How To Make Own Maps

[+vespax]

I would like to make my own custom maps for my garmin GPS 60cs unit. I think it is possible since I have loaded some image files in my unit and they display under the map section in the unit.

 

Example: this site does that.

 

tracks4africa

 

So do you just need to make an .img file in order to put it in the unit. Those tracks4africa maps load in Mapsource as maps and then you can upload them into the unit from Mapsource.

 

Anyone have some ideas on this. It would be great to have a mapset that I make and update with personal data in it. Especially where data is absent or cost prohibitive. (my budget, hehe)

[+vespax]

just another thought also, can anyone say whether you are able to correct the GPS tracks and points using base stations if you can get the files from those base stations.

 

I know Trimble software does this stuff, but what about for Garmin units?

[+Sputnik 57]

Redwood Mountain Biker will likely stop by, so I'll pre-empt him with his own links:

Rich Owings

www.MakeYourOwnMaps.com

www.GPStracklog.com

 

Edit to add a link to Neo Geo's post.

Edited September 14, 2005 by Sputnik 57

[stevesisti]

If you're doing this as a way to be "cost productive", you're way off the mark. Yes, you can make maps, and much more detailed and personal maps than say Garmin has to offer...but it requires a lot of work. My only reason for doing so was to map an island that Garmin offered no coverage on, and to map 2 or 3 of my favorite areas in the adirondacks to a higher level than the garmin topo.

 

The level of Garmins topo has a "practical" side to it in that if all their maps were as detailed as the ones I created, 54 megs of unit memory would only hold a small fraction of New York state. Obviously the file sizes create a limit to the amount of detail you can create or would have a practical purpose for.

 

That being said...Mapedit and gps mapper would get you going. They are 2 seperate programs that work with each other, and the trial versions allow you to make a "small" map to get a feel for what is required. There is also an all inclusive program out there but the name slips my memory right now.

 

I found it very interesting, somewhat fun, but geeez... it really is a lot of work and requires at least a basic knowledge of different map products, datum and projections. These were by the way, non-routable maps.

 

On the plus side, Mapsource freely accepts the maps integrated into the Mapsource program as a selectable "loadable" map, along with the Garmin mapsets...and the 60CS works fine with the "homemade brew"...not even a single lockup.

[jeb01]

Try this page,

 

http://www.gpstm.com/eng/dekode_eng.htm

 

Jean

[+vespax]

Thanks eveyone that replied so far. I have been rading through the links that were given and it is a bit of a project. One that I am going to take on though.

 

It is not so much that I don't want to fork money over for premade maps from garmin or garmap, etc. I have about 6 months to kill coming up in a "poorer" country than the US and I am planning on mapping out the areas that I am in in order to gain some better knowledge of GIS (Geographic Information System).

 

I have Arcview software to use, and plan to use that mostly to map out what I am doing, but also want to extend beyond that. Thus, this little (or big) side project.

 

Jeb01 seems to have the most straight forward link to an option. I am going to try it in the next day or two. See how the tutorial goes.

 

I would imagine that there would be loads of data that could be mined and put together for just this purpose with the amount of people carrying GPSr around with them.

 

Anyways, This is a good start. Wonder what else is out there.....

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

Redwood Mountain Biker will likely stop by, so I'll pre-empt him with his own links:

Thanks for the plug Sputnik. I would have chimed in earlier but I was actually doing a GPS mapping demo today.

 

This is interesting. When I went to Ecuador, I did the same thing that Vespaxvespa is proposing. I was able to find shapefiles online for volcanoes, cities, provincial boundaries and contours. Having ArcView gives you a head start.

 

My book shows how to move shapefiles to your GPS (without registry hacks). My approach uses cGPSmapper rather than GPS Track Maker.

 

Vespaxvespa, good luck with the project. Let us know how it goes.

 

Rich Owings

www.MakeYourOwnMaps.com

www.GPStracklog.com

 

“We were desert mystics, my friends and I, poring over our maps as others do their holy books.” – Edward Abbey

[+Red90]

GPSMapedit is the best choice I've seen for Garmin style maps. Fairly easy to do if you have some computer skills.

[rynd]

Have you guys considerd making a repository so that people can share the maps they have made.

[+Red90]

Have you guys considerd making a repository so that people can share the maps they have made.

This is the place

[rynd]

Thank you!

[+vespax]

I have been spending the "spare" time at work today trying to sort out a sample map from all the suggestions. Thanks to all.

 

I have gotten it to a point that I have a topo map of the Western Cape in South Africa. I have it as a .img file using cGPSmapper programme created on 7/8/05. I think this is release 6.42 or something. can't remmeber when I downloaded it, but it is the newest version.

 

I want to load it up in Mapsource before throwing it into my unit. I am a bit nervous about just loading it in before seeing it on a Garmin product outside a small unit. I might be paranoid but just don't want to screw up my geocaching budget on this this activity here.

 

Anyone have some suggestions to get it in Mapsource? I am not much of a programmer, and that is really my main problem here with all this stuff.....

 

Thanks again, I hope others are finding this useful as well.

 

P.S. - Redwoods, your book looks very interesting, but I am leaving the country in 4 days and don't ahve the time to order it from Amazon right now. Perhaps later.

