Map Database Usage Instructions

Maintained by David Bakker. If you update a map, please send him the updated file to keep this database up to date. His email is admin@sageorienteering.ca

Also, if you have any problems, send him an email if you want help.


Following these steps in order will help you get your course setting done.

Downloading Map Files

  1. First you will need to sign into WhyJustRun using the "Sign In" button in the top right corner.
  2. Click the light blue "Download" button in the upper right corner of the page.
  3. Enter the map download password to download the map. Send David Bakker an email to get this password, which works for all maps (except brand new ones being protected for Canada Cup or higher events).
  4. Save the map to your computer somewhere you can find it again (creating a new folder called "Orienteering Maps" in your "Documents" might be a good idea).

For advanced users only: If you want to edit the map, you will need to download Open Orienteering Mapper for .omap files, or OCAD (which is very expensive, so don't do it!) for .ocd files. Open Orienteering Mapper will also open OCAD files, but small changes do occur, and it is not recommended. REMEMBER: If you edit the map file, send the changes to David Bakker so that the most up to date version of the map can be made available to other organizers on the map as well.

Setting up a new Event in Purple Pen:

  1. Open Purple Pen (download available for free here).
  2. Select "Create a New Event"
  3. Add an event title of your choice. Typically the name of the map, or part of the map you are using and the year is appropriate. For example "Downtown Salmon Arm 2019". Try and keep the title concise and no longer than the previous example.
  4. You will be prompted to select the map file. This is the file that you downloaded from the Sage Website and were told to save somewhere you could find it again - hopefully you did so. Select the file, and then click next.
  5. The map scale field will be automatically determined, and is always correct. This is the scale that the map was made at, which is not nescesarily the scale that it is supposed to be printed at, or the scale that is written in the map layout. You need to fill in the default printing scale. You can check what scale you should use by visiting the map page for your map on the Sage website (where you downloaded the map file from). Look at the map image in the lower left corner, and see what it says the scale is. Type this number into the box. This is typically 1:4000. 1:5000, 1:7500, 1:10000 or 1:15000. If the map image does not show a scale, then it is suggested to use the same number as the map scale.
  6. You will be prompted to fill in paper size information. For all Sage maps unless noted on the map page on the Sage website, the paper size of choice is letter. In the dropdown menu, select letter. Look at the map image on the map page of the Sage website to determine if landscape or portrait is a better option. We recommend setting the margins to 0mm. Click next.
  7. Choose where to save the Purple Pen (course setting) file. It is recommended to save it in the same place as the map file.
  8. You are asked about IOF Standards. Select "Descriptions 2018". For the map standard, go to the map page on the Sage Website and check in the statistics box (upper left side of page) for the map standard. Select the correct option in Purple Pen appropriately. Click next.
  9. If you are using electronic timing, fill in the following information depending on location. If you are not using electronic timing, click next.
    • Salmon Arm - Starting Code = 220 (Salmon Arm has controls #220 to #246)
    • Kamloops - Starting Code = 71 (Kamloops has controls #71 to #100)
    • Revelstoke - Starting Code = 101 (Revelstoke has controls #101 to #130)
    • Okanagan - The Okanagan curently does not have its own set of SI units, and typically borrows from Salmon Arm.
  10. Click next, then Finish. You are ready to create your course!

Course Setting in Purple Pen - The Basics

In certain circumstances, if you know what you are doing, almost all of these guidelines can and should be disregarded. However, this step by step list is a great way to set a basic local orienteering event in Purple Pen.

  1. In the upper main menu (near file) click "Course" -> "Add Course..."
  2. Fill in the course name, leave the course type as "normal course" (unless you are organizing a score-o, in which case change it to "score course". Do not change any other settings, unless it is the beginner course in which case select "Description Appearance" -> "Symbols and Text". Click "Ok"
  3. First we need to add a start location. Click "Add Start" in the upper left part of the program, written next to a purple triangle. Click where you want the start to be located on the map
  4. Time to add some controls! Click "Add Control", found right next to the "Add Start" button, and then click where you want the first control to be on the map. If you did not quite get the control where you want it to be, you can click on the control to select it, and the click and drag it to your desired location.
  5. Repeat the above step as needed to add the remaining controls for this course. If you want to add a control that is not the last control to be added the course, select the control prior to the one you wish to add, and then follow the above step. For example, if you have already added controls 1,2,4 and 5, but forgot to add control #3, select control #2, then click "Add Control" and add control #3.
  6. Once you have finished adding all your controls, click "Add Finish", and add the finish to the map
  7. You can add another course by following the above steps again. Note that you can add the same control to multiple different courses.


Adding Control Descriptions and Extras

  1. You now have a bunch of controls, but you need to add descriptions to them! Purple pen makes this a breeze. Go to the "all controls" course in the upper left part of the program. In the table on the left side of the display, click on the start, then click on the box to which you want to add a control description. Purple Pen will only allow legal descriptions in the boxes, so that makes life easier for you. Once you have selected the box, click the correct control description. Hovering over the available descriptions will show a plain language description at the bottom of the pop-up telling you what it is.
  2. Add descriptions for all the remaining controls in the table on the left hand side
  3. You now have all the descriptions defined for all of the controls (and the start!), but you have not told the program that it needs to print the description along with the course. Click on one of your courses, and then in the upper middle of the program (next to "Add Finish") click "Add Descriptions". Click and drag on the map where you want your control descriptions to be printed. If you are not satisfied with their location, you can easily adjust it by clicking and dragging.
  4. You should also add some other pertinent information like a safety bearing, and an emergency contact name and phone number. Click "Add Special Item" -> "Text" type in the text, and click ok. Click and drag where you want the text to be.


Exporting, Printing, etc.

  1. First you need to tell the program where you want to print. Go to "File" -> "Set Print Area" -> "All Courses". Click and drag the highlighted box around to your satisfaction, then click "Done".
  2. Now you are ready to make some PDF files of your maps for bringing to the print shop, or sending by email to your course controller. Click "File" -> "Create PDFs" -> "Courses". Ensure you know where you are saving the PDF files, and click "Create". You made it, you are ready to go!