Please help creating offroad routes

[+Team_FussyPants]

Ok, I did a search for this and cant seem to find the answer for my question. What I'm trying to do is create routes for doing some backcountry riding on my dirtbike. I would like to create routes leading me to caches and other cool locations. I have mapsource software with city navigator and the topo maps for my area, but the problem is they dont show all the dirt roads and trails that I need to create my routes. Ideally what I would like to do is create a route on google maps or earth and use the satellite images to lay out my path, then somehow transfer that my gps (Legend HCX), although from what I have read that doesn't seem possible. Has anyone found a way to do this? Thanks in advance!

[+Team CowboyPapa]

I do that with my DeLorme Topo USA 8.0 software, mapping application.

I use that to lay track lines over the lighter traces of 4WD and other trails visible on the Color Aerial Photo Imagery.

I've downloaded this imagery using my $30 annual subscription to downloaded and unlimited amount in that period.

I can then transfer these images with the proposed tracks and trails onto my handheld DeLorme PN-40 GPSr.

http://www.amazon.com/Delorme-AE-7985-201-...8014&sr=8-1

I've also download unlimited amounts of USGS 24K 3DTQ maps, which can also be transferred onto my GPSr.

[JDiablo]

Ok, I did a search for this and cant seem to find the answer for my question. What I'm trying to do is create routes for doing some backcountry riding on my dirtbike. I would like to create routes leading me to caches and other cool locations. I have mapsource software with city navigator and the topo maps for my area, but the problem is they dont show all the dirt roads and trails that I need to create my routes. Ideally what I would like to do is create a route on google maps or earth and use the satellite images to lay out my path, then somehow transfer that my gps (Legend HCX), although from what I have read that doesn't seem possible. Has anyone found a way to do this? Thanks in advance!

I was reading about how to do that on this forum:

http://forums.gpsfiledepot.com/index.php

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

There's plenty of mapping software that will allow you to trace tracks on aerial photos. USA PhotoMaps is a free one.

[+Rockin Roddy]

There's plenty of mapping software that will allow you to trace tracks on aerial photos. USA PhotoMaps is a free one.

 

However, putting them on your Garmin is NOT an option...sorry.

[+Searching_ut]

There's plenty of mapping software that will allow you to trace tracks on aerial photos. USA PhotoMaps is a free one.

 

However, putting them on your Garmin is NOT an option...sorry.

 

You can trace it out, and either upload it as a route which, isn't particularly detailed, or upload it as a track. I generally use expertGPS to do this, mostly out of habit as I was doing it with my old yellow etrex 8 plus years ago. That unit didn't allow map uploads, but you could still see the track on the "Map" page. With the newer ones, the track will be overlaid on the map you are displaying. With my Dakota, I can upload hundreds of tracks, change the colors etc which is an easy way to map out trails prior to your adventure.

 

edited to add, I'm pretty sure the free usa photo maps allows the same thing, or you can try a trial version of ExpertGPS

Edited September 28, 2009 by Searching_ut

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

There's plenty of mapping software that will allow you to trace tracks on aerial photos. USA PhotoMaps is a free one.

 

However, putting them on your Garmin is NOT an option...sorry.

 

Just to be clear, you can put these tracks on your Garmin. You can even put aerial imagery on it, but it's a pain.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

I do that with my DeLorme Topo USA 8.0 software, mapping application.

I use that to lay track lines over the lighter traces of 4WD and other trails visible on the Color Aerial Photo Imagery.

OK, now that you have been presented with some other options,

I would like to clarify and elaborate on my description above.

 

When I say lay track lines, I mean that I use the drawing tool in Topo USA 8.0 so draw, trace or sketch over by hand on top of discernible tracks on the photo image.

In so doing I am adding my own content to the previous image such as one might do in editing a photo with Photoshop or MS Paint.

Then I transfer the edited image onto my PN-40.

[+StarBrand]

There's plenty of mapping software that will allow you to trace tracks on aerial photos. USA PhotoMaps is a free one.

 

However, putting them on your Garmin is NOT an option...sorry.

