Master Garmin's QuickDraw Contours!

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. What is Quick Draw Contouring?
3. How to Start Recording
4. Managing Quick Draw Contours
   • Active Card
   • Copy and Delete Function
   • Settings Menu
5. Understanding the Area of Influence
6. Survey Coloring
7. Displaying User and Community Contours
8. Tips for Accurate Mapping
9. Adding Layers to Quick Draw Mapping
10. Using Offsets for Water Depths
11. Applying Offsets: Recording Offset, User Displayed Offset, Com Display Offset
12. Viewing Quick Draw Contours on Active Captain App

Quick Draw Contouring: Create Custom Maps of Any Body of Water

Quick Draw Contouring is a powerful feature that allows users to Create custom maps of any body of water using their marine technology devices. Whether the existing maps are inaccurate or simply unavailable, Quick Draw Contouring provides a solution to accurately map the depths and contours of a water body.

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the ins and outs of Quick Draw Contouring and provide a step-by-step guide on how to utilize this feature effectively. Whether You are a seasoned angler or a casual boater, understanding Quick Draw Contouring can enhance your experience on the water and improve your navigational capabilities.

What is Quick Draw Contouring?

Quick Draw Contouring is a feature available on marine technology devices that allows users to create custom maps of any body of water. By using an SD card and recording the depths and contours while driving around the lake or water body, users can generate their own accurate maps.

To start recording, simply insert an SD card into your machine and navigate to the Quick Draw Contouring menu. Click on the "Start Recording" button, and the device will begin capturing data. A circle icon around the boat symbol indicates the recording area's influence, which changes color Based on the quality and accuracy of the recording.

How to Start Recording

Starting a Quick Draw Contouring recording session is a straightforward process. After inserting the SD card into your device, navigate to the Quick Draw Contouring menu. From there, you can initiate the recording by clicking on the "Start Recording" button. A red recording icon will appear, indicating that the device is actively capturing data.

During the recording session, you can simply drive around the lake or body of water you wish to map out. The device will continuously update the map with accurate depths and contours. To stop the recording, click on the "Stop Recording" button.

Managing Quick Draw Contours

The Quick Draw Contours menu provides various options for managing your recorded data. These options include active card, copy and delete functions, and settings.

Active Card

When using a networked system or multiple cards on your device, it is essential to identify the active card correctly. The active card is the card currently being used for recording and reading data. Take note of the active card, especially when copying or deleting contours.

Copy and Delete Function

The copy and delete function allows you to create backups of your Quick Draw Contours or delete existing ones. When copying contours to another card, ensure that there are no other Quick Draw Contours present on the destination card.

Settings Menu

Under the Settings menu, you can explore several offsets that play a crucial role in Quick Draw Contouring. These offsets allow you to account for changes in water depths and adjust your maps accordingly. We will dive deeper into these offset settings later in the article.

Understanding the Area of Influence

The area of influence refers to the circle icon around the boat symbol in the Quick Draw Contouring map. This circle changes color to indicate the quality and accuracy of the recording.

• Green: A green circle signifies good GPS and depth data, recorded at speeds below 10 miles per hour.
• Yellow: A yellow circle suggests that the recording was taken at speeds between 10 and 20 miles per hour. Although the data might be slightly skewed, it still provides valuable information.
• Red: A red circle indicates inaccurate recordings, typically due to a lack of GPS or depth signal, or recording at speeds exceeding 20 miles per hour.

Monitoring the area of influence's colors helps ensure the accuracy of your maps and identify areas that may require re-recording.

Survey Coloring

Survey coloring is a feature that allows you to Visualize and differentiate between accurate and inaccurate recordings. By enabling survey coloring in the Quick Draw Contouring settings menu, the map will display different colors for different areas based on the recorded data's accuracy.

Green areas indicate good recordings, while red areas represent inaccurate recordings. This feature helps you identify accurate mappings and pinpoint areas that require re-recording.

Displaying User and Community Contours

Quick Draw Contouring provides you the option to display both user and community contours on your map. User contours are the contours you have personally recorded, while community contours are contours downloaded from the Quick Draw Community via the Active Captain app.

By accessing the display settings, you can choose whether to view user contours, community contours, or both. This flexibility allows you to compare your own recordings with those contributed by other users.

Tips for Accurate Mapping

To ensure the accuracy of your Quick Draw Contours and create detailed maps, follow these tips:

1. Maintain a green area of influence by keeping your speed under 10 miles per hour and ensuring a good GPS and depth signal.
2. Utilize a cross-pattern when mapping a body of water, driving through in both directions. This helps the contours connect seamlessly and improves accuracy.
3. Spend more time on the water with Quick Draw Contouring enabled to capture detailed and accurate data. The more time spent, the more comprehensive your maps will be.
4. Take note of weed cover in the water. Weeds can affect Sonar readings and lead to false bottom recordings. Map weedy areas when the weed cover is minimal, such as early spring or early in the year.
5. Consider adding a heading sensor or an updated GPS system for the most precise mapping results. These enhance the GPS source's accuracy, resulting in highly accurate maps.

Adding Layers to Quick Draw Mapping

One of the notable features of Quick Draw Contouring is the ability to add different layers to your maps. For example, you can enable depth shading, which visually represents different depths of water on the map. This feature helps you identify shallow areas and potential hazards.

By accessing the layers and water settings in Quick Draw Contouring, you can customize your maps to display additional information that suits your needs.

Using Offsets for Water Depths

Offsets are valuable tools in Quick Draw Contouring for adjusting the water depths displayed on the maps. There are three types of offsets available: recording offset, user displayed offset, and com display offset.

Recording Offset

The recording offset is useful when you partially record a body of water and return at a later date when the water levels have changed. By applying a recording offset, you can ensure that your maps remain accurate and reflect the Current water depths.

User Displayed Offset

The user displayed offset is the most commonly used offset. It allows you to add or subtract a certain value from the recorded water depths, adjusting them to match the actual water levels. This offset applies globally to all the quick draw contours on the map.

Com Display Offset

The com display offset is specifically for maps downloaded from the Garmin Quick Draw Community. If you Notice a discrepancy between the recorded depths and the actual depths, you can Apply this offset to Align the maps accurately.

Viewing Quick Draw Contours on Active Captain App

To view your Quick Draw Contours on the Active Captain app, you need to enable contributing to the Garmin Quick Draw Community. This enables others to download and view your recorded maps.

Through the Active Captain app, you can download community quick draw contours and sync them with your Chart plotter, making your maps accessible on various devices, such as phones and tablets.

By following these steps and enabling the appropriate settings, you can enhance your navigational experience and create detailed, accurate maps with Quick Draw Contouring.

Highlights:

• Quick Draw Contouring allows users to create custom maps of any body of water.
• The area of influence indicates the quality and accuracy of the recording.
• Survey coloring differentiates accurate and inaccurate recordings on the map.
• Offsets are used to adjust water depths for more accurate maps.
• Quick Draw Contours can be viewed on the Active Captain app.

FAQ:

Q: Can I Record Quick Draw Contours on any body of water? A: Yes, Quick Draw Contouring can be used on any body of water, regardless of whether there are existing maps or not.

Q: How fast should I drive while recording Quick Draw Contours? A: To ensure accurate recordings, it is recommended to stay under 10 miles per hour.

Q: Can I view user and community contours simultaneously? A: Yes, you can choose to display both user and community contours on the map.

Q: How can I download community quick draw contours? A: Using the Active Captain app, you can download community quick draw contours and sync them with your chart plotter for viewing.