Copyright: Copyright (c) 1998-1999 Calido Software Inc.


Tables
Keyboard actions include:

<Ctrl-PgDn>	Move active cell to bottom of page

<Ctrl-PgUp>	Move active cell to top of page

<End>	Move to last column

<Home>	Move to first column

<Ctrl-Home>	Move to first cell in the table

<Ctrl-End>	Move to last cell in the table

<Ctrl-Left>	Move left one page

<Ctrl-Right>	Move right one page

F2	Enter/exit table edit mode

ESC	Cancel editing current cell


Calido Software
EarthNavigator.com

Version History

Version 1.0 - June 23, 1999

EarthNavigator Technical Support

EarthNavigator License Agreement

EarthNavigator.com

Version 1.0a

Copyright © 1998-1999

by Ian Bakker

Calido Software Inc.

RR2 Site 212 Box 22

St. Albert, Alberta Canada T8N 1M9

Phone

1-780-918-0980

FAX

1-780-973-3131

email

info@calido.com

Web-page

www.EarthNavigator.com


Units
Globe units include degrees, minutes, seconds, thirds of a second, hundreds of a second, thousands of a second, nautical miles (which is the same as minutes), kilometres, metres, centimetres, miles, yards, feet or inches.

EarthNavigator stores all units internally in 1500th of a second of an arc. For example, one degree is stored as 1500 units * 60 seconds * 60 minutes (or 5,400,000 units). Some globe unit equivalents are:

1 km = 	48,596 units

1 m =	48.596 units

1 mile =	78,158 units

1 foot = 14.8 units


Copy
Copies the current selection to the Windows clipboard.


Cut
Copies the current selection to the Windows clipboard and then deletes the selection.


Paste
Copies from the Windows clipboard into the current selection.


EarthNavigator.com

An interactive globe which brings the world to your desktop!

EarthNavigator.com is both a program and a website, and it's free. The program is a 3D interactive globe which floats on your desktop and has visual links to web-sites around the world. Just double-click on any place in the world to go directly to a website related to the place. You can quickly get detailed maps, local weather, distances between points, the local time and much more.

Our Active Places feature always keeps you up-to-date with the latest new places and related websites.Or, create your own Active Places and share them with the growing EarthNavigator community.

When you first begin EarthNavigator.com, a 3D floating globe is displayed on your screen. Use the mouse to rotate or navigate the globe, or right-click anywhere on the globe to display the Main Menu. Choose the Preferences Dialog to define a variety of properties including the size of the globe, showing or hiding the night-time shadow, and many other options.

Countries, provinces, states and places on the globe are defined on what are called Globe Layers. Choose the Layers option from the Main Menu to view, edit, add or delete places. And for each place in the world, you can create an unlimited number of databases which can contain web-site links, files or documents, programs, or other information which is directly related to each place. Then, just double-click on any place to either jump to the web-site or to open the file or run the program which is associated with each place.

You can also see the local time, get local weather, see detailed maps, show the distance between two points, set the altitude from which to view the globe, zoom into an area of the world, display the night-time shadow, put the globe on top of any other program, and display the world in Mercator or Cartesian projections.


Applications for EarthNavigator
Applications for the EarthNavigator.com

Using EarthNavigator.com, you can easily link or connect any country, state, province or place to a relevant Internet web-site. Then, you just double-click on any place on the globe to bring up the web-site for that place.

Or, you can attach a photo, picture, program or document to any place in the world which will be opened or displayed when you double-click that place.

Watch our web-site at www.EarthNavigator.com and download new places and databases as they are created.

The EarthNavigator.com also features what we call Active Places. These are places and related websites which are hosted on our website (or yours) but viewed on your globe. EarthNavigator.com will automatically download and display the Active Places on your globe.

The possibilities for applications using the EarthNavigator.com are endless. Some personal or business applications of EarthNavigator.com include:

•	Get immediate information about any place in the world. Use it as a reference or get travel information.

•	See the local weather anywhere in the world using our direct link to Wunderground.com.

•	Get the local time anywhere in the world.

•	Get a local map (from MapBlast.com) for any place in the world.

•	Keep track of the places you and your family have been in the world. Link a photo to each place and, if there is one, a web-site which has more information about where you visited.

•	Are members of your family scattered throughout the world? Create a place file to show were each family member is and attach their EMail address to the place.

•	Use it as a learning tool. There are so many countries in the world that most of us will likely never visit and may not even have  heard of. Just click on any far-away and exotic country to bring up the web-site which describes that country.

•	Does your business have offices throughout the world? Use EarthNavigator.com to keep clients and staff up-to-date about your international offices and places of business. Link your office web-sites and email addresses so clients can easily get in touch. Ideal for hotel locations, airlines and airports, or franchises.


FAQ's

When the globe appears on the desktop, there is no menu. Where is it?

Right-click the mouse anywhere on the globe to see the Main Menu.

How do I change the size of the globe?

Choose the Preferences option from the Main Menu. You'll see a Size tab where you can set or change the size of the globe on your screen. Or, just press Ctrl-B, Ctrl-M, or Ctrl-S to set the globe to one of the three preset sizes.

How do I turn the globe to see another part of the world?

Just use the mouse to drag the globe around. The world will turn as you move the mouse.

How do I move the globe to another part of the screen?

Press and hold Ctrl-Shift and then drag the globe to another part of the screen.

How can I zoom into a part of the globe?

Press and hold the Alt key and then use the mouse to zoom in. Or, press Ctrl- or Ctrl+ (that's the minus and plus keys), to zoom out or in. To see the whole world, press Ctrl A.

How can I see the local time?

Move the mouse over any place and press the E key. The local time and date at this place in the world is shown

How do I see the latitude and longitude of a place?

Move the mouse over a place and press the L key.

How do I see a map of a place?

Move the mouse over a place and press the M key. A map from www.MapBlast.com is displayed in your browser window.

How do I get driving directions between two places?

This will only work in the United States. First, move the mouse over the place where you want to begin and press the F key. Then, move the mouse over the place where you will end your trip and press the T key. You'll see a line on the globe between the two points. Press Ctrl-D and click the "Drive It" button. Driving directions from www.MapBlast.com are displayed in your browser window.

How do I find out what the weather at a place is like?

Move the mouse over any part of the globe and press the W key. Current weather and forecasts from www.wundergound.com are displayed in your browser window.

How do I see a website related to a place?

The EarthNavigator.com program comes installed with many websites related to specific countries and places. Just double-click on any place to see the related website. To see which database of websites is currently active, press Ctrl-L or select the Places option from the Main Menu.

What is an Active Place?

Active Places are places and related websites which are maintained or hosted on our website. They are grouped into categories and frequently updated. To see these places on your globe, press Ctl-L or choose the Places option from the Main Menu and move to the Active Places section. Right-click the mouse to see a menu with options to display a set of places within any category.

