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1
Using The Maps/Garmin Software / Re: Map overlay/draw order on GPSMAP
« Last post by Boyd on Today at 08:23:27 AM »There are free tools like mkgmap (which I have not used) or cgpsmapper (which is discontinued but still available at archive.org). These are complicated solutions that have a pretty steep learning curve.
For simplicity, have a look at Mapwel. I bought a copy many years ago and haven't used it since. But I think you can download and use it for free, but need to purchase/register to send a map to your GPS. Evidently it can directly download OSM data. If so, you could just delete everything but the roads you want. And the advantage of Mapwell is that it's a one-stop solution, where most other workflows involve using multiple apps.
https://www.mapwel.net
For simplicity, have a look at Mapwel. I bought a copy many years ago and haven't used it since. But I think you can download and use it for free, but need to purchase/register to send a map to your GPS. Evidently it can directly download OSM data. If so, you could just delete everything but the roads you want. And the advantage of Mapwell is that it's a one-stop solution, where most other workflows involve using multiple apps.
https://www.mapwel.net
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Using The Maps/Garmin Software / Re: Map overlay/draw order on GPSMAP
« Last post by iridium7777 on Today at 07:51:21 AM »thank you very much for your answer, yes, i'm realizing that i'm about a decade too late to be getting into this "hobby" the way i want, i'm finding a lot of links from 2008 where the whole forum websites no longer exist, never mind the links referenced from specific subject that are now missing.
can i ask one last question, this statement to me seems like it would do the greatest good for me: To make your own transparent road overlay, you could just use openstreetmap data, because then i can load my 24K TOPO map with a latest road overlay and this will give me exactly what i want.
what would be the relevant tutorial to do *explicitly* this task, to just create an .img overlay?
can i ask one last question, this statement to me seems like it would do the greatest good for me: To make your own transparent road overlay, you could just use openstreetmap data, because then i can load my 24K TOPO map with a latest road overlay and this will give me exactly what i want.
what would be the relevant tutorial to do *explicitly* this task, to just create an .img overlay?
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Using The Maps/Garmin Software / Re: Map overlay/draw order on GPSMAP
« Last post by Boyd on Today at 03:31:28 AM »also, from what you write, it seems like even if i did get it to work it might not work the way i want it to work without me actually getting knees deep into making custom maps?
IMO, that's the situation. If you're particular about your maps.... make your own. I started doing that in 2008. I used to be interested in modifying Garmin's maps, but don't do that anymore. You might want to learn a bit about TYP files, they allow you to change the appearance of everything on the map, and as I said, you could make features invisible that way. Then you could make a transparent overlay with the roads that you want.
Here's an old thread I started on changing the appearance of Garmin maps, some of it is no longer relevant and I'm not interested getting back into this. So, "it is what it is"
http://forums.gpsreview.net/discussion/27990/x/p1/
The online TYP editor mentioned there no longer exists. IMO, this is the best editor today and it's free
https://sites.google.com/site/sherco40/
To make your own transparent road overlay, you could just use openstreetmap data. There are also good tutorials for making maps on this site, but that gets complicated.
https://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/
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Using The Maps/Garmin Software / Re: Map overlay/draw order on GPSMAP
« Last post by iridium7777 on April 07, 2020, 11:04:43 AM »Hi Boyd,
thank you for the quick response. are you familiar with the GMapTool? that is what i'm using, i'm also editing properties of the maps right on the sd card inside of the GPS unit. The tool is telling me the priorities got overwritten to what i wanted them to, but still, pretty much any other map that i have stomps over the 24K TOPO map even though it has priority of 31.
I wonder if the tool somehow thinks it's writing the data but it's not actually writing that data and GPS doesn't see it?
i wasn't able to find another free tool that manipulated the priority of the maps and this was my quick try at doing that. is there another tool that could be used?
also, from what you write, it seems like even if i did get it to work it might not work the way i want it to work without me actually getting knees deep into making custom maps?
thank you for the quick response. are you familiar with the GMapTool? that is what i'm using, i'm also editing properties of the maps right on the sd card inside of the GPS unit. The tool is telling me the priorities got overwritten to what i wanted them to, but still, pretty much any other map that i have stomps over the 24K TOPO map even though it has priority of 31.
