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Making Custom TOPO Maps


Bus36

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Well here it is finally. Step by step to make custom topos. If you get stumped just ask and I will try to help. Also if you make some please share them so others can use them. Go to http://mapcenter.cgpsmapper.com/ and upload you finished mp file. Well here it is. If you have any suggestions on how to make it better please do so. You can also copy and paste it in word for easier reading.

 

Most informations is from http://home.cinci.rr.com/creek/garmin.htm

Making Custom TOPO maps:

1. Download the following programs and install them:

A. DEM2TOPO from: http://people.uleth.ca/~brad.gom/dem2topo/index.htm

B. IDL Virtual Machine (IDL VM) from: http://www.rsinc.com

C. GPSMapEdit from www.geopainting.com

D. cGPSMapper from www.cgpsmapper.com

2. Go to http://seamless.usgs.gov/and download high resolution DEM data (for Canada go to http://www.geobase.ca/geobase/en/index.html)

A. Make sure to visit the FAQ if running SP2 for XP and allow downloads and make trusted site in order to get info.

B. for usgs click on view and download U.S. data

C. Click on the zoom in tool and zoom in to your area of interest

D. Use either define download area tool under downloads or define area by coordinates tool to download your area

E. An SDDS Request Summary Page will appear, click on modify data request

F. Uncheck the National Elevation Dataset (NED) 1 Arc Second, let the page refresh

G. Check National Elevation Dataset (NED) 1/3 Arc Second box, let the page refresh

H. Change form ArcGrid to GeoTiff, scroll to the bottom of the page

I. Change the Maximum size (MB) per piece from 100 to 50mb (I found that working with files under 50 mb is easier and faster)

J. Click save changes & Return to summary.

K. Click on download and save your data, unzip you files, save the data anywhere you want just don’t forget where you put it.

3. Next is to convert the GeoTiff to an .mp file (an mp file is a file that we will manipulate latter on)

A. Double-click on dem2topo.sav to start the program, IDL will start and run dem2topo

B. Select units feet or meters, set your minor contour intervals, set your intermediate contour interval, and your major contour interval ( I set them to 20 feet, 200 feet, and 500 feet…..for minor contour intervals less than 10 feet makes your map very cluttered)

C. Change your plot refresh interval to 99

D. Next click on Select DEM files, find your GeoTiff file and open it (select DEM file if you are from Canada here)

E. Your map screen will go black while it is loading so give it time

F. After it has loaded simply click on create .mp file and watch it work

4. Next is to download your water data(if you don’t need nor want water data skip this part)

A. Go to http://nhdgeo.usgs.gov/viewer.htm

B. Zoom in to your area of interest

C. Under layers open the Hydrologic Units and put a check in the Subbasins box(anytime you check a box that item will show up on the map when you hit redraw the map, so you can turn on cities or counties to figure out where you are)

D. Next open the NHD High Res tab, you may or may not see anything here, ,the more you zoom in the more things that show up to turn on or off,so keep zooming in and something should show up here.

E. When the NHD High Res data shows up put a check in the box for the following:NHDFlowline,NHDArea,NHDWaterbody

F. Next put a dot in the circle of Subbasins, Subbasins will now have a checked box and dotted circle(the dotted circle tells the download what to download while the checked box tells what to display on the map)

G. Click on the polygon extract tool, click in the area you want to download,

H. A NHD Geodatabase Extract should appear, For #1 put a dot in High Resolution, for #2 put a dot in the shapefile, #3 enter your email address

I. A link will be emailed to you to download the data, It might take a while so be patient, when you get the data unzip and save where you can remember.

5. Next is to edit the .mp file in GPSmapedit

A. Open gpsmapedit, click file open and choose your .mp file

B. . Click on file then map properties and do the following:

1. change type set to Garmin

2. give the map an 8 digit ID number

3. give the map a name

4. click on the levels tab and hit the insert before tab do this until you have level0= through level5=

5. Change the settings to look like this

Level0=24 bits mapsource zoom=under1.2km

Level1=23 bits mapsource zoom=1.2-3km

Level2=22 bits mapsource zoom=3-8km

Level3=20 bits mapsource zoom=8-12km

Level4=19 bits mapsource zoom=12-30km

Level5=18 bits mapsource zoom=50-120km

6. Click on the cGPSMapper Tab and check the Map is transparent box

7. Click apply

8. Next click on view, then levels and select level 4. This will be a white page

9. Click on the wand tab(create object) and select point, Click on your map and create a settlement(less 100) and click ok

6. Next is to import your waterways

A. Click on file, import and select ESRIshape(*.shp)

B. Go to your download water ways folder and open the subfolder hydrography and click on NHDArea

1. Select type of objects, click on from list tab and select 0X0045Blue- Unknown,hit next

2. Select source of labels, click on the GNIS_Name tab, hit next

3. Select source coordinate system, make sure datum is WGS84, hit next

4. Select zoom levels to import, check levels 0,1,2,3, hit finish

C. Click on file, import and select ESRIshape(*.shp)

D. Go to your download water ways folder and open the subfolder hydrography and click on NHDFlowline

1. Select type of objects, click on from list tab and select 0X0001River ,hit next

2. Select source of labels, click on the GNIS_Name tab, hit next

3. Select source coordinate system, make sure datum is WGS84, hit next

4. Select zoom levels to import, check levels 0,1,2 hit finish

E. Click on file, import and select ESRIshape(*.shp)

F. Go to your download water ways folder and open the subfolder hydrography and click on NHDWaterbody

1. Select type of objects, click on from list tab and select 0X003bBlue- Unknown,hit next

2. Select source of labels, click on the GNIS_Name tab, hit next

3. Select source coordinate system, make sure datum is WGS84, hit next

4. Select zoom levels to import, check levels 0,1,2 hit finish

G. Go to view, levels and select level0

H. Next go to tools and select trim. Trace the area around your elevation data then right click and select trim outside(this gets rid of extra water ways)