Sure you can - I do it all the time. Trace it out over an aerial image - convert and load.

 

(the route - not the aerial image)

[+Team_FussyPants]

 

However, putting them on your Garmin is NOT an option...sorry.

 

Yeah this is where I seem to hit a wall, I've found plenty of programs that let me create nice pretty routes on a map/image, but actually getting that track to my garmin is an issue.

 

Team CowboyPapa, your method definitely sounds like it has some merit, any idea if the Delorme software plays nice with Garmin GPSr's?

 

I just downloaded the free trial of GeoBuddy, I'll give that a shot, as well as the ExpertGPS that someone mentioned. USA photomaps sounds like it has some potential as well. I guess what I was really hoping for is someone found a way to use the routes created on google earth since its so user friendly and seems to have about the best images out there.

[+StarBrand]

 

However, putting them on your Garmin is NOT an option...sorry.

 

Yeah this is where I seem to hit a wall, I've found plenty of programs that let me create nice pretty routes on a map/image, but actually getting that track to my garmin is an issue.

 

Team CowboyPapa, your method definitely sounds like it has some merit, any idea if the Delorme software plays nice with Garmin GPSr's?

 

I just downloaded the free trial of GeoBuddy, I'll give that a shot, as well as the ExpertGPS that someone mentioned. USA photomaps sounds like it has some potential as well. I guess what I was really hoping for is someone found a way to use the routes created on google earth since its so user friendly and seems to have about the best images out there.

Create your path in Google Earth - save as a kml. Use GPSbabel to convert to GPX. Open in mapsource. Save to GPS. Easy enough.

[+Team_FussyPants]

 

Create your path in Google Earth - save as a kml. Use GPSbabel to convert to GPX. Open in mapsource. Save to GPS. Easy enough.

 

Now we're talkin! I'll give that a shot tonight, I also received a tip that geobuddy gets the job done very well. I'll report back with my findings. Thanks everyone!

[JDiablo]

 

Create your path in Google Earth - save as a kml. Use GPSbabel to convert to GPX. Open in mapsource. Save to GPS. Easy enough.

http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/ will also do a very nice job.

 

To the OP: I'm not sure all the posters here are trying to help you with your present GPS, seems like a couple are recommending you go out and buy a new GPS which isn't necessary at all.

Edited September 28, 2009 by JDiablo

[+Rockin Roddy]

 

Create your path in Google Earth - save as a kml. Use GPSbabel to convert to GPX. Open in mapsource. Save to GPS. Easy enough.

http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/ will also do a very nice job.

 

To the OP: I'm not all the posters here are trying to help you with your present GPS, seems like a couple are recommending you go out and buy a new GPS which isn't necessary at all.

 

If you are saying I'm suggesting this, please DO NOT read more into my posts than what I post! My point was that the aerial cannot be transferred which is what I thought the OP might misunderstand from the post I made my comment on...nothing more.

 

Good reading here too, learning new tricks is always good!!

[+Red90]

My point was that the aerial cannot be transferred which is what I thought the OP might misunderstand from the post I made my comment on...nothing more.

 

Sure it can.

 

But raster mapping is so 1990s....

[JDiablo]

My point was that the aerial cannot be transferred which is what I thought the OP might misunderstand from the post I made my comment on...nothing more.

 

Sure it can.

 

But raster mapping is so 1990s....

Glad to know that my GPSMAP 76CSx isn't broken displaying those sort of images.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

 

Team CowboyPapa, your method definitely sounds like it has some merit, any idea if the Delorme software plays nice with Garmin GPSr's?

 

Absolutely not, as far as transferring the Topo 8 generated imagery and maps to other GPSrs.

 

However, here is an example of one of mine:

Aerial showing faint trace of 4WD trail - going to the east of the bonfire symbol:

http://mapshare.delorme.com/Consumer/V.aspx?p=5sc8c7wx

Here, the red was recorded at I drove and the red squiggly to the east of the icon is where I lost the trail.

The blue is where I drew in a trace over the 4WD trace barely visible on the photo image:

http://mapshare.delorme.com/Consumer/V.aspx?p=wxjgk7fx

Now, I have the red and blue superimposed on the aerial and the composite uploaded to my PN-40 GPS.

