GPX to Garmin converter

[+jollybgood]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this program before but it apparently converts GPX files to Garmin/Mapsource format.

 

http://www.keenpeople.com/index.php?option=com_downloads&Itemid=50&func=selectcat&cat=2

 

The page also has some links to a tutorial for making/editing your own maps for Garmin GPSs.

 

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://kenzerco.com

"Never declare war on a man who buys his ink by the gallon."

[+Team DEMP]

http://www.iancowley.co.uk/caching/ is a page for EasyMPS and it creates native MPS files from LOC/GPX files. Can make all the icons Geocache icons.

 

There are also other programs at well. Some create WPT files which can be importted and others like GPS Babel create native MPS files.

[robertlipe]

Which of the two dozen-ish programs there are you recommending?

 

OTOH, this does help explain how people are getting GPSBabel without every seeing the doc; they're bypassing http://gpsbabel.sourceforge.net, all the doc, and the dialogues that ask about versions and "deep linking" straight to one specific version in the download page. That also explains why people are getting it and learning about neither the doc nor the alternative versions...

[+jollybgood]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Team DEMP:

http://www.iancowley.co.uk/caching/ is a page for EasyMPS and it creates native MPS files from LOC/GPX files. Can make all the icons Geocache icons.

 

There are also other programs at well. Some create WPT files which can be importted and others like GPS Babel create native MPS files.

---

 

Thanks. I've never been able to get GPS Babel to work with Virtual PC.

 

Easy MPS is exactly what I've been looking for. Between that and GeoBuddy I'm not able to convert my GPX Pocket Queries, change the icons and rename the caches with truncated names with just two clicks and then open the file in Mapsource.

 

I'm in business.

 

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://kenzerco.com

"Never declare war on a man who buys his ink by the gallon."

[robertlipe]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jolly B Good:

Thanks. I've never been able to get GPS Babel to work with Virtual PC.

---

 

Why would you want to? GPSBabel builds just fine on Mac/OS, which I deduce you're using.

quote:

---

I'm not able to convert my GPX Pocket Queries, change the icons and rename the caches with truncated names with just two clicks and then open the file in Mapsource.

---

 

If you're happy with what you have, I won't hard-sell you on it, but GPSBabel can do smart icons, give waypoint (esp. geocaches) sensible names, so if anyone else has problems with this combination, they should contact the gpsbabel mailing list for help.

[+RobAGD]

Robert ,

 

While Babel can do all of that its not easy to use. While the Basic GUI front end is not bad ( it could use some functionaly tweaking ) it only scratches the surface of what babel can do.

 

If the program was easier to use you would have more peopel using it. Remember that not everyone like to use a cli to access programs.

 

-Robert

[robertlipe]

I was unclear. My question was more "why would you use GPSBabel on a Mac under Virtual PC when it runs just fine as a real Mac program" than "why would you want to use anything else".

 

The GPSBabel GUI is intended to be simple for simple tasks. If someone contributed a GUI that exposed the full functionality, I'm certain I'd then hear complaining that the GUI is too complicated.

 

In the end, use whatever you like.

[+jollybgood]

quote:

---

Originally posted by robertlipe:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jolly B Good:

Thanks. I've never been able to get GPS Babel to work with Virtual PC.

---

 

Why would you want to? GPSBabel builds just fine on Mac/OS, which I deduce you're using.

quote:

---

I'm not able to convert my GPX Pocket Queries, change the icons and rename the caches with truncated names with just two clicks and then open the file in Mapsource.

---

 

If you're happy with what you have, I won't hard-sell you on it, but GPSBabel can do smart icons, give waypoint (esp. geocaches) sensible names, so if anyone else has problems with this combination, they should contact the gpsbabel mailing list for help.

---

 

Haven't been able to make it work with OSX either. I'm don't know much about the Console and changing code.

 

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://kenzerco.com

"Never declare war on a man who buys his ink by the gallon."

[+jollybgood]

quote:

---

Originally posted by RobAGD:

Robert ,

 

While Babel can do all of that its not easy to use. While the Basic GUI front end is not bad ( it could use some functionaly tweaking ) it only scratches the surface of what babel can do.

 

If the program was easier to use you would have more peopel using it. Remember that not everyone like to use a cli to access programs.

 

-Robert

---

 

Exactly. I'm not knocking GPSBabel. I just got a bit lost when I tried to use it and make it work. (both on OSX AND VPC). I gave up when I realized I was in over my head. THe website talks about making changes to the program for various OSes and assumes the reader knows how to go about it.

 

I'm sure I could get it to work if I asked a few questions but it wasn't a big enough deal at the time to bother.

 

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://kenzerco.com

"Never declare war on a man who buys his ink by the gallon."

[+RobAGD]

I am not bashing babel eigher, I have gooten help from Fuzzy to get my bat files working correctly to do common task for me.

 

But something I have battled with linux/ *nix guys for a long time is user documentation and a good UI.

 

Not everyone is a code monkey, and hardly anyone can use a cli worth a crap any moreI also understand that a GUI cant be all things to all people, but as an example.

 

When I am making my file selections, then I am converting a GPX to MPS, even though I have told it that its making a MPS file, if I dont give it a .mps extention its get no extention at all. Just kinda silly that you have to tella program that your making a type of file AND have to provide the file extention.

 

I still like babel, I just would like a bit better gui for getting at more of teh features without pestering fuzzy in chat

 

-Robert

[+parkrrrr]

quote:

---

Originally posted by RobAGD:

But something I have battled with linux/ *nix guys for a long time is user documentation and a good UI.

---

"Good" is a matter of opinion, of course. I think GPSBabel does have a good user interface. It's just not a graphical one.

 

There is a project underway to create better user documentation for GPSBabel. I'm also slowly working my way toward a full-featured GUI, but I've been short on development time for a while now.

 

quote:

---

When I am making my file selections, then I am converting a GPX to MPS, even though I have told it that its making a MPS file, if I dont give it a .mps extention its get no extention at all. Just kinda silly that you have to tella program that your making a type of file AND have to provide the file extention.

---

It's a common misconception among users of Microsoft "operating systems" that the "extension" on a file is somehow meaningful. Those of us who use real operating systems can't help it that you use a toy; take it up with Bill Gates. (Don't mind me; I'm just sick of hearing "Nothing happens when I double-click on README!")

 

[+RobAGD]

Hey Fuzzy

 

The deal with extentions is that if your using a windows gui, one would make the leap that the gui would not require the extra step.

 

Oh well.

 

There is a reason why I use Windows for my desk top, and Linux for my network machines.

 

-Robert