The RacerMate Topo Course Creator CD is included with your purchase of the DeLorme Topo USA RacerMate Edition bundle.  This package allows you to generate routes within the DeLorme software and then generate courses from these routes within the RacerMate software.

If you don't own the DeLorme Topo USA RacerMate Edition bundle, you may still download a free copy of the Course Creator/Editor/Viewer utility as noted above. (Note: This Free Course Creator Utility does not generate course information, but will allow you to view or edit preexisting courses).

What Topo Course Creator does (and doesn't do)

You must first create routes, profile the route information, and then create a CSV (comma separated value) file from within the Delorme Topo USA - RacerMate Edition before using Topo Course Creator to create courses. Topo Course Creator (by RacerMate) is the utility needed to generate courses -- but does not generate the course information. The exact two step process is this:

1) Generate a CSV file from DeLorme Topo USA - RacerMate file by creating first the route, then generate the profile, then use the "Export to RacerMate" button in the Topo USA software to create a CSV file of the route data.

2) Use RacerMate Topo Course Creator to convert the CSV file into a course file you can use with RacerMate race software (PC1, Coaching Software, or 3D).

If you need assistance using DeLorme Topo USA RacerMate Edition, please read the new Getting Started manual shown above, contact DeLorme Technical Support, or use their on-line or program help.

DirectX Required

DirectX 8.0 or higher Required! If you do not know what version of DirectX you have on your PC you can type DXDIAG from the Run command in your Start Menu. This will run DirectX Diagnostics and will tell you what version you do have. If this program fails to run, or you have a version earlier than DirectX 8.0, then install the DirectX program supplied on your Course Creator CD-ROM before running this software, or you can download the latest version at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.asp

Known issues and fixes

* Topo 5 "issue":  If you draw a new road you can't connect it to any other new road you've drawn because the snap-to function doesn't work on new roads.  The workaround is to select the edit tool under the Draw tab and while holding down the Shift key, select all of the roads you want to connect and then hit the CTRL and N keys at the same time.

* Topo 5 "issue": Via's in Topo 5 do not work correctly.  If used, they will create a strange "vortex" in the data as you ride.  You'll wish you were in Kansas.  Use Stops rather than Via's.

* Some Delorme CSV files with long file names may crash the Course Creator software when converting them to 3D or PC1 courses.  Try shortening the file name and try again if this occurs.  This issue is currently being looked into. 

* Courses created using topographical map software can, and does, exceed the parameters of our 3D race software graphic capabilities. Although most of the issues are minor (and can be ignored), courses with out and back (traversing the same roadway more than once) and courses that cross over some section of roadway (like a figure 8 course) will cause *graphic anomalies* in the 3D software. Though these courses can be ridden as they are, one work-around for this is to generate a PC1 style (*.crs) course first from the DeLorme CSV and use the Import Course feature of the 3D software to fix the graphic problem, while unfortunately loosing the course *curve* information in the process. The course will still be correct in regard to distance and elevation, but the curves will be randomly generated when imported.

Please note: When generating extremely long CRS course files from DeLorme CSV data, the CRS files can become very large because CRS files are ASCII text documents and not a "Binary" file format. Some attempts to load these long files into 3D using the Import feature has caused the 3D software to lock up. This is due to the size of the file being larger than 32,000 lines of data, which appears to be a magic limit within Windows. RacerMate is working on this to see if a solution can be found.

* DeLorme's elevation data is as geographical elevation and not road elevation and may not take into account changes in elevation made when roadways were added to the topography. In an attempt to resolve this issue, RacerMate added a smoothing feature to the Course Creator software that acts similar to what a surveyor would use to level out the topography before laying down the road. You can achieve similar smoothing with this feature as would have been applied by those who built the roads.  A value of around 50 will be ideal, but this value can be edited in the Topo Course Creator Preferences menu.