Get On Song with the Break

Breaking control circles and lines on our orienteering maps seems to be a dying practice judging by this year’s events (championships excluded). That some maps had no broken circles at all seems to indicate a lack of appreciation as to why it should be done. Other maps didn’t go far enough thus also contributing to unfairness on those courses. New course planners could be forgiven for such lapses. Is it that there is a trend to not having controllers and thus a lost opportunity to educate course planners?

Breaking Up is Easy, No Recriminations

Condes and OCAD make it easy to break circles and lines. And it is hard to overdo it as even a few parts of a circle are sufficient for easy recognition.

Furthermore, if overprint effect is used, as IOF requires, then high contrast features such as boulders and cliffs may often be left under the circle and still be clearly visible. Overprint substantially reduces line breaks.

Examples from Digital Print Maps

What can so easily be achieved (or not).

Best case – breaks and overprint

Next best case – breaks, no overprint

Worst case – no breaks, no overprint

Why overprint in itself may not be sufficient