Help with custom maps on Oregon

[GeoBobC]

A friend lent me his Oregon 550 and asked me to put my custom maps on it. I created the custom maps and upload them my 60CX GPS from Mapsource: I select all the map products that I want to upload and send them to the GPS.

 

I have no experience with the Oregon line, and am reluctant to load any maps to it without understanding it better. I don't want to overwrite any maps that are currently on the unit. It looks like the unit came with the entire US Topo loaded, and also some 3D mapping.

 

Can someone please tell me if, and how I could load custom maps to an Oregon GPS using Mapsource or another product?

[+dfx]

First you have to differentiate between "custom maps" and regular vector maps. "Custom maps" are a special feature that let you use bitmap, scanned maps on the device. This has nothing to do with regular maps, such as the Garmin topo maps, CN or OSM maps.

 

Vector maps on the Oregon work quite similar as on all other Garmin devices, with the difference that you can have a large number of them installed and active at the same time, while with older models (incl. the 60 series AFAIK) you can only have two at the same time at most.

 

Traditionally, Garmin units used a file gmapprom.img as primary map file and gmapsupp.img as supplementary, secondary map file. Oregons still support this convention, but additionally will also load any other .img files present, which are usually maps.

 

Bottom line is that you can keep loading more maps as long as you don't overwrite any existing files. However, many Garmin tools still adhere to the old naming convention and will produce only maps with the gmap*.img file name and would thus overwrite such files if already present. The easiest way to avoid this is by simply renaming any such already existing files, then installing the new map, and then immediately renaming this new file as well (to prevent future name clashes).

 

Note that not all .img files are actually vector maps, notable exceptions are the timezone map and (to some degree) the preinstalled basemap. Keep that in mind when playing around with the files. Having a complete backup of the whole filesystem is always a good idea.

Edited March 2, 2011 by dfx

[GeoBobC]

I guess I'm talking "vector maps". Looking at the device in Windows Explorer, there are two .img files in the "Garmin" directory: gmapprom.img and gmaptz.img.

 

On the GPS unit itself, if I navigate to Setup > Map > Map Information Information I see "Enabled - TOPO U.S. 100K" and "Enabled - BirdsEye Satellite Imagery"

 

I don't want to overwrite either of these, and yet I want put some additional "vector" maps on. For example, in Mapsource there is a dropdown "Select a product" box. I want to select some of the products in that list, and upload them to the Oregon without overwriting the TOPO or BirdsEye map products.

 

How do I do that?

 

Thanks again.

[+myotis]

You can do it just like you do on your 60csx. The img you mention are the built in topos and Time Zone maps. When you send the maps to the GPS it creates gmapsupp.img and removes any earlier version of that file. You can remane the gmapsup.img to something else if you want.

[GeoBobC]

You can do it just like you do on your 60csx. The img you mention are the built in topos and Time Zone maps. When you send the maps to the GPS it creates gmapsupp.img and removes any earlier version of that file. You can remane the gmapsup.img to something else if you want.

I think that is exactly my concern. If it send maps to the GPS unit, it will overwrite the .gmapprom.img file that is on the GPS unit, which in effect will destroy the built-in TOPO U.S. mapping which I assume came with the unit.

 

I'm gathering that I should first rename the gmapprom.img file to something else like "old.img", and then send my maps to the unit? If I then want to revert to the original "old.img" file, I rename the current gmapprom.img file to something else like "newold.img", and then rename old.img to grmgmapprom.img....does that sound correct?

 

If I do accidentally destroy the built-in TOPO maps, can they be easily recreated?

 

Also, what about the 3D maps? I assume that product is "synchronized" with the built-in Topo maps? If I send my own maps to the unit, and essentially turn off the built-in TOPO maps, will the 3D overlay cause a problem?

[snowfleurys]

gmapprom.img is the 'built-in' Garmin map(s).

MapSource and BaseCamp create a gmapsupp.img file. That is the only mapset you should be renaming. This new name needs to be 8 (or less) standard charcters with an .img extension. The 3D data is 'built-into' the vector map file and not in a seperate. It has not been reversed engineered, so is only available with a Garmin mapset (or one built with their expensive and tightly controlled software).

[GeoBobC]

MapSource and BaseCamp create a gmapsupp.img file.