I. Click on tools, remove object duplicates

 

7. Click on file, map properties, Click on the cGPSMapper Tab and make sure the Map transparent box is still checked if not check again and hit apply

8. Click on file save map as and save your file (Polish format(*.mp,*txt.)

9. Click on “File > Export GarminIMG/cgpsmapper.exe”. (This program has to be downloaded prior so look at the website in this step), name your file and save it, then search for the cgpsmapper.exe file that you saved earlier and click on run and wait until it says “Export is complete” and click “Ok”.

END of gpsmapedit☺

1. Find your newly created .img file and change the name to the 8 digit number that you gave the map in step 4B.

2. You can now send the map image to your GPS or Mapsource. My instructions follow:

3. Create and compile your map using cGPSmapper. You must give it a name of all numbers: ex. 10000123.img. (You already did this in Step B2.)

4. Create a folder named “custom” under the Garmin folder and copy your custom map to it. (Only do this for the 1st map ONLY.)

5. Copy cGPSmapper.exe to the same folder.

6. Copy test_pv.txt (found in the Test_Map folder of cGPSmapper) to your custom folder.

7. Edit test_pv.txt (using NotePad or WordPad – works best) so it looks something like this and “File > Save”:

 

[Map]

FileName=CINtopo ‘ anything

MapVersion=100

ProductCode=111 ‘ a different number for each custom map (not sure this matters)

Color=32

 

Levels=2

Level0=20 ‘ this should be the least detailed (but not empty) layer on your map

Level1=17 ‘ anything

 

Zoom0=5

Zoom1=6

 

MapsourceName=CINtopo ‘ anything (this will be the name of the files and registry entry)

MapSetName=CT ‘ anything

CDSetName=CT ‘ anything

Copy1=Garmin

Copy2=Stan

[End-Map]

‘ You should do this - delete the Dictionary section that shows up in your “test_pv.txt file”.

[Files]

img=10000123.img ‘This is your map file name. *** MUST be numbers ***

‘ YOU CAN HAVE SEVERAL OF THESE “img” LINES. They will all be compiled into a single preview map, and you can select and upload them to your GPS individually using Mapsource.

[END-Files]

8. Open a “command window” (DOS prompt): Start > Run, type “cmd” and click “OK”.

9. Now type “cd c:\garmin\custom” in the command window to change the directory to the “custom” folder and click “Enter”.

10. Create the preview files: type “cgpsmapper pv test_pv.txt” and click “Enter”. This creates a small preview map file (.img), a table file (.TDB) and a registry file (.reg).

 

You Don’t Have To Do Steps 11-13 Except For You’re 1st Custom Map ONLY

11. Edit the registry file (i.e. CINtopo.reg) that was just created in your “Custom” folder: Right click on it and select Edit. Change the folders (directories) so they point to your custom folder. Yes, you need the double back-slashes:

 

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Garmin\MapSource\Products\CINtopo]

“LOC”=”C:\\Garmin\\custom\\”

“BMAP”=”C:\\Garmin\\custom\\CINtopo.img”

“TDB”=”C:\\Garmin\\custom\\CINtopo.tdb”

and click File > Save.

12. Run the registry file (double click it) that you edited in your “custom” folder and select “yes” to load it into your registry.

13. Open Mapsource. If you made a registry file mistake you will get an error saying to reinstall MapSource. Don’t worry, you don’t have to reinstall. Just run “regedit” (seek help if unsure about this!) and remove the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Garmin\MapSource\Products\CINtopo” key. Repeat the above steps until you get it right.

14. You should now see your map listed in MapSource along with your other Garmin maps in the ‘Product’ list as “CINtopo”.

15. Select (click) your map and the preview map will show up in the map area of the screen. Since we did not go to any trouble to make the preview map pretty you will see an outline and not much more. You may be able to zoom in to see more detail of your custom map.

16. You should now be able to use the “Map Tool” to select your custom map for uploading and upload it with your other maps.

Thanks to Groundspeak members GeoBobC and EAParks for all their efforts. Rev.1; 09-29-2006

.

Edited by Bus36
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thanks...i will be looking at this for future references! thanks alot for all the help...how long have you been learning to create TOPO map? and did you encounter any problems in the beginning?

You will probably make some mistakes in the beginning. I have produced three sections so far, but the USGS site seems to be having problems this evening. I produced the last map without needing to look at the directions, so the learning curve isn't that steep. Thanks for a great job, Bus36!

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I downloaded 300 megs of maps this morning with Firefox.

 

Anywho...

 

I've followed these instructions and everything seems to have worked fine except for when I open Mapsource. All I see is the preview map when I "Switch to Product" 10000001, which is the name I gave the map. But under the MAPS tab, there is nothing listed. Where could I have screwed up?

 

Also, I now have 2 10000001.img files, a 36kb file under "C:\Program Files\Garmin\Custom" and a 584kb one originally created by gpsmapedit, in another folder.

