Gmap Catcher – Using Gmap catcher you can download offline Google maps inside your computer to later view them at a location where internet is not available. Download this from here, also see my post how to create an offline Google maps for rmaps for your android mobile using mobile atlas creator.

User Guide for Gmapcatcher- 

User interface

After starting the programme the GUI shows the map, a small size scroll bar on the left and a toolbar on top.

By using the scroll bar the resolution/scale of the map can be changed. The toolbar consists of two rows and offers the following actions and settings (first row to second row, left to right):

• Main configuration button

Pressing the button opens a drop down menu with 5 configuration categories. Choosing one of them opens the complete programme setup where the chosen category is active. In addition there is the ‘Save Path Maps’ Menu item that makes the visual path download tool visible; see the description of the visual path download for details

 

• Drop down menu/edit field for new and stored locations

By using the drop down menu one of the stored locations is selected. By entering text a place with this name is searched (currently only available if online).

• Confirmation button

Confirms entered text in drop down menu/edit field (alternative to pressing ‘ENTER’ in edit field).

• Check box to indicate working mode (online or offline)

• Check box to indicate force update facility

• Download configuration button

 

Pressing this button opens a window to download a map section. See description ‘Download configuration’ below.

 

• Drop down menu for map type selection (Map, Terrain, Satellite, Hybrid)

One of the four map types (Map, Terrain, Satellite, Hybrid) may be selected; the Google Maps hybrid satellite plus labels overlay is now supported.

Download configuration

Within the following dialog an area and a zoom level to download a map section can be entered. The dialog stays alive during the download.

The centre of the downloaded area is defined by entering latitude and longitude. The size of the area by entering width and height. The maximum and minimum zoom level define the scale of the downloaded map tiles. The map type which is set in the drop down menu for ‘map type selection’ is used for the download.

Action of buttons in bottom line of window:

• left button: Start download
• middle button: Open menu to restart/continue a previous download
• right button: Cancel current download.

How to update and/or modify a downloaded area? If you have e.g. downloaded the complete US with zoom level 4, now you want to update the NY area with zoom level 2, then you open the Download Window, simply enter the coordinates for NY and set the zoom level to 2, the range width and height to 50km and start the download. Now the NY area is updated the rest remains the same and the complete US is still available for offline viewing with zoom level 4 while NY is available with zoom level 2.

Right mouse click

While displaying a map a right mouse click opens the following menu:

The first four items change the map section display and explain themselves:

• Zoom In: Decrease zoom
• Zoom Out: Increase zoom
• Center map here: Position of cursor becomes centre of map.
• Reset: Display map with highest zoom level.

 

Actions of the next three items:

• Batch Download: See description Download configuration
• Export Map: Open dialog to save current display of map to file ‘map.png’ in home folder
• Add Marker: Add a marker at position of cursor (description of marker must be done afterwards by using the main configuration menu)

 

Actions of the final 2 items:

• Copy Location: copy mouse location of right-click to the clipboard
• Copy GPS: copy GPS location to the clipboard

you may then paste locations from the clipboard as needed

 

Visual path download

When the visual path download tool is visible, it describes the area that would be included in a visual download.

• Shift+Scroll changes the size of the area
• Ctrl+Scroll changes the minimum zoom level to download

When you Shift+drag the map, then the area included in the visual download zone is queued for download, from the zoom level below the current view zoom level, to the visual download’s minimum zoom level as set

One main function of the tool is to allow you to download close-up maps along a path; it gives feedback of the number of tiles downloaded/requested while downloading

 

Export map to image

Tools menu

Settings

All values in the tab Settings describe display properties when starting the programme. Therefore any change requires a restart of the programme in order to have effect.

‘Size’ defines the display size of the GMapCatcher window. ‘Zoom’ defines the zoom level of the map section specified by the coordinates of the field ‘Center’, which is displayed on start up. ‘Language’ defines the language of the map’s labels (street, region, etc.), the language of the user interface remains unchanged. The button ‘Use Currents’ sets all values according to the current display.

Keyboard shortcuts

General

 

Shortcut Key	Description
F1	Open help page
F2	Export map to image
F4	Import markers from KML file
F5	Refresh
F6	Hide/Show the visual path download zone
F8	Hide/Show the markers
F12	Hide/Show all buttons
F11	Full screen
ESC	Undo F12 & F11
Ctrl + Click	Add marker
Alt + 2Click	Zoom out
2Click	Zoom in
Ctrl + W	Closes the current window
Ctrl + Q	Quits gmapcatcher from the main window
Ctrl + S	Saves current page of config settings from config window

 

 

Navigation (only after hiding buttons F12)

 

Shortcut Key	Description
Arrow Keys	Pan Left, Right, Up and Down
+	Zoom in
–	Zoom out
Page Up	Pan wider Up
Page Down	Pan wider Down
Home	Pan wider Left
End	Pan wider Rigth
M	Show Map Layer
S	Show Satellite Layer
T	Show Terrain Layer
H	Show Hybrid Layer

Resources for Downloading –  http://code.google.com/p/gmapcatcher/downloads/list

For User Guide –  http://code.google.com/p/gmapcatcher/wiki/User_Guide