KML map installed on Oregon 450t?

[mattn03]

Hi everyone.  I just joined after purchasing a Oregon 450t for use when riding ATV's.  I'd like to install a .kml file of LBL OHV Park.  I can view the .kml on Google Earth, but can't load it in BaseCamp to transfer it to the GPS.  What do I need to do different?  Thanks!

the file is located here (it won't let me post a direct link) www .lbl .org/ADMIN/LBL_AtvTrails.zip

[Seldom]

Have you followed this tutorial?
http://www.garmin.com/us/products/onthetrail/custommaps

[mattn03]

I saved the .kml as a .kmz and installed it in the /Garmin/CustomMaps/ directory as it instructed.  I did not see any of the trail info on the GPS however.

[Boyd]

Not all .kmz files are created equal. They can contain either vector or raster data, but the Oregon will only recognize a file that contains raster data (eg: "pictures"). More specifically, the raster data must be in the form of .jpg images no larger than 1024x1024 pixels or 3mb each.

So if the "trails" in your file are vector data (such as a GPS track), it is not going to work.

[mattn03]

I bet the one I have contains vector data.  Is there a way to check?

[Boyd]

I really don't know much about .kml because I don't use Google Earth. But I do know they are basically just .xml files. You can open them in a text editor and see what's inside.

.kmz files are just zipped (compressed) .kml files. If you unzip them you will have a folder containing one or more .jpg's and an .xml file called doc.kml. Looking inside one of the maps I've posted here, this is a sample of how one of the included .jpg's is represented in doc.kml

Code Select Expand

<GroundOverlay>
  <name>bassriver_kmzA01</name>
  <Icon>
    <href>bassriver_kmzA01.jpg</href>
  </Icon>
  <LatLonBox>
    <north>39.71351245705611900</north>
    <south>39.69508277958748700</south>
    <east>-74.51245821923754400</east>
    <west>-74.53088789670617600</west>
  </LatLonBox>
  <Region>
    <LatLonAltBox>
      <north>39.71351245705611900</north>
      <south>39.69508277958748700</south>
      <east>-74.51245821923754400</east>
      <west>-74.53088789670617600</west>
    </LatLonAltBox>
    <Lod>
      <minLodPixels>64</minLodPixels>
    </Lod>
  </Region>
</GroundOverlay>

[Indrid Cold]

I really don't know much about .kml because I don't use Google Earth. But I do know they are basically just .xml files. You can open them in a text editor and see what's inside.

I would think this is obvious but if you open the file in Google Earth or Global Mapper you will see that the trails are vector data.

[Seldom]

I bet the one I have contains vector data.  Is there a way to check?

mattno3, did you read the tutorial?

Did you add a jpeg?  A jpeg is a raster graphic.

If you didn't create the KMZ by adding a jpeg (like it says in the tutorial) and you see lines and dots on no background but Google Earth, then it's a vector file.

[Indrid Cold]

topic moved from map making support as it isn't a map maker issue.

[mattn03]

I bet the one I have contains vector data.  Is there a way to check?

mattno3, did you read the tutorial?

Did you add a jpeg?  A jpeg is a raster graphic.

If you didn't create the KMZ by adding a jpeg (like it says in the tutorial) and you see lines and dots on no background but Google Earth, then it's a vector file.

Seldom, I did read the tutorial.  I see red lines overlaying the ground in Google Earth.  I did nothing more than download the file directly from LBL.org's trail map page.

[Seldom]

Glad you read the tutorial.  It's a nice feature of the new GPSrs.

But it sounds like you have a vector graphic.  You may want to go back to the website and see if they offer it in a more Garmin friendly format like GPX or you could always get a copy of GPSbabel and use that to convert KML to GPX.  You'll be able to import GPX into BaseCamp and send it to your OR.

[eaparks]

mattno3, You have a couple of options to accomplish what your after.  Seldom posted one of the option I was going to suggest.  I did look at the LBL website and the trails you are questioning.

As Seldom said, open in Google Earth -save as a .kmz file - use GPSBabel to convert .kmz to a .gdb or .gpx file - open the newly converted file in Mapsource or Basecamp and transfer the tracks for the area you are interested in to your GPS.  Or you can take the .gpx file of the tracks to create a custom map.

I saw where LBL has the trails in a gis data file.  From this you can create a custom map of the trails per the intructions on here.

edit:  There is another opiton for you to get the trails into a usable .kmz file.  That is fairly easy.  Open the original .kml file in GE and take a screen shot of the entire trail system and save it as a .jpg file.  Use what ever program you want to to crop the .jpg file as needed to have just the trails (you can do this with something as simple as MS Paint).  Reopen GE and ADD - Image Overaly (your newly saved .jpg file) and geo-reference it in GE; (Putting the .jpg trails on top of the .kml trails).  Save the geo-referenced file as a .kmz file.  Now this file can be copied and pasted to your GPS and it will give you map of all the trails including the satellite imagery for that area.  I checked the pixel size and file size using just a single .jpg and both will be ok.

Note:  I just did this in about 15 minutes and tested it on my Oregon 450, since the area in question is only about a 2-3 sq. mile area you are able to use just a single .jpg for all of the trails and the map will 1st appear on your GPS at zoom level 1.2 mi. and still have decent resolution down to zoom level of 500 ft., below that the resolution is poor. 

I did this just playing around not trying to Hi-Jack a map you might like to put on GPSFileDepot.  I'll be glad to send you the useable .kmz file, or upload it on here if you don't want to, or walk you through the process so you can upload it here; whatever you prefer.  Also note from what I was seeing their trails look to have a pretty high level of accuracy, this .kmz map I did was just quick and dirty so not as accurate but still accurate enough for ATV use.

[mattn03]

I must be a dummy, but I can't get the file converted still    I've installed GPSabel and on the input, I've picked out the file I want to convert in .kmz format and set the output as .gdb.  I get the following error message as shown in the pic.

[mattn03]

edit:  There is another opiton for you to get the trails into a usable .kmz file.  That is fairly easy.  Open the original .kml file in GE and take a screen shot of the entire trail system and save it as a .jpg file.  Use what ever program you want to to crop the .jpg file as needed to have just the trails (you can do this with something as simple as MS Paint).  Reopen GE and ADD - Image Overaly (your newly saved .jpg file) and geo-reference it in GE; (Putting the .jpg trails on top of the .kml trails).  Save the geo-referenced file as a .kmz file.  Now this file can be copied and pasted to your GPS and it will give you map of all the trails including the satellite imagery for that area.  I checked the pixel size and file size using just a single .jpg and both will be ok.

Note:  I just did this in about 15 minutes and tested it on my Oregon 450, since the area in question is only about a 2-3 sq. mile area you are able to use just a single .jpg for all of the trails and the map will 1st appear on your GPS at zoom level 1.2 mi. and still have decent resolution down to zoom level of 500 ft., below that the resolution is poor. 

I did this just playing around not trying to Hi-Jack a map you might like to put on GPSFileDepot.  I'll be glad to send you the useable .kmz file, or upload it on here if you don't want to, or walk you through the process so you can upload it here; whatever you prefer.  Also note from what I was seeing their trails look to have a pretty high level of accuracy, this .kmz map I did was just quick and dirty so not as accurate but still accurate enough for ATV use.

Thanks!  I was able to get it uploaded to my 450 using this method.  Resolution below 500 FT is pretty poor like you said.  Is there anything I can do to improve that?

[eaparks]

From looking at you error page.  You have the input as a .kml file but are trying to convert a .kmz file.