Manifold 5.50 Authoring for MapPoint 2002: Frequently Asked Questions

Note: This page is a legacy page.  MapPoint authoring is no longer supported in current Manifold System Editions.

Manifold System 5.50 is the first GIS system that includes authoring capability for Microsoft's MapPoint 2002 mapping program.  See the complete press release at: Manifold® Authoring System for Microsoft® MapPoint™ 2002 (17 March 1999).  Note: MapPoint 2002 authoring is not supported in Manifold System 5.00, and Release 5.50 does not support MapPoint editions after MapPoint 2002.

How do I get MapPoint 2002? Purchase MapPoint from whatever source you use for Microsoft products, including Office 2002. 

What does your authoring package consist of?   The package consists of standard Manifold System Release 5.50, one of the world's most sophisticated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) packages together with over 700 megabytes of GIS and demographic databases on CD.  Manifold includes numerous facilities, including a Publish for MapPoint 2002 wizard, that make it easy to publish GIS data sets for use with MapPoint.  For more on Manifold System, see Manifold System Release 5.50 to explore our flagship data visualization and manipulation product.

Is this different than the standard Manifold System? Are there any limitations? No limitations. You get all of Manifold.

Can I used this package to create new geographic contexts / base maps for MapPoint?  No.  MapPoint is a "closed" system when it comes to base maps.  You must use one of the several geographic contexts / base maps that are built into MapPoint for display of all data.  Manifold allows you to populate these maps with data using a very rich set of authoring tools.  You can take data directly from the Manifold CD, fetch it from thousands of free sources on Internet, and transform it from other GIS contexts or systems.  You can also create genuinely new data sets using Manifold's analytic tools and then publish the data in MapPoint.

How does Manifold add data for MapPoint? Manifold's Publish for MapPoint 2002 wizard complete automates all tasks involved in writing out data sets that are pre-keyed to MapPoint geographic base maps or prepared in Latitude/Longitude format for use as MapPoint pushpin data.  It automatically writes a correctly formatted database file for use by MapPoint.

Does Manifold understand all MapPoint geographic contexts?  Yes. The wizard allows you to choose which context you wish to use in a pull-down choice box.

Do I have to be a GIS expert to use Manifold?   No, although obviously experience helps if you wish to do sophisticated analysis.   Manifold is a very extensive  and powerful system; however, it is well documented with examples that do not require previous GIS experience.  People who have never used GIS systems before have found Manifold surprisingly easy to learn.   If you can read a manual and follow instructions, you can learn to operate Manifold to whatever level of sophistication you require.

How does Manifold get me "free data" from the Internet? There are literally terabytes (thousands of gigabytes) of GIS data available for free download from the Internet.  However, most of this data is in GIS formats or other forms that cannot be read directly by MapPoint.  For example, the US government publishes vast amounts of data in SDTS, VPF, and DLG formats.  Manifold can read these formats and then publish the data for use in MapPoint.   Because you must use one of the built-in MapPoint base maps, it is important to not only transform formats but to transform the data using spatial overlays or other Manifold tools to change it from the geographic context in which it was published into one that MapPoint utilizes.

Can this help me get simple, demographic data sets?   There are lots of free data sets on Internet that are easy, using Manifold, to transform and publish for use in MapPoint.  For example, many "point" data sets are published using latitude / longitude formats that MapPoint does not understand.   Manifold makes it easy to read in such data and to publish it in a form immediately usable by MapPoint.  However, if you want to use more sophisticated data published in more complicated settings, there is almost always a way in Manifold to transform it for use in MapPoint.

Can I get data that does not require transformation?   The Manifold CD contains over 3800 fields of demographic data for places, cities, counties, states, metro areas, and world countries.  Counties are especially well represented, with over 3500 fields for counties alone.  Census bureau named places, a data set that is entirely absent from MapPoint, are also well represented with demographic data.

Can I use Manifold spatial analysis within MapPoint?  No.  MapPoint is a "closed" system.  Do spatial analysis within Manifold, create MapPoint compatible data (such as pushpins) and send it to MapPoint.

How can you sell all this for $145?  Do I get the complete system? - Yes.  $145 buys you the entire system.  There is no need to buy any "add ons."  You even get the ActiveX / Visual Basic Scripting solver scripting system to create new solvers for new types of analyses.   Unlike the GIS packages of earlier times, Manifold uses modern technology to provide more power and better ease-of-use at a lower price.  For the same reason that modern technology makes modern PCs more powerful and less expensive than the minicomputers of an earlier day, Manifold is better than old-fashioned GIS packages.   See the Manifold® System white paper "Straight Talk on Software Pricing" for why dealing with a PC market company will get you a full power GIS for PC prices.  

