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Silly Garmin POI Tricks


Munin

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>>Is it as simple as making a new folder in "my documents"?

 

Yes

 

>> C:\Documents and Settings\Jason\My Documents\Mapsource POI.mps................

 

The files need to be in either CSV or GPX format NOT MPS format.

 

Ok how do I get them into the gpx format?

 

In GSAK:

 

File, Export, GPX/LOC File

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>>Is it as simple as making a new folder in "my documents"?

 

Yes

 

>> C:\Documents and Settings\Jason\My Documents\Mapsource POI.mps................

 

The files need to be in either CSV or GPX format NOT MPS format.

 

Ok how do I get them into the gpx format?

 

In GSAK:

 

File, Export, GPX/LOC File

 

I get " there are no matching files to load"

sorry to be pita noob! I greatly appreciate your help!

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Hmmmmmm............ I just opened GSAK with the database of my local files. I did the File, Export, GPX/LOC File thing. I had to enter the path where I wanted the file saved and the name of the file and check the little item at the top for GPX but then it created the file just fine...............

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OK, I have all the info that I want uploaded to the gpsr now, But.....there is 2 of everything and not all of the caches are showing. Argh!

Whats wrong?

 

I open Gsak/file/export gpx/loc file/ window pops up I have gpx file checked in the "file type to generate box as well as 3 of the 4 boxes checked (less the "only include child waypoint if flagged flagged" box)

 

Waypoint name box---> %smart/%con1/%dif/%ter 88 characters

 

File name to create box -----> C:\Program Files\GSAK\data\All caches\poi9.gpx

 

Selected from most recent -----> file=POI9.gpxpath=C:\program files\gsak\data\all caches

 

No problem characters to remove

 

Cache Description ------>%By %hint(%Dif/%Ter)

 

Logs-----> no limit and "always include my logs" box unchecked

 

Finally at the bottom I have "make symbols(<sym element>) same as last gps send" checked

 

"Output origional rather than corrected coordinates" unchecked

 

I hope this is not confusing but i dont know how to add a screen shot of the Gsak window to this post.

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That looks fine.

 

What do you mean "Two of everything is showing"? Are there two copies of each POI? The default search is by nearest which only shows the nearest 50. Press menu for other search options.

 

Remember 44 characters in the name field and 88 in the description field. The ONLY parts of the file the POI loader uses is "Name", "Notes", "Coordinates". The rest of teh GPS file is ignored.

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Your 60CSx can hold 1000 waypoints. You can have an unlimited amount of custom POIs that are stored on the microSD card where your maps are stored. I currently have over 20K custom POIs contained in a dozen named files, both as .gpx and .csv files. The only limit to number of POIs is available memory on your card. For example my 20K worth is about 10MB. I keep a copy of all my unfound cache waypoints as POIs because of the ability to have the 132 characters in my 60Cx for info and hints.

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That looks fine.

 

What do you mean "Two of everything is showing"? Are there two copies of each POI? The default search is by nearest which only shows the nearest 50. Press menu for other search options.

 

Remember 44 characters in the name field and 88 in the description field. The ONLY parts of the file the POI loader uses is "Name", "Notes", "Coordinates". The rest of teh GPS file is ignored.

 

Yes There are two copies of each POI.

 

I delete the SD card each time before I Update the POI file.

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Then you must have each POI in two separate files or be exporting two copies of everything. I bet you have two GPX files with the same waypoints.

 

You do not need to delete the card. It will automatically overwrite the file on each download.

Edited by Red90
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What do you mean by to build your database? If you are a little more specific it is easier to answer.Are you looking for something to organize the pois you have now or are you looking for places to find more?

I love gsak for organizing all my pois waypoints and geocaches but it does cost $20 and take a little bit of getting used to but nice and powerful with lots of features others have praised the simplcity and ease of use of easygps.Gsak has a free trial(tecnically you could use for free forever you just have to deal with increasingly long lag screens to register) so you could try that and see if you like it.

 

Software rule of thumb for most

Cheap------Easy-------Good

Pick any two you want

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Is there any good (preferably free) software programs or excel templates out there to build your POI database? I'm thinking about something that would help with the speed alarms, etc also.

 

Joe

 

Did you ever get an answer for this? I'd be interested too.

 

There are free ones out there that you can download and then use them as a guide to make your own. I have one I downloaded that is red light cameras. Every time I get near an intersection that has a red light camera I get an alert on my GPS. I love it. Using something like that you can look at how it's setup and then follow that format or even delete the info and leave the headings and then fill in your own info. Its not exactly what you are looking for but it is a way to work around the issue.

