I just need to draw my camp roads in a small area, BUT HOW?

[Smoke68]

I've got a Garmin 60CSx.  I've loaded the MS Topo in Mapsource.  I need to be able to see some roads and trails that are not marked on the Topo map.

My original plan was to draw tracks that overlaid the roads, save them, and load them to the GPS unit.  However, I quickly learned that the 60CSx limits you to 20 saved tracks, and I have about 75 to load.

Is there a way I can edit the MS Topo map to draw in some roads, or overlay my own lines on the screen to show my camp roads?

Another option I thought of is to just combine several of the tracks by "doubling back" on them and continuing into another road without beginning a new track.  I would really like to prevent having to do this, as it would be a pain.

[babj615]

Sounds like it may be time to step up to a newer Garmin GPS that allows for more tracks as well as Satellite Imagry for Maps. If you had one of these units, you could simply trace the roads in Google Earth and export a single .kmz file to your GPS and turn it on.off at will, overlaying any other TOPO map you were using at the time.

I do not see any solution for your 60csx other than the back track option you described already.

[Seldom]

The OP could also save his/her tracklogs as gpx; get a copy of GPSmapedit, open it and ADD the tracklogs to create a new MP file; right click on them (with the Arrow tool) to convert them to polylines; edit|select all tracklogs and delete the tracklogs; set the cgpsmapper tab of the map properties dialog to Transparent; save as MP; get a copy of cgpsmapper free; and compile his/herself a small transparent map that will work on his 60CSX.

[Boyd]

You might also look at this little program that converts tracklogs to transparent maps: http://www.gpx2img.com/ . I haven't tried it myself, but it looks like an easy way to turn your existing tracklogs into maps.

If you want to get fancier, have a look at mapwel. It will let you import tracks and other forms of data, or just draw the trails free-hand. The User defined styles feature will allow you to customize the appearance of the map. The results can then be exported as a transparent map: http://mapwel.eu/

GPSMapedit and gpx2img both require cgpsmapper to compile the map, but Mapwel is a standalone program with its own compiler.

[babj615]

I love the website! ALWAYS learning new things!

[Smoke68]

Thanks a ton for the replies.  I downloaded the gpsmapedit and cgpsmapperfree software.  I'm playing with it and learning a lot.  The main issue I'm having is getting from a .MP file in gpsmapedit to an installer file that will allow Mapsource to display the polylines.

I'm getting there!

Thanks again

[Seldom]

Check out these tutorials:

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/how-to-create-garmin-topo-maps---part-9---compiling-data/

Read the part about Creating the IMG files.  Don't worry about making the installer just yet.

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/how-to-load-.img-files-into-mapsource-with-mapsettoolkit/

Will tell you how to get the IMG files into MapSource/BaseCamp.

[jbensman]

If you have roads or trails not on MS Topo or already on My Trails, you can send me the tracks and I will add them to My Trails

[Seldom]

If you have roads or trails not on MS Topo or already on My Trails, you can send me the tracks and I will add them to My Trails

Sorry I forgot to mention that.

[Boyd]

Also note that with a transparent map, it will only be useful on the GPS itself. You can enable and view more than one map at the same time on the GPS. Mapsource can't do that; it can only show one map at a time.

[Smoke68]

Just read about jbensman and his POI maps.  WOW!

I will e-mail them to you by the end of the week.

And yes, I realize they will only be usefull on the handheld.  That's not a problem, as I can just draw them as tracks in Mapsource.  It doesn't have a 20 saved track limit

Thanks again for the help guys.

And jbensman: Would you prefer to have the gpsmapedit file I have saved where the trails and roads are embedded as polylines (converted from tracklines) or the original mapsource file with the trails and roads saved as tracklines?

Also have them in KMZ form.  Whatever you prefer.