Can I host my own places?

Yes. Anyone can host their own set of places. Click here for information on creating and hosting your own Active Places. The advantage of hosting your own places is that you are always in complete control of the places and websites related to each place. You can update them as often as you wish. We just maintain a link to your file.

When I click a visual link on the globe, a framed site with ad banners is displayed at the top. Why?

EarthNavigator.com is our version of 'bannerware' (as opposed to shareware or freeware). Use it for free, with ad banners displayed for each visual link on the globe, or register it for $25 U.S. for an ad-free version. The choice is yours.

What is the default search engine on your home page?

Altavista.

How do I quickly return to the EarthNavigator.com home page?

Click the Earth Navigator image on the top-left corner.

I submitted a suggestion for an Active Place but I don't see it yet on the globe. Where is it?

We review all suggestions for places and URL's before adding them to our Active Places files. This can take up to one week. If it has been more than one week, contact us at info@calido.com . Please do not resubmit the same information.


The Main Menu

The Main Menu is displayed when you right-click anywhere on the globe. Click on any of the menu options below for more information about each option.


Menu copy
Copy the globe to the Windows clipboard.


Menu help
Displays this EarthNavigator.com help file.


Menu about
Display information about EarthNavigator.com.


Menu hide
Hides or minimizes the Globe.


Menu exit
Exit or close EarthNavigator.com. All files are saved to disk and the current view of the world is stored to be recalled the next time you run the program.


View Menu
The View Menu has options to change either the size of the globe or the current view of the globe. Click on any of the menu options to display more information about each option.


View all
Zooms out to display the whole world. You can also press Ctrl+A to show the whole world.


View tiny
If the world is a free-floating globe, then this menu option changes the size of the globe to the Tiny size. Use the Preferences dialog to define the globe size which will be set when this option is selected.


View medium
If the world is a free-floating globe, then this menu option changes the size of the globe to the Medium size. Use the Preferences dialog to define the globe size which will be set when this option is selected.


View big
If the world is a free-floating globe, then this menu option changes the size of the globe to the Big size. Use the Preferences dialog to define the globe size which will be set when this option is selected.


Zoom in
Zoom in towards the earth. The amount (or height) which you zoom in by is set with the Altitude zoom factor which can be found in the Preferences dialog.


Zoom out
Zoom out away from the earth. The amount (or height) which you zoom outn by is set with the Altitude zoom factor which can be found in the Preferences dialog.


License Agreement

This is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or an entity) and Calido Software Inc.("Calido").  By accessing and using the software (EarthNavigator.com), you are agreeing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement.  If you do not agree to the terms of this Agreement, you are not authorized to use the software.

CALIDO LICENSE AGREEMENT

1.GRANT OF LICENSE TO USE. Calido Software Inc. ("Calido") grants to you the non-exclusive right to use the Calido software and electronic text files comprising the documentation (the "SOFTWARE") on a single computer for the purpose for which the software was designed. Calido reserves all rights not expressly granted.

2.COPYRIGHT. The SOFTWARE is owned by Calido or its suppliers and is protected by Canadian copyright laws and international treaty provisions.  Therefore, you must treat the SOFTWARE like any other copyrighted material (e.g., a book or musical recording).  You may not use or copy the SOFTWARE for any other purpose than what is described in this Agreement.  Except as provided herein, Calido does not grant any express or implied right to you to or under Calido patents, copyrights, trademarks, or trade secret information.

3.OTHER RESTRICTIONS. You may not rent or lease the SOFTWARE, but you may transfer the SOFTWARE and accompanying written materials on a permanent basis provided you retain no copies and the recipient agrees to the terms of this Agreement.  If the SOFTWARE is an update or has been updated, any transfer must include the most recent update and all prior versions.  You may not reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the SOFTWARE except to the extent that the foregoing restriction is expressly prohibited by applicable law.

NO WARRANTIES.  To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Calido expressly disclaims any warranty for the SOFTWARE.  The SOFTWARE and any related documentation is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including, without limitation, the implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.  The entire risk arising out of use or performance of the SOFTWARE remains with you.

NO LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.  To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall Calido or its suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profit, business interruption, loss of business information, or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use or inability to use this Calido product, even if Calido has been advised of the possibility of such damages.  Because some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you.

If you acquired this product in Canada, this Agreement is governed by the laws of the Province of Alberta. If you acquired this product outside Canada, local law may apply.

Should you have any questions concerning this Agreement, or if you desire to contact Calido for any reason, please contact us via email at support@calido.com.


Turning or rotating the globe

To turn or rotate the globe, simply click and hold the left mouse button anywhere on the globe and drag anywhere on the globe. The world will turn in the direction you move the mouse.

If the world is set to be a free-floating globe (instead of a regular window), you can drag the globe to a different position on the screen. To do this, press and hold the Ctrl and Shift keys and then use the left-mouse button to drag the world to a different location on the screen.

To set the world to turn automatically, display the Main Menu, select the Preferences option and check Rotate globe.


Zooming in or out

With the few simple mouse clicks or key combinations listed below, you can quickly zoom into a specific area of the globe or zoom out to view the whole world.

To zoom in: Press Ctrl-I to zoom in to a closer view of the world. Use the Preferences Dialog to set the distance (or altitude) which is used to zoom in or out.

To zoom out: Press Ctrl-O to zoom out.

To zoom into a specific area: Press and hold the Alt key. The mouse cursor changes to a magnifying glass. Use the left-mouse button to define an area of the world to zoom in to.

To view the whole world: Press Ctrl-A.

To display the altitude from which you are viewing the world, press A.


Showing local time

To show the local time and date anywhere on the globe, just move the mouse over a place and press the E key.

We've tried to make this feature as accurate as possible. However, there are likely a few places on the globe where the local time may be inaccurate, particularly for some areas which do not use daylight savings time. If you come across an inaccurate local timezone on our globe, please let us know at support@calido.com.


Getting weather forecasts

For local current weather, weather forecasts and historical weather, move the mouse over any place on the globe and press the W key. Detailed weather information (from www.wunderground.com) will be displayed in your browser window.


Getting detailed local maps

.For detailed maps, move the mouse over any place on the globe and press the M key. A map for this place (from www.MapBlast.com) will be displayed in your browser window.


Creating Views

You can save the current view of the world in order to restore it at another time. There are two types of views; a quick view and a named view.

A quick view is associated with the number keys, 0 to 9. Press Ctrl+1 (press and hold the Ctrl key and then press 1) to save the current view. To restore this specific view of the world, just press 1. You can do this with any of the 10 number keys.

A named view is defined using the View Manager which is shown below. To display this dialog, choose the View option from the Main Menu and select the View Manager option from the submenu.

Click on any area of the View Manager window for more information on creating your own views.

The views are saved in the EarthNav.INI file which can be found in the sub-directory where the EarthNavigator.com program was installed.