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I started to use GSAK (I am a registered user already). I also downloaded some POI files, but I can't seem to find many for Canada, or should I say, all of Canada. There are some out there for Ontario and West, but not much for Atlantic Canada.

 

Yes I was looking for something to organize the POIs. I like GSAK but I'm not sure it will cut it for POIs.

 

Anyone have any thoughts?

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I've been following the information in this thread and others to load POIs for caches into my 60CSx. I want to make sure I've got this right.

 

Let's say I've got four areas of interest: Illinois, California, North Carolina, and Vermont. I'd like those to show up as separate databases on the 60CSx, so I have to run POI Loader separately for each set of CSV/GPX files. Each time I run POI Loader, I then have to rename the poi.gdi file or move it to a subdirectory so the next load doesn't overlay it.

 

But then every cache in each database will have the same icon on the map -- either the default icon, or I can use BMP files named the same as the GPX files -- i.e., Illinois.gpx & Illinois.bmp, etc. But ALL the caches in each file will get the same custom icon, right?

 

If I want to have distinct icons by cache type, I'd have to create files split out by type and connect them (by name) with the right BMP file. So I'd have to put ALL of the traditional caches, regardless of state, into Traditional.gpx and have Traditional.bmp in that directory. Likewise, Multi.gpx and Multi.bmp, Earth.gpx and Earth.bmp, and so on. So they'd each get their own icon, but in the list of databases on the 60CSx, I'd have "Traditional", "Multi", "Earth", etc., and each database would have multiple states in it.

 

Or, I could split out into 40 different files: Illinois_Traditional.gpx, Illinois_Multi.gpx, Illinois_Earth.gpx, Vermont_Traditional.gpx, Vermont_Multi.gpx, and so on. And each of these would have specific icon by cache type associated with it. But now I end up with 40 databases on the 60CSx, one for each file.

 

What I'd really like is four databases, one per state, with appropriate icons by cache type within each state database. Impossible?

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You simply need to run the POI loader once. Each CSV or GPX file will create a category with the name of the file on the GPS.

 

For icons, place a 16x16 pixel .BMP file in the same directory as the CSV or GPX files with the same name. The icons will load automatically and be tied to the files. One icon per file. They can all be the same or different.

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You simply need to run the POI loader once. Each CSV or GPX file will create a category with the name of the file on the GPS.

 

For icons, place a 16x16 pixel .BMP file in the same directory as the CSV or GPX files with the same name. The icons will load automatically and be tied to the files. One icon per file. They can all be the same or different.

Yes, I got that; I guess I worded it poorly at the beginning of my post. I realize that I can run POI Loader just once for all four files as long as they're in the same directory. But my point is, if each of my four files represents a state, there's no way to have different icons for different cache types within each of those files -- all caches (waypoints) in the file will get the same icon.

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No, each original GPX or CSV file will (can) have its own icon.

 

When you do a POI load, the program combines the icons and the text files into one .GPI file. If you make a second .GPI file later and put that on the micro SD card, it will also contain the icons.

 

In the end each individual starting GPX or CSV file with a BMP of the same name should show as a different category with its own icon on the GPS.

Edited by Red90
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How do I get rid of that and make it show what I've entered in the Cache Description Format field? This is making me crazy.

Sounds like POILoader is creating proximity alerts in your POI instead of plain old points, Thrak.

 

If you're running POILoader in express mode, try going to manual mode and unchecking the silly proximity alert box if it comes up checked by default. In manual mode, I'm seeing some of my files default to just being points (alert checkbox unselected), while other files always come up with the alert box checked in manual mode and wacky defaults for speed/distance. Doesn't seem tied to .csv vs .gpx, or large numbers of points vs a handful, or anything that seem particularly obvious to me. Seems like POILoader is trying to automagically guess what the source file contains (alerts vs points), and isn't always guessing right.

I suggest you try using Garmin's poi beta loader. I've run it with no problems: http://www.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=1673

 

Change History

 

Changes made from version 2.3.2 to 2.4.0:

 

Added support for Windows Mobile devices.

Added support for uninstalling all custom POI's from a device.

Added support for subcategories of POI's.

Added support for handling individual bitmap symbols for each subcategory of POI's.

Added support for jpeg (.jpg) images that can be associated with POI's.

Added support for wave (.wav) files POI alerts.

Added support for allowing users to specify a 'Link' directory that contain POI associations, such as bitmap (.bmp) symbols, jpeg (.jpg) images, mp3 (.mp3) audio files, or wave (.wav) audio files.

