Messages

This is if you need to get maps onto your GPS. If you just want to transpose coordinates onto your computer, Ingrid may have suggested the next logical step.

Birds eye view:

1) Get Data for your area (USGS, etcetera)
2) Process Data for your area (GPSMapEdit, Global Mapper, etcetera)
3) Compile Data for your area (cGPSMapper,)
4) Install Maps compiled from Data (MapSource, MapSetToolKit, etcetera)

OR

5) Find pre-compiled Open Street Maps (http://downloads.cloudmade.com/oceania/polynesia/american_samoa)

Steps 1-4 are covered in the 'Creating a Topo' tutorial (http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/how-to-create-garmin-topo-maps/), although it's quite lengthy and takes a bit of time to get familiar with it all. It's the best 'long term' solution if you need something that isn't already available.

Step 5 is fairly simple, requiring only knowledge of how to get a compiled map on your Garmin device. (All you really need is american_samoa.img.zip)

This reply isn't real detailed. Once you decide which way to go, please post a followup question if need be.

Cheers!

-- Smug

I have a question. It may not be considered 'valid' due to the commercial nature, but still...

I create maps. I include these maps into GPS units that I rent through our Car Rental Agencies.

I sell custom POI's to our local businesses in the form of custom Icons, which makes them prettier on the map.

I have shied away from Audio files (other than on my guided tours) because if it distracts (or annoys) the user, then it becomes a hindrance, which defeats the purpose of having a GPS talk to you.

Since my island is only 30 miles long (and we're the largest in our region), I'm curious (and I haven't tested it) if you can set a large proximity (say 35 miles, much further than anyone can get by car) will the audio play only once when the GPS turns on, and (at least with respect to 'THAT' audio) stays quiet the rest of the time.

If I could be sure the file would play only once, during 'turn on' and not any additional time, then it might be worth trying to market.

Would anyone hazard a guess?  I haven't done too much audio development on this yet...

-- Smug

Although there isn't an actual setting to turn on or off the 'lock/unlock' on the Nuvi, the Nuvi's won't 'snap' to the road if you use a different mode (i.e. Pedestrian). I sometimes do that to see how far off I actually am from where I 'think' the road should be in some of my map development...

At least, with 1390/1450/1490s.

Cheers!

-- Smug

There's a discussion on the same file here:

http://forums.gpsfiledepot.com/index.php?topic=2466.0

One of my machines is a WindowsXP 'session' in a VMWare Fusion (for the mac) environment. It is running Mapsource 6.16.3, and the other machine is a 'real' windows 7 pro (x32) machine, using Basecamp v3.3.3 on it. I'm always the same user (not admin, but a user account I setup for my 'main' login, although I have admin access on all machines if I need it)

I've seen the *.ucx file floating around, and I know it contains the codes, but never thought much about 'location' of the file, since I never really had an issue up to now.

I'll check out the Process Monitor (Russ has such cool utilities! I'm sort of sorry MS bought him out, but I'm glad he got well paid for his years of hard work.) and hope I can find some clue as to what's up.

In the meantime, the utility that Boyd sent me to work great. But I'd like things to work 'as designed' if possible...

Thanks for your feedback; I'll let you know how things transpire.

Cheers!

-- Smug

You can try running the site through google translate. It works 'reasonably' well considering...

Boyd - it works great, and that site has a bevy of other useful utilities. As always, thanks!!

Popej: Can you elaborate a little on Mapsource/Basecamp versioning? They're all the latest version, as well as MapConverter... I just figured I might be missing or forgetting something, but still am not sure what...

Cheers!

-- Smug

Hiya.

I use cgpsmapper with locking support. 

If I create an 'unlocked' map, I can convert it to Mac format using Garmin's Mapconverter.

If I create a 'locked' map, I cannot convert it, even if I've generated an unlock code and entered it into MapSource or BaseCamp; I get an error during conversion saying that I need to unlock the map first, even though (as far as I know) I've unlocked it. I can view it, transfer the map to a GPS or SD Card, all the usual 'good indications'. But no conversion.

It does this on both my WindowsXP machine and my Windows7 machine, so I don't think it's an OS issue.  More likely, it's a 'me' issue, but I haven't figured it out yet.

I know not a lot of us use 'this' version of cgpsmapper, but I thought I'd ask for opinions and suggestions, as I've pretty much exhausted my meager brain...

cheers!

-- Smug

Would anyone have experience working with 'Junction View' files?

Because Garmin doesn't cover our area, I've created maps. I'm wondering if it's possible to create junction view files for main intersections and things like that.

Anyone? Bueler?

Cheers!

-- Smug

The best  place to start would be the tutorial section of this website (http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/).

After you've read through those tutorials a bit, and more specific questions come to light, bring them to the forums and they'll be answered.

Cheers!

-- Smug

Oh right. Mac. My bad.

All 'properly installed' maps should appear in Basecamp/Mapsource regardless of your location. 

On the GPS, you might find it convenient to turn off the GPS 'mode' (tools > settings > system, on a Nuvi, not sure about a Oregon) and scroll/zoom to view a map that isn't in your area.

Each map found here (on this site) is created and submitted by an individual, so there may be differences between map 'appearance', but in the end they should all 'behave' the same once installed.

You may want to check out 'mapset toolkit' (found at http://sites.google.com/site/cypherman1/) as a way of getting your maps viewable in Basecamp, if they didn't come with an installer...

Hope this helps some...

Cheers!

-- Smug

Just another thought; If your Mac has Parallels or VMWare Fusion installed, your SD Card 'may' be used by them, in which case it wouldn't show up on your mac desktop.

Make sure VMWare or Parallels is not running or is not using your SD Card slot resource if you're looking to use it on your Mac.

Cheers!

-- Smug

I use Inno setup, not N.S.I.S., But there is a pretty lengthy discussion on setup scripts using both styles of installer in this post:

http://forums.gpsfiledepot.com/index.php/topic,2383.0.html

Hope this helps.

Cheers!

-- Smug

This is too abbreviated, but it's late and I'm going to bed.

Creating the Map? GlobalMapper and GPSMapEdit

Compiling a map to Garmin compatibility? cGPSMapper

Installing Maps the 'Garmin' way? BaseCamp, Mapsource.

Installing your maps into Mapsource (and other things)? MapSet Toolkit

Creating custom Icons for your Maps? TypWiz

"OSM" is for Open Street Maps. I got my initial data from the USGS, but anything with "OSM" in it is related to Open Street Maps, but I'm not the guy to ask.

Check the tutorials on this site; they're pretty good at getting you from Zero to making maps pretty quick. And when you have questions, here is the right place for that. Sorry I can't elaborate more; it's 2AM here and I'm going to bed.

cheers!

-- Smug