View window
An unlimited number of views can be created and saved. This window displays the views which you have created. To select a view, either double-click it, or highlight it and click the Select View button.


Select view
Restores the currently selected view.


Close/cancel view
Closes the View Manager window.


Add view
Adds the current view of the world to the View Manager. You will be prompted for a unique view name.


Delete view
Deletes the currently selected view. You will be prompted whether you wish to delete the view before it is actually deleted.


Delete all views
Deletes all of the saved views. You will be prompted whether you wish to delete all the views before they are actually deleted.


Showing latitude and longitude

Press and release the L key to display the current longitude and latitude of the place where the mouse is pointing.


Longitude
The longitude ranges between -180 degrees west of the Prime Meridian to +180 degrees east of the Prime Meridian.


Latitude
The latitude ranges between -90 degrees south of the Equator to +90 degrees north of the Equator.


Altitude
Altitude is the height above the earth of a specific point. You can set or display the altitude in any of the globe units.


Setting the altitude

You may set the altitude from which to view the globe with the following dialog. The altitude units can be defined using the Preferences dialog. Setting the altitude to zero will display the whole world.

If the world is set to be a free-floating globe, then EarthNavigator.com determines the maximum altitude which can be set. If the world is displayed in a regular window, you can display the world from an alitude of up to about 37,000 km.

To display the current altitude from which you are viewing the world, press A.

Click on any part of the dialog below for more information.


Set altitude
Enter an altitude. If you enter zero, the whole world is displayed.


Save new altitude
Sets the new view of the world to be shown from this altitude.


Cancel altitude
Closes the dialog without changing the view of the globe.


What is a layer?

Every place on the globe, such as countries, states or cities, are defined on a globe layer. Each layer contains places of a similar type and there are three types of layers; points, polylines and polygons. To view the layers which are available or to create your own layer files, choose the Places  option from the Main Menu.

When you first install EarthNavigator.com, the places which are included with the program can be found in the Layers Root Directory. For example, if you installed EarthNavigator.com in C:\Program Files\EarthNavigator, then the Layers Root Directory is C:\Program Files\EarthNavigator\Places. You may change the Layers Root Directory using the Preferences Dialog which is displayed when you select the Preferences option from the Main Menu..

Each layer and the information about the layer is stored in its own folder. For example, the data files for the countries of the world can be found in the C:\Program Files\EarthNavigator\Places\Countries folder. Similarly, the data files for Canadian provinces can be found in the C:\Program Files\EarthNavigator\Places\Canada Provinces folder.

Within each layer folder are the actual data files where the place data and the database files for each place can be found. The place data file, which has a .LYR file extension, has the same name as the place folder and there can only be one layer file in each folder. For example, the place data file for the countries of the world is C:\Program Files\EarthNavigator\Places\Countries\Countries.lyr.

You can create an unlimited number of database files for each layer. Each database file has a .DBF file extension which is a standard format for many database files. The number of records in each database is always equal to the number of places in the layer. Each record in the database file has information about each place in the globe layer. Typically, this information will be a link to a website with information relating to the place. You may however, store any type of information about each place in a layer.


Point layer
A point layer has information about a specific point on the globe. Each point is defined by one latitude and longitude. Examples of point layers include cities, people, or specific locations in the world. To specify the appearance of the points in a point layer, choose the Layer Properties menu option from the Layer Menu.


Polyline layer
Airline routes, rivers and streets are examples of  polyline layers. Each polyline is defined as a series of lines between connected points. To specify the appearance of the polylines in a polyline layer, choose the Layer Properties menu option from the Layer Menu.

The line sections of a polyline are drawn in the order in which the points on the polyline were defined. You can easily edit a polyline by adding new points, moving existing points or deleting points from the polyline.


Polygon layer
Countries, provinces, or states are examples of polygon layers. A polygon is defined as an enclosed set of line sections drawn between a set of connected points.To specify the appearance of the polygons in a polygon layer, choose the Layer Properties menu option from the Layer Menu.

The line sections which make up the boundary of a polygon are drawn in the order in which the points on the polygon were defined. You can easily edit a polygon by adding new points, moving existing points or deleting points from the polygon.


Place menu

The Place Menu is displayed when you select a place on the right-side of the Places Window and right-click the mouse. From this menu, you can find a specific place, edit the points which define the place, add a new place or delete the selected place.

Click any of the options on the menu below for more information about each option.


Find place
Displays a dialog which helps you to find a place in the selected layer.


Edit place
Select this option to edit the points which define the selected place. Editing options include moving points to a different location, adding points or deleting points.

Depending on the layer type, you can edit polyline layer points or polygon layer points.

To move a point in a point layer, you can either manually edit the longitude and latitude coordinates, or interactively move the point on the globe. To move a point on the globe, press and hold the Shift key and then click and drag the point to the desired location.


Add place
Use this option to add a new place to the selected layer. Each place should have a unique name.

If the new place is a point, then the coordinates for the new place are the coordinates of the last place on the globe where the mouse was located. A quick and easy way to add points to the globe is to move the mouse over the globe to the place where you wish to add a new place and press Ctrl-A.

If the new place is a polyline or polygon, you should choose the Edit Place option after adding the place in order to define each of the points which define the new place.

Whenever you add a place to the selected layer, a record is added to each database file which is associated with the layer. There will always be a one-to-one relationships between places and the data records in the database files.


Delete place
Use this option to delete the selected place. You will be asked to confirm whether you wish to delete the selected place before it is actually deleted from the file..

Whenever you delete a place from the selected layer, a record is also deleted from each database file which is associated with the layer. There will always be a one-to-one relationships between places and the data records in the database files.


The Places Window

The Places  Window is displayed when you select the Places option from the Main Menu. You can also press Ctrl+L to display or hide this window. This window has three parts; the top-left shows globe layers and associated databases, the bottom-left shows the Active Places, while the right side shows the individual places which are contained in the currently selected layer or Active Places database and information from any selected database file.

Menus for this window are displayed when you right-click the mouse on the various parts of this window. A different menu is displayed depending on where you clicked the mouse.

For more information about each part of the Places window, click on any area of the example shown below.  You may change the width or height of any part of this window by dragging the bar which separates each part.

To display the Layer Menu, select a layer and right-click the mouse.

To display the Database Menu, select a database and right-click the mouse.

To display the Active Places menu, select an Active place and right-click the mouse.

To display the Place menu, select a place on the right side of this window and right-click the mouse.


Tree
The top-left side of the Places Window shows the layers which can be viewed on the globe and the database files which are available for each layer. Each visible layer is shown with a blue globe beside the layer name.

In this example, three layers are visible on the globe including Countries, U.S. States and Canada Provinces. The remaining layers are not visible. To show, hide, create or delete a layer or to define the properties of a layer, first select a layer with the mouse and right-click the mouse to display the Layer Menu.

