Why does the font used to over print control numbers....

[Lumpy Lycra]

.... have a "6" that is also "9" rotated through 180 degs?

is it some obscure standard / just the only font in OCAD or is there not another clear font that has a straight down stroke on the 9?

(and for once it wasn't me that went from 5 to 9 today)

[Harley]

IT WAS ME! and, from chatting around the results, several other competitors too.

Today controls 6-9 formed a loop the other side of a main road with the same compulsory crossing point both ways. Thus as you left the crossing point on the way to 6, two red lines diverged, one going to 6 and one coming from 9. With my map held sideways, 6&9 look the same, whatsmore the line to 6 was less obvious as it ran over a network of paths/streams whereas the one to 9 went over open ground. The line to 9 (or was it 6?)was the only line I saw as I glanced at my map. Doh!

This has happened to me in the past too where 6 and 9 were close or their lines crossed. Again chatting to another competitor today, it happened to him last week - and again today, but I don't think he'd want to broadcast that.

I agree with Lumpy. A simple solution to this confusing problem would be to change the font for 9,

[RJ]

The font in OCAD8 is Arial. If you are printing the maps on a club printer from your own PC/laptop you can edit the text to use any font on your system.

However, not sure you can solve this problem easily.... probably a question of being aware yourself..... and making sure!! In most fonts the 6 and 9 are often an exact reflection of each other.

[DM]

Surely this is not a problem if you know which side of the map is North? Other symbols and text appearing to be all upside down would perhaps be a hint that you have the map 180 degrees out.

If you do go 5, 9 , 10, instead of 5, 6,7 some other alarm bells would ring........

[PorkyFatBoy]

It's happened to me a couple of times (though I didn't mp). It's not always obvious, for example, if 6 and 9 are near each other and you have 6-7 is a long leg South - North and 7-8 is a long leg N-S and you've folded the map....I think it is something planners and controllers should be aware of.

[johnloguk]

I once navigated to the 0 in control 20 instead of the control circle, and of course I was convinced the kite had been pinched because I knew where I was! Now that takes some doing Confusion knows no bounds to an orienteer when the brain starts to fail, if an error is even remotely possible someone will do it

[kedge]

I once navigated to the 0 in control 20 instead of the control circle, and of course I was convinced the kite had been pinched because I knew where I was! Now that takes some doing

Ah yes, I've done that, and out of the corner of my eye was this flag, on which I thought was a parallel feature, which I ignored because of course, I knew where I was!

Still, a couple of weeks ago, at our night event, an orienteer I thought to be highly competent mistook a fence line for the magnetic north line, took a bearing from it and ran due W instead of N.

[Gnitworp]

I did a French Regional Event last year in a dead flat forest with a road/ride system running almost exactly magnetic north/south. The north lines were drawn nearly as thickly as the tracks. It wasn't until discussing my route afterwards that I realised why I never crossed this road. I seemed to run for ever, but it never came up.

[FatBoy]

I've done exactly the opposite in France - stopped dead on this track with absolutely no idea where I was. Eventually convinced myself it can't be on the map and went on to find the control It was only after I finished I worked out the track was on the map - I just thought it was a north line!

[swat]

I used to do that quite a lot when I started orienteering - somehow when I looked at the map my brain edited out all reasonably straight continuous black lines (whether they were running north-south or not). So, I was often suprised to come upon tracks in the forest.

[T5]

Talking about overprinting, at recent events I've noticed that little effort seems to be taken to put breaks in lines and control circles, so as not to obscure important details.

Is this a lack of functionality in the software, or is it planners/controllers not knowing how to use it, or not bothering?

Going back to the bad old days of overprinting, the course markings were more transparent. Now it is a solid colour, so there is no chance of peering through to see point features and the like.

[Adventure Racer]

It's certainly not lack of functionality in the software (in OCAD, simply select the line or circle, click on the scissors icon, then select the bit you want to cut out). I'd imagine it's mostly planners not knowing how to do it - but at least for those who read here, that should no longer be a problem

[Mrs H]

Just catching up after hols - this extract from the Feb Hoc magazine seems quite topical:

Course Overprints on Maps
A welcome trend is towards the provision of overprinted course maps at events, rather than master maps which have to be copied on the ground in pouring rain with a pen that doesn’t write. This is so easy to achieve with programs like Ocad.

However, it was pointed out at the recent WMOA Committee Meeting that sometimes the Planner (or whoever does the overprint) doesn’t take sufficient care when doing so. Obviously, the circle must be centred on the feature, but in many cases it is necessary to break the circle to avoid obscuring important detail. A nearby crag close to the feature crag would be an example. Similarly, care must be taken to break connecting lines where important features would otherwise be hidden. Naturally, the connecting lines have to go round any OOB areas or things like lakes, and through compulsory crossing points.

Finally, the control numbers must always be sited with care. They should be close to the circles, but not obscure important detail. If possible, they should be placed on a clear, light background: a number placed on top of dark green or OOB hatching is often very hard to see.

and surely in answer to Lumpy's original gripe - the thread on consecutive codes provides what could be a simple answer for course overprinted numbers too:

letters or numbers that may be confused if read upside down shall be underlined.

[Tessa]

sorry! the original problem is probably partly to do with my rubbish locating of control numbers on ocad.

i hope everyone enjoyed the lickeys, im just hearing reports of it now, and i hope these issues didnt spoil everyones day!

i think i need to thank all the many people in BUOC, ex-BUOC and HOC that helped on sunday, it really was a stressful week trying to get it sorted and I tried to do all i could before i went away - i hope i didn't lump too many problems on everyone!

[PeteL]

It's certainly not lack of functionality in the software (in OCAD, simply select the line or circle, click on the scissors icon, then select the bit you want to cut out).

Same for those who use CONDES - the Control function popup has an option for 'nibbling the circle' - although it is a bit iterative as you have to 'nibble' blind - does that make any sense? It's easier to do than describe (for me, anyway).

Basic rule is, it's down to attention to detail by planners and controllers.

Last thought - I don't recall being as careful about this when I drew master maps up by hand. Was I just more careless in those days or have planning standards improved overall since the use of electronic aids and we're getting pickier now?