To confirm my understanding: if I connect the Oregon to a USB cable and my PC, run Mapsource, select several map products, and "Send To Device" these maps, the built-in mapping products on the GPS will not be overwritten, and the unit will also display the maps I sent. Is that correct?

[+Bullygoat29]

MapSource and BaseCamp create a gmapsupp.img file.

To confirm my understanding: if I connect the Oregon to a USB cable and my PC, run Mapsource, select several map products, and "Send To Device" these maps, the built-in mapping products on the GPS will not be overwritten, and the unit will also display the maps I sent. Is that correct?

 

You should be all set doing it that way. With the newer firmware you can name the map files anything you want as long as they end with .img. I send all of my maps individually and name them what they are, eg. "US Topo 24K National Parks, East.img". Works great for me and if I have a map-set I don't want, I can just delete the one map file.

[snowfleurys]

Correct.

 

For safety reasons, I would back up all the files which came preinstalled on the unit. More for something unforseen happening than for adding mapsets through MapSource/BaseCamp. For these 'factory' files, I have also changed them to 'read only' - which will prevent them from being overwritten, but not from otherwise being corrupted.

[+dfx]

Correct.

 

For safety reasons, I would back up all the files which came preinstalled on the unit. More for something unforseen happening than for adding mapsets through MapSource/BaseCamp. For these 'factory' files, I have also changed them to 'read only' - which will prevent them from being overwritten, but not from otherwise being corrupted.

 

Additionally, I'd recommend renaming the gmapprom.img file to something else, like US-TOPO.img. That way you'll know what it is and there's no risk of it getting overwritten.

[+myotis]

Correct.

 

For safety reasons, I would back up all the files which came preinstalled on the unit. More for something unforseen happening than for adding mapsets through MapSource/BaseCamp. For these 'factory' files, I have also changed them to 'read only' - which will prevent them from being overwritten, but not from otherwise being corrupted.

 

Additionally, I'd recommend renaming the gmapprom.img file to something else, like US-TOPO.img. That way you'll know what it is and there's no risk of it getting overwritten.

 

I am not so sure about that. Its not just the topos, it also has your basemap. I messed with mine once and had some unintended consequences. When you zoom out to a certian magification, the base map is used, Without the basemap you will see nothing or it will be very slow. I would not rename it.

[+Bullygoat29]

Correct.

 

For safety reasons, I would back up all the files which came preinstalled on the unit. More for something unforseen happening than for adding mapsets through MapSource/BaseCamp. For these 'factory' files, I have also changed them to 'read only' - which will prevent them from being overwritten, but not from otherwise being corrupted.

 

Additionally, I'd recommend renaming the gmapprom.img file to something else, like US-TOPO.img. That way you'll know what it is and there's no risk of it getting overwritten.

 

I am not so sure about that. Its not just the topos, it also has your basemap. I messed with mine once and had some unintended consequences. When you zoom out to a certian magification, the base map is used, Without the basemap you will see nothing or it will be very slow. I would not rename it.

I haven't had any problems on my 62s yet. myotis does know what he's talking about when it comes to maps though.

 

 

[gitarmac]

I was researching birdseye for when I get my oregon and found this thread. As a test I renamed the map on my card for my vista and I could not chose and display it on my device. I named it back and it worked fine.

 

Also, am I supposed to be able to access the internal storage in my vista? Because I can't, it doesn't show up on the computer.

 

 

I am actaully asking these questions in preparation for setting up my new oregon (that I don't have yet). I want to get the most out of it, it's a big step up! I am thinking of subscribing to birdseye and I want to make sure I can do what I intend before I subscribe. I don't want to overwright my gpsdepot SEUSA map! I would like to be able to display them both. I understand I can only get limited images but there are a few places where that would work fine for me.

[+elkein]

More than a few people I have seen come through the forums have wiped out their base topo map. It does happen and is only an accidental delete or corruption away.

 

Custom maps can be created with several utilities, for example: Take a park trail brochure, take a picture of the brochure or scan it. Set it up as an overlay in Google earth. Save the overlay in google earth as a .kmz file. Place the .kmz in the custom map folder and viola park brochure on the GPS. It can be much more sophisticated than that. The largest custom I made was ~100 square miles right at the Oregon's limit of 10240x10240 pixels. It actually doesn't handle custom maps of that size well and is very slow handling them.

 

As has already been covered use descriptive names on normal mapsets install them right in the "Garmin" folder.