Garmin CustomMaps from some Digital Maps Brands

[jcsanras]

First of all, hi to everybody and sorry for my english!

I have bought some days ago an Dakota 20 unit and I'm trying to make my first CustomMaps. After several trials I've got to upload a couple of maps at last. The Garmin limits in size and number of tiles are not easy to understand for a rookie like me!

But my question is the next one:

I have some issues of the Kompass Digital Maps, Series a known austrian brand. My problem is how to download to my GPS the maps displayed. Apparently its software doesn't have this option, but I'm not sure if it is possible to do this in a make yourself way.

I also have maps of SwissTopo maps and, although not directly downloabled, they can be exported as .jpg, .bmp or .png.

I suppose it must be any software or procedure to convert these image files in capable Garmin CustomMaps.

Thanks in advance!

[Boyd]

Looking at info on the Kompass maps, I can't figure out what the format is. You would need to get them into some kind of image file and georeference them however. You could use Garmin's technique in Google Earth, or one of many third party programs to do this. I suppose you could even scan the paper maps if needed.

The same thing with your Swiss Topo maps. IMO, there are better tools for this, but Garmin's tutorial is a good starting point: http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us/onthetrail/custommaps

I use Globalmapper since I already have it, but probably overkill if you only want to make custom maps.

[jcsanras]

Looking at info on the Kompass maps, I can't figure out what the format is.

I have no idea either. In fact, the most reasonable action was to take a look in the own Kompass forum. Only a problem, it is exclusively in german and I can read spanish (I'm from Basque Country) and a little bit of english and french, but german is not precisely one of my skills. Anyway, and making use of automatic translators, I could understand that Kompass format was not possible to export. Nearly all the answers were signed by an expert forum member, a own Kompass Staff menber, I suspect.


Anyway, I still have about twenty days of the trial period. If someone is interested in maps of any region of Switzerland or Austria, let me know

Greetings!  

[Boyd]

Anyway, I still have about twenty days of the trial period. If someone is interested in maps of any region of Switzerland or Austria, let me know

Redistributing a company's copyrighted maps is a no-no...

[jcsanras]

Redistributing a company's copyrighted maps is a no-no...

Sorry, it was not my intention to make apology of piratery. However it is difficult sometimes to distinguish between what is legal or not. If I use a software in a legal way, software that has legal agreements with the maps brands referred to make use of their products, I must suposse that I can use freely the 'modified' maps. Other thing, as you say, is redistributing the final product directly 'from the box' (I don't know if it is the correct expression). What is not so clear for me (and it is a question, not a doubt nor my opinion), is what happens if I make a map of a very specific area and I make some apportation of my own (waypoints, trails, ....). It would be legal or not?

After all, even simple leaflets of Tourism Offices or similar that you can scan are also copyrighted in most cases. In some occasion I have requested permission to use them and never got answer.

The matter is forgotten for me

Greetings ans sorry again

[Boyd]

I don't know anything about the products you're using. Here in the US, there is a wealth of map data available for download from different government agencies. These maps were created with public funding are are therefore freely available to be redistributed or combined into other maps. That's how most of the authors on this site (myself included) create the free maps at GPSFileDepot.

But if a private company has developed their own maps and copyrighted them, you would need their permission to distribute them, in whole or in part. Copyright law is very complex and I don't pretend to be an expert. But, unless you can point to something that specifically allows you to distribute maps you have acquired I think it's better not to do it.

Just my personal opinion of course!