Edited by Team Perrito Blanco
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guys...i have trouble...i have my dem2topo open and load one of those DEM file from geobase.ca and it has some topo map on the screen...but i want to see the whole map and move around...but when i use my mouse to click the area...it seems like it zoom in...and keep doing it...i cant figure out how to zoom out or move to a different area to see...and what is it green in color and it makes no sense? are we suppose to read it and tell something out of it? cuz i cant seem to understand what is on the screen lol do we do anything in the dem2topo at all? or we just use the program and convert it to MP files and thats it? i am kind of slow...

 

i am going to turn in now...sleep time...wedding tomorrow...i will follow instruction that is given by Bus36...i wont be having done much at all...wish i could

 

good night and thanks for all the input and help everyone! you are all wonderful! :P

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I downloaded 300 megs of maps this morning with Firefox.

 

Anywho...

 

I've followed these instructions and everything seems to have worked fine except for when I open Mapsource. All I see is the preview map when I "Switch to Product" 10000001, which is the name I gave the map. But under the MAPS tab, there is nothing listed. Where could I have screwed up?

 

Also, I now have 2 10000001.img files, a 36kb file under "C:\Program Files\Garmin\Custom" and a 584kb one originally created by gpsmapedit, in another folder.

I am not quit sure what you mean. I think you are there just don't realize it yet. So when you open up mapsource and the tab that lets you switch between lets say garmin topos and garmin navigator is your maps there. Can you select your newly created map? If so then go to the map selecting tool and click in that area on the map and that should add your map to the map tab. Then you can load it with others to the gps. Also if you want to see your map in mapsource change your detail setting to high or highest and zoom in as far as you can and you will see it. Let me know if this works. Also you can add the second img to the mapset too. Move the all the imgs you want to, to the custom folder and then add the img name to the test_pv file. Then all you have to do is rerun the test_pv. Once you do the registry you never have to do it again.

Edited by Bus36
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guys...i have trouble...i have my dem2topo open and load one of those DEM file from geobase.ca and it has some topo map on the screen...but i want to see the whole map and move around...but when i use my mouse to click the area...it seems like it zoom in...and keep doing it...i cant figure out how to zoom out or move to a different area to see...and what is it green in color and it makes no sense? are we suppose to read it and tell something out of it? cuz i cant seem to understand what is on the screen lol do we do anything in the dem2topo at all? or we just use the program and convert it to MP files and thats it? i am kind of slow...

 

i am going to turn in now...sleep time...wedding tomorrow...i will follow instruction that is given by Bus36...i wont be having done much at all...wish i could

 

good night and thanks for all the input and help everyone! you are all wonderful! :laughing:

No need to click anything. Dem2topo will shrink or expand any file you add to fill the whole screen. Once it is loaded just simply click creat .mp file and watch it work then proceed.

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I downloaded 300 megs of maps this morning with Firefox.

 

Anywho...

 

I've followed these instructions and everything seems to have worked fine except for when I open Mapsource. All I see is the preview map when I "Switch to Product" 10000001, which is the name I gave the map. But under the MAPS tab, there is nothing listed. Where could I have screwed up?

 

Also, I now have 2 10000001.img files, a 36kb file under "C:\Program Files\Garmin\Custom" and a 584kb one originally created by gpsmapedit, in another folder.

I am not quit sure what you mean. I think you are there just don't realize it yet. So when you open up mapsource and the tab that lets you switch between lets say garmin topos and garmin navigator is your maps there. Can you select your newly created map? If so then go to the map selecting tool and click in that area on the map and that should add your map to the map tab. Then you can load it with others to the gps. Also if you want to see your map in mapsource change your detail setting to high or highest and zoom in as far as you can and you will see it. Let me know if this works. Also you can add the second img to the mapset too. Move the all the imgs you want to, to the custom folder and then add the img name to the test_pv file. Then all you have to do is rerun the test_pv. Once you do the registry you never have to do it again.

 

OK, I got to upload it from Mapsource. But, 2 things.

1. I think it erased the maps I already had loaded.

2. I'm not seeing the uploaded map on my 60CS either.

 

Any ideas? I hope I can locate my CDs!

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OK, I got to upload it from Mapsource. But, 2 things.

1. I think it erased the maps I already had loaded.

2. I'm not seeing the uploaded map on my 60CS either.

 

Any ideas? I hope I can locate my CDs!

Any time you load maps into your gps it erases that maps already on there. Just select your custom map and also select any other maps you want to load and it will load all of them. Right now I have city navigator, garmin topos and my custom topos. Hope this helps. If not give a better description of what is going on.

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Any time you load maps into your gps it erases that maps already on there. Just select your custom map and also select any other maps you want to load and it will load all of them. Right now I have city navigator, garmin topos and my custom topos. Hope this helps. If not give a better description of what is going on.

 

I wish I'd known that before I did it.

 

OK, I'm able to see the topo map I've created on my GPSr. But it looks like the preview map, not the pretty detailed one. How does the program know to upload the main IMG and not the preview IMG? Where is the preview IMG supposed to be and where is the big IMG supposed to be?

 

I'm also seeing the contours, all of them, from 3 miles on in. It doesn't seem to be getting more detailed as I zoom in and I also don't see the 10 ft. contours. I set up the map to be 10,50,250 contours. It's also not transparent. Should I go back to the MP file and work forward from there?

 

Thanx for your patience! I plan on doing all of the maps for Northern NJ and sharing them with all of my brothers and sisters in the NNJC.

