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Messages - Harry Gilbert

#1
General Discussion / Bulk Geotagging now possible
January 18, 2010, 11:37:21 AM
The latest version of Phil Harvey's EXIFTOOL now does bulk geotagging directly from track logs, and will even update RAW camera files. I had been creating tracks with Garmin GPSMap76CSx, then converting my Canon RAW files to JPG, and using GPicSynch to add GPS data from the .gpx track log to the JPGS, then individually updating each RAW file from its corresponding JPG. Now, I just run the command EXIFTOOL -geotag tracklog.gpx *.CR2 and all my RAW files have GPS data added (I did over 600 at a time).  EXIFTOOL is shareware.
#2
Thanks to all for your help and advice. There is a lot to learn about this "hobby".  I got the GPS Map76 CSx for two reasons: first, a good price on Amazon, and second, saw a National Geographic program where geologists were (successfully) using that unit.  The newer units are great, but as a NOOB who really started out only needing to geotag photos and record my wanderings, the unit I bought seemed appropriate.

I'll try the MapSource multiple instance copy/paste trick....

Yup, it works great! Again, thanks.
#3
GPSr Units / Re: Export Routes from MapSource?
December 19, 2009, 09:33:48 AM
I had the experience that the Route file contained its own waypoints, and that downloading a Route replaced any previous routes, and that downloading waypoints replaced the previously downloaded set of waypoints.
#4
Maybe I wasn't clear - I was importing a saved Mapset from my harddrive in MapSource (which recreated the list of tiles). But then, importing a waypoint file kicked out the list of tiles.  This is my biggest issue with MapSource - importing ANYTHING kicks out everything else.  This is my MapSource issue.

On the GPS, Being a very cautious individual, I bought 4 2Gb microSD cards, and created duplicates of my desired basic Mapset. Now, I can create separate sets of routes and waypoints for different trips and have a card ready to pop into the GPS.  More convenient when I'm traveling by auto from Michigan to Florida.  In Michigan I have my set of routes and waypoints for both upper and lower peninsulas; somewhere around Georgia, I swap in the "Southern" card and have all the points I need for that part of the trip (all the wildlife preserves and eco-tours).  Another card has my set of waypoints and routes for an upcoming Alaskan trip (fly to Vancouver, then travel by bus and car).  The fourth card keeps the basic MapSet preserved - just in case.
#5
Interesting... I had saved a mapset, and a file containing custom waypoints for my Florida trip.  So I want to create a SD card containing the selected mapsets and waypoints.  Loaded the previously saved mapset into MapSource, then when I loaded the waypoint file, it deleted the mapset. When I re-loaded the mapset, it deleted the waypoints.  Am I overlooking some technique or workaround?

Also, I find if I transfer a set of waypoints to the card, and then want to add a few, the new ones replace the old ones!
#6
Thanks, all - I had overlooked the Edit -> Preferences tab. Routing is much easier, now.  I did say I was a NOOB at this.    :-[

Able to separate a group of waypoints into individual ones, or to combine them, by manually editing the .gpx (.xml) file. I may write a utility to automate this when I get back from my trip.

I still think it's poor design for MapSource to not recognize the output of POI Loader, and to erase any waypoints in the application when you import one. They should have at least had a dialogue box giving the option to Add to / Replace existing waypoints upon import.

My problem was not with Google Earth - it often allows me to locate attractions / POIs that are totally missing from the Garmin products.  City Navigator / BaseMap even lacks certain US zip codes (try finding the zip code 49723 for the Legs Inn in Cross Village, MI USA, or even the Vilage itself.) Not in City Navigator.
#7
FWIW, I have designed and written commercial and industrial software for 30+ years. After using MapSource with my GPSMap 76 CSx for a while, either I fail to understand it, or it lacks key features. Maybe the people here can help me understand and use this producr better to preplan routes on my laptop and load them to my GPS.

Background:  I am planning a trip from Michigan to Florida, and have a list of 20 places I want to go for wildlife photography and Eco tours. When I cannot find an attraction in MapSource (City Navigator 2010 v 3), I find it on the internet, locate it in Google Earth, save the .kmz file, and convert to .gpx using GPS Visualizer. Then I can import them into MapSource.

1. But I can only import one .gpx file at a time. Each time I load a waypoint, it deletes the previously imported waypoint. I am forced to locate them all through MapSource at once, and save them as a group, or they cannot all be loaded as a group.  Must I create an artificial route between multiple waypoints as an artifice to get them all back into MapSource, and then delete the ones I'm not going to use? Is the workaround to manually combine the .gpx files into one file (after all, they're just .xml files)

2. If I use POI loader, I cannot find any way to permanently load the POIs to MapSource, which seems to ignore the POI file.  What am I missing here?  Can POI Loader ONLY be used with the GPS unit and not with MapSource?

3. When I want to create a Route in Mapsource, there seems no way to tell it how I wish it routed (use highways, avoid highways, etc.). Why is this not in MapSource (or where is this configuration hidden?).

4. MapSource has it's own logic to do routing. If I insert a waypoint to force a certain desired route, I frequently get a path that travels a few miles, and then does a U-turn back to the main route. Why, and how can this be avoided?

What I'd like to see:

1. Ability to load custom POIs and make them available to MapSource
2. Ability to load two or more waypoints into MapSource (from individual .gpx files)
3. Ability to tell MapSource how I want the routing done (as I can in my GPS Map76 CSx)

Sorry if these are NOOB questions - I am enjoying my GPS, but the MapSource software seems to have been designed by someone who is not a GPS user, and its documentation seem very sparse.
#8
GPSr Units / Export Routes from MapSource?
December 11, 2009, 02:18:12 PM
Is there a way to create routes in MapSource, and export them to my Garmin GPSMAP 76CXs without totally re-generating all the map segments?  I created a route and saved it to the micro SDHC card (using a reader/writer); the GPS unit doesn't see it at all.  The spotty documentation seems to indicate that when you send directly from MapSource to the GPS, it totally overwrites the contents of the memory card.  I'd appreciate any advice.  I'd like to be able to navigate to a cache site.