Taking a Google Map and Using It With A Garmin

[JJU828]

Newbie here and I just found this site and have looked around a bit. I looked at the instructions on creating a map and that looks to be very time consuming, at least for me.

Here is the idea that I have but not sure if it can be done much less as to how it could be done. There is a retirement in Florida called The Villages. It now covers about 32 sq. miles and has a many miles of dedicated golf cart / bike paths for getting around the entire area. A gentleman from The Villages created (with Google's help) a map of the entire area and by using the by bicycle layer.

What I would like to do is take this map and somehow, if possible, get it to load on a Garmin GPS (automotive and not handheld hiking units). I looked at the Garmin site on now to use Google Earth and overlay things but after a half hour of trying to get the overlay lined up on the map I gave up.

That also brings up the question can a self created map that I am hoping to create be installed on say the Nuvi line of GPS's.   

[Boyd]

This is probably the Garmin tutorial that you looked at - right? http://www.garmin.com/us/products/onthetrail/custommaps

Sorry, none of the Nuvi's can use this type of map. There are two basic types of map: vector and raster. A raster-based map is created from an image, such as an aerial photo or a scan of a paper map. A vector-based map is actually just a database of coordinates with instructions on how to connect them such that they display roads and other features. The Nuvi only supports vector maps but you are trying to make a raster map.

I think the only approach for you (aside from buying a handheld like an Oregon or Montana) would be to create your own map by tracing all the features from the "villages" map. This might be either simple or tedious depending on how complex the map is. Quite possibly it will be more than you want to get into.

Mapwel is arguably the most user-friendly program for making Gamrin vector map. You would first need to get the google map into the program. Google maps can contain both raster and vector data, so it's impossible for me to know exactly what you have there. You could experiment around using the free demo and see what is possible http://www.mapwel.net/

The free version is completely functional on your computer, but you would need to purchase a license in order to send the map to your Nuvi.

[JJU828]

Boyd
Thanks for the reply. First of all yes the Garmin tutorial was the one that I looked and and tried to follow.

I looks like what I wanted to do can not be done "easly" and at zero cost. I will take a look at the Mapwel site to see waht it has to offer.

Thanks again.
John

[Boyd]

You could probably acheive the "zero cost" goal by using a combination of the free version of cgpsmapper with the free trial of gspmapedit. This will quite as user-friendly as Mapwel IMO, but many people on this site do it.

http://www.geopainting.com/
http://www.cgpsmapper.com/

Or if you are willing to spend some money, you could purchase a newer Garmin handheld that does support custom maps (like the tutorial I linked to).