About using map templates for trip planning
Map templates can save you time when you have to create multiple maps or plan multiple trips. You can create a template that contains just the right settings and then use the template to create future maps or trips.
When you create a map that contains trip planning settings and then you save the map as a template, MapPoint saves information related to how long you plan to drive each day, your average driving speed, fuel consumption, fuel prices, and other route-planning options if you specified those options in the map.
What are map templates?
Every MapPoint map is based on a template that determines the default settings and appearance of the map. MapPoint provides a default map template, and you can create map templates to meet your specific needs.
Virtually every setting or change you can make in MapPoint can be saved to a template. This means you can create templates for every type of map that you might want to make in the future.
Ideas for creating templates
If you regularly create maps that show directions to your business or home, you can create a template that has your business or home already added to a route as the end point.
Also, if you:
Often create maps within a particular area, you can create a template that has a map view zoomed to that area.
Routinely create routes for different people or for different vehicles, you can create one template (for each driver or vehicle) that includes specific settings or preferences.
Regularly create some maps for business travel and others for leisure travel, you can create different templates that show or hide particular categories of places or attractions.
Using a template vs. using Save as
You can create a new map either by basing it on a template or by using an existing map (the Save as method).
Also:
The Save as method is handy when you're creating a new map that has only a couple of minor changes from an existing map. To base your map on an existing map, simply open the existing map, make your changes, click Save as on the File menu, and then give the map a new name.
A template is more helpful when you are making a number of maps that will share information. Templates are also useful for storing detailed settings that you can establish one time and then not have to set again.
When you use the Save as method, you must remember to click Save as and not Save, or you will modify your existing map and not be able to recover it.