I wonder if the tool somehow thinks it's writing the data but it's not actually writing that data and GPS doesn't see it?
i wasn't able to find another free tool that manipulated the priority of the maps and this was my quick try at doing that. is there another tool that could be used?
also, from what you write, it seems like even if i did get it to work it might not work the way i want it to work without me actually getting knees deep into making custom maps?
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Using The Maps/Garmin Software / Re: Map overlay/draw order on GPSMAP
« Last post by Boyd on April 07, 2020, 10:38:33 AM »Enabling two topo maps at the same time will just be a big mess, no matter how you do it. You would need one map that only has roads, and another one with everything else to make that work. And it's just not practical to do that with Garmin products, you'd need to make your own maps.
But it sounds like, on a more basic level, your problem is that the draw order only determines how the maps stack. The topo maps have opaque backgrounds that will hide everything behind them. The map with the highest priority should not have a background object. That would let the other map show through.
You *might* be able to address that issue with a custom TYP file that makes the background object (0x4b IIRC) invisible. And you might also address the issue of duplicate objects that same way, by making everything but the roads invisible. This is beyond the scope of what I can explain here though.
Not sure why your 24k topo doesn't hide the other maps if it has a priority of 30. That is odd.
But it sounds like, on a more basic level, your problem is that the draw order only determines how the maps stack. The topo maps have opaque backgrounds that will hide everything behind them. The map with the highest priority should not have a background object. That would let the other map show through.
You *might* be able to address that issue with a custom TYP file that makes the background object (0x4b IIRC) invisible. And you might also address the issue of duplicate objects that same way, by making everything but the roads invisible. This is beyond the scope of what I can explain here though.
Not sure why your 24k topo doesn't hide the other maps if it has a priority of 30. That is odd.
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Using The Maps/Garmin Software / Map overlay/draw order on GPSMAP
« Last post by iridium7777 on April 07, 2020, 07:34:25 AM »Hello all,
i've been reading a lot about draw order of maps, i downloaded a free tool that modifies the draw order (1-31) of maps and am still not getting a result that i want and i wonder if it's possible.
-i have some older Garmin TOPO 24K maps that don't have all some of the back roads that show up on Garmin 100K maps that are included with my 66i nor the roads that i'm able to get through garmin.openmaps.nl.
-what i would like to do is enable a "base" map for example something like the 100K or the OpenMaps to show the roads and then on top show the 24K TOPO map so i can have the topo overlay on the roads data.
- i've modified the 24K topo maps to have priority of 30 while all other maps are <20 in priority but anytime i select the 24K TOPO map and any other map, any other map essentially overshadows the 24K TOPO and i can't see it at all underneath the other map.
is there a solution that i can use to force the overlay besides spending another $200 to get the most recent 24K TOPO maps (need 2 regions as i live between two states that unfortunately fall in different regions)?
thanks in advance for your answer.
i've been reading a lot about draw order of maps, i downloaded a free tool that modifies the draw order (1-31) of maps and am still not getting a result that i want and i wonder if it's possible.
-i have some older Garmin TOPO 24K maps that don't have all some of the back roads that show up on Garmin 100K maps that are included with my 66i nor the roads that i'm able to get through garmin.openmaps.nl.
-what i would like to do is enable a "base" map for example something like the 100K or the OpenMaps to show the roads and then on top show the 24K TOPO map so i can have the topo overlay on the roads data.
- i've modified the 24K topo maps to have priority of 30 while all other maps are <20 in priority but anytime i select the 24K TOPO map and any other map, any other map essentially overshadows the 24K TOPO and i can't see it at all underneath the other map.
is there a solution that i can use to force the overlay besides spending another $200 to get the most recent 24K TOPO maps (need 2 regions as i live between two states that unfortunately fall in different regions)?
thanks in advance for your answer.
