GPSFileDepot.com
 

News:

Welcome to GPSFileDepot!

Main Menu

New Maps for Canada, US and Mexico

Started by sockmonkey, October 08, 2020, 01:03:57 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

sockmonkey

In the coming days and weeks I intend to upload Topo Maps I have made/compiled for Canada, US and Mexico.  These are created with OSM data and compiled with mkgmap.  Most if not all maps will have 40ft contours and dem/3d shading.  These maps are in different stages of processing at the moment but it looks like Mexico will be a complete country, the US will have 8 regions plus Hawaii and Alaska, while Canada is likely to have 4 regions.   The downloads will be in gmap format, zipped. 
For a little back ground..  Since 2009, when I got a Garmin hcx Vista then later a 30x I have used Garmins own 24k and 100k, the various cgpsmapper maps from here and more recently OSM road and "topo" maps available here and elsewhere.  I drew inspiration from each, however:
-Garmins maps are so so, but there is not much you can modify other than hide poi's in basecamp and road data gets old.
-The cgpsmapper maps are really old and at present most are 8-12 years old,  also I didn't care for the cgpsmapper tattoo and they look horrible on Android (more on this down the page).
-The OSM maps are more current and if I was in Europe I would have a lot of choices to choose from in topo and road maps, but for North America our choices are really limited for topo maps.  They are ok general purpose maps, but not enough contour detail and too many Poi's!
Last year I decided to dip my toes into mapmaking.  I dabbled with both the method described here at gps files depot and the mkgmap method.  I had several humble goals:
-Make a topo map for the Pacific Northwest, my home.
-One map to work on basecamp, oryx for "everyday use" and my Garmin etrxes in the "field".
-Minimal poi's, a clean, Spartan look with trails and peaks standing out, with dem.
In the end I decided to pursue the mkgmap method.  It seems the nadir of map making for Garmin was 5-8 years ago regardless of the method.  There are a handful of committed folks, almost all in Europe who continue to contribute and participate with mkgmap.  Tools, techniques and tutorials are mostly old, some depreciated and others dead, what I found though worked for me.  I can manipulate the style sheets and typ files, include contours and dems and have maps that work on all my devices.  I found through trial and error that oryx needs an img created with a typ file to render close to what is seen in basecamp.
What started as looking to download updated topo maps for my region,  turned into making Garmin compatible topo maps for a Continent!   Finally, GPS files depot is one of the few if only places where amateur map makers such as myself can share their maps.  Keep your eye on this thread for updates; I guess we can call these Monkey Maps.  Cheers.

sockmonkey

Here are screenshot examples of the maps.  In Basecamp, Mt Adams in Washington and the Orux Maps view is of Eagle Cap Wilderness in Oregon and the south end of Wallowa Lake.

I didn't mention in the previous post, the maps are NOT routeable.  I created these primarily for off road use.  Also who wants to tell St Peter they are in his presence because "the voice said turn left" (cliff)...


sockmonkey

US-WestTopo Up, Includes Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada

US-SouthWestTopo Up, Includes Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico

sockmonkey

Topo Map for Montana, Wyoming and Idaho is up.

Just a reminder, after unzipping the file there should be a folder xyz.gmap, there should be another folder with the same name , that is what you should copy to the Program Data/Garmin/Maps folder for Basecamp to see the map.

For those wanting to load the map into ORUX maps:  In Basecamp, when your computer is connected to your android, install maps will install to your SD card, the folder is Garmin with gmapsupp.img inside.  The gmapsupp.img must be copy/cut to the Mapfiles folder within Orux Maps.  This can be named whatever.img (and with multiple maps necessary) and after refreshing should be visible in Orux

sockmonkey

First of the Canadian Topo maps is up.  This one includes the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

sockmonkey

A few new maps Up

Northeast US including:  Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware

Canada East including:  Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador

Finally, Greenland Topo

sockmonkey


sockmonkey

Map of Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec is up

sockmonkey


sockmonkey

Topo map for the Canadian Territories of Yukon, Northwest and Nunavut is up.

Topo Map for Mexico is up.

sockmonkey

North Central Topo Map for North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa is up

Great Lakes Topo Map for Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio is up and hopfully working.  I goofed and left the upload page before 100% and re-uploaded.  Please inform on this thread if there is a problem

sockmonkey

Great Lakes Topo should be working now.  My "intervention" somehow deleted the .tdb file the first time around and it's the proper size.

sockmonkey

First off I'd like to thank those who have download the maps I've created to at least give them a try as part of their digital map quiver.

Last weekend I uploaded mapname.img for all the maps to be sent directly to a device and this is under "Windows",  for mapname.gmap which can be used in Basecamp for Windows or Mac those are under "Mac" downloads.

I'm still working on US SouthCentral, SouthEast, the Caribbean and Central America to complete all of North America and hope to have those up soon. 

While I'm pleased with the way the maps turned out I feel they could use some "polishing".  I'm starting testing on a version 2 which will include road shields (all circles, as the OSM symbols don't always match the actual road, though name is correct), some different road colors, attempt a trimming excess contour lines at borders and some other minor details.

Cheers

sockmonkey

These are examples of my maps I attached in a previous post, but it appears you need to be registered to view attachments in the forums and for those who choose to not register I finally figured out how to post screenshots for all viewers.

The top image is of part of the Eagle Cap Wilderness and Wallowa Lake in Oregon as viewed in Orux Maps on Android (it isn't blurry in actual viewing)

The bottom image is of Mount Adams in Washington and the surrounded area as viewed in Garmin Basecamp