I'll be going out there in a week, or so, and I'll be very interested to see if I can transition from the red to the blue as indicated.

 

Now it looks as though you been given some tractable alternatives to try.

If they don't work out, you might look at this again.

[+fegan]

Ideally what I would like to do is create a route on google maps or earth and use the satellite images to lay out my path, then somehow transfer that my gps (Legend HCX), although from what I have read that doesn't seem possible. Has anyone found a way to do this? Thanks in advance!

You used the word 'route' but didn't mention auto-routing...so I'm assuming you just want to see the path of the trail on your GPS, not get turn-by-turn directions along the trail. If that's the case, you should be able to get the trails on your GPS in the same fashion I've loaded trails on my Colorado.

 

All the software used for this is FREE. There are tutorials on the internet for using MapEdit and cGPSmapper, so I won't repeat all that info here.

 

1st Use Google Earth to create your paths by tracing the trails, save as a KML

 

2nd Use the GPS Visualizer website to convert the KML to a GPX

 

3rd Use MapEdit to load the GPX file and convert to MP

 

4th Use cGPSmapper to convert the MP to an IMG (Garmin Map)

 

5th Load the IMG to your GPS

[+Team CowboyPapa]

 

Now, I have the red and blue superimposed on the aerial and the composite uploaded to my PN-40 GPS.

 

 

Fegan has also show some good examples of that which can be accomplished.

Howver, it has made me think of one more item that I did not explicitly express.

After I upload the composite of the blue and red tracks superimposed on the aerial photo image,

it is perfectly registered with respect to the GPSr.

That is, I can follow that hand drawn, blue track exactly as bread crumbs

and the current position indicator will display exactly over it.

[+Rockin Roddy]

My point was that the aerial cannot be transferred which is what I thought the OP might misunderstand from the post I made my comment on...nothing more.

 

Sure it can.

 

But raster mapping is so 1990s....

Glad to know that my GPSMAP 76CSx isn't broken displaying those sort of images.

 

Please post a screenshot if you can. It would be the first Garmin I have seen aerial imagery on. Can you also share how you put that onto your Garmin?

[NordicMan]

The modern Colorado can't do this? This is an OLD article but shows a CO with aerial image on it (?)

 

http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/10/new-g...ial-photo-data/

 

[gitarmac]

tag for the awesome info posted here!

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

It's not an aerial photo, but here is a raster USGS map on a 60CSx...

 

 

This was done using Moagu, which I wrote about at http://gpstracklog.com/2008/04/moagu-brings-us.html

 

I understand this can also be done with Mapwel.

 

The Colorado, Oregon and (presumably) Dakota series have the capability to display raster imagery without using such tools, but so far Garmin has only made such imagery available on marine handhelds and UK topo maps.

[JDiablo]

It's not an aerial photo, but here is a raster USGS map on a 60CSx...

 

 

This was done using Moagu, which I wrote about at http://gpstracklog.com/2008/04/moagu-brings-us.html

 

I understand this can also be done with Mapwel.

 

The Colorado, Oregon and (presumably) Dakota series have the capability to display raster imagery without using such tools, but so far Garmin has only made such imagery available on marine handhelds and UK topo maps.

Here's one that was posted some time ago in this forum by someone called reef mapper.

 

My GPSMAP 76CSx doesn't do screen shots like a Colorado, Oregon or DeLorme. How are you getting them to be able to post?

 

Edit to add: BTW, I use Mapwel, it's like xMap editor for a Garmin for less than $100.

Edited September 29, 2009 by JDiablo

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

My GPSMAP 76CSx doesn't do screen shots like a Colorado, Oregon or DeLorme. How are you getting them to be able to post?

 

You can use Garmin's xImage tool, but you have to be tethered to a computer.

[JDiablo]

My GPSMAP 76CSx doesn't do screen shots like a Colorado, Oregon or DeLorme. How are you getting them to be able to post?

 

You can use Garmin's xImage tool, but you have to be tethered to a computer.

Thanks, I'll look into that.