DMAP Development History

The information on this page is for existing users of DMAP who may be considering an update to the latest version of DMAP for Windows. To find out which version of DMAP you currently have, select Help|About DMAP from the DMAP menu bar. The list below consists of a list of enhancements made since the release of Version 1.0 (January 1993). For each version, the features listed immediately below it are those which have been added to that and subsequent versions.

If you wish to update to the most recent version of DMAP Contact Alan Morton

Version 7.7 (May 2020)

A custom Title for Frequency Maps can now be specified.
An option to put Species Names in the Distribution Data File without a Species Code has been implemented.
An option to plot Symbols without black borders has been implemented.
Reporting of errors in data files has been improved.

Version 7.6 (June 2016)

Find facility now available for species in Distribution Mapping.
Additional keyboard shortcuts implemented.
Key switched Off when zoomed option available.
Extra panel in status bar displays co-ordinates in DMAP Digitizer format.
Full range of map line thicknesses can be set in the Boundary File.

Version 7.5 (April 2014)

CMYK colour-encoding has been implemented as an option for Encapsulated PostScript (.EPS) files generated by DMAP. This is the preferred colour-encoding for most commercial publishing and printing companies.
The DMAP Help system is now supplied in Compiled HTML format, avoiding the necessity to download and install the Windows Help program.
The option of plotting Map Text over Symbols is now available.

Version 7.4 (July 2011)

UK PostCode interpretation incorporated without requiring additional software.

Version 7.3 (March 2009)

File Groups can optionally be displayed in alphabetical order when selecting a File Group for opening.
Boundary Files (Layers) can be ordered and switched on or off interactively.
Apply buttons available on Map Style dialogue boxes for rapid exploration of map style options.

Version 7.2 (April 2003)

Auto-generation of Key in Coincidence Mapping can be switched off.
Resampling of UTM Grid References to Recording Unit now available.
Luxembourg National Grid References accepted.
Thickness can be set for + X and * Symbols.
Text background can be set to transparent.
Overlaid Symbols can be plotted for duplicate co-ordinates in Distribution Mapping.

Version 7.1 (January 2001)

UK PostCode interpretation implemented (requires additional commercial software).
Frequency Mapping implemented.
Symbol Priorities can be user-defined.
Maps can be saved as GIF Image files for displaying on Internet Web Sites.
Base map can be a scanned Bitmap Image.

Version 7.0 (August 1999) First 32-bit version for Windows 95 and all modern versions of Windows

File Group Manager integrated within DMAP.
Maximum number of File Groups increased to 5,000.
Maximum number of Boundary files per File Group increased to 500.
Maximum number of individually selected species for Coincidence Mapping increased to 10,000.
All Map Style options made specific to individual File Groups.
A separate Key Text file can be specified for each File Group.
A button-based browsing facility implemented for Distribution Maps.
A timed 'slide-show' facility implemented for Distribution Maps.
Multi-Species Distribution Maps (more than one species per map) implemented.
A 'Coverage Map' facility implemented.
New Colours selection interface implemented.
Customized colours can be specified for Quantity Symbols.
Allocation of Quantity Symbols in Coincidence Mapping can be by Equal Ranges or by Equal Frequencies.
Map export file name can be based on Species Name or Species Code.
Enhanced Metafiles (EMF) can be generated for map export.
Map Text can be switched off.
Grid Text and Map Text point size can be specified.
Larger closed segments (up to 15,000 points) in the BDY file can be colour-filled.

Version 6.5 (January 1998) Final 16-bit version for Windows 3.1

A rotation angle can be specified for each plotted symbol.
More Map Style attributes saved separately for each File Group: map colours, symbol colours, line thicknesses, font sizes and Key attributes.

Version 6.4 (September 1997)

Frame can be switched off on zoomed maps.
Maps for the USA and Australia supplied.
File Group maximum line length increased to 1024 characters.
Improved system for managing File Groups implemented.

