IMG or GMAP

[corykv]

Hello all,

I have performed many searches and called Garmin tech support several times, but I can't seem to get an answer. In the interest of being complete:

I recently purchased a new 60CSx.
I bought a 4 GB Kingston card and put it in the 60CSx.
I purchased the DOWNLOAD of City Navigator North America NT. (new maps, not an update).
(I own no PCs, so everything here is on a Mac.)
I logged in to my.garmin.com and attempted to download the maps I bought.
I was required to download and install the Communicator Plug-in.  Done successfully.
Now my.garmin.com tells me that the card must be in the GPS receiver.  There is no option to download to an SD card.  (In fact, there is a mouseover message that says if you want it on a different SD card, then put it in the receiver).
I let the download run and sure enough, I ended up with a Garmin folder on the SD card with a gmapsupp.img file in it @ 1.42GB.  (By the way, I called Garmin tech support.  They say it's not possible to install the map directly to the GPSr - that's what MapInstall is for.)
The 60CSx appers to now have the City Nav NT maps on it....
I took the card out of the unit and copied the gmapsupp.img file to my computer.
I opened MapManager hoping to install the maps on my Mac to use BaseCamp or RoadTrip.

But MapManager on a Mac will not allow the gmapsupp.img file to be selected for opening.  I thought it may have something to do with the card, so I tried opening the copy on the card while plugged into a card reader.  Same result.  The file is grayed out in the "Open..." dialog of MapManager and will simply not allow it to be selected.

Meanwhile, MapInstaller tells me I have no maps installed on this computer.

Am I missing something? How can I install the City Navigator North America NT maps that I have purchased onto my Mac to use with BaseCamp and Road Trip?  Is the IMG format the wrong format?    I have read in other places that a Mac expects a *.gmap file.  Do I have a further step?

I'm not looking to hack anything of Garmin's - I'm honestly just trying to be a good customer and use their product that I've paid for.  I have crawled their entire web site looking at all their documentation.

I know you guys get these kinds of questions a lot and I have done extensive searching through the forums looking for an answer, but have not seen this particular scenario plaguing anyone else.  I'm praying it's something trivial I'm doing wrong. 

Thank you in advance.

Cory

[jbensman]

I'm a Windows user so I do not know much about MACs.  The Windows basecamp will recognize garmin maps on your GPS or card and access the map when it is plugged in.  So try pluggng in your GPS and see if it shows up in BaseCamp.

No you cannot install the img file that is on your GPS.

However, there is an issue of what exactly you get when you download CN instead of ordering the DVD.  According to thier website, if you want to install the map into MapSource/BaseCamp you have to buy the DVD.  Thier website says if you buy the download, it will only install directly on the unit or a card.  However, I have bought Garmin maps and downloaded them and they installed into MapSource/BaseCamp (just like the maps on this site).  So I am not sure what is happening.  When you downloaded it nad ran the installer, did it give you an option to install the map to your computer instead of the GPS?  That is the best option-if you cannot install the download to your computer, try exchanging it for the DVD version.  It will install the map on your computer and then you can install the map on your GPS.

[Boyd]

I am a longtime Mac user, but I use Windows for all mapping and GPS tasks. But jbensman is right, you cannot "open" the .img file in Basecamp. But Basecamp should be able to read it from a removable device.

Just to be clear, your 60csx doesn't have any internal memory for storing maps, so the map was actually installed on the memory card. I assume that you needed to do this with your 60csx connected so that Garmin could read its unit ID and lock the map to this one GPS.

You should now be able to remove the card from the 60csx and place it in a USB 2.0 card reader, run Basecamp and access the map on the card. This could also be done with the card in the 60csx, but the s-l-o-w USB 1.0 interface will make it painfully slow.

Alternately, you should be able to copy the contents of that card to a USB flash drive and use it plugged into your Mac instead of the original card. But if you want to install the file on your computer, you can use Disk Utility to make an image of the card with the map file (a .dmg file). Then whenever you want to use the map, first double-click the .dmg file to mount it and run Basecamp. This will fool Basecamp into thinking the card is inserted in your computer.

