Guided Tour of MPMileage: Route Options
MPMileage supports the full range of Microsoft® MapPoint®'s route options.
The main routing parameters
The various MapPoint routing parameters are specified using the Routing Parameters section of the main panel.
The Distance Units and Time Units options should be self explanatory. MPMileage can report distances in miles or kilometers, and travel times in hours or minutes.
The Route Type option lets you choose the main MapPoint route type. All three of MapPoint's route types are available (Quickest Route, Shortest Route, Preferred Roads) plus Straight Line. Straight Line simply finds the great circle distance between the two locations using geometry. The Straight Line option is much faster than the route calculations, but it lacks the ability to calculate travel times and costs.
The new Rest Stop Times button also lets you enable and set periodic rest stops and overnight stays. MapPoint can automatically include these in the calculated total travel times. Overnight stays are applied after every eight hour of travelling, expanding each eight hour period into a full day. Periodic rest stops are applied at a periodic interval. Both their length and interval be set.
MapPoint supports different driving speeds for different road categories. MPMileage lets you set these using the Road Speeds dialog box, which is displayed by pressing the Road Speeds button. The speed units (miles per hour or kilometers per hour) are determined by the distance units that are being used.
The Road Preferences button will be enabled if the route type is set to Preferred Roads. Pressing this button displays the Road Preferences dialog box (see right). Use the sliders to set the relative preferences for each road category. This example is set to show a relative dislike of minor roads, but a preference for interstate highways and major roads.
Press the Costs button to display the Driving Costs dialog box to set the various cost parameters. MapPoint supports driving costs using a number of different units and measurement systems, catering for customers in the US, Canada, UK, and continental Europe.
The cost can be specified on a per distance unit (miles or kilometers) basis, or by volume (liter, UK gallon, or US gallon) of fuel. The fuel volume options also enable the fuel consumption settings for highway and city driving. These fuel consumption figures can also be specified on a per distance or per volume basis.
Finally, we look at the advanced multi-processor options that can improve MPMileage's performance.
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