Added support for contact information and address information that can be specified in a GPX (.gpx) file.

Added a command line option to POI Loader to run automatically without requiring user interaction.

Added the ability to choose POI files to ignore.

Check for validity of the drive name in the POI path.

 

Ray

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I'm beginning to suspect that POILoader 2.3.2's guess on proximity vs point is based on the filename. If I run it on a set of files ending in numbers - ex: foo1.csv, foo2.csv, foo3.csv - then POILoader is defaulting to proximity (speed) alerts. (With the threshold speeds set to 1mph, 2mph, 3mph - at least when set to Feet/MPH for the units.) However, if I simply rename the files to all-alpha names - ex: fooa.csv, foob.csv, fooc.csv - then POILoader defaults to creating regular locations. Anyone care to play with their filenames and see if they can duplicate this behavior?

 

From the POI Loader help file:

Speed information can be included in the file name or in the names of individual POIs within the file.

POI Loader determines speed information based on the following information, listed from highest to lowest priority:

 

1. Speed information included in the name of the individual Custom POI. For example, a POI named "SpeedZone@30" will have an alert speed of 30 regardless of the speed information specified in Manual mode or in the file name.

 

2. Speed information entered in Manual mode.

 

3. Speed information included in the file name. POI Loader interprets any numbers in the file name as speed information.

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What I'd really like is four databases, one per state, with appropriate icons by cache type within each state database. Impossible?

It turns out the new 2.4.0 beta version of POI Loader does exactly what I want.

 

Set up a directory tree structure something like this -- I'm using <> to denote folders:

<Garmin>
  <DC>
  Multi.bmp
  Multi.gpx
  Mystery.bmp
  Mystery.gpx
  Traditional.bmp
  Traditional.gpx
  Webcam.bmp
  Webcam.gpx
  <Events>
  Multi.bmp
  Multi.gpx
  Mystery.bmp
  Mystery.gpx
  Traditional.bmp
  Traditional.gpx
  Webcam.bmp
  Webcam.gpx
  <Home>
  Multi.bmp
  Multi.gpx
  Mystery.bmp
  Mystery.gpx
  Traditional.bmp
  Traditional.gpx
  Webcam.bmp
  Webcam.gpx
  Special Locations.bmp
  Special Locations.gpx

 

When you run POI Loader 2.4.0, point it to the <Garmin> folder. It will create databases named DC, Events, Home, and Special Locations. The POIs within each database will then have the BMP that's associated with them by name in each sub-folder. :D

 

5a0135b6-0c40-461f-9cca-14361c8b5a24.jpgfef473e0-d95e-41c9-a526-8618a8d83ebf.jpg

 

In this example, you can see a Mystery cache (in the river) and two Multis (one is right by the arrow and the other is right above the label by the river).

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Has someone figured out how to load POI icons with transparent background?

I have a Garmin GPSMAP 60csx. I can load Waypoint Symbol NNN.bmp icons

with xImage -- and the Magenta pixels do end up transparent on my 60csx.

But when I use the POI loader (versions 2.3.2 and 2.4.0beta) with my 60csx

in USB Mass Storage mode the same BMP file icons end up with a visible

Magenta background.

~ JHarbert

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Has someone figured out how to load POI icons with transparent background?

I have a Garmin GPSMAP 60csx. I can load Waypoint Symbol NNN.bmp icons

with xImage -- and the Magenta pixels do end up transparent on my 60csx.

But when I use the POI loader (versions 2.3.2 and 2.4.0beta) with my 60csx

in USB Mass Storage mode the same BMP file icons end up with a visible

Magenta background.

~ JHarbert

 

Argh, they didn't fix that in 2.4.0beta? It's the whole reason I haven't moved to custom .bmp files for my POIs. I HATE the magenta background! I know Garmin is aware of the problem, and I was hoping 2.4.0 would've fixed it. Guess not.

 

Jim

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Argh, they didn't fix that in 2.4.0beta? It's the whole reason I haven't moved to custom .bmp files for my POIs. I HATE the magenta background! I know Garmin is aware of the problem, and I was hoping 2.4.0 would've fixed it. Guess not.

 

Jim

 

Anybody tried the jpg file to see if the background is transparent? I tried using it by specifying the jpg image in the URL of the waypoint, but it didn't work...

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Hi, All-

I've been reading through these threads on POIs and have a problem that I can't seem to find an answer to:

 

I've downloaded my custom POIs to my 60CSx fine (saved some test waypoints out of MapSource to .gpx, then used Garmin's beta POILoader 2.4).