Version 6.3 (April 1997)

Simple screen digitizing facility implemented.
Tools menu and buttons implemented for installing supporting software.
Up to 5 boundary (BDY) files can be specified for each File Group.

Version 6.2 (March 1997)

Symbol size in Key can be adjusted.
Coincidence Map re-scaling now possible without re-reading species data.
'Select All' in Coincidence Mapping now based on species listed in NAM file.
'Save All' and 'Print All' now based on species listed in NAM file.

Version 6.1 (January 1997)

Zoom back in stages implemented.
DMAP Internet Site accessible from Help Menu.

Version 6.0 (November 1996)

Speed bar added with buttons giving faster access to commonly-used procedures.
Status bar added giving information about records and co-ordinates.
Context-sensitive Help available for all dialogue boxes.
Page orientation can be set via Page Setup.
Grid spacing can be set independently N-S and E-W.
Maximum number of File Groups increased to 500.
Colours can be specified for individual boundary segments in the BDY file.
Colour (or grey-scale) fills can be specified for closed segments in the BDY file.

Version 5.6 (June 1996)

Distribution data can be supplied as comma-delimited text (CSV) files exported from a database or spreadsheet.
Fixed-pitch font can be used for Key text.

Version 5.5 (May 1996)

Link Lines can be plotted between symbols.
Maximum number of records per species increased -limited only by memory.
Grid subdivision dot size can be set independently of grid line width.
Maximum number of individually-selected species for coincidence mapping increased to 100.

Version 5.3 (January 1996)

Key Frame can be anchored by SW, NW, NE or SE corner.
Range of symbol types extended by allowing composite (overlaid) symbols.

Version 5.2 (June 1995)

Zoom retained between species selections and symbol size changes.
Help system implemented.

Version 5.0 (March 1995)

UTM Grid References accepted and can be plotted on UTM or lat/long maps.
Colour-scaled quantity symbols implemented.
Comments allowed in .BDY files.
Page Setup parameters saved separately for each File Group.
Quadrant (5 km) National Grid References implemented.
Border thickness of map Frame and Key Frame can be specified.
Additional map examples supplied: Iberian Peninsula (UTM example) and The World.

Version 4.7 (November 1994)

Maximum number of individually-selected species for coincidence mapping increased to 50.
Number of records in current map view reported in Statistics dialogue box.

Version 4.5 (May 1994)

Latitude/longitude mapping implemented.
British and Irish National Grid References can be plotted on lat/long maps.
Symbol Size and Recording Unit can be specified E-W and N-S separately.
Aspect ratio of map can be specified.
Grid style can be marginal 'Ticks' or complete 'Lines'.
Moveable key to symbol types implemented.
Boundary and Grid can be plotted over or 'under' symbols.
Number of digits for grid numbers can be specified.
Triangle and diamond symbols implemented.
Date (read from computer clock) can be embedded in map text.
Text alignments can be specified in the map text file.
Grey levels for quantity symbols can be adjusted.
'Pie-diagram' quantity symbols implemented.
Filtering implemented for grid references of coarser precision than recording unit.
British Isles map (National Grid) and north-west Europe map (lat/long) supplied with DMAP.

Version 3.0 (December 1993)

Species names can be put in the .DIS file and the .NAM file omitted.
Maps can be saved as Windows Metafiles (.WMF) as disk files or on Clipboard.
Map footer text can be placed in the map text file.
Grey-scaled quantity symbols implemented.
Bold, sans, serif and italic can be specified in the map text file.

Version 2.0 (August 1993)

Symbol shapes and sizes made more uniform.
Colours can be specified for boundary, grid, map text and symbols.
Line widths can be set for boundary, grid, and symbol outline separately.
File Groups can be set up and edited from within DMAP.
Maximum number of records per species increased to 8,000.
Colour PS and EPS files implemented.
Grid reference of mouse-selected point on map can be displayed.

Version 1.0 (January 1993)

The first released version of DMAP for Windows.

If you wish to update to the most recent version of DMAP Contact Alan Morton

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