Creating & Editing Maps For Garmin

[The Freuds]

I'm running a Garmin GPSMAP60CS and want to create some custom maps for it. Does anyone know how to do this?

 

On the same topic, if using GPSMAPEDIT, I need to create a .tdb file but...

I've tried using the CGPSMAPPER but when I run the _PV compiler from the command line, it hangs, and when I run the compiler from MAPEDIT, it compiles the .img, but still no .tbd file - so I can't import it into MapSource. If I'm doing it the difficult way, can someone let me know. If there is a product that will simply (& cheaply (free is good)) allow me to create maps and upload them to the GPSr it would be handy.

 

Many thanx

[+viscerator]

You can send .IMG files directly to Garmin units using Sendmap2.0

You don't need a .TDB file then.

[-Oz-]

This thread has a lot of helpful links and such: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=131352

[stevesisti]

Been a while simce I tinkered with it but a few tips:

 

Creating the .img is done with mapedit. This conversion just creates the image file, not the .tdb file.

 

In order to use the Ggpsmapper command from the "command" line you need two files to be present in the same folder that you have cgpsmapper...if the two files are not in the same folder as cgpsmapper, the conversion won't work. You need to have the .img file you made in MAp Edit,and the pv.txtfile (a sample file is at the mapedit site). From the comand line you have to navigate to the folder that cghpsmapper is located in, then run the command cgpsmapper pv (your file pv).txt Successful running will yield you with a tdb file, a pv image file,, and a registry entry file. You then need to place the tdb, .img, and pv.img files in a folder where you keep your maps, run the registry entry, and then gon into regedit and modify the path statements for all three entries to point to the folder you created. Personally I struggled quite a bit because this stuff is all Greek to me, but I persisted and all is working now

 

Performing all of the above allows you to add the map into Mapsource as a "normal" map which can be uploaded with all your other Garmin maps. You can also load the .img file directly to your GPS, but when loading other garmin products it's hard to know which areas are which because you no longer have a preview, and are looing at just file names.

 

If your making you own topo maps, make them as transparent and they will overlay the Garmin City Select, enabling autorouting of the city select, with the features of a topo map.

 

Good Luck

[GeoidPS]

I'm trying to import stream data into my mp file from the NHDgeodatabase, but after 30 hrs. I still haven't gotten an e-mail to direct me to the FTP site to download my request.

This seems like a long time. What is the normal wait time?

[-Oz-]

my request took 2 days.