[aprssig] Image maps for WinAPRS

[Nick Kotch]

Recently helped out at a local triathlon and took an image of the bike
course the race had on their website and used it in WinAPRS.  This was the
first time I had tried to use a .gif image as a map and after some playing
got it work. 
(Image link: http://img128.echo.cx/my.php?image=ironmanbike9gb.gif)

I first opened it up in Microsoft's Paint program to get a couple pixel
coordinates and then found those lat/lon values in another mapping program.
All I had to go on was some of the documentation but it turned out to be
fairly easy, but I have a few general questions:

1)  What other graphic programs will give you pixel coordinates of an image
file?   I tried with photoshop and macromedia fireworks but couldn't find a
way to get a pixel coordinate, and finally just tried paint and it did.  

2)And, I'm guessing that using an image file for a map only really works
when the original image was already made to scale and is fairly accurate to
begin with.  What if the image was not drawn to scale?  Is it better/easier
to try and make your own instead of trying to "fix" that one or does it get
to difficult. 

3)Also, what are some of the ways that ya'll have made your own image maps?
For an event like this it was great to have a simple map like this with the
course already laid out, and major streets marked.  I have tiger maps w/
street level detail installed but to view the entire course I would have had
to zoom out to where I couldn't see all the streets and if someone wanted to
come by and see where the Tail biker was I would had to of zoom in and move
the map, instead of just leaving the entire course up that is simple and
easy to see.  Luckily the race people already had this made but what if it
isn't?  Have ya'll just gotten creative with photoshop, or started with a
Street Atlas map, or other ideas?   

Always looking for other cool ideas, or other ways to do things....

Nick KF4BYA