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1 | Add new apps on a new line. To add your comments about an app already listed, include your name, the app name, and your comments on a new line. | ||||||||||
2 | Category | Name of suggester | Name of app | Company | Logo | Platform (iOS,Android,Windows,MacOS) | Cost | Pros | Cons | Other comments | Post questions about app here |
3 | Certification Map Drawing | Nathan Porch | Libre Office Draw | Open Source |  | Windows/Mac | Free | Shallow learning curve. Much easier to use than Corel Draw and Illustrator, but of course not nearly as complete and powerful as those professional-level software packages. Map-drawing tutorial videos available on rrtc.net website | Curve drawing tool non-intuitive. Can't see status of all layers (visible, locked) all at once. No built-in keyboard shortcut for zoom. Major and annoying deficiency. | These apps are essentially identical. However, in the past 5-10 years or so, Libre Office has been much better supported by its developer than Open Office. | |
4 | Mark Neal | Open Office Draw |  | ||||||||
5 | Lyman Jordan | Corel Draw | Corel |  | Windows/Mac | Annual subscription. $269.00 as of 2022 | Better quality color maps. Easy technique for drawing roads. | Steep learning curve. Requires fast processor and at least 16 Gbs of RAM. | Almost identical to Adobe Ilustrator in functionality. Very different, more intuitive interface than Adobe Illustrator. | ||
6 | Jim Gerweck | Illustrator | Adobe |  | Windows/Mac | Annual subscription. $239.88 as of 2022. Educational discount available. | The industry standard in graphic design. Extremely powerful, can create virtually any shape or object you can imagine. | All that power can get you into trouble if you don't know what you're doing. | |||
7 | Mark Neal | Google Slides |  | Website | Free | Presentation environment, which many people are already familiar with. Lacks some drawing tools, but has everything needed for a basic map. Keyboard shortcuts for zooming(big advantage over OpenOffice/LibreOffice). | No layers. However you can put an image, such as a background map, in the background of a slide. This is essentially the same as putting it in a locked layer. Limited control of arrow size on lines. No arrows on polylines. | ||||
8 | Tom Lechleitner | Komoot | Komoot | Website and (at least) IOS app | Free basic, paid premium | Best route planner that I've ever tried. The web interface is intuitive and allows unlimited route tweeks. Creates elevation profiles on the fly. Shows surface types and locations. Has several sport-specific maps. Great coverage for US and parts of Europe that I have used. Integrates well with Garmin for auto-load of Garmin routes. Can import and export GPX files. | Free version is geo-limited to where you are. Premium is full-planet and opens other features. Premium is $60 a year, but I have found it to be well worth the cost. It's limited in adding points of interest that are not already in their data base. Not sure yet how to add mile or km marks automatically. | www.komoot.com | |||
9 | Lyman Jordan | Convert.exe | Josh Madison |  | https://joshmadison.com/convert-for-windows/ | Free | Easy metric to imperial and vice-versa. | ||||
10 | Lyman Jordan | Plotaroute | www.plotaroute.com | Website | Free basic, paid premium | Easy, intuitive route planner. Route animation. Many choices of background imagery to work from. Good elevation profiles. Allows choice of left side, right side, or center of road measurement. | Does not provide a means to draw a route on tangents. Methods of adjusting an existing route seem clunky and inefficient to this user. | https://www.plotaroute.com/runningrouteplanner | |||