OCAD is partner of WOC 2021 and plays essential role in creating WOC maps

WOC 2021 organizers started the cooperation with OCAD AG and its Czech representation OCAD.cz. The organizing team received OCAD software versions Orienteering and Course Setting that have been used for course setting, mapping, arena planning or data preparation.

OCAD has been used not only by the WOC 2021 organizers but also by the WOC Tour course setters. “OCAD is an invaluable help. I have been using it since 1995 when I created my first orienteering map. Those days OCAD 5 was distributed on a diskette,” recalls Aleš Hejna, the WOC head cartographer, his first memories with this software. “My first experience with OCAD goes back to 2005 when I organised the first year of Jablonecké bloudění. Since then I swear by it,” says Jan Picek, the WOC 2021 event director who has also organized several courses and workshops about OCAD.

Currently, OCAD works perfectly with base preparation. In a short while it generates a hillshade, slope gradient or contour lines out of the laser data and many more. It can also download the orthophoto. All packed together and you can set out to the terrains.  “Not all OCAD features are popular among map makers though. One of the bogeys is the Check  Legibility.,” laughs Hejna. The course setters then on top of the planning itself appreciate also the race statistics that enable them to find out with one click whether there is an important object missing on the course, what is the number of competitors passing by the checkpoint or if there are any legs in an opposite direction and how many courses are affected.

However, OCAD is not only for orienteers. The most popular map portal in Czechia, Mapy.cz, uses the OCAD software environment for map creation and updates. OCAD AG and its Czech representation OCAD.cz are proud partners of WOC 2021.