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I have written a free web-based tool that converts gpx, kml/kmx files to a garmin .img file.  You can see it here: https://www.tricktracks.org/

Look at section 4.2.7 at the bottom of page 32 and the table on page 33 of the cgpsmapper manual here, it documents this feature pretty well.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160317035905/http://cgpsmapper.com/download/cGPSmapper-UsrMan-v02.5.pdf

I am not familiar with mkgmap, but would *assume* it would work the same. Have you tried?

For the raster-based maps that I make, I actually created my own icons and generated points along the roads to display them. This was a lot of work, but gives me the control I like. My maps cover relatively small areas however. You can see examples in the screenshots here

https://boydsmaps.com/boyds-map-of-the-pines-hd/

This could also be done with Garmin maps if you really want to, but probably not worth the effort.

Regarding cgpsmapper vs mkgmap, I'm still very happy with cgpsmapper and have made some very complex maps with it (also on my website). I don't know what you're trying to do and whether mkgmap would have any advantage. Of course, cgpsmapper is "dead" software so it might make sense to use something that is actively under development. OTOH, Garmin's dedicated GPS devices are also "dying" with fewer models and fewer people purchasing them.

I have read that section of the manual many times and need a concrete example.  Yes, I have tried it with mkgmap and no luck.  I like your maps - nice.  Here's what I am doing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2JozGFAuuU&list=PLAfSC_jBvt8CuSCwiOnx18VdtpiI8gTrW&index=2&t=0s

For what I and my friends do, we need to stick with garmin stand-alone devices for many reasons.  Phones, etc. will not cut it (think extreme weather, underwater, crashes, etc.).  We go with garmin because as bad and as expensive as they are, at least you can make custom maps for them.  Not sure if that's possible with other manufacturers?  If so, let me know.

Hi,

I have software to convert .gpx files to .mp files and then to .img files using mkgmap (java app).  I generate free, easy to follow maps for off-road motorcycle riding and racing.

I want to generate the .mp requests to place a highway number sign at a given lat/lon (see example road number signs in attached graphic).  When I read the cgpsmapper docs, it's not obvious.  It seems like I should be able to use a [POI] container and then generate something like the following (I have created a custom _point for type 0x01 that's just a rectangle):

[POI]
Type=0X01
Label=~[0x01]10
Data2=(38.786783,-121.253079)
[END]

The above sort of works - it places a label NEXT to my custom rectangle (not in it).  Here are my questions:

• I don't use cgpsmapper but rather mkgmap - does mkgmap support the special ~[0x01] sequences that cgpsmapper does?  This seems to be documented nowhere I can find.
• And on the subject of mkgmap vs. cgpsmapper, why should I use one vs. the other?  All the online docs says to use mkgmap since it's newer and supported.  Can anyone please comment on this.
• Rather than use a custom point like I am, is there a standard road sign TYPE that I can use.  If so, what is its TYPE code?
• I am using ~[0x01] as the special text prefix but the cgpsmanual also says ~[0x2A] for an interstate sign symbol.  Which one should it be?  Very confusing in the doc

Thanks in advance for any help

I have done a bunch of searching and have found no definitive results.  Short story is I want to take KML files (from google maps) and produce either and OSM file or a .mp (polish) file and then run mkgmap to make maps.  I was wondering if there is an existing application to do this or if there are any code libraries (any language acceptable) to do the same.  I don't necessarily need full-on KML conversion.  I am looking to convert tracks and simple polygons to OSM/mp.  I am about to write code in python to do what I need and would love to save time or get ideas from existing code.  Hopefully, I have missed some obvious way to do this... Thanks.

yep, they are.

All 3 files should be stored in a folder with a name: Garmin

same thing - cannot unlock map.

Change grmn0.gma name to gmapsupp.gma

gmapsupp.img - 3,284,288 KB
Gmapsupp.unl - 1 KB
grmn0.gma - 3 KB

yeah, I get that there are copy protection issues here...

I purchased the SD card as part of a bundle, so the DVD was not an option in this case.

Yes, I have all three files - the .img, the .unl and the .gma files and I copied them into the same place they were before on the same unit.  Garmin told me "when you delete the files from the unit, the unit will no longer recognize those files".  Not 100% sure the garmin person understood that I was coping the same files back.  Perhaps the files are "location" based  on the SD card somehow (maybe the lock file knows the disk sectors where the originals were stored or something goofy like that).

I thought it was worth asking since I did pay the maps when I bought the unit.

I recently purchased an etrex 20 with the garmin 100k topo installed on the SD card.  I had copied other maps from gpsfiledepot to the sd card and accidentally deleted the garmin topo 100 .img file when cleaning up the other topo files.  I happened to have copied the garmin .img and other files from the SD card to my PC in case I did something like this.  Thinking I could just copy the files back to the SD card from my PC and be in my way, I was in for a rude surprise (unit says it cannot unlock map).  I called garmin and they told me to insert $100 for a new map.  Are there any options?  I tried to convert the .img file using the MapSetToolkit but that crashes (because I have no .TYP file so I made up an empty TXT file?).  Thoughts?  Related to this - I searched this site for a US topo but can only find individual states - is there a single US topo file posted somewhere?  Thanks in advance.