GPS pane

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The GPS pane displays current information from your GPS device that includes:

  • The speed at which you are traveling.

  • Your latitude and longitude coordinates.

  • The last time your position was updated.

  • Your compass heading.

  • A bar graph that indicates the strength of the signals from the GPS satellites (four bars indicate the strongest signal, no bars indicate that no satellite information is being received).

You can also use the GPS pane to set GPS options, to provide input to the navigation feature, and to calculate routes from your current position.

Set GPS options

Use the following information in the GPS pane to set the following GPS options:

  • Start/stop GPS tracking. Select this icon to start receiving a location from your GPS device and to track your current position on the map. As your location is updated, the map is refreshed to show your most recent position. MapPoint marks your location on the map with the GPS symbol Gg674685.ALLGPSIcon(en-us,MSDN.10).gif. When you begin moving, the center of the symbol changes to an arrow that points in the direction in which you are traveling Gg674685.ALLGPSArrow(en-us,MSDN.10).gif.

  • Provide navigation. Select this check box to start navigation. The Navigation pane opens at the bottom of the MapPoint window. If you have not yet created a route, the Navigation pane contains a message that indicates that you need to create a route before using navigation. To use this option, Start/stop GPS tracking must be selected. If your GPS receiver is not connected to your computer, this option appears dimmed even if you have selected Start/stop GPS tracking and created a route.

  • Arrange map view. Select this check box to choose the way the map is updated as you change location.

  • Map view. This option enables you to either Keep position centered or Use dynamic turn view. To use this option, select Start/stop GPS tracking, and then select Arrange map view.

  • Keep position centered. Click this radio button if you want your location to be used as the center point of the map. To use this option, select Start/stop GPS tracking, select Arrange map view and Map view, and then select Keep position centered.

  • Use dynamic turn view. Click this radio button if you want MapPoint to change the map view as you travel to best show both your current location and the next instruction point on your route. To use this option, select Start/stop GPS tracking, select Provide navigation, select Arrange map view and Map view, and then select Use dynamic turn view.

  • Rotate map to follow travel direction. Select this check box if you want the map to rotate as you travel, so that you always appear to be heading toward the top of the map regardless of your actual direction. To use this option, select Start/stop GPS tracking, select Arrange map view and Map view, and then select Rotate map to follow travel direction.

  • Navigation view. Select this radio button if you want to get a dynamic perspective view of the map as you proceed through your selected travel directions. To use this options, select Start/stop GPS tracking, select Provide navigation, select Arrange map view, and then select Navigation view.

  • Create GPS trail. Select this check box if you want MapPoint to mark your route on the map as you travel. If you use this option, you can save the map with the GPS trail that shows the route you took. The trail remains visible on the map until you delete it by selecting the trail, and then pressing DELETE. To use this option, select Start/stop GPS tracking, and then select Create GPS trail.

  • Configure GPS. Click this button to open the GPS Receiver Settings dialog box. In this dialog box, you can get information about GPS settings, scan for available ports, and select a current port. You can also click the Troubleshoot button to open troubleshooting tips.

Routing Options

When you have started GPS tracking, you can create a route from your current location by typing or selecting an address for the end point of your route in the Recalculate route from current location to text box, and then clicking Go (F3).

You can easily switch to the Route planner pane to work with more complicated routes by clicking Route planner.

Change task panes

To change from one task pane to any of the other panes, click the name of the pane that is currently open, and then, in the list, click the task pane that you want to switch to.

Note  If you are using a GPS device and the Show GPS Sensor when navigation pane is closed check box is selected on the Navigation tab in the Options dialog box, the GPS sensor appears on the map when a task pane other than the GPS pane is open.

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