 

My problem is that the NAMEs of the POIs don't show up when I move the cursor over them. I can't even highlight them and press ENTER to see the details. Only if I use "Find..." and then pick it from the list is the POI name other info accessible.

 

I noticed that Garmin's POI's in my Navigator v8 NT maps don't work that way - they even have their names of to the side of the icons.

 

Here's a sample of my POI file for reference:

 

<wpt lat="39.4821167" lon="-97.7381420">

<name>WIHA CD11</name>

<sym>Custom 0</sym>

<extensions>

<gpxx:WaypointExtension xmlns:gpxx="http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3"'>http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3 http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtens...3.xsd">

<gpxx:DisplayMode>SymbolAndName</gpxx:DisplayMode>

</gpxx:WaypointExtension>

</extensions>

</wpt>

 

I see the "SymbolAndName" option set for DisplayMode....

don't know....any help?

 

THx-

RenHoek

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It is a known bug.

 

You need to turn "user waypoints" off to be able to see the names of the POIs and select them on the map screen.

 

@Red90 -

Thanks for the tip! After playing with this for a few minutes, I've discovered that turning User Waypoints OFF isn't 100% needed - It looks like if User Waypoints is set to anything less than the current ceiling setting for Custom POIs to show at all, then the Custom POI is still "clickable".

 

With Detail=MOST, Custom POI ceiling=800ft, so set User Waypoints to 500ft and it works.

Dial Detail down to MORE, Custom POI ceiling drops down to 500ft, so User Waypoints must be 300ft.

etc, etc, etc....

 

Between this, the mystical 800ft glass ceiling, the now-you-see-em-now-you-don't POI issue based on the color scheme, etc, G's got a little more work to do to make POIs really useful....

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"Ask, and ye shall receive...."

Just upgraded to v3.20 and NOW POI's work like I'd expect them to!

 

I re-uploaded my previous POIs and can see the POI's name, highlight it, change it's Max Zoom level (Map Points). From my 1st 15 minutes of messing with it, it seems like it's now independent of User Waypoints Max Zoom and the Detail level (most, more, normal, etc)....

 

Thanks, Garmin!

-RenHoek :)

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Just loved reading this thread ... and just loaded 2988 POIs that are connected with the routing waypoints for our upcoming 3200 mile cyclist trip along the Lewis n Clark trail ... now the laptop truly does not have to come along for the trip. Will shortly make a backup download on my other memory chip for my 60csx as well.

 

Downloading and running the 3.2 software update makes the POIs show up at all distances that I have tested and clearly shows me the route we will be cycling. I can now also add as many caches as we could possibly ever need or want to do as we ride ... wait, that might be a problem as I had limited myself to caches that were within a half mile of the route so I could keep some limits but now the only limit is the memory chip.

 

:sad::sad::)

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Silly question...I am a complete n00b at this custom POI business...but...I used GSAK to make a GPX file of all the caches I have not found. I used POI Loader to send it to my 60 CSx...it appeared to have went fine, but when I go to the Custom POI area on my Find menu it is blank...nothing there. What am I doing wrong? Help! B)

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What color scheme are you using?

 

With the older firmware, there is a bug that some color schemes prevent the custom POI search from working. I think it is mentioned somewhere up in this thread.

 

Color scheme? *clueless*

 

I made the GPX file, got it placed in my GPS (confirmed by using the USB Mass Storage option) but I do not see any files when I look at my Cusom POI option in the Find menu...

 

B)

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Go to menu/setup/display... I think. There are listed color schemes for day and night. There are around ten to choose from. Which ones are you using?

 

For the 60Cx these schemes DO NOT work:

Aquamarine

Opal

Pearl

Peridot

Ruby

 

I know it sounds strange, but it is a known bug.

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Go to menu/setup/display... I think. There are listed color schemes for day and night. There are around ten to choose from. Which ones are you using?

 

For the 60Cx these schemes DO NOT work:

Aquamarine

Opal

Pearl

Peridot

Ruby

 

I know it sounds strange, but it is a known bug.

 

ya this really bugs me, hopefully we will see this fixed in the future. I liked using Peridot at night, but am stuck using sapphire so my custom POI's work.

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Go to menu/setup/display... I think. There are listed color schemes for day and night. There are around ten to choose from. Which ones are you using?

 

For the 60Cx these schemes DO NOT work:

Aquamarine

Opal

Pearl

Peridot

Ruby

 

I know it sounds strange, but it is a known bug.