The bottom line is that Basecamp is only setup to recognize this kind of map on a removable device.

[corykv]

Boyd, jbensman,

Thank you both for your responses.

jbensman, you are correct that the download of the 1.42 GB file was possible only through the Communicator browser plug-in and was stored on the SD card. 

Unfortunately, your second assertion is one that I have tried and failed.  I have taken the card out of the 60CSx, put it into a card reader and attempted to have BaseCamp (and MapManager) import it.  I even made sure to do this while the 60CSx was simultaneously connected. 

In BaseCamp, I attempt to Import the gmapsupp.img file and I get the beach ball for a moment before it "completes" with no apparent effect.  I attempt to switch the map, but the base map continues to be the only one available.

But what Boyd has said is interesting by assserting that the DOWNLOAD version of the IMG file can never be installed on the Mac.  I am actually starting to believe that is true.  BTW, Boyd, the download never results in an application.  On the download page, the Communicator plug-in insists that you connect the GPSr.  It then queries the GPSr to ensure there is enough memory (big enough card).  Then it begins the download of the gmapsupp.img file directly to the SD card inside the GPSr, presumably to lock it to the unit as described by jbensman.  And because the interface to the 60CSx is over USB 1.0, as was correctly stated, it is unbelievably slow.

However, thank you both... jbensman, when I get home later, I am certainly going to re-try the different scnearios you mention.

Any other ideas or answers are welcome.  Also, when you order City Nav on the DVD, is the file on the CD an IMG file, GMAP file or application?  Just curious...

Thanks,
Cory

[Boyd]

You don't need to do anything to "import" the map. Basecamp should automatically read it and cache if it detects the card (or mountable image) on startup. This example uses the Windows version and maps that are pre-installed on a Nuvi, but it should be basically the same for you: http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=18480

If this doesn't work, try Garmin's support forums for Basecamp and Map Installation: https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?f=167

[jbensman]

Yes you are confusing installing the map into BaseCamp (and MapSource on Windows) and BaseCamp reading the map when it is plugged into the computer.  Installing it is much better than reading it.  When it is installed, you can print the map.  You can also combine it with other maps (like maps from this site) and send it to your GPS.  YOu can also access the map when your GPS i not plugged in.  You cannot do any of this with the way you have it.  If you buy the DVD, it installs the map into BaseCamp.  You then have to send it to the GPS.  That's why I was asking if you had an option to install it to your computer when you downloaded it.  Try redownloading it and see if there is an option to download onto your computer.

[Boyd]

You cannot install garmin's downloadable maps on your computer. They must be installed on a memory card or internal memory, if your GPS has it (the 60csx does not). Basically, you are buying a gmapsupp.img file, and that will only work on the GPS itself or on removable media with Basecamp.

http://iqc.garmin.com/eCustomer/KODSelfService/request.do?create=kb:garmin&view()=c{16315fb0-39b2-11de-5dd5-000000000000}

Downloadable Content: Maps purchased in this format can be downloaded directly from the Garmin website. This is the quickest method of getting mapping for your next trip. Downloaded maps can be sent to either your GPS unit or a blank datacard. All maps in this format are unlocked to a specific device and they can only be used on the device that they were unlocked to. Similar to the pre-programmed datacards, this mapping is not immediately available on your computer for use in planning routes1. City Navigator maps in this format are not eligible for map updates. If you wish to obtain updated content, a new download will need to be purchased.

1 Garmin's free BaseCamp application can be used to view mapping detail from compatible pre-programmed datacards or downloadable content on your computer. To find out if the map is compatible with BaseCamp, check the requirements by clicking the Requirements tab for the specific map product.

I realize it's too late to help this time, but with the 60csx you should have purchased the DVD version. That would allow you to combine City Navigator with other maps (like topo maps from this site). With the download version, you can't do that . The 60csx will only recognize one map file (gmapsupp.img) and if you want multiple maps then they must be combined in this file. That is not possible with the download version of City Navigator. You will have to physically swap data cards to change maps.