bob watkinson said:Beyond this fun value though I'm not
convinced of it's practical value
Aaargghhh!!! Not another one!!! Of course it has practical value! Use
your imagination! :-)
Firstly, being able to visualise the terrain in 3D is very helpful for
route planning, especially if you want to avoid excessively steep slopes
or to minimise unnecessary re-ascent. Most people aren't all that good
at visualising contours, so the 3D view is particularly useful in that
respect.
Secondly, photo maps provide a lot of information that real maps don't.
The colour of the vegetations can be a good clue, for example heathery
and boggy areas, which are not at all obvious on normal maps.
Forestry is another good one. This does depend on how old the photos
are, but I think may well be more recent than many maps. They can show
areas of forestry which have been cut (not shown on normal maps) and
newly planted areas that haven't made it onto the maps yet. In one
particular location I've been looking closely at I've found a lovely
grassy clearing in a forest which makes a great camp site. I know it's
there because I've been there, and the photo map shows it, but it's not
shown on any of the normal maps.
Another particularly useful feature is footpaths, the representation of
which is often bad on real maps. Just because a footpath is shown on a
map gives no idea of how often it's used. Sometimes a footpath has
disappeared into the undergrowth and no longer actually exists, whilst
newer paths are sometimes not shown. Paths are not always obvious on
photos maps, sometimes they are invisible, but other times they are
extremely visible. I've seen well worn scars that indicate popular
paths that you wouldn't be able to tell from map alone, and other paths
and rights of way that no longer seem to exist. In one forest pic I've
studied I can see deep cuttings in the forest that indicate the well
used paths and tracks, whilst others seem to no longer exist.
Seriously, if you're planning a walk in an unfamiliar area, a study of
the photo map can give a good idea of the best paths to use.
Thirdly, my personal favourite, photo planning! By placing the camera
at ground level (or just above) you can move around the landscape and
find the best viewpoints - you can also adjust the lighting to give a
rough idea of what it may look like at sunrise or sunset (checking how
the shadows fall). These viewpoints can then be marked with waypoints
for future visits. This can save a huge amount of unnecessary legwork
and trial and error in finding good views to photograph. Although you
can do the same thing with the ordinary 3D mapping, the photo mapping
gives a much better impression of what it will actually look like, with
respect to vegetation and the colours of the land.
Oh, and it's fun too! If you draw your route (or download it from your
GPS) you can place the camera at ground level, use the "walk route"
option and pre-live or re-live your walk. It gives a surprisingly good
virtual representation of the real experience, but without the
tiredness, the aching joints, the cold, the wind, the rain. In fact,
you're better of staying at home and doing virtual walks on the computer
instead!
Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk
