Custom POI's for TomTom with categories

Try here: http://www.poi-factory.com/node/6661
You should find helpful info with regards to POI's and TomTom units.

Also try: www.tomtomforums.com the un-official TomTom help site!

Mike

See See http://www.tomtom.com/support/index.php?FID=2043&Lid=4

Yes, you can use GPSBabalGUI to translate a correctly formatted file into a TomTom file. TomTom likes Lon/Lat/Name. So make different files with similar POIs in one file (category). Then using MS Paint (under accessories), make a 22x22 pixel graphic for each. After GPSBabelGUI has translated the Excel file to OV2 files, you will have to end up with two files that are nemed the same -- blah.ov2 and blah.bmp, and copy both (all really) into the United_States-Map directory on your TomTom.

I got this from a website I forgot where, I am not taking any credit for this info.

Here is a worked example:
Say you wanted to add some UK vets to the woeful TomTom-supplied POIs (no UK Vets at all)

1. Download a list from somewhere on the internet (I used POI Place which generates a list from Yellow Pages or similar). 2. Convert it to .ov2 format if necessary (I use POI Edit to do that).
3. Name it whatever you like. I called mine "UK_Vets_POI_Place.ov2"
4. Create a text file in Notepad and call it "UK_Vets_POI_Place.inf" or whatever matches the name you used. Make sure you have Windows set to show extensions of all filenames otherwise you will end up calling this "UK_Vets_POI_Place.inf.txt" WITHOUT KNOWING IT!
5. Edit the text file so it only contains the following:
QUOTE
(3 blank lines)

*9375

Obviously replacing the "9375" with the correct number for your chosen POI category (see link to list above).

Fuller chat and details in the following posts...

Original post:
OK - playtime....

Do this at your own risk....

If you have v7 software and have downloaded Mapshare corrections for POIs you will see they come as CAxxxx.ov2 files where xxxx is the number corresponding to the categories (I've done a list of all the codes HERE (as I never found where I'd put them before!). These manage to "link in" with the built in POIs in poi.dat.

If you have downloaded the add-on UK POI files for Doctors/Dentists/Police Stations and Pharmacies (from HERE) you will have noticed that they come as ov2 files with "ordinary" names like "gbr_doctors.ov2", BUT they also link into the original categories just like the mapshare ones.
I've discovered that this is done by a "linking file with an .inf extension and the same name as the add-on POI file (e.g. "gbr_doctors.inf").

Now, if you open that .inf file with Notepad, there SEEM to be just a few empty lines and then a line such as "*9373" which just so happens to be the same category number!

So far, all I have tried is renaming one of these .inf files to have the same name as one of my OTHER POI files, and it worked - my POIs merged into the main "Doctors" category.

What I haven't tried yet is:
1. Make an inf file from scratch
2. See what happens if you have TWO inf files for a category (for example MY doctors file AND the TT add-on file)

You can't just merge them because TomTom's ones are encrypted and can't be opened in POIEdit and the like.

Have a go people and report your findings... (but make sure you're backups are full and up-to-date first!!)

Here is the list of Categories:
7310 Car repair/garage
7311 Petrol station
7312 Car rental facility
7313 Parking garage
7314 Hotel/motel
7315 Restaurant
7316 Tourist information office
7317 Museum
7318 Theatre
7319 Cultural centre
7320 Sports centre
7321 Hospital/clinic
7322 Police station
7324 Post office
7326 Pharmacy
7337 Scenic/panoramic view
7338 Swimming pool
7339 Place of worship
7341 Casino
7342 Cinema
7349 Winery
7352 Ferry terminal
7360 Camping ground
7365 Embassy
7366 Border crossing
7367 Government Office
7369 Open Parking
7373 Shopping centre
7374 Stadium
7376 Tourist attraction
7377 College/university
7380 Railway station
7383 Airport
7385 Exhibition centre
7395 Rest area
7397 Cash dispenser
9352 Company
9357 Beach
9360 Ice skating rink
9361 Shop
9362 Park and recreation centre
9363 Law courts
9364 Mountain Peak
9365 Opera
9367 Concert hall
9369 Tennis court
9371 Water sports
9373 Doctor
9374 Dentist
9375 Veterinarian
9377 Convention centre
9378 Leisure centre
9379 Nightlife
9380 Marina/yacht basin
9800 Legal/solicitors
9801 Legal/other
9902 Amusement park
9906 Church
9910 Car dealership
9911 Golf course
9913 Library
9927 Zoo
9930 Rental car parking
9935 Mountain pass

Hope this helps.

I had often wondered if this was possible (ie. to insert custom POIs into existing tomtom categories). Thanks for the post, this is great.

I found an existing .inf file on my tomtom and made a copy of it. I then renamed it to match the .ov2 filename for my custom POI file. Replaced the existing category code in the .inf file with one from your list above and saved the file into my usa and canada maps folder. That's it.

Thanks again. Now if there was only a way to create sub-categories (eg. Restaurants-->Chinese or Mexican, or Steak.

That is Great information. Now I can fix some of the stuff on my TomTom!

cant wait to put it to good use

Thanks for the tip jforme.