National Geographic Back Roads Explorer 3D

by TOPICS Entertainment

Product Features

• 18-CD-ROM set includes TOPO! maps with updated roads for all 50 states
• Seamlessly scroll across the entire U.S. with 4 levels of map detail
• View any map in 3D and fly along any trail with 3D fly-thruÆs
• Customize and print photo-quality maps; import and export GPX files
• Load your GPS with routes and waypoints; USB compatible

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000BD4TD0
• Item model number: 80723
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 11, 2005
• Average Customer Review: 2.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,884 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #18 in Software > Education & Reference > Mapping

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Hikers and sports enthusiasts can now travel off the beaten path anywhere in the USA with Back Roads Explorer 3D on 18 CD-ROMs, offering thousands of maps and custom features. Back Roads Explorer 3D provides TOPO! maps with updated road data for all 50 states. Print maps, create elevation profiles, and watch a 3D visual fly-thru of your trip before you go!

With Back Roads Explorer 3D you can:

• Seamlessly scroll across the entire U.S. with four levels of map detail, including 1:100,000-scale topographic maps. For 1:24,000-scale maps, see the TOPO! State Series.
• View any map in 3D and fly along any trail with 3D fly-thru's.
• Customize and print photo-quality maps.
• Add current road and street information and shaded relief.
• Draw your own routes and create elevation profiles.
• Load your GPS with routes and waypoints; USB compatible.
• Import and export GPX files for geocaching.

Up-to-date roads: Tele Atlas has partnered with National Geographic to provide the most recent road database available. Back Roads Explorer gets you to your destination and back again with confidence.

Print custom maps: Customize maps in Back Roads Explorer 3D with digital photos, notes, symbols, and Web links. You can draw your own routes and create elevation profiles to see distance and all the ups and downs. After customizing your map, print photo-quality maps on your inkjet or laser printer.

Product Description

Hikers, sportsmen, and outdoor enthusiasts: now, you can travel off the beaten path anywhere in the United States, with Back Roads Explorer 3D on CD-ROM. Pan and zoom across almost 2,000 United States Geological Survey maps featuring all 50 states in extraordinary detail. Customize your route as you seamlessly navigate multiple maps and insert text, symbols, and elevation markers along your path. Then, get an animated three-dimensional preview of your journey as you wind through your chosen path stopping to admire the panoramic vistas along the way.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The worst mappping software that I own., December 25, 2005

By 

Mark L. Poulos "mlpoulos" (WINAMAC, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: National Geographic Back Roads Explorer 3D (CD-ROM)

While this software installed easily on my iMacG5, the map data CD's zoom and travel very slowly. Also no roads are named and routing is rudimentary at best. My dvd rom also burnt the yellow dye off the first data CD I put in the machine. None of these things has ever happened with my other mapping software. One could get better and more detailed mapping info online for free than with this. Finally, when the zoom is eventually accomplished, it is not at a very close scale. All in all, a very disappointing product.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars don't waste your money, October 8, 2006

By 

rjc3000 (Armonk, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: National Geographic Back Roads Explorer 3D (CD-ROM)

Don't bother with this - I don't know how they managed to get the National Geographic name on this product. It's almost as if someone said "Let's scan a whole bunch of maps from USGS and put the worst interface in the world on the program."

Google maps and Google Earth have better maps, better road detail, and a better interface. Plus they have satellite photos. And they are free!

Don't waste your money. If i could rate it 0 or negative I would since it uses time and money and gives nothing in return.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not ready for prime time, March 9, 2006

By 

Jerry (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: National Geographic Back Roads Explorer 3D (CD-ROM)

As an owner of two different full state versions of Topo programs I have found the only way to really use the software is to do your thing and then save it as a pdf. If you load the whole program (all the CDs) on to a hard drive so it works seamlessly. This you can't do with Back Roads Explorer. If you want do do a search for a place that data is on CD1 along with the maps for California, where there is no way to know which files those are, and if you copy the whole file to a drive into the topo data folder, the program can't find it. Then once you find a place and picking one of several you have to go to the state CD. If that is not the place you are looking for it is back to CD1 and start all over again.

I tried to load the state CD and not all of it would copy to the Hard Drive. Cleaning the new disc didn't seem to have any effect, but it seems to work OK off the CD drive. I've had the same trouble with the state programs, but fooling around with cleaning and different computers it could eventually be accomplished and the moved by a flash disc.

The 18 CDs come with a half sheet instructions. The operating help is a simple 48 page pdf that is only slightly more detailed.

Having said all that, you get most of the full state versions (to level 4 of 5) and it is interesting to be able to follow the roads within a topographic relief and gps data. For the price it is a pretty good deal, but if you are just looking for general topo maps, satellite and aerial photos, and trace your own maps that is available online for free.