Can I place a secure order online? - The best way to place a secure order using Internet is to visit the Manifold.net Online Store for a quick, easy, and secure purchase of Manifold products. 

What sort of documentation comes with Manifold? - The System ships with 900 pages of on-line documentation organized within the Microsoft Help system.  This provides outline-style navigation, index searches, and keyword searches.    Release 5.50 documentation includes over 900 pages, 380 topics, and 1,200 full-color illustrations.  The manual includes numerous comprehensive examples, including 29 examples of scripting using Visual Basic.  The entire User Manual has been converted to HTML form and placed on this web site for your review.  The Manifold CD includes a complete copy of the documentation as a series of Microsoft Word .doc files, including all illustrations, that have been formatted for printing as a book complete with Table of Contents and Index.  This makes it easy to print out hard-copy documentation for those sections you desire.  It also provides an excellent source of documentation for University GIS courses using Manifold.

Do you have MapPoint-specific documentation? - There is an extensive topic devoted to the Publish for MapPoint 2002 wizard covering all options.  

Where do I get maps for Manifold? - Use the maps on the Manifold CD to start. You can also use the built-in converters to convert maps from MapInfo MIF/MID, ESRI SHP, simple ESRI .E00, TIGER, SDTS, VPF, DLG, and AutoCAD DXF formats.  The Manifold DEM converter can convert standard DEM files or gtopo30 or GLOBE international database DEMs.  US government servers are a great source of gigabytes of free maps and data.  Since Manifold can import data from ODBC databases, numerous "text" and other format databases may be used to create maps.  For even more maps, see the "Free Manifold Stuff" link on the Products page.  and fetch maps and databases from the 30,000 MB manifold.net collection.   These are all free to Manifold users.  Note that Manifold can also create maps of computer networks and web pages using SNMP, DNS,  TCP/IP, HTML URL's, and Microsoft file systems.

Detail:  A map of gold mines in the California Sierra Nevada foothills region colored by elevation in 500 foot increments from Red to Blue.  The San Francisco Bay is just visible at lower left with the California / Nevada border at upper right. Click on the image to see a full screen 1024 x 768 screen shot  of this map.  Just think... you can see these mine locations as MapPoint pushpins using Manifold's Publish to MapPoint feature.

Can I Import ESRI® Files? -   Yes.   Manifold System Release 5.50 imports data from ESRI's openly published "Shape" format (used with ArcView®, but also used by other ESRI products).  Uncompressed .e00 files may also be imported.

Can I Import MapInfo® Files - Yes.   Manifold System Release 5.50 imports data from MapInfo's MIF/MID format files.

Sounds like a fine product.  Do you have spatial analysis?  - Yes.  See the Release 5.50 Highlights page for a short list. Manifold provides buffer zones, Voronoi cells, reachable zone (drive time), contour line drawing, point / surface interpolation, and auto- and cross-correlation statistics through spatial data.  Manifold has better spatial analysis than MapInfo Pro; however, Manifold costs only $145, not thousands of dollars.

Can you just send me a unit and bill me? - We require either payment by credit card, prepayment by company check, or receipt of a hard-copy purchase order from Fortune 1000 US or Canadian companies.  We are unable to bill without a hardcopy purchase order. You may also attach a purchase order with PO number to email for electronic ordering. 

What is your address for POs and Payments? - Manifold Net Ltd., 1805 North Carson Street, Suite 700, Carson City, Nevada 89701

Do you have language versions other than English? - Not at this time.

Can you work with data over a network? - Manifold System is not a client/server system at this time.  However, you can open map and data files which happen to be located on remote servers across networks.   Manifold will store the network locations with the workspace properties.

Do you have any warranties or guarantees? - We provide a limited warranty: see the License document in the User Manual. More importantly, every customer receives a 30 day "no questions asked" money-back satisfaction guarantee.

Does Manifold come with a conversion program for common map formats, like *.dxf or *.e00 export files? - Yes to .dxf and simple .e00.  Release 5.50 includes import converters for SDTS, MIF, TIGER, DLG, VPF, DXF, DEM, gotopo30 DEM, GLOBE, Ordnace Survey NTF, TAIF, NTAD and SHP.