 

medium-smiley-064.gif

Edited by Team Perrito Blanco
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Well here it is finally. Step by step to make custom topos. If you get stumped just ask and I will try to help. Also if you make some please share them so others can use them. Go to http://mapcenter.cgpsmapper.com/ and upload you finished mp file. Well here it is. If you have any suggestions on how to make it better please do so. You can also copy and paste it in word for easier reading.

 

Most informations is from http://home.cinci.rr.com/creek/garmin.htm

Making Custom TOPO maps:

1. Download the following programs and install them:

A. DEM2TOPO from: http://people.uleth.ca/~brad.gom/dem2topo/index.htm

B. IDL Virtual Machine (IDL VM) from: http://www.rsinc.com

C. GPSMapEdit from www.geopainting.com

D. cGPSMapper from www.cgpsmapper.com

2. Go to http://seamless.usgs.gov/and download high resolution DEM data (for Canada go to http://www.geobase.ca/geobase/en/index.html)

A. Make sure to visit the FAQ if running SP2 for XP and allow downloads and make trusted site in order to get info.

B. for usgs click on view and download U.S. data

C. Click on the zoom in tool and zoom in to your area of interest

D. Use either define download area tool under downloads or define area by coordinates tool to download your area

E. An SDDS Request Summary Page will appear, click on modify data request

F. Uncheck the National Elevation Dataset (NED) 1 Arc Second, let the page refresh

G. Check National Elevation Dataset (NED) 1/3 Arc Second box, let the page refresh

H. Change form ArcGrid to GeoTiff, scroll to the bottom of the page

I. Change the Maximum size (MB) per piece from 100 to 50mb (I found that working with files under 50 mb is easier and faster)

J. Click save changes & Return to summary.

K. Click on download and save your data, unzip you files, save the data anywhere you want just don’t forget where you put it.

3. Next is to convert the GeoTiff to an .mp file (an mp file is a file that we will manipulate latter on)

A. Double-click on dem2topo.sav to start the program, IDL will start and run dem2topo

B. Select units feet or meters, set your minor contour intervals, set your intermediate contour interval, and your major contour interval ( I set them to 20 feet, 200 feet, and 500 feet…..for minor contour intervals less than 10 feet makes your map very cluttered)

C. Change your plot refresh interval to 99

D. Next click on Select DEM files, find your GeoTiff file and open it (select DEM file if you are from Canada here)

E. Your map screen will go black while it is loading so give it time

F. After it has loaded simply click on create .mp file and watch it work

4. Next is to download your water data(if you don’t need nor want water data skip this part)

A. Go to http://nhdgeo.usgs.gov/viewer.htm

B. Zoom in to your area of interest

C. Under layers open the Hydrologic Units and put a check in the Subbasins box(anytime you check a box that item will show up on the map when you hit redraw the map, so you can turn on cities or counties to figure out where you are)

D. Next open the NHD High Res tab, you may or may not see anything here, ,the more you zoom in the more things that show up to turn on or off,so keep zooming in and something should show up here.

E. When the NHD High Res data shows up put a check in the box for the following:NHDFlowline,NHDArea,NHDWaterbody

F. Next put a dot in the circle of Subbasins, Subbasins will now have a checked box and dotted circle(the dotted circle tells the download what to download while the checked box tells what to display on the map)

G. Click on the polygon extract tool, click in the area you want to download,

H. A NHD Geodatabase Extract should appear, For #1 put a dot in High Resolution, for #2 put a dot in the shapefile, #3 enter your email address

I. A link will be emailed to you to download the data, It might take a while so be patient, when you get the data unzip and save where you can remember.

5. Next is to edit the .mp file in GPSmapedit

A. Open gpsmapedit, click file open and choose your .mp file

B. . Click on file then map properties and do the following:

1. change type set to Garmin

2. give the map an 8 digit ID number

3. give the map a name

4. click on the levels tab and hit the insert before tab do this until you have level0= through level5=

5. Change the settings to look like this

Level0=24 bits mapsource zoom=under1.2km

Level1=23 bits mapsource zoom=1.2-3km

Level2=22 bits mapsource zoom=3-8km

Level3=20 bits mapsource zoom=8-12km

Level4=19 bits mapsource zoom=12-30km

Level5=18 bits mapsource zoom=50-120km

6. Click on the cGPSMapper Tab and check the Map is transparent box

7. Click apply

8. Next click on view, then levels and select level 4. This will be a white page

9. Click on the wand tab(create object) and select point, Click on your map and create a settlement(less 100) and click ok

6. Next is to import your waterways

A. Click on file, import and select ESRIshape(*.shp)

B. Go to your download water ways folder and open the subfolder hydrography and click on NHDArea

1. Select type of objects, click on from list tab and select 0X0045Blue- Unknown,hit next

2. Select source of labels, click on the GNIS_Name tab, hit next

3. Select source coordinate system, make sure datum is WGS84, hit next

4. Select zoom levels to import, check levels 0,1,2,3, hit finish

C. Click on file, import and select ESRIshape(*.shp)

D. Go to your download water ways folder and open the subfolder hydrography and click on NHDFlowline

1. Select type of objects, click on from list tab and select 0X0001River ,hit next

2. Select source of labels, click on the GNIS_Name tab, hit next

3. Select source coordinate system, make sure datum is WGS84, hit next

4. Select zoom levels to import, check levels 0,1,2 hit finish

E. Click on file, import and select ESRIshape(*.shp)

F. Go to your download water ways folder and open the subfolder hydrography and click on NHDWaterbody

1. Select type of objects, click on from list tab and select 0X003bBlue- Unknown,hit next

2. Select source of labels, click on the GNIS_Name tab, hit next

3. Select source coordinate system, make sure datum is WGS84, hit next

4. Select zoom levels to import, check levels 0,1,2 hit finish

G. Go to view, levels and select level0

H. Next go to tools and select trim. Trace the area around your elevation data then right click and select trim outside(this gets rid of extra water ways)