The order in which the layers are displayed on the globe is the order in which the layers are displayed in this window. In this example, first the countries of the world are drawn on the globe, followed by U.S. States and then Canada Provinces. You may change this order by selecting a layer and dragging it to the desired location.

To rename a layer, select a non-visible layer and press F2 to edit the layer name. You cannot rename a visible layer.


Place
The right side of the Places window shows the places which are defined for the selected layer and data from the currently selected database file (if any). In this example, the countries of the world are displayed along with data from the currently selected TGOnline database.

You can edit or change the name of each place and also edit the database information. If the selected layer is a polyline or polygon layer, then only the name of each place is displayed. If the selected layer is a point layer, then the name and the latitude and longitude of the point is displayed. Click here for table editing keyboard commands.

To find, add or delete a place,or to edit the points which define the selected place, select a place and then click the right mouse button to display the Place Menu.


URL
As an example, the TGOnline database which is a database defined for the Countries layer, has one field called URL. This is a special field name which is used by EarthNavigator.com to call up a web-site or to display an associated file when you double-click a place on the globe.

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, which is normally a web address. For example, for Afghanistan, the TGOnline database file points to the web address www.wtgonline.com/data/afg/afg.asp. When you double-click Afghanistan on the globe, the web page at this address will be opened in your Internet browser.

To open a web page, the URL must be either www.address.com or http://www.address.com.

If the URL is of the form mailto:info@calido.com, then your email program is opened to send mail to this email address.

The URL can also be a file on your computer. For example, if the URL for Afghanistan was c:\CountryInfo\Afghan.txt, then this text file would be opened and displayed when you double-click this country on the globe.


Record
The status bar shows the current record number and the number of records (or places) in the selected layer.


Type of layer
The status bar shows the layer type of the selected layer. There are three layer types; point, polyline and polygon.


Selected database
The status bar shows the name of the currently selected database (if any).


Database
To view the database files which are associated with each layer, select a visible layer and click the plus (+) sign beside the layer. In this example, two database files are associated with the Countries layer. One is called TGOnline and the other is called CIA World Factbook. The currently selected database file for this layer is TGOnline. The red arrow pointing to a database shows which database file (if any) is currently selected.

To select, hide, create, or delete a database file, select a database file and then right-click the mouse to display the Database Menu.


Layer menu

The Layer Menu is displayed when you select a layer on the top-left side of the Places window and right-click the mouse. Click on any of the options shown below for more information on each option.


New layer
Choose this option to create a new layer.


Show layer
Displays the selected layer on the globe. The globe icon will change to a blue globe from a gray globe.


Hide layer
Hides the selected layer. All places on this layer will no longer be displayed on the globe. The globe icon will change from a blue globe to a grey globe.


Delete layer
Deletes the selected layer. When you delete a layer, you also delete all database files which are associated with the layer. You will be asked to confirm and then re-confirm whether you actually want to delete this layer.


Layer properties
Set the properties which define how the layer is displayed on the globe. Depending on the type of layer, the Point Properties, Polyline Properties or Polygon Properties dialog will be displayed.


New database
Create a new database for the selected layer.


Close layer window
Closes the layer window.


Database menu

The Database Menu is displayed when you select a database file and right-click the mouse. Options on this menu enable you to create, select or delete a database or modify the structure of a database.


Select database
Makes the currently selected database the active database for this layer. A layer can have an unlimited number of databases, each with different information about each place on the layer. Only one database file can be active (or selected) at one time.

When you select a database, the icon changes from a table to a red arrow and the status bar at the bottom of the window shows the currently selected database. Also, the records and fields of the database are shown on the right side of the window.

If the database is already selected, choosing this menu option will close the selected database.

You may also double-click a database file to select it or close it.


Delete database
Choose this option to delete a database. You cannot delete the active database (the one with a red arrow). You will be asked to confirm whether you wish to delete the database before it is actually deleted.


Creating new layers

The following dialog is displayed when you choose the New Layer option of the Layer Menu. Use this dialog to create a new place layer.

To add new places to the layer, display the Places Window and right-click on the Place Names and Data side of this window to display the Places Menu.


Layer name
Each layer must have a unique name.

The files associated with each layer are stored in its' own unique folder which is created in the Layers Root Directory of EarthNavigator.com (typically C:\Program Files\EarthNavigator\Places). For example, if you create a layer called "My Family", then the layer file My Family.lyr is created in the new folder C:\Program Files\EarthNavigator\Places\My Family.


Layer type
The new layer can be either a point layer, a polyline layer or a polygon layer.


Import button
Import data from either a MapInfo MIF file or an ArcView shape file.


Expand all
Expands all of the items in the tree.


Collapse all
Collapses all of the items in the tree.


Associating information with layers

Information about each place on a layer can be stored in a database. You can create an unlimited number of databases for each layer.

You decide on the structure of each database and the information to be stored in each database. In this way, you can contribute information to the growing EarthNavigator.com community.

The default database created by EarthNavigator.com has just one character field called URL. If your database has this field, then EarthNavigator.com uses the information in this field as the web address to display in your browser when you double-click a place on the globe.


Setting point properties

The places in a point layer can be displayed in many different ways by changing the display properties of the layer. Choose the Layer Properties option from the Layer Menu to display the following dialog. Click the various fields of this dialog for more information about point layer properties.


Point type
A place in point layer can be one of 11 types as follows:

•	None: No point is displayed at all.

•	Symbol: A symbol from the Point Font is displayed.  After selecting the font, choose the Symbol to control which character is displayed.

•	Image: An Icon or image is displayed.  If you select this point type, choose the file icon or bitmap file with the desired image to displayed for each point.

•	Dot: A single pixel is displayed.

•	Circle: A circle is displayed.  It's diameter is controlled by the Point Size and Point Units properties.

•	Square: A square is displayed.  It's width is controlled by the Point Size and Point Units properties.

•	Diamond: A diamond is displayed.  It's width is controlled by the Point Size and Point Unit properties.

•	Up Triangle: An upwards pointing triangle is displayed.  It's width is controlled by the Point Size and Point Unit properties.

•	Down Triangle: A downwards pointing triangle is displayed.  It's width is controlled by the Point Size and Point Unit properties.

•	Left Triangle: A leftwards pointing triangle is displayed.  It's width is controlled by the Point Size and Point Unit properties.

•	Right Triangle: A rightwards pointing triangle is displayed.  It's width is controlled by the Point Size and Point Unit properties.


Point size
This properties defines the size of the Point.  This is used in conjunction with the Point Type and Point Unit property, to calculate the final size of the displayed point.


Point units
Choose one of the globe units to be used in setting the size of the point.

The Point Units are used in the calculation of the point size when each place is displayed on the globe. This property, and the Point Size property, are used to control the final size of the rendered Point.

