all maps levels show in BaseCamp but only zoomed-in levels show on GPS unit

[RCinSTP]

I have a .img that I  use with my Garmin Montana GPS.  I open the .img file in GPSMapEdit, save as .mp, then Export as .img format.  Then I use MapSetToolKit and the .typ file to produce a topo map that works in BaseCamp and on my GPS.  In BaseCamp, everything is the same, but on the GPS I only get the zoomed-in levels, if I zoom out to view a large section of the map, the map does not show.
Since the new .img file displays all zoom levels in BaseCamp, I assume the levels are being affected when by the method I am using to install the .img file on the Garmin Montana 600 GPS unit.  Is this a problem with MapSetToolKit?  Any advice appreciated.  Let me know if  you have any questions.

[Boyd]

The whole zoom level topic is a bit mystifying. I am working on a very complex map with extreme detail. I create the source files in GlobalMapper and am setting zoom level on a per-object basis with some software I wrote. In Mapsource (even at highest detail level), this produces pretty much what I would expect based on the cgpsmapper docs. On my Montana 600 the results are similar but not quite the same IIRC.

However with Basecamp at max detail, it pretty much shows all objects at all levels until you zoom way out, which is what I think you are describing. If I install the map on my Nuvi, it behaves closer to Basecamp than Mapsource or the Montana.

But getting to your original question, this has nothing to do with how you send the map to the GPS. The zoom level data is embedded in the .mp file. I don't use gpsmapedit much so I can't help there. But look at this part of the GPSFileDepot tutorials:

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/how-to-create-garmin-topo-maps---part-8---combining-data/

And download the dictionary file as described in the last section. The dictionary defines the zoom levels that will be used based on object type. I guess this is the method most authors here use.

But you can actually define a custom zoom level for each object in the map. I find this very useful on a topo map. For example, you might normally want little dirt roads to disappear when you zoom out to 1.2 miles (for example) to avoid cluttering the map. But this can have the unwanted side effect of creating big blank areas in state forests where the only roads are unpaved. At the other extreme, you might want paved minor roads to appear through the 3 mile zoom level. But in a congested urban area, this makes a cluttered mess.

This is why I wrote some software to set zoom levels based on a variety of criteria such as whether the road is in an urban area and how long it is. Again, I work with GlobalMapper, FileMaker Pro and shapefiles which makes it pretty simple to do this kind of thing.

For what you are trying to accomplish, it sounds like the dictionary approach would work. It is covered in the cgpsmapper manual.

[Indrid Cold]

Yes. Your method is questionable. Why are you converting an .img to an .mp to an .img? You already have the .img file and can just copy it to your Montana and install it with MapSetToolkit.