I. Click on tools, remove object duplicates

 

7. Click on file, map properties, Click on the cGPSMapper Tab and make sure the Map transparent box is still checked if not check again and hit apply

8. Click on file save map as and save your file (Polish format(*.mp,*txt.)

9. Click on “File > Export GarminIMG/cgpsmapper.exe”. (This program has to be downloaded prior so look at the website in this step), name your file and save it, then search for the cgpsmapper.exe file that you saved earlier and click on run and wait until it says “Export is complete” and click “Ok”.

END of gpsmapedit☺

1. Find your newly created .img file and change the name to the 8 digit number that you gave the map in step 4B.

2. You can now send the map image to your GPS or Mapsource. My instructions follow:

3. Create and compile your map using cGPSmapper. You must give it a name of all numbers: ex. 10000123.img. (You already did this in Step B2.)

4. Create a folder named “custom” under the Garmin folder and copy your custom map to it. (Only do this for the 1st map ONLY.)

5. Copy cGPSmapper.exe to the same folder.

6. Copy test_pv.txt (found in the Test_Map folder of cGPSmapper) to your custom folder.

7. Edit test_pv.txt (using NotePad or WordPad – works best) so it looks something like this and “File > Save”:

 

[Map]

FileName=CINtopo ‘ anything

MapVersion=100

ProductCode=111 ‘ a different number for each custom map (not sure this matters)

Color=32

 

Levels=2

Level0=20 ‘ this should be the least detailed (but not empty) layer on your map

Level1=17 ‘ anything

 

Zoom0=5

Zoom1=6

 

MapsourceName=CINtopo ‘ anything (this will be the name of the files and registry entry)

MapSetName=CT ‘ anything

CDSetName=CT ‘ anything

Copy1=Garmin

Copy2=Stan

[End-Map]

‘ You should do this - delete the Dictionary section that shows up in your “test_pv.txt file”.

[Files]

img=10000123.img ‘This is your map file name. *** MUST be numbers ***

‘ YOU CAN HAVE SEVERAL OF THESE “img” LINES. They will all be compiled into a single preview map, and you can select and upload them to your GPS individually using Mapsource.

[END-Files]

8. Open a “command window” (DOS prompt): Start > Run, type “cmd” and click “OK”.

9. Now type “cd c:\garmin\custom” in the command window to change the directory to the “custom” folder and click “Enter”.

10. Create the preview files: type “cgpsmapper pv test_pv.txt” and click “Enter”. This creates a small preview map file (.img), a table file (.TDB) and a registry file (.reg).

 

You Don’t Have To Do Steps 11-13 Except For You’re 1st Custom Map ONLY

11. Edit the registry file (i.e. CINtopo.reg) that was just created in your “Custom” folder: Right click on it and select Edit. Change the folders (directories) so they point to your custom folder. Yes, you need the double back-slashes:

 

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Garmin\MapSource\Products\CINtopo]

“LOC”=”C:\\Garmin\\custom\\”

“BMAP”=”C:\\Garmin\\custom\\CINtopo.img”

“TDB”=”C:\\Garmin\\custom\\CINtopo.tdb”

and click File > Save.

12. Run the registry file (double click it) that you edited in your “custom” folder and select “yes” to load it into your registry.

13. Open Mapsource. If you made a registry file mistake you will get an error saying to reinstall MapSource. Don’t worry, you don’t have to reinstall. Just run “regedit” (seek help if unsure about this!) and remove the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Garmin\MapSource\Products\CINtopo” key. Repeat the above steps until you get it right.

14. You should now see your map listed in MapSource along with your other Garmin maps in the ‘Product’ list as “CINtopo”.

15. Select (click) your map and the preview map will show up in the map area of the screen. Since we did not go to any trouble to make the preview map pretty you will see an outline and not much more. You may be able to zoom in to see more detail of your custom map.

16. You should now be able to use the “Map Tool” to select your custom map for uploading and upload it with your other maps.

Thanks to Groundspeak members GeoBobC and EAParks for all their efforts. Rev.1; 09-29-2006

.

 

You mean that's all there is to it? :laughing:

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I downloaded 300 megs of maps this morning with Firefox.

 

Anywho...

 

I've followed these instructions and everything seems to have worked fine except for when I open Mapsource. All I see is the preview map when I "Switch to Product" 10000001, which is the name I gave the map. But under the MAPS tab, there is nothing listed. Where could I have screwed up?

 

Also, I now have 2 10000001.img files, a 36kb file under "C:\Program Files\Garmin\Custom" and a 584kb one originally created by gpsmapedit, in another folder.

you need to select the map using the select map tool. This reminds me .... instruction under item IB3 should be ammended to add the following - the name you select is the name that appears for the map when selected in Mapsource.

Edited by GeoidPS
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hey bus36!! where do i go for this

 

A. Make sure to visit the FAQ if running SP2 for XP and allow downloads and make trusted site in order to get info.??? i have only firefox...so what should i do? i cant use explorer, cuz it got a virus and i couldnt use it....crap...viruses lol firefox doesnt seem to have trouble

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OK, I'm almost there. A couple of questions though:

  1. What exactly determines the name of the "Product" in the pulldown list in Mapsource"? i.e. Metroguide, US Topo, etc.
  2. What exactly determines the name of the maps in the map list?