For example, if the Point Units is set to Nautical Mile, then the point will be rendered at a size of Point Size * Nautical Mile.  This means that the Point will be scaled as the Globe is zoomed in and out.

If the Point Units property is set to Pixel, then the Point will always be rendered at a fixed size on the screen.


Point symbol
Select the character which is to be displayed from the Point Font property.  This property only has an effect if the Point Type is set to Symbol.


Point font
This is the font used to display the symbol of the point, if appropriate.  This only has an effect if the Point Type is set to Symbol.


Point image
The name of an icon (.ICO) or bitmap (.BMP) file to display for each place.  This only has an effect if the Point Type is set to Image.


Title
Choose the font to be used for the title (or name) of each place.


Size
Sets the size of the title. This property is used in conjunction with the Title Units property.


Title units
Choose the globe units to be used when calculating the size of the title. This property is used in conjunction with the Title Size property.


Title alignment
This property controls whether or not the name (or title) of the place is displayed and where the title is displayed relative to the center of the place.


Line width
Sets the width of the line (in pixels).


Line style
Sets the style of the line.


Line color
Sets the color of the line.


Fill pattern
Sets the pattern used to fill the enclosed area.


Fill color
Sets the color to be used for the fill pattern.


Display minimum
If this property is non zero, then it controls the minimum altitude at which places on this layer are displayed. The Minimum and Maximum Display properties are in the units specified by the Display Units property.

For example, if the Display Units are set to KM and the Minimum is set to 10 and the Maximum is set to 1,000, then the places on this layer will only be displayed if the current altitude is greater than 10 km and less than or equal to 1,000 km.

If both the Minimum and Maximum are set to zero, then the places on this layer are always displayed on the globe.


Display maximum
If this property is non zero, then it controls the maximum altitude at which places on this layer are displayed. The Minimum and Maximum Display properties are in the units specified by the Display Units property.

For example, if the Display Units are set to KM and the Minimum is set to 10 and the Maximum is set to 1,000, then the places on this layer will only be displayed if the current altitude is greater than 10 km and less than or equal to 1,000 km.

If both the Minimum and Maximum are set to zero, then the places on this layer are always displayed on the globe.


Display units
This property sets the globe units used by the Display Minimum and Maximum properties.

For example, if the Display Units are set to KM and the Minimum is set to 10 and the Maximum is set to 1,000, then the places on this layer will only be displayed if the current altitude is greater than 10 km and less than or equal to 1,000 km.

If both the Minimum and Maximum are set to zero, then the places on this layer are always displayed on the globe.


Adding new points

To add a new place to a point layer, right-click on the right side of the Places window and choose the Add Place menu option. A point is added on the globe at the location where the mouse last rested on the globe.

A quick way to add points to the globe is to make sure the Place Names and Data side of this window is the active control, and then move the mouse over the globe to the point where you wish to add a place, and press Ctrl-A. You can add many points this way, and then go back and add the names of each place and fine-tune the longitude and latitude coordinates.

You can also move a point to a new location or delete a point.


Moving points

There are two ways to move a place in a point layer. The first method is to change the latitude and longitude coordinates which are displayed on the right side of the Places Window.

The second is to move the point directly on the globe. To do this, click on the globe, press and hold a Shift key, click (and hold) on the selected point and drag it to where you want to move it to. Note that when you press the Shift key, the mouse cursor changes to indicate that you can select and move a point.

When you release the mouse, the point will have moved to the new location.

Other editing options for places in a point layer include adding new points or deleting existing points.


Deleting points

To delete an existing place from a point layer, on the right side of the Places window  select the place you wish to delete, right-click the mouse to display the Place Menu  and choose the Delete Place menu option.

You can also move a point to a new location or add a new point.


Setting polyline properties

The places in a polyline layer can be displayed in many different ways by changing the display properties of the layer. Choose the Layer Properties option from the Layer Menu to display the following dialog. Click the various fields of this dialog for more information about polyline layer properties.


Adding new polylines

To add a new place to a polyline layer, right-click on the right side of the Places window and choose the Add Place menu option.

You should then choose the Edit Place menu option to define the points  which make up the new polyline.


Editing polyline points

You can easily add, move or delete points on a polyline. The first step is to select the place you wish to edit, right-click the mouse to display the Place Menu and select the Edit Place option. Where possible, you should also zoom into the part of the globe where the place is located.

 Note that the left side of the Places Window is disabled and the right side changes to display each of the points which define the place. Also, the globe display changes to show the points which make up the polyline. All the points are shown as blue squares while the currently selected point is red. You may select a point either in the table or by clicking on the point on the globe.

•	Deleting points: To delete the currently selected point, right-click on the table and choose the Delete Point option.

•	 Adding points: The easiest way to add points to a polyline is to add them on the globe. Note that when you add a new point to the polyline, the new point will be added after the currently selected point. So the first step in adding a point is to move in the table (or on the globe) to a point on the polyline where you would like to add another point. Then click the globe, press and hold both the Ctrl and the Alt key, and then click on the globe at the location for the new point. Note that when you press the Ctrl-Alt key combination, the mouse cursor changes to indicate that you can add a new point. The polyline on the globe will be updated to show the new point.

•	Moving points: To move a point, click on the globe, press the Shift key, click (and hold) on a point and drag it to where you want to move it to. Note that when you press the Shift key, the mouse cursor changes to indicate that you can select and move a point.


Deleting polylines

To delete an existing place from a polyline layer, on the right side of the Places window  select the place you wish to delete, right-click the mouse to display the Place Menu  and choose the Delete Place menu option.

You can also edit the points on a polyline  or add a new polyline.


Setting polygon properties

The places in a polygon layer can be displayed in many different ways by changing the display properties of the layer. Choose the Layer Properties option from the Layer Menu to display the following dialog. Click the various fields of this dialog for more information about polygon layer properties.


Adding new polygons

To add a new place to a polygon layer, right-click on the right side of the Places window and choose the Add Place menu option.

You should then choose the Edit Place menu option to define the points  which make up the new polygon.


Editing polygon points

You can easily add, move or delete points on a polygon. The first step is to select the place you wish to edit, right-click the mouse to display the Place Menu and select the Edit Place option. Where possible, you should also zoom into the part of the globe where the place is located.

 Note that the left side of the Layer Window is disabled and the right side changes to display each of the points which define the place. Also, the globe display changes to show the points which make up the polygon. All the points are shown as blue squares while the currently selected point is red. You may select a point either in the table or by clicking on the point on the globe.

•	Deleting points: To delete the currently selected point, right-click on the table and choose the Delete Point option.

•	 Adding points: The easiest way to add points to a polygon is to add them on the globe. Note that when you add a new point to the polygon, the new point will be added after the currently selected point. So the first step in adding a point is to move in the table (or on the globe) to a point on the polygon where you would like to add another point. Then click the globe, press and hold both the Ctrl and the Alt key, and then click on the globe at the location for the new point. Note that when you press the Ctrl-Alt key combination, the mouse cursor changes to indicate that you can add a new point. The polygon on the globe will be updated to show the new point.

