SSS&MM Purple Pen Guide | Garingal Orienteers

How to set a score course for SSS and MM events using Purplepen

INTRODUCTION

Purplepen is great software (and it’s free!), but it is designed for setting line courses (e.g. Metroleague courses) not score courses. With line courses controls are used on multiple courses so it’s useful to choose from a set of controls for each course. Score courses are not like that, so a different approach is needed.
It's recommended that you start with a paper draft of your course and that you know the locations of the 10-point controls, and the 20 and 30-pointers. You can swap point values later, but it’s faster if you get them mostly right from the start. (If you want to put certain control numbers in certain places e.g. 1, 11 and 21 n the NW corner, then you should also plan this before you start.)
This guide focusses on details for for score courses, but there are many overlaps between score courses and line courses, so some sections (e.g. Adding controls and Customising Control description text) are also useful for line courses.

SETTING UP THE EVENT AND COURSE

(If needed, install Purplepen (PP) from https://purple-pen.org/)

Open PP and choose Create a new event.
Specify an event title, e.g. SSS 5Nov22 EastChatswood. It will appear on the top of the control descriptions, and is also used for the file name. (It is easy to change the event title later, but the file name doesn’t automatically change.) Click Next.
Choose a map file by clicking the button. Find the folder where you have saved the map for your event. It is better to choose the *.ocd (or *.oom) file than a pdf file, as PP can read info (like x & y coordinates) from *.ocd (or *.oom) files. (The colours are also more likely to match the colour standard.) Click the map file and then Next.
PP reads the map scale from the file (the scale the map was made at) and asks what scale it should be printed at. Usually, you have discussed this with whoever made the map, and know the scale. Change the scale if needed and click Next. (The scale will be on the map when it is loaded, and can be changed if needed.)
Paper size is nearly always A4. Choose Portrait or Landscape and click Next.
It is usually best to save the PP file in the same folder as the map file. Click Next.
The best IOF symbol sets for SSS events are: Descriptions 2018 (or 2024) and ISOM 2017. Click Next.
For control numbering, it is best to use ‘101’ as the Starting number. (This is the number on the control box.) Click Next.
Click Finish to create your event.

For a score course, you should also do the following steps.

On the menu bar click Course and choose Add Course.
In the New Course window, first type a course name. e.g. Score or SSS#7 Score.
The course type is Score.
There is usually no need for a secondary title. Check the printing scale – it is usually correct.
Change the Description appearance to Text.
‘Sequence number’ is the correct choice for control circle labels. The first control number is 1.
Finally, specify a column in which to show the point value of the control. (The usual choices are B or H. These instructions are written assuming that B is chosen. (Changing the choice, just changes the order for doing the steps in the next section “Adding Controls”.) Click Ok.

ADDING CONTROLS

There are 2 course tabs on the top left of the PP window just above the event title, called “All controls” and “SSS#7 Score” (or what you have called your course). For score courses, click on the score course tab.
Click Add Start on the toolbar, then zoom to your assembly area (the scroll wheel on the mouse works well) and click on the location that orienteers will start from. (It can easily be moved later.)
Click Add Control to add the first control. Zoom to the location that you have chosen (e.g. the northern manmade object on the right). Click the feature to add the control, it is automatically numbered ‘1’.
Next you will enter the information about it in the panel on the left.
Click column B (the 2nd column) and type the score (10).
Column C: The example map segment (on the right) shows 2 manmade features with the control on the northern one. Click column C and chose the arrow pointing north, to indicate which feature. (This is only needed if the 2 features have the same symbol.)
Column D: This column indicates what type of feature the control is on. Some of the symbols are easy to understand, some more difficult. If you click on a symbol, its meaning is shown at the bottom of the box of choices. The default meaning for an ‘x’ is special item. (We’ll look at how to change it in the next section.)
Column E: Has further descriptions. It is not necessary to use them, but you could for example describe the manmade feature as ruined, or specify that the control is between a manmade feature and a fence. For this control nothing more is needed.
Column F: This can be used to indicate a feature’s size, e.g. a wall might be 5m high. Alternatively, it can show a control at a junction, or intersection, or it can be blank.
Column G: Is used to specify where at the feature the control will be found. E.g. the north side, or the east corner, or the SW end, or the top, or between 2 features. The symbol is chosen from a panel like the panel of features.
Column H is not generally used.
The final image shows the completed description for control 1. At the bottom of the PP window, you can read the text version of these symbols “W side of N special item”. (We’ll look at changing ‘special item’ to ‘manmade feature’ in the next section.)

The map segment for the second example is on the right. It shows a (ruined) bridge over a stream. (It also shows steps.) The control description could be written as (a) the west end of the ruined bridge, or (b) as the west side of the path and stream crossing. The control descriptions below, show the symbols for each of these options: The text version of these symbols

are: (a) W side of ruined bridge and (b) W side of the path and stream crossing.

Now repeat this process to add 28 more controls! Put in all the 10-point controls first, then the 20-point controls. Then the 30-point controls.
Also consider adding the double circle symbol to indicate the Finish. This is essential if it is more than a very short distance from the start.

Some additional comments about controls and control descriptions

Controls should always be on a feature that is on the map. E.g. A distinctive tree that is mapped is a good choice, but a distinctive tree that is not mapped isn’t because the map doesn’t show exactly where the control is, and finding it becomes a matter of luck.
Maps don’t show poles, so poles are never a good choice. However, a control (attached to a pole) at a road junction is fine because the map shows the road junction. The control description should say ‘road junction’ and include the side of the junction.
If there are lots of the same feature inside a control circle (e.g. track junctions in the map segment on the right) quickly finding the control will be a matter of luck. It’s better to choose a different feature e.g. the canopy (in grey).

Manmade features are confusing unless the orienteers know what exactly they are looking for, e.g. a picnic table or play equipment. For how to add this info see the next section.