program into background where it continues to run.

    Back on the toolbar, the  button connects and disconnects the GPS communication.  Once you've set up the appropriate GPS parameters in the Options menu, you'll only have to use this button.  You can also use Hardware Key 4 (with the default settings) to connect and disconnect the GPS.

    The button allows you to Add a point at the current location.  Tapping this button calls up the dialog you see below:

Adding a Point at the current location

    The Add Point dialog will allow you to add the current location to the point database.  You can also, optionally, add the new point to a Route.  There is a drop-down entry at the top that allows you to insert the point into the point database of your choice.  It defaults to the current one.  The Point Name entry will be filled in according to the Point Naming conventions we saw in the Setup section.  In the example above I have it auto-numbering the points.  You can, if you wish enter a more descriptive name for the point.  You can also select an icon for the point.  The default is the diamond/exclamation point you see above but you can select another from a collection of common map icons as well as navigation and even diving signals.  Tapping on the Location tab brings up the screen below:

Adding a Point -- modifying the current location

    The Location tab displays the current location in entry boxes which will allow you to modify the values if you wish.  You can also use the [Pinpoint...] button to take several GPS readings to make the point location as accurate as possible.

    You can also add points to the point database or to the Route by clicking and holding on any point on the map.  Doing so calls up a "Context menu" like the one shown below:

Adding a selected Point using the Tap-and-Hold Context menu

    The context window that appears gives the location of the point you tapped-and-held on and allows you to call up the Add Point dialog we just saw to enter the point information or simply add that point to your current Route.  You can center the map on the point you selected.  You can also call up menus which will allow you to change to a different map, route, track, or work with other points.

    The next button on the tool bar is the button.  It toggles on and off Route and Tracking Alarms.  You can set up the alarms using the Alarm dialog we saw in the Setup section.

    The next three buttons () are the Scale Zoom controls.  These buttons keep the current map, and zoom in or out onto it.  The third button returns to the default scale zoom.  An example of zooming in on the current map is shown below:

The current map, zoomed in

    As you can see, zooming in doesn't improve the map resolution any.  PathAway has another option that allows you to create a series of maps, each at different zoom levels which will allow you to zoom in and out keeping a background image that matches the zoom level.  That's what the Map Zoom buttons () do.  If there is a map that can show the current location with a closer view, the [+] icon will be yellow and clicking on it will switch to that map, keeping the current location, track, and route visible.  The same holds true for the [-] icon with maps that can show a view from further away.

    At this point, I've visited all of the various program features.  Realize that the example merely scratches the surface of all of the applications that this program is capable of.

HELP SUPPORT

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

BUGS AND WISHES

PURCHASING

PROS

• Provides GPS assistance for virtually all out-of-car applications
• Tracks progress against pre-programmed routes
• Works with almost any Pocket PC compatible GPS unit
• Accepts virtually any map source (through map conversions)
• Captures new points and routes as well as displaying stored information
• Has well written and complete online and built-in help
• Is priced reasonably for the power it provides

CONS

• Doesn't directly convert maps from common PPC map programs
• Documentation sometimes says "Palm" without adding "or Pocket PC"

OVERALL IMPRESSION

All screenshots in this review are taken using SOTI's Pocket Controller Pro