•	Moving points: To move a point, click on the globe, press the Shift key, click (and hold) on a point and drag it to where you want to move it to. Note that when you press the Shift key, the mouse cursor changes to indicate that you can select and move a point.


Deleting polygons

To delete an existing place from a polygon layer, on the right side of the Places window  select the place you wish to delete, right-click the mouse to display the Place Menu  and choose the Delete Place menu option.

You can also edit the points on a polygon  or add a new polygon.


Creating a database

You may create an unlimited number of databases for each globe layer. The purpose of a database is to maintain information about each place in a layer. Typically, an EarthNavigator.com database will contain a link to a website or file with more information about a place.

To create a new database for a layer, first select a visible layer, right-click the mouse to display the Layer Menu and select the New Database option. You will be prompted to enter a name for the new database. The database name must be unique and it must be located in the current sub-directory (or path) where the layer files are located. After entering a database file name, you must define the structure of the database.

To add (or insert) a new database field, click the Insert button. Then enter the name of the field, the type of field, the length of the field, and the number of decimals (if any).

If you define a character field called URL, then EarthNavigator.com uses the information in this field as the web address to display in your browser window when you double-click a place on the globe.

You can easily rename any database. To rename a database, select an inactive database in a visible layer and press F2 to edit the database name. Each database name for a layer must be unique.

You cannot create any database files for Active Places.


Database definition
An EarthNavigator.com database contains information about each place in a layer. The database uses the DBF file structure which is a standard database format which can be imported to (or created from) a number of popular spreadsheet and word processing programs.

A database consists of a number of records and fields. The number of records in a database is equal to the number of places in the associated layer. The records contain information about each place on the layer. A field defines the type of information to be maintained for each place. You define the fields, or structure, of the database when you first create it. You may also edit or change the structure of the database after it has been created.

The default structure of a database has one field called URL. Usually, you will not have to change the structure of a database.


Structure definition
A database can have up to 255 fields, with each field being either a character field or a number field. Each field is defined by a unique name, type (character or number), length and number of decimals (if any).


Structure name
A database field name can be up to 10 characters in length, it must be unique and it cannot contain any spaces.


Structure type
A field can be either a Character or a Number.

A Character field can be up to 254 characters in length and typically stores text information.

For a number field, you should define both the length of the field and the number of decimals. For example, the number 123.45 would require a field with a length of six (6), with two decimal places.


Structure length
Enter the length or number of characters required to store the information for this field. The maximum field length is 254 characters.


Structure decimals
For number fields, enter the number of decimal places (if any). For example, the number 123.45 would require a field with a length of six (6), with two decimal places.


Insert field
Click this button to insert a new field after the current field. After you have inserted a new field, you should define the field name, type and length.


Delete field
Click this button to delete the currently selected field. You will be asked to confirm whether you really wish to delete the field before it is actually deleted.


Confirm structure
Click this button to confirm the structure of the database.


Cancel structure
Click this button to cancel any changes you may have made to the structure of the database.


Selecting a database

You may create an unlimited number of databases for any layer. However, only one database can be selected (or be active) for each layer at any one time.

To select a database for a layer, press the plus (+) key beside the layer name to view any associated databases, click the desired database, and either press Ctrl+E to select the layer or right-click the mouse to display the Database Menu and choose the Select Database option. You may also double-click the database to select a database.

When you have selected a layer, the icon beside the layer changes from a table to a red arrow. The records and fields of the selected database are also shown on the right side of this window.

If the selected database has a character field called URL, then the information in this field is used as the web address to display with your web browser when you double-click a place on the globe.


Changing the database structure

You can modify or change the structure of a database at any time. To change the database structure, right-click an inactive database to display the Database Menu and select the Database Structure option.

Then, with the following dialog, you may edit the fields of the database.

To add (or insert) a new database field, click the Insert button. Then enter the name of the field, the type of field, the length of the field, and the number of decimals (if any).

If you define a character field called URL, then EarthNavigator.com uses the information in this field as the web address to link to when you double-click a place on the globe.


Deleting a database

To delete a database, first make sure the database is not selected. Then, right-click the database to display the Database Menu and select the Delete Database option. You will be asked to confirm whether you really want to delete this database before it is actually deleted.


Globe Settings

The properties on this page of the Preferences Dialog alter the look and behaviour of the globe. Click any of the properties below for more information.


Shadow
Displays a Day/Night shadow on the globe. The shadow is based upon the local time of your computer.


Background color
Select the background color which is displayed when the globe is viewed in a regular window.


Globe color
Select the color of the globe( the part where there is no land). Normally this would be blue.


Rotate minutes
Choose the distance (in minutes or nautical miles) by which the globe will rotate every interval.

For example, to set the globe to make one complete turn every 24 hours, set the Rotate (min.) property to 1 and the Interval (sec.) property to 4.  This means that every 4 seconds, the globe will turn by one minute (or one nautical mile). Or, in 24 hours, the globe will have made one full revolution.


Rotate interval
Choose the time interval (in seconds) used to rotate the globe. The amount the globe will be rotated every interval is set using the Rotate (min.) property.

For example, to set the globe to make one complete turn every 24 hours, set the Rotate (min.) property to 1 and the Interval (sec.) property to 4.  This means that every 4 seconds, the globe will turn by one minute (or one nautical mile). Or, in 24 hours, the globe will have made one full revolution.


Rotate globe
Check this option to start turning the globe. If this option is not checked, the globe will remain stationary. Use the Rotate (min.) and Interval (sec). properties to set how fast the globe will rotate.


Night color
Choose the color of the night shadow. Typically this will be black.


Altitude units
Set the globe units used when calculating or displaying an altitude above the globe.


Altitude zoom factor
Set the altitude (or height) which EarthNavigator.com will zoom in or zoom out by when you press the Alt- or Alt+ keys.


Hide water
Shows or hides rivers and lakes on the globe.


Globe Size

The properties on this page of the Preferences Dialog determine the size of the globe. Click any of the properties on the dialog below for more information.


Set size
Sets the size of the globe (in pixels) on your screen. The minimum globe size is 50 pixels while the maximum depends on the resolution of your monitor.


Preset sizes
Set the size you wish to the globe to be displayed at when you press Ctrl-T, Ctrl-M, or Ctrl-B. These menu options are available on the View Menu.


Position
Set the place on the screen where you wish to place the globe whenever you press Ctrl-T, Ctrl-M, or Ctrl-B. These menu options are available on the View Menu.


Program Settings

The properties on this page of the Preferences Dialog determine the way the program is presented as well as the location of the globe layers. Click any of the properties on the dialog below for more information.


Settings
EarthNavigator.com can be displayed on the Window task bar, as an icon on the Windows tray, or both.


