I'm still a newbe, and seem to be missing something simple with loading POIs. I would like to put them in mapsource so I can view them before I put them in my 76CS. I've learned to download and install maps, but can't seem to get 48-625-MT-POI which I downloaded from this site to install. I've tried converting to TYP files, and installing as is. My Garmin POI installer puts the whole thing directly to my GPS. I'm probably missing something real simple, but can't figure out what. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
It is a fairly simple procedure to do what you want to do, to view them in Mapsource.
1. Download the zip file and unzip it.
2. Locate the .csv file (this is the file that contains the POIs) and convert the .csv file to a .gpx file. There are a lot of programs that will do this. One of the simplest that does this is, GPX to POI. Converts .gpx to .csv and in reverse. Is a free download at http://www.masterclass.com/gpxtopoi/gpxtopoidownload.html
3. Save your new converted .gpx file.
4. Mapsource will open this .gpx file and you can view all of the POIs on your PC screen.
You can choose to use either the .gpx or .csv file to send to your GPS with Garmin's POI Loader, makes no difference as to which one, in this case because the file was originally a csv file. GPX files can hold more information than a CSV file, so you could have a file that was a GPX file and if converted to CSV might not display all of the contents. GPX files are also larger in memory size than a CSV file. CSV files are generally easier to edit if your are editing multiple POIs because you can view the contents of every POI in the POI file at the same time using MS Excel.
The POIs are in a GPX File. The files inside the GPX file are CSV. I downloaded the gpx to poi you told me about, but that won't let me change them, incorrect routing I think. And I can't find any way to download the GPX files into mapsource.
Quote from: heyyou325 on January 23, 2010, 04:01:47 PM
The POIs are in a GPX File.
MapSource will open .gpx files.
I downloaded the file you are talking about and after unzipping and looking at the file there are 11 files that contain POIs, they are all .csv files and then there are 11 .bmp files that are the custom icons for each individual POI file.
Convert all 11 .csv files to .gpx and Mapsource will open them; you can then combine the files or leave them just as they are... 11 files.
In GPX to POI, you only need to check the box - POI --> GPX and browse to your input .csv file; then type in a name / location for your output .gpx file; be sure the "Save as Type" is .gpx.
There is nothing to download into Mapsource; just open Mapsource... File > Open (your .gpx files).
Let us know if you are still having problems with it.
Those POIs are meant to be used with Garmin's POI loader which takes csv or gpx files and the icons are so they can be displayed on the GPS with the icons.
Thanks for the help. I just figured last night what eaparks wrote. I kept trying to put them in at one level too high. It's sometimes takes us old men awhile to figure this simple stuff out. Thanks again for the help.
Glad you got it to work. Now that you have it mastered you might find the site POIFactory.com http://www.poi-factory.com/poifiles very interesting. It contains POI files for just about anything you can think of in the U.S., if it's not there someone will probably make the file for you. More than 1 millions POIs and growing fast.
Thanks for the link. I had found it before, but not taken the time to get into it yet. Trying to learn all this and decide what I need, or want is a bit overwhelming. Now a friend wants me to find him some sites like this for a Delorme. I'm really getting confused, trying to do some for both at the same time. Thanks again for the help and link.