Is it something in the registry, the "test_pv.txt" file, the IMG or TDB files? I'd like to nail this down so when I distribute these maps, they have a professional look.

 

Also,

When doing the following:

4. click on the levels tab and hit the insert before tab do this until you have level0= through level5=

5. Change the settings to look like this

Level0=24 bits mapsource zoom=under1.2km

Level1=23 bits mapsource zoom=1.2-3km

Level2=22 bits mapsource zoom=3-8km

Level3=20 bits mapsource zoom=8-12km

Level4=19 bits mapsource zoom=12-30km

Level5=18 bits mapsource zoom=50-120km

6. Click on the cGPSMapper Tab and check the Map is transparent box

7. Click apply

8. Next click on view, then levels and select level 4. This will be a white page

9. Click on the wand tab(create object) and select point, Click on your map and create a settlement(less 100) and click ok

Make sure you have the level at the bottom of the list selected when you click the "Insert Before" tab. I must have had a different one selected and ended up with my major contours showing up on level 4. I ignored it the first time around but then figured it out and tried the way I describe and it didn't repeat.

 

And...

On the following instruction:

C. Click on file, import and select ESRIshape(*.shp)

D. Go to your download water ways folder and open the subfolder hydrography and click on NHDFlowline

1. Select type of objects, click on from list tab and select 0X0001River ,hit next

I didn't see 0X0001River, but a 0X001f-River. Is this correct?

 

Isn't this fun?

36_1_37.gif

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OK, I'm almost there. A couple of questions though:

  1. What exactly determines the name of the "Product" in the pulldown list in Mapsource"? i.e. Metroguide, US Topo, etc.
  2. What exactly determines the name of the maps in the map list?

Is it something in the registry, the "test_pv.txt" file, the IMG or TDB files? I'd like to nail this down so when I distribute these maps, they have a professional look.

 

In "test_pv.txt":

MapsourceName= is the name that will show up in the MapSource application

CDSetName= is the name that will show on the Map Setup page in your GPSr.

The individual map segment names come from the mapedit application in file/map properties, but I forget the name of the tab, it is the one where you give the segment a numerical name and a "friendly name". I just deleted all my .mp files, so I can't confirm it for sure.

Edited by Klatch
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Thanks Klatch, for the screen shot, how much of an area (feet, miles) does your map cover ?

If you mean the screen shot, you can see the 500 foot scale on the screen. If you mean each segment, it seems to vary depending on the topography because I try to stay near the 50 mb limit suggested by Bus36 - more rugged terrain = more contour intervals = more data? Just my impression. I tried larger segments and it really takes a long time for some of the apps to process them. I would say my average segment is about 15 miles square (225 sq. mi.), some more, and some less.

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4. click on the levels tab and hit the insert before tab do this until you have level0= through level5=

5. Change the settings to look like this

Level0=24 bits mapsource zoom=under1.2km

Level1=23 bits mapsource zoom=1.2-3km

Level2=22 bits mapsource zoom=3-8km

Level3=20 bits mapsource zoom=8-12km

Level4=19 bits mapsource zoom=12-30km

Level5=18 bits mapsource zoom=50-120km

 

I just noticed these values are different than the ones posted on the web page. What difference will I see?

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In "test_pv.txt":

MapsourceName= is the name that will show up in the MapSource application

CDSetName= is the name that will show on the Map Setup page in your GPSr.

The individual map segment names come from the mapedit application in file/map properties, but I forget the name of the tab, it is the one where you give the segment a numerical name and a "friendly name". I just deleted all my .mp files, so I can't confirm it for sure.

Thanx Klatch.

 

Anyone...

How can I get some basic bounderies to show up on my preview map file in Mapsource?

Are state, county and town bounderies available in the stuff we've downloaded?

If it can be included in the preview map, can it somehow NOT be visible in the maps uploaded in to the GPSr?

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4. click on the levels tab and hit the insert before tab do this until you have level0= through level5=

5. Change the settings to look like this

Level0=24 bits mapsource zoom=under1.2km

Level1=23 bits mapsource zoom=1.2-3km

Level2=22 bits mapsource zoom=3-8km

Level3=20 bits mapsource zoom=8-12km

Level4=19 bits mapsource zoom=12-30km

Level5=18 bits mapsource zoom=50-120km

 

I just noticed these values are different than the ones posted on the web page. What difference will I see?

 

Well, I'm using 10', 50' and 250' for my contour intervals. With the above level settings, they are just a little too dense for my taste. If the lowest you go is 20' contours, these settings may be fine. I may try the website's level settings and compare. Or should I go with 10', 20' and 100' AND the website's level settings? Hmmm...

d6954bbe44b0aa08f2efed9c7284ce9f.gif

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4. click on the levels tab and hit the insert before tab do this until you have level0= through level5=

5. Change the settings to look like this

Level0=24 bits mapsource zoom=under1.2km

Level1=23 bits mapsource zoom=1.2-3km

Level2=22 bits mapsource zoom=3-8km

Level3=20 bits mapsource zoom=8-12km

Level4=19 bits mapsource zoom=12-30km

Level5=18 bits mapsource zoom=50-120km

 

I just noticed these values are different than the ones posted on the web page. What difference will I see?