 

Well I'll be danged...that is what the problem was...LOL...I had the color scheme on Ruby...I changed it to Sapphire and it works great now...LOL

 

Thanks! B)

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I'm just getting started with POI Loader, and am wonderinghow people are actually using POIs for geocaching?

 

I'm starting to build a GSAK macro that will filter my database by cache type and export each GPX file into the folder that POI Loader will be looking at. I'm also putting in various bitmaps for custom icons for each GPX file. I did a little experimentation and so far everything seems to be working as planned.

 

Here's my question, though...

 

On the map view, I like to be able to see where all the caches are. Unfortunately, when the cache icons show up on the screen, I also get all the POI icons for restaurants, gas stations, etc. Is there a way to disable the Mapsource POIs and just show the custom POIs?

 

One thing I thought of is besides loading up all the caches as custom POIs, also load them up as regular waypoints. I could hide all the POIs and just show the user waypoint icons. It's duplicate data, but at least I'll still have the extra 44/88 characters of data available that POIs let you have. The downside is I would have to keep the 1000 waypoint limit in mind.

 

Can you disable individual POI databases? i.e. If I export found and unfound caches in separate GPX files before POI loader processes them, on the 60CSx can I choose to hide the "found caches" database if I don't want to see those caches?

 

 

Am I going about this in the right way, or are you using other and "better" methods for loading up caches into a 60CSx?

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On the map view, I like to be able to see where all the caches are. Unfortunately, when the cache icons show up on the screen, I also get all the POI icons for restaurants, gas stations, etc. Is there a way to disable the Mapsource POIs and just show the custom POIs?

 

I presume you have the v3.20 upgrade loaded. Like you, I found that having all the MAP POI display at the same time as my CUSTOM POI a nuisance. It was so confusing trying to sort out what setting controlled what that I stepped back to v3.10 so that I had control over what displayed.

 

There are 3 settings that control when things, generally, display/disappear on the Garmin 60/76 running the v3.10 firmware, when you have not selected FIND (a waypoint or POI).

 

1. Map > Menu > Setup Map > General > Detail . This is the overall control of the maximum range to which things are visible. It controls both 'normal' waypoints and POI. MOST = 200m; MORE= 120m; NORMAL = 80m; LESS = 50m; LEAST = 30m. I set Detail = MOST.

 

2. Map > Menu > Setup Map > Points > Map Points. This controls the maximum zoom range to which all Map POI (restaurants, petrol stations, ATMs etc) appear. I set Map Points = 50m (they therefore don't appear when the range is greater than 50m).

 

3. Map > Menu > Setup Map > Points > User Waypoints. This controls the maximum zoom range to which all my CUSTOM POI (My Found caches, My Placed caches etc) appear. I set User Waypoints = 200m (they therefore don't appear when the range is greater than 200m).

 

I load Unfound Geocaches as 'normal' waypoints direct from GSAK i.e. they come within the 1000 waypoint limit. I load My Placed caches, My Found caches, My Placed Multicache Final locations and My Placed/Multicache Additional Waypoints as CUSTOM POI. Each has it's own gpx and bmp files.

 

With those above 3 settings the Unfound Caches and My CUSTOM POI show up when the range is 200m or less. The Map POI (restaurants, ATMs, petrol stations etc) only show up when the range is 50m or less.

 

Note: If you use FIND (a waypoint or POI) the icon for that one waypoint or POI will display at greater ranges.

 

If someone could confirm that my above settings also work with the v3.20 firmware I would appreciate that. I may then give v3.20 another go (even with it's Compass page bug). In the meantime I am happy that I stepped back to v3.10.

Edited by BaldEd
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Actually, they added a ton of stuff...

 

Changes made from version 2.4.0.0 Beta to 2.4.0.1 Beta:

 

Added support for Garmin Mobile XT.

Added support for magenta as transparency color in 256 color bitmaps.

 

Changes made from version 2.3.2 to 2.4.0.0 Beta:

 

Added support for Windows Mobile devices.

Added support for uninstalling all custom POI's from a device.

Added support for subcategories of POI's.

Added support for handling individual bitmap symbols for each subcategory of POI's.

Added support for jpeg (.jpg) images that can be associated with POI's.

Added support for wave (.wav) files POI alerts.

Added support for allowing users to specify a 'Link' directory that contain POI associations, such as bitmap (.bmp) symbols, jpeg (.jpg) images, mp3 (.mp3) audio files, or wave (.wav) audio files.

Added support for contact information and address information that can be specified in a GPX (.gpx) file.

Added a command line option to POI Loader to run automatically without requiring user interaction.

Added the ability to choose POI files to ignore.

Check for validity of the drive name in the POI path.

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