Dear Customer

Welcome to the New Year

What is in this newsletter?

1. Free Downloads available on-line
2. The Strategy behind TUMONZ 3 and where to from here
3. Some new capabilities we could bring to the Property Module – but let us know what you think
4. New Property Module 2007 (A) now available
5. Some important New features in TUMONZ 3 update 3.06
6. Some handy hints for TUMONZ 3
7. Our new news RSS feeds
8. A quick reference list of some key TUMONZ 3 features

1. Free Downloads available on-line

There are 3 tutorials on the Support/Tutorials page.
Beginners Guide Tutorial provides a convenient half page on each of the main functions so even if you are a skilled user, it is worth downloading as a reference.
Map Building Tutorial is a must for map building and map editing (just revised so download again if you have previously done so).
Real Estate Tutorial is targeted for those interested in property.

Download the free 2007 Tide Viewer (from the Downloads/All Files page) if you purchased TUMONZ in 2006 or before.

2. Strategy

TUMONZ 1 & 2 used an architecture that we designed and cemented in place through 2000-2002. The product evolved considerably until 2005 with many introduced features and a large number of add-on modules. Every part of the software world is dynamic and time ran out for TUMONZ 2.

We needed an entirely new architecture. We re-built from the ground up through 2005 and 2006. TUMONZ 3 is fast and exciting, rendering vector, topo scans, satellite imagery, and aerial photos seamlessly in any combination.

We are still refining capability largely in response to what our customers are requesting. So always keep your executable up-to-date from the updates page. We expect TUMONZ 3 architecture to be constant through to at least the end of this decade before we may have to again re-build from the ground up.
(Update from Versions 1 & 2 on the Purchase page.)

3. Some New Capabilities

…for the Property Module – But what do you think? We could for instance add a Mortgage type to the painted layers and MeshBlocks to the Regional & Territorial boundaries without changing the Property Module price – but what would you use? Let us know at support@tumonz.co.nz.

4. New Property Boundaries 2007A

The latest release is out for all versions of TUMONZ. TUMONZ 3 Property includes owner and company search & Property Reports. We have eliminated the duplicates in the 2007A module.

5. Some important New features in TUMONZ 3 update 3.06

1. Enter ‘zoom-to’ Scale for both on-screen and for Printing.
2. Add a Title to your printed map.
3. Draw menu added for quicker access to adding Icons, Lines, Shapes and Pre-defined shapes.
4. Added predefined shapes.
5. Changed the 2D profile i.e. jazzed it up quite a bit & added a ‘Copy to Clipboard’ button.
6. Print button in the Property Report.
7. Added controls for distance/bearing on both Property boundaries and on User Objects.
8. Added two more Map Styles (’high contrast Topo scans’ and ‘emphasised contour lines’ in vector for Land Search & Rescue)
9. 3D Viewer. Changed the speed of flight (previously could hold down the Shift key to speed up 3D – now default if fast and the Shift key will slow rate of movement)

Download the latest version of TUMONZ here

6. Some Handy Hints for TUMONZ 3.

Sending information to Google Earth for some free on-line viewing.

Google Earth lies somewhere along the pathway from ‘toy’ to ’sometimes useful’ to an ‘excellent visualisation’ application. It is a free downloadable application from Google. When you first browse an area it will take a long time to download images from a Google server. However it caches images on your computer and when you return to the same location it is likely to get a lot quicker. Google Earth has an improving set of (mostly satellite) images and it is free. It has great browsing capability. Be aware that the terrain model is sparse and images may not necessarily fit the land well. Once you have installed Google Earth it can be started from within TUMONZ. See the Tools/Google Earth menu. If you have an object selected, a route, a ruler line or search results you can send these to Google Earth by just clicking the option. Google Earth will start up and go through the drama of zooming to location. Very cool the first few times.

Using the 2D profile.

The 2D profile takes a slice through the land along your chosen path. Firstly, you need a path. There are three (a ‘Route’, a ‘Measurement line’ and your selected ‘User Object’).

Experiment, it is very easy to use. Try adding a Measurement line and then select the Tools/’2D Profile’ menu.

The buttons in the 2D Profile window are self-explanatory. Select the source of the slice from the ‘drop down’ and exaggerate the perspective with the ‘Fit Profile to Viewer’ tick box. You can copy the image to clipboard to paste into another application e.g. MS Word. Drag the corners of the window to size and locate the window on your screen in the usual way. Run your cursor over the window to display position along the path and height above sea level.

