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Welcome to the CDXZipStream June 2013 Newsletter
We have a new free route
optimization template that uses latitude and longitude as input,
which can provide better accuracy in finding the closest roads to
route destinations. Also, we provide some guidance on how to
share CDXZipStream data with those who don't own the software, and
discuss the question of the day: should you upgrade to MapPoint 2013?
Here are this month's blog articles:
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 Route
Optimization with Latitude/Longitude Input
We provide
several free "one-click" Excel templates
that make CDXZipStream even easier to use, and now we've added to the
collection a new route optimization template that uses latitude and
longitude coordinates as input (versus text addresses).
The advantage
of using coordinates is that MapPoint can almost always find the
location, assuming it's within the range of either the North American
or European versions. By comparison, text addresses (like 123
Main Street, Springfield, IL) are more prone to error and
inconsistencies, and may be less likely to be found in the MapPoint
desktop database, which is necessarily smaller than web-based systems
like Google Maps.
The template
performs two tasks. First, each set of coordinates is checked
to ensure that a match can be found in MapPoint. As mentioned
previously, the coordinates must be within the range of the MapPoint
version being used (either North America or Europe). Also, the
coordinates must be within range of a known road, and cannot be
located within a body of water. The coordinate check is significantly
faster than when text addresses are used, and is much more likely to
result in a MapPoint match. If all sets of coordinates are
matched, route optimization can then proceed.
As with our
template that uses text addresses, you can export the results to a
gpx file for use in a GPS. You can also input optional data
fields with each coordinate (such as name, telephone number, and
other identifying data) that will be included in the route
optimization output, as well as the resulting gpx file.
Whether you
need to optimize your route using points of latitude or longitude, or
text addresses, we have an Excel template designed for you.
Please visit our links
page to get the template that best suits your needs.
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How
to Share CDXZipStream Data
Sending an
Excel file that contains CDXZipStream custom function formulas to
someone without CDXZipStream, will result in #NAME? showing in the
worksheet cells. That's because the custom functions are not
recognized in Excel unless CDXZipStream is loaded as an add-in.
There
are a couple of simple solutions. If you don't have a lot
of CDXZipStream data in your file, remove the custom function
formulas by copying the relevant area of data and pasting it back to
the same location as values. In Excel 2007 and up, pasting as values
is an option on the Home tab under the Paste icon on the left.
In earlier versions, look for the Paste Special option under
the Edit menu.
With a
worksheet full of CDXZipStream data, a better option is to save your
file in .csv (comma-delimited) format. This file format saves
only the text and values, and all formulas are converted to text.
Just select Save As under the File tab, and under the
"Save as type" dropdown menu, select CSV(MS.DOS)(*.csv).
When you close and then reopen the file, the formulas will be
replaced. The resulting .csv file can be opened later using
Excel, but please note that this can only be performed for one worksheet
at a time.
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Should You
Upgrade to MapPoint 2013?
MapPoint 2013
for North America was introduced in July 2012 and currently can be
purchased through the Microsoft website for $299.99.
It is now also offered through our reseller partner MP2K at the discounted price of
$249.00. Microsoft doesn't provide just data updates for
MapPoint, so you need to repurchase the software to get the new data
too. If you already own a previous version, is the newest
version worth the cost?
Although the
new MapPoint has a somewhat new look and feel, there really aren't
any substantive changes in functionality over MapPoint 2011, and so
the main criterion for upgrading is the new data it contains.
The addition of over 200,000 miles of navigable roads is a
significant increase over the MapPoint 2010 version, and if you
use CDXZipStream and MapPoint for critical routing
calculations involving deliveries, cost analyses, or route
optimization, you should strongly consider upgrading to MapPoint
2013. This will also be somewhat dependent upon the area of
coverage, since new road construction is generally less likely in
developed urban areas.
We do
recommend that you download the trial version of MapPoint
2013 and try it before you buy. Run some typical routing
scenarios and calculations and see if there are any significant
differences. Just make sure that you do not uninstall any
previous versions during set-up, and if you decide not to buy at the
end of the trial period, run a "Change/Repair" (using the
Programs option in your Control Panel) on your previous MapPoint
version to ensure it will continue to function properly. The
trial period for MapPoint 2013 is 14 days, where for previous
versions it was 60 days. You can download the trial here.
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Latest Data
Updates
Canadian and
U.S. data feeds were updated as of June 14. There
were 6518 changes made to the U.S. database this month. If
you would like to update your database to reflect these changes,
click on the "License Information and Software Updates"
icon on the CDXZipStream toolbar, and select "Data Updates"
to login to your account.
We hope you
find the information here helpful for you and your organization.
Please contact us with your feedback and suggestions by
replying to this email.
The
Team at CDX Technologies
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In This Issue
Route
Optimization with Latitude/Longitude Input
How
to Share CDXZipStream Data
Should
You Upgrade to MapPoint 2013?
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