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General Discussion / Re: Hatfield McCoy and outlaw maps
« Last post by Mike B on April 01, 2020, 07:22:07 AM »I use phones, not tablets. Any tablet that has GPS will work.
As for where to get maps, download this document from Bob T. https://www.mediafire.com/file/bz5y4j6vy997hdr/BCN%252C_Orux%252C_Garmin%252C_and_Apple_Map_Plus_Map_Files_and_Instructions_060719.pdf/file
It has step by step instructions to walk you thru the process.
When I setup a new device I download the app (Orux) from google play direct to device. I download all of Bob's files to my PC/Laptop. Then, I plug the device into my PC/Laptop and move everything over that way.
As for where to get maps, download this document from Bob T. https://www.mediafire.com/file/bz5y4j6vy997hdr/BCN%252C_Orux%252C_Garmin%252C_and_Apple_Map_Plus_Map_Files_and_Instructions_060719.pdf/file
It has step by step instructions to walk you thru the process.
When I setup a new device I download the app (Orux) from google play direct to device. I download all of Bob's files to my PC/Laptop. Then, I plug the device into my PC/Laptop and move everything over that way.
8
General Discussion / Re: Garmin Drivesmart
« Last post by Boyd on March 23, 2020, 02:43:17 AM »You cannot load tracks on Garmin's automotive devices, this has always been the case and is a common complaint. So I assume that your "maps" are actually tracks, and those just won't ever work. You can load gpx files with waypoints, but not tracks. To clarify: gpx files can contain either lines or points. Lines are called "tracks" and points are called "waypoints". There are also "routes", but on a Garmin Automotive Device, these will be converted to "trips".
Apparently Garmin has done this intentionally, because there's no technical reason why it shouldn't work. But Garmin has always had a strategy of removing certain features from devices to force you to buy something more expensive. In this case, they want you to buy an outdoor-type device if you need to use tracks.
Now there is a work-around, but not very simple. You can use one of these programs to turn your tracks into transparent maps that will display on top of the City Navigator map. The first one is free, I have not used either.
http://www.javawa.nl/imgfromgpx_en.html
https://www.gpx2img.com
Apparently Garmin has done this intentionally, because there's no technical reason why it shouldn't work. But Garmin has always had a strategy of removing certain features from devices to force you to buy something more expensive. In this case, they want you to buy an outdoor-type device if you need to use tracks.
Now there is a work-around, but not very simple. You can use one of these programs to turn your tracks into transparent maps that will display on top of the City Navigator map. The first one is free, I have not used either.
http://www.javawa.nl/imgfromgpx_en.html
https://www.gpx2img.com
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General Discussion / Garmin Drivesmart
« Last post by Vankemp on March 22, 2020, 03:46:49 PM »I just purchased a new Drivesmart 70. I have several gpx format maps that I would like to load on it. I have tried tirelessly to load a few different files using Basecamp. I have copied and pasted the files, I have used the Basecamp transfer, etc.. but I can not seem to find or view the log? Any thoughts or suy. I have googled and YouTube's this and still no luck. Tia
10
General Discussion / BCN pure white layer
« Last post by Mike B on March 20, 2020, 10:38:58 AM »I'm very new to BCN. I've downloaded some of BOB T's maps for WV ATV trails on there.
I'd like to view his maps in the program over a pure white background.
When I try to switch layers, It gives options for many types of maps. I've tried using options for EU and other places. Those do offer a white background but, it has offline symbols pasted all over that background which makes it hard to see the actual tracks and waypoints.
Any help in how to achieve a clean background would be appreciated.
I'd like to view his maps in the program over a pure white background.
When I try to switch layers, It gives options for many types of maps. I've tried using options for EU and other places. Those do offer a white background but, it has offline symbols pasted all over that background which makes it hard to see the actual tracks and waypoints.
Any help in how to achieve a clean background would be appreciated.
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