 

Well, I'm using 10', 50' and 250' for my contour intervals. With the above level settings, they are just a little too dense for my taste. If the lowest you go is 20' contours, these settings may be fine. I may try the website's level settings and compare. Or should I go with 10', 20' and 100' AND the website's level settings? Hmmm...

d6954bbe44b0aa08f2efed9c7284ce9f.gif

The nice thing is you can change the contour settings and make them as you want. I just posted something that works well for me here in Western Pa. I would say just try different settings and see how it works out. Anyways are you still having problems? Is the detail changing on the gps when you zoom in and out. If not feel free to send me your finished .mp file, your finished .img file, and your test_pv file and I can take a look at them to see if I can find a mistake. Let me know. Hopefully it is working.

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In "test_pv.txt":

MapsourceName= is the name that will show up in the MapSource application

CDSetName= is the name that will show on the Map Setup page in your GPSr.

The individual map segment names come from the mapedit application in file/map properties, but I forget the name of the tab, it is the one where you give the segment a numerical name and a "friendly name". I just deleted all my .mp files, so I can't confirm it for sure.

Thanx Klatch.

 

Anyone...

How can I get some basic bounderies to show up on my preview map file in Mapsource?

Are state, county and town bounderies available in the stuff we've downloaded?

If it can be included in the preview map, can it somehow NOT be visible in the maps uploaded in to the GPSr?

I haven't played around to much with the preview map so I really can't help you here. As long as my maps show up I am happy with it. You might be able to find tuff how to make the preview map better but I am not sure.

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4. click on the levels tab and hit the insert before tab do this until you have level0= through level5=

5. Change the settings to look like this

Level0=24 bits mapsource zoom=under1.2km

Level1=23 bits mapsource zoom=1.2-3km

Level2=22 bits mapsource zoom=3-8km

Level3=20 bits mapsource zoom=8-12km

Level4=19 bits mapsource zoom=12-30km

Level5=18 bits mapsource zoom=50-120km

 

I just noticed these values are different than the ones posted on the web page. What difference will I see?

Basically the reason I made it this way is as you zoom in you should see more detail. The level 1 and level 2 are set to a higher bits so that you can see more detail when zoomed a little further out. Another thing that changes of the maps are displayed is to change the detail settings on the gps from normal, more, most.

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The nice thing is you can change the contour settings and make them as you want. I just posted something that works well for me here in Western Pa. I would say just try different settings and see how it works out. Anyways are you still having problems? Is the detail changing on the gps when you zoom in and out. If not feel free to send me your finished .mp file, your finished .img file, and your test_pv file and I can take a look at them to see if I can find a mistake. Let me know. Hopefully it is working.

 

I think the problem was there due to my not having the level at the bottom of the list selected when I inserted more levels. :)

 

I haven't played around to much with the preview map so I really can't help you here. As long as my maps show up I am happy with it. You might be able to find tuff how to make the preview map better but I am not sure.

 

It just that when I'm zoomed out looking at the map set in Mapsource, I see nothing but the rectangles representing the map panels. I'd like something to get an idea of what map panels represent what area.

 

What do you think about this?:

Maybe placing this other map info on a higher level that's set to something like 15mi, which level 4 at 18 bits is. No one views their GPSr at that level anyway so it wouldn't matter if it showed up there.

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Everytime I go to the USGS site I get this error, can someone tell me what this is, and how to fix it or is there something wrong with the USGS site

I just tried and it's working for me. How long have you been trying? The "js" makes me think it's a Javascript error of some kind. Is your javascript enabled?

 

Thanks 'Team Perrito Blanco, that's what it was the javascript was disabled

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Thanks Klatch, for the screen shot, how much of an area (feet, miles) does your map cover ?

If you mean the screen shot, you can see the 500 foot scale on the screen. If you mean each segment, it seems to vary depending on the topography because I try to stay near the 50 mb limit suggested by Bus36 - more rugged terrain = more contour intervals = more data? Just my impression. I tried larger segments and it really takes a long time for some of the apps to process them. I would say my average segment is about 15 miles square (225 sq. mi.), some more, and some less.

 

Thanks Klatch, that answered my question (225 sq. mi.)

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The nice thing is you can change the contour settings and make them as you want. I just posted something that works well for me here in Western Pa. I would say just try different settings and see how it works out. Anyways are you still having problems? Is the detail changing on the gps when you zoom in and out. If not feel free to send me your finished .mp file, your finished .img file, and your test_pv file and I can take a look at them to see if I can find a mistake. Let me know. Hopefully it is working.

 

I think the problem was there due to my not having the level at the bottom of the list selected when I inserted more levels. :)

 

I haven't played around to much with the preview map so I really can't help you here. As long as my maps show up I am happy with it. You might be able to find tuff how to make the preview map better but I am not sure.

 

It just that when I'm zoomed out looking at the map set in Mapsource, I see nothing but the rectangles representing the map panels. I'd like something to get an idea of what map panels represent what area.

 

What do you think about this?:

Maybe placing this other map info on a higher level that's set to something like 15mi, which level 4 at 18 bits is. No one views their GPSr at that level anyway so it wouldn't matter if it showed up there.