[stevesisti]

I have been spending the "spare" time at work today trying to sort out a sample map from all the suggestions. Thanks to all.

 

I have gotten it to a point that I have a topo map of the Western Cape in South Africa. I have it as a .img file using cGPSmapper programme created on 7/8/05. I think this is release 6.42 or something. can't remmeber when I downloaded it, but it is the newest version.

 

I want to load it up in Mapsource before throwing it into my unit. I am a bit nervous about just loading it in before seeing it on a Garmin product outside a small unit. I might be paranoid but just don't want to screw up my geocaching budget on this this activity here.

 

Anyone have some suggestions to get it in Mapsource? I am not much of a programmer, and that is really my main problem here with all this stuff.....

 

Thanks again, I hope others are finding this useful as well.

 

P.S. - Redwoods, your book looks very interesting, but I am leaving the country in 4 days and don't ahve the time to order it from Amazon right now. Perhaps later.

There are several ways and sources of material to get your data into gpsmapper and then into your gps..I can only tell you the path I went down, which might not necessarily be the best way.

 

Opened a USGS 1:24K topo quad with Ozi explorer (free trial program program), saving that file in the ozi program gives you an Ozi .map file. Open the .map file in map edit and the map becomes the "background or "template " on which you can "draw your map. Save the file in Mapedit as an .Mp "polish" file, then convert to an image (.img) file in Mapedit.

 

The fun starts once you have this .img file....if you just want to load that single .img file, without it being available to load thru mapsource, use this program "mapupload", again it's free....http://www.mapwel.biz/products.htm. Be advised though, like all uploads to your unit, all previously loaded maps are erased and the only map you will have is the one you just uploaded

 

If you want to load the map through Mapsource, things get interesting, especially if your not familiar with working from "command Line". You must use gpsmapper again and create a several files that Mapsource requires for the map to load....www.geopainting.com has a tutorial that explains how....good luck

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

Anyone have some suggestions to get it in Mapsource?  I am not much of a programmer, and that is really my main problem here with all this stuff.

It's a little complex to go into here, but here are some resources that may help...

 

http://rwsmaps.griffel.se/ (see the "How to make your own maps" section)

 

Unless you want to do registry hacks, I suggest using GPS Map Manager, method # 4 at http://vip.hyperusa.com/~dougs/GPSSM/.

 

HTH

 

Rich Owings

www.MakeYourOwnMaps.com

www.GPStracklog.com

 

“We were desert mystics, my friends and I, poring over our maps as others do their holy books.” – Edward Abbey

[+vespax]

Redwood

 

I understand where I want to get to, but the trouble is I am not able to create this TDB file in cGPSmapper. I am at a command line and type in pv "filename".txt and it says that I have an invalid path ot function.

 

What is it that I am doing wrong here? I read through the cGPSmapper handbook but there was just a short paragraph on creating preview images for Mapsource. So it must not be that hard.

 

Help. Got the img just need the TDB to load it in Mapsource.

 

Thanks

[stevesisti]

Redwood

 

I understand where I want to get to, but the trouble is I am not able to create this TDB file in cGPSmapper. I am at a command line and type in pv "filename".txt and it says that I have an invalid path ot function.

 

What is it that I am doing wrong here? I read through the cGPSmapper handbook but there was just a short paragraph on creating preview images for Mapsource. So it must not be that hard.

 

Help. Got the img just need the TDB to load it in Mapsource.

 

Thanks

well actually you need three files if I remember right. Your full size image file, the actual map, your PV file which is a smaller reduced image used by mapsource (created by the cgpsmapper pv command, and the TDB file, created by the same cgpsmapper pv command at the same time the preview is created. It also creates registry mods if you are going to use them

 

I hate the command line stuff because I'm not familiar with it, but more than likely your problem is the following.

 

The pv text file you are converting has to be in the same folder as the cgpsmapper.exe file...if it's not, cgpsmapper can't find it and you will get the above error. When you run cgpsmapper, you must run it from the command line...get the DOS prompt, navigate to the folder where both gpsmapper and your pv.txt file are, then type "cgpsmappper(space) pv (space) (your file name ending in .txt format). This is the pain in the arse part of the whole project....good news is having done it once...it's very easy the second time around.

[+vespax]

I hate the command line stuff because I'm not familiar with it, but more than likely your problem is the following.

 

The pv text file you are converting has to be in the same folder as the cgpsmapper.exe file...if it's not, cgpsmapper can't find it and you will get the above error.  When you run cgpsmapper, you must run it from the command line...get the DOS prompt, navigate to the folder where both gpsmapper and your pv.txt file are, then type "cgpsmappper(space) pv (space) (your file name ending in .txt format).  This is the pain in the arse part of the whole project....good news is having done it once...it's very easy the second time around.

I got one map to come up in Mapsource. I am new to command line stuff since I mostly use a macintosh other than GPS stuff right now. So am learning on this stuff.

 

My topo map came into mapsource though. Walking through this page helped get me through the cgpsmapper part of maling the tdb.

 

now I just need to expand on this an make some prettier maps! thanks guys, glad I got one done before I take off.