Root
Sets the Root Directory for all layers and databases.


On top
If EarthNavigator.com is set to be a free-floating globe on your desktop, then you can set the globe to be always on top of other programs.


Free floating
Change the globe between either a free-floating globe on your desktop, or to be displayed in a regular window. If the globe is displayed in a regular window, then you can also change the globe projection.


Set projection
If the globe is displayed in a regular window, then you can set the projection of the globe. The projection can be spherical, rectangular or Mercator. If the projection is rectangular or Mercator, then scrollbars are displayed in the window which can be dragged to change the position or view of the globe.


Grid Settings

The grid is the lines of longitude and latitude. Use this dialog to set the look of the globe grid. Click any of the properties on the dialog below for more information.


Show grid
Choose whether you wish to display or hide the grid.


Grid definition
The grid is the lines of longitude and latitude.


Grid color
Select the color of the lines of the grid.


Line width
Select the line width of the grid.


Line style
Choose the line style of the grid.


Longitude spacing
Select the spacing (in degrees) of each line of longitude.


Latitude spacing
Select the spacing (in degrees) of each line of latitude.


Globe Texture

The properties on this page of the Preferences Dialog set information about the globe texture. Click any of the properties on the dialog below for more information.


Close preferences
Closes the Preferences Dialog. All settings are saved as they are changed.


Show texture
Show or hide the globe texture. If the globe texture is displayed, then a very realistic view of the world is displayed. You should have your display set to 16bit or 24bit color in order to view the textures. They do not display correctly at a resolution of 256 colors.


Texture altitude
Set an altitude below which the texture will not be displayed.

As you zoom in to an area of the world, the surface of the earth will not be as clear since the resolution of the globe texture file is limited. Therefore, you can set an altitude below which the texture file is not displayed and instead, a default polygon fill style and pattern is used. This default fill style is only used for polygon layers where the fill style was set to be transparent.


Texture default pattern
Choose a pattern to be used as the default pattern for transparent polygon layers. This pattern is used in conjunction with the texture altitude. When you have zoomed into an area such that the altitude is less than the minimum altitude, this default pattern will override or replace the globe texture.


Texture file
Choose the globe texture file to be used. Globe textures have a TEX file extension and are a type of bitmap files created especially for EarthNavigator.com.

A texture file called EarthM.tex is included with EarthNavigator.com. This texture has a resolution of 2700 pixels wide and 1350 pixels high. When this texture is projected onto the surface of the earth, then each pixel represents about eight nautical miles (about the same as 15km).

A larger texture file called EarthL.tex, which has a resolution of 5400 pixels by 2700 pixels, is available from our website. With this higher resolution, features on the surface of the earth can be displayed more clearly as you zoom in. However, the texture file is much larger, requires more memory, and takes longer to load when you first run EarthNavigator.com.


Internet Settings

The properties on this page of the Preferences Dialog set information about connecting to the Internet. Click any of the properties on the dialog below for more information.


Dialup
If this option is checked, EarthNavigator.com will automatically use Windows dial-up networking to connect to the Internet. If you do not use dial-up networking, do not set this option.


Show news
If this option is set, EarthNavigator.com will connect to our website and show you the latest news from our site. You can also see the latest news from the About dialog.


Timeout
Set a time period in seconds, for EarthNavigator.com to wait while trying to connect to our website. This is used mostly to refresh Active Places.


Defining distance settings

With EarthNavigator.com, you can quickly show the distance between two points on the globe. The distance can be displayed between a From point and a To point. This dialog is displayed when you choose the Distance option from the Main Menu.

You can either set the From and To points using this dialog, or you can just press F and the T on the globe. You may also use this form to determine the properties of the line which is drawn between the two points.

To show the current distance between the From and To points, just press the D key on the globe.


From
Set the From point longitude and latitude.


To
Set the To point longitude and latitude.


Direction
Set the direction used to calculate the distance and draw a great-circle line between the two points.


Line style
Set the line style properties used to draw a great-circle line between the two points.


Distance
Displays the distance between the two points. On the globe, you may also press D to show this distance.


Clear
Clears the From and To points.


Close
Closes the distance dialog.


Directions
If the From point and To point are within the United States, then click this button to show driving directions between the two points in your web browser. The driving directions are from www.MapBlast.com.


Setting From and To points

With EarthNavigator.com, you can display the distance between two points either using the Distance Dialog  or you can just press the F key and the T key when the mouse cursor is on the globe.

With the mouse cursor over the globe, press the F key to set the From point. A line is drawn between this point and the To point. Also, the distance between these two points is displayed. To re-display this distance, just press the D key.

To set the To point, move the mouse cursor to the desired location and press the T key. Again, a line is drawn between the From and To points and the distance between these two points is displayed.

The line between the two points is typically the shortest great-circle distance between them. However, you can use the Distance Dialog to display the longest distance or a draw a line around the world which passes through both points.


Why register
Why register?

EarthNavigator.com is our version of 'bannerware'. It is free and you do not have to register it. However, each visual link to a website will also have a banner displayed above the website with advertising from our sponsors.

If you do not wish to see this banner, you can choose to register the program for $18 U.S. A registered copy of the program will not display these banners. You can register over the Internet or by regular mail.

Once you have registered your copy, we will send you by email your own registration key which is based on your name. When you receive the registration key, just select the Register option from the Main Menu and fill out the information on the registration form.


Name
Enter your name exactly as it is shown on the registration information sent to you. Your registration key corresponds only to your name.


Key
Enter your registration key exactly as it was EMailed to you. Write down and keep your registration key as it is not displayed anywhere when you use this program.


Ordering over the Internet
Registering on-line

To register EarthNavigator.com using the Internet, just point your web browser to www.EarthNavigator.com and follow the links to register EarthNavigator.com. Or, choose the About... option from the Main Menu and click our logo.

With our on-line registration system, you just need to have on hand your credit card and enter the information requested. Upon confirmation of payment by credit card, we will email you your own registration key which is created based on your name.


Registration by mail

To register EarthNavigator.com by mail, just send us the registration fee of $18 U.S. (cash or cheque) along with a brief note which includes your email address.

Please mail these items to:

Calido Software Inc.

RR2 Site 212 Box 22

St. Albert, AB Canada T8N 1M9

Upon receipt of your order, we will email you your own registration key which is created based on your name.


Contributing places

You are welcome to suggest any places or categories for our Active Places, and even to host your own Active Places database.

You can suggest a place or category either from our website, or by selecting the Suggest Place or Suggest Category option from the Active Places popup menu.


What are Active Places?

Active Places are places and related websites which are hosted on our website (or yours) but can be viewed on your globe.

The places are grouped into these categories and updated often. With EarthNavigator.com, you can easily update (or refresh) any Active Place category, see the latest places on your globe and visit the websites related to each place with your browser.