Check this link out. It might help you out a little. I haven't tried any of this but you might.

http://damel.blogspot.com/

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i am stuck on # 5

 

5. Next is to edit the .mp file in GPSmapedit

A. Open gpsmapedit, click file open and choose your .mp file

B. . Click on file then map properties and do the following:

 

when i open the file i've created in dem2topo, it shows blank page...i cant see anything...i think i saw like brown lines before....but now it is totally empty for ALL the files that i've made in dem2topo

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i am stuck on # 5

 

5. Next is to edit the .mp file in GPSmapedit

A. Open gpsmapedit, click file open and choose your .mp file

B. . Click on file then map properties and do the following:

 

when i open the file i've created in dem2topo, it shows blank page...i cant see anything...i think i saw like brown lines before....but now it is totally empty for ALL the files that i've made in dem2topo

Go to view/levels and look at level 0 or 1.

Edited by Klatch
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i got that #9 too....sorry...but now i am not able to import waterways...cuz i couldnt find one for my area...so i am safe to skip this step right?

Since I have a fairly good Mapsource maps that show streams and rivers, I don't add waterways to my homemade topo maps at all. So I guess the answer is "yes".

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i couldnt complete these steps...got stuck

 

7. Click on file, map properties, Click on the cGPSMapper Tab and make sure the Map transparent box is still checked if not check again and hit apply

8. Click on file save map as and save your file (Polish format(*.mp,*txt.)

9. Click on “File > Export GarminIMG/cgpsmapper.exe”. (This program has to be downloaded prior so look at the website in this step), name your file and save it, then search for the cgpsmapper.exe file that you saved earlier and click on run and wait until it says “Export is complete” and click “Ok”.

END of gpsmapedit☺

 

here is an image of my error and the text for it :rolleyes:

 

erroroi4.jpg

 

and the message of the error is: :D

 

*******************************************************************************

cGPSmapper a GIS converter into GARMIN compatible format maps

Version : 0089b Jun 13 2006

Copyright© Stanislaw Kozicki, 2000-2006

cgpsmapper@gmail.com

 

THIS IS A FREE / SHAREWARE / PERSONAL VERSION OF CGPSMAPPER - YOU CAN USE

IT ONLY IF YOU AGREE WITH CGPSMAPPER NON COMMERCIAL LICENCE TERMS OF USE

BE SURE TO READ LICENCE.TXT FILE WHICH COMES TOGETHER WITH CGPSMAPPER

OR GO TO HTTP://CGPSMAPPER.COM

*******************************************************************************

Non Commercial only - Free cGPSmapper version

*******************************************************************************

Custom type definition : YES

ESRI data support : NO

POI full info : NO

POI indexing : NO

City indexing : NO

Find intersection support : NO

Street numbers support : NO

Street full address : NOa

Global indexing support : NO

Auto-routing support : NO

Marine types : NO

Marine extended support : NO

*******************************************************************************

Garmin and MapSource are registered trademark or trademarks of

Garmin Ltd. or one of its subsidiaries.

*******************************************************************************

cGPSMapper home page: http://cgpsmapper.com

*******************************************************************************

Importing data

 

M:\dem2topo\DEM\040i09_0200_demeDONE.mp(27) : Error E021: Grid definition for layers must be descending (check LevelX keys in ID).

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Both the Levels and the MapSource zoom levels must be in ascending order or the file will not compile in gpsmapper.exe.

Open your .mp file in GPSMapEdit and go to file/Map Properties/levels:

 

78b0d34f-7205-4f80-8b06-00dffa201908.jpg

 

Edit: can't decide if I should call that ascending or descending order. Just make it look like that.

Edited by Klatch
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Well, I did it! I made my first custom topo map and loaded it into my 60CSx with no problems. The mp file was about 50 MB and the only time I got concerned was the exporting to the cgpsmapper - it seemed to take forever. I also downloaded and added water ways - that worked fine. Thanks to all of you for an excellent set of instructions. :unsure: For those of you who are having problems, keep at it and follow the instructions verbatum - they really work! Someone should send a set of these instructions to the Garmin cartographers. :laughing:

 

The difference in the topography resolution & definition between the MapSource and the"MeSource" maps is considerable. And the contours and contour intervals seem to be smoother and are even-numbered! This provides the resolution that I was hoping for. I have a few 'map management' questions that I will ask in case any of you have some suggestions. Sorry for the wordiness.

 

1. I have 60CSx with the MapSource Topo US. I have many 1000s of square miles of the MapSource Topo loaded on my 1 GB microSD chip (which is cool because it is so seamless and extensive). However, that means that I have 450+ maps to scroll through if I want to turn the commercial version (or my version) on or off. I like having access to all the maps but realize this makes for a map management problem. Is there any way to re-order maps in the unit (scrolling under Map Setup) so I can switch maps on the fly much easier? The maps do not seem to be ordered alphabetically.

 

2. One of the reasons for wanting to switch maps (MapSource to 'MeSource' and visa versa) is because the MapSource Topo has better roads and other features (US Forest boundaries, etc). However, these roads and features are still 10-15+ years out of date. I believe someone posted (in the instructions?) that the roads, boundaries, and other cultural features that we can download are not as good as those in MapSource. Is that correct or should I be downloading roads & culture when I make my next map? Are the rural roads & cultural features (non-urban incluing US Forest roads, etc.) better in the MapSource City Navigator than in MS Topo? Right now, I am layering Topo US over my created version which is okay except for some bunched up contours in places.

 

The ability to create more detailed topo maps is a great tool and a lot of fun to play with. And although this is definitely on the right road, I'm still looking for that perfect solution (up-to-date topo with up-to-date culture & roads).

 

Thanks again, Bus36, Klatch, EAParks, GeoBobC, all the others who came through on this topic.

 

rray6

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