making a poi a tourguide

Dear Jester,

Add "Tourguide" to the file name. It could look like this: "BuffaloWildWings_V Tourguide.csv"

david

Sorry, but what is a Tourguide? Do they work with my Nuvi 360?

Good question.

First of all, TourGuides only work on units that have an MP3 player.

You can get information about TourGuides from the POI Loader Help File.

Here's a brief description.

TourGuide is a feature available on compatible Garmin devices. TourGuide files include Custom POIs with descriptive .mp3 audio files. When you approach a TourGuide point, the .mp3 file plays and provides you with information about that point, much like a guided tour. TourGuide files must be saved as .gpx files.

You can find more information here.

http://geepeeex.googlepages.com/

From what I've read in your post I think this is what you're trying to do. Please keep in mind that this information is based on the TOMTOM GPS:

Some brands of GPS have Itinerary (trip planning) functions built into the unit, some don't, this would allow you to create what I think you're trying to do. In my TT I can plan a route from point A to point B, then to point C, then a stopping point for the day, then continue the trip the next day with additional points to stop at, this can all be done before I leave home. I'm not sure which make GPS you own, but if it's a Tomtom and it doesn't have this function you can install "Tyre" (Trace Your Route Everywhere)on your computer and use that to create an itinerary then upload that file to your TT. Go to:

http://www.janboersma.nl/gett/index.php

and download the file, it works along with Google Maps or Google Earth. Originally it was designed for Tomtom Rider but as long as you have the Tomtom Navigator v5 software or above in your TT it should work (it will not work with other brands of GPS or with the Tomtom One V3 according to the developer). You can create your trip with stops, save the file and put it in the 'ITN' directory in your TT and use it on your trip (again according to the developer).

Now that I've said that 'Tyre' won't work the the One V3, I found that there is something out there that someone has created that will "unlock" the itinerary planning functions in the unit. Here is the website:

http://www.gregoryduncan.com/ttmd/index.php

Still no guarentees but it might be something to try if you own a TT One V3. I hope this helps.

Dear MM,

I have saved CSV files as TOURGUIDE files and they work. For example, I rename the HESS service station file that way so that I can be alerted to exit an Interstate and fill the tank.

david

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/10872

In the Garmin world, a "TourGuide" is a particular form of audio Alert. When created by POILoader, it is characterised by 2 things:-

1. The audio is 'controllable', rather than just playing once from start to finish - you can manually play or stop it.
2. The alert distance is measured as a circle around the central point, regardless of any roads.

The TourGuide phrase is case-sensitive. (Note the capital "G")

I agree. For the benefit of other readers though, it is worth pointing out, then when built this way, every POI in the file plays the same alert, which is not a restriction when built using .gpx input. Presumably, it is this latter format that Garmin had in mind, not realising that sometimes, true 'radius' alerts are useful.

What we've been re-discovering in this thread:-
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/13429

is that the Nüvi 2xx series seems capable of performing them using .WAV input (when built using a particular version of POILoader). This technique didn't work with the older units, such as the StreetPilot Cxxx and Ix series, even though they can definitely play .WAV files. (Which is my excuse for forgetting to mention it earlier )

Maybe, but they aren't TourGuides, then. You are just getting an alert based on the name and if that works for you and others, that's GREAT. But for others wanting actual TourGuides, simply changing the name doesn't make them TourGuides.

And do they support the TourGuide function this way?

Cool.

I am using tourguides for buffalo wild wings and it works like this when im within 5 miles of one it alerts me 5 miles in a circle i dont know if there is more to a tourguide then that but working this way makes me very happy I loaded them in .wav with this POILoader_2400Beta hope that helps u understand what i mean

I've been able to use TourGuide functionality in the nuvi 250W using GPX format; POI Loader 2.5.2; and WAV sound files.

In my testing the key is NOT the name of the POI file, it does not require the "TourGuide" on the name, what is required is to use the (link href) tag on the POI entry, and that to point to either a folder (eg. Data/POI_name) or a filename that contains the associated "TourGuide" files, which might include an icon (.bmp), an image (.jpg) and/or a sound file (.wav), any combination is fine.

The sound file (.wav) MUST contain "TourGuide" in the name, and it must be 16 bit mono, or it won't work.

Note that if you use the "Data/Folder" link, the POI Loader properties "Start in" should be either blank, or the location where the "Data/Folder" is. If you only need to specify one of the icon/image/sound files, then you don't need them in a folder, in that case you can point directly to the file (eg. link href="Data/TourGuide_SoundfileForThisPOI.wav")

This way you can have different sounds/icons/images for each entry on the gpx file.

Note that the play/stop does not appear when TourGuide is playing on this unit, but everything else works just fine.

Not bad for a feature you didn't have, and now all of sudden is available, thanks to POI Loader 2.5.2 and Hornbyp that "discovered" this feature!