While most of the Active Places are hosted on our website, anyone can host a set of Active Places, and it's easy to setup. Some examples of Active Places include:

•	hotels

•	airplanes in flight

•	balloon or yacht races

•	company offices

•	exotic vacation spots

The only criteria is that each place must be related and unique, and have a relevant website.

Active Places are actually just DBF database files with five fields:

•	Title

•	Longitude (-180.0 to 180.0)

•	Latitude (-90.0 to 90.0)

•	Altitude

•	URL

We've grouped the databases into categories and within each category, maintain a link to each Active Place database. When you wish to view a set of Active Places, EarthNavigator.com will download the file (if you don't have it yet) and show the places on your globe. If you've viewed the places in this database before, the program will only download the file if you choose to Refresh the file contents.


Viewing Active Places

To view an Active Place database, open the Places window, select an Active Place from one of the categories and press either right-click the mouse to display the Active Places popup menu or press Ctrl-S

The EarthNavigator.com program comes installed with many Active Places. However, we are constantly adding both categories and places. To get the latest categories, you should periodically Refresh a category or an Active Places database.

To refresh a category or database means to download the latest information from our website. This is handled automatically by the EarthNavigator.com program when you press the F5 key. If the Active Places database is relatively static (such as the NHL Hockey teams database), then you would rarely have to refresh this database. But if the Active Places database has information about an event, such as balloon flights or yacht races, then you should refresh the database more often.

You may also press Shift-F5 to refresh all the categories. This will update all of the categories and active places databases with the latest information from our website. Note that this will not download the individual Active Places database, it will only update the categories. You will still have to press F5 for each Active Placesdatabase in order to view the latest information in each database.


Hosting an Active Places database

Anyone can host an Active Places database. The only criteria is that the places must be related, have a unique geographic location, and have a relevant website.

The following example shows you how easy it is to create your own Active Place database.

Let's say you want to create an Active Place database for a number of mountain climbing expeditions for which there are websites with information about the progress and status of each expedition. Just follow these seven steps with your globe to quickly create an Active Place database.

Step 1: Create a new layer

Each country, province,state or place on the globe are stored in what are called globe layer files. The first step is to create a new point layer, called Mountain Expeditions

Step 2: Create a URL database

After creating a new layer file, create a database to store the URL's (website addresses) for each expedition. Use the Layer menu and choose the New Database menu option. Use the default database structure to create a file called Expedition URL's.

Step 3 : Add the places

Start adding the places where the mountain climbing expeditions are taking place. To quickly add a place, select the Place Names and Data part of the Places window, right-click to display the places menu, move the mouse onto the globe to the approximate location of the mountain, and choose the Add Place option.

Repeat this for each expedition site. You can then fine-tune the latitude and longitude for each place.

Hint: Use the maps which can be found at www.MapBlast.com for assistance in determining the exact latitude and longitude.

Step 4: Add the URL's

Once you have added each of the places, add the URL's (website addresses) for each place.

Step 5: Create an Active Place database

Now that you've added the places to the globe and referenced each place to a website, you can create an Active Place database file.

Select the Expedition URL's database, right-click to show the Database menu and select the Create Active Places... option. Then, pick a file name, click Save and your new Active Place database file is created.

Step 6: Copy this file to your website

Now that you've created an Active Place database file, copy (or FTP) the file to your website, so that the file is available to everybody.

Step 7: EMail us

And the last step is to email us with the URL for the file, and the category in which the places fall into to. We'll review the places and then add a link to your Active Place file, where everybody can use it.


Technical Support

Technical support for EarthNavigator.com is available via email at support@calido.com.

Before contacting us for technical support, please be sure to have read through this help file for complete information about EarthNavigator.com.

Regular updates of EarthNavigator.com including any bug fixes or new features, will be posted to our web-site.


Active Places menu

The Active Places Menu is displayed when you select an Active Place from the bottom-left side of the Places window and right-click the mouse. Click on any of the options shown below for more information on each option.


Refresh place
If the selected item is an Active Places category, then the program will download from our website the latest information about this category including any new sub-categories or Active Places databases.

If the selected item is an Active Places database, then the program will download the latest places and URL's from this database to your computer.


Refresh all
Choose this option to Refresh or download all of the Active Places categories from our website.

Note that only the categories are updated. You will still have to Refresh the individual Active Place databases for each one for which you want the latest information.


Suggest place
If you know of any places with a related website which is not yet part of our Active Places, but woul fit into any of the existing categories, please let us know. We will review your suggestion and then add it to our Active Places.


Suggest category
If you believe that a new category should be added to our Active Places, please let us know. We will review your suggestion before adding it to our website.


File locations and formats

EarthNavigator.com automatically maintains all layer files and databases , and Active Places, in the Layers Root Directory which you normally would not need to change. The information in this section is mainly for technical reference.

The Layers Root Directory is typically C:\Program Files\EarthNavigator\Places.You may however, change the location of this root directory using the Preferences dialog which can be accessed from the Main Menu. Each layer file and the databases which are associated with each layer are stored in a separate folder within the root directory. The layer file must have the same name as the sub-directory in which it is located. A layer file has a .LYR file extension and the file format is proprietary for EarthNavigator.com. The layer file contains all places and points which define each place, as well as the properties which define how the layer is displayed on the globe.

The database files for each layer are the standard DBF file format originally developed for the dBase program. This file format can be easily imported and exported to or from many spreadsheet, database or word processing programs. Only two field types are supported by EarthNavigator.com at this time; character fields and number fields.

Active Places categories and databases are also stored in the root directory in a folder called Active Places.


Texture map format

A texture map is a specially formatted bitmap with a .TEX file extension that is created especially for EarthNavigator.com. The texture only works accurately at a 16bit or 24bit color resolution display.

A texture file called EarthM.tex is included with the program. This texture has a resolution of 2700 pixels wide and 1350 pixels high. When this texture is projected onto the surface of the earth, then each pixel represents about eight nautical miles (about the same as 15km).

A larger texture file called EarthL.tex, which has a resolution of 5400 pixels by 2700 pixels, is available from our website. With this higher resolution, features on the surface of the earth can be displayed more clearly as you zoom in. However, the texture file is much larger, requires more memory, and takes longer to load when you first run the program.

The texture file originates from a series of detailed black and white elevation data pictures from the USGS and available on their web-site at http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/landdaac/gtopo30/gtopo30.html . The pictures have 30 second arc elevation data structured in 33 tiles which make up the entire earth. These tiles were stitched together into one picture and then colorized to give a detailed and accurate view of the earth. The final result was then divided into two resolutions and compressed for easier distribution and use with EarthNavigator.com.


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We would like to keep you up-to-date with the latest information about EarthNavigator.com as well as listen to any comments or suggestions you may have. To do this, we've created a discussion group and email list at www.eGroups.com which you are welcome to join.

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