Printing a map.

Choose a map style to show the detail you require (perhaps a paper map scan OR aerial Photo), zoom to location, use the ‘Set scale’ field (below the Overview Map) if you want a particular scale. Use the File/Print menu OR Ctrl + P quick key. Now print your map.

The settings are deliberately few and the print should be what you see on screen. You can control the dpi, layout, set scale and add grids and borders with coordinates. Also enter a ‘Title’ for the map. At a more advanced level, if you have the necessary software you will be able to ‘write to’/print a pdf and in so doing, set the resolution of your print.

Measuring distance.

The measurement tool is powerful & very easy to use. [You can also determine distance and area by adding a line or polygon.]

Select the Measure function button at the top of the Sidebar. Hold the Ctrl keyboard key down and left click on the map OR hold left mouse down and move to ’stream points’. Distance and area (area, if more than 2 points) will display at the corners of the resulting shaded rectangle (called the ‘bounding rectangle’).

If the measurement units are not suitable then change them under the ‘Quick Options’ node on the Main Sidebar page. Most units are available. Bearing can be selected to display as ‘grid’ or ‘magnetic’ bearing (’Magnetic’ if you are using a compass; ‘Grid’ if you are reading off a paper map).

On the right mouse menu (Ctrl key down and right click) there are two measurement modes. The ‘Single Line’ mode is a “bungy” type mode. Just left click and stretch. It is temporary and will disappear when you let it go.

7. Our new news RSS feeds

We have a new section of our website, TUMONZ News Articles.
It’s the first stop to get information on:

• Free Updates
• General Topics
• MapBooks
• Newsletters
• SDK Updates
• TUMONZ Live
• Tutorials
• New Versions

You can subscribe up to our RSS feed and get all this information and more send straight to your RSS feed reader.
Saves you time visiting the site and checking for updates, you’ll get the information as soon as it’s posted in the news section.

8. A quick reference list of some key TUMONZ 3 features

• New Standard TUMONZ databases. The following are included with every copy of Standard TUMONZ 3: all NZ topographic vector (includes the latest roads dataset), all NZMS260 topo scans, (in association with NZ Land Search & Rescue), NZ satellite coverage, (spectacular at zoomed out levels), NZ parcel boundaries, NZ address, road reserve and road centerline detail, Territorial and Regional boundaries.
• Quick search as you type interface. (With the latest Tumonz 3 Property module you can now search on Owner, & Company & generate a detailed Property Report).
• Major increase in speed. Tumonz 3 uses new drawing technologies optimizing the drawing of each layer and data type (NZMS260 maps, vector, aerials). In fact it is so fast we now leave aerials on through pan and zoom.
• New road drawing styles (those used in TUMONZ-Live) have been incorporated so road drawing now looks like hard copy maps.
• Google Earth. View your search results, map objects, routes and ruler lines in Google Earth for additional visualization and utilizing Google’s satellite imagery.
• New Print (get the latest free TUMONZ 3 update if you have TUMONZ 3 already) that Prints what you see on screen with/without coordinates and grids. Print to scale.
• New drawing technologies incorporating constant relief shading and special effects.
• Tumonz 3 will automatically update your old topo map files, including roads and add the latest parcel boundaries even if you don’t have the Property Boundaries.
• New simplified interface with sidebar. All functionality always readily available.
• Quick select ‘Map Styles‘ that configure all display properties & content (vector, aerial photos, topo scans, satellite photos, special effects & Property information).
• Zoom-in is seamless across different data sets e.g. one scheme for instance includes a seamless satellite to NZMS260 scanned maps to vector detail and finally down to property parcels in one smooth sequence.
• The place names dataset has been updated, added to, and restructured so that it displays in a very much improved manner.
• Icons show early at enhanced size and incorporate transparency.
• Improved 3D engine running in a dedicated application.
• New NZ Tides Viewer in a dedicated application. Free Tides Update.
• Some new navigation moves to help new users (left and right mouse clicks) and a stunning new Map Overview for quick navigation and keeping track of where you are browsing.
• In addition to a simplified and readily available User Guide, hints appear on cursor hover throughout the interface.