Vanishing GPI files

I didn't think gpi fles were accepted on garmin gps, only gpx and csv.

Could it be explained by the distance from your current location, to the locations in the gpi file - I know you've got some European POIs. There seems to be a cutoff point (5000miles?), after which they're not displayed.

When you use POI Loader, the csv and gpx file gets converted to POI.gpi at which point you can rename like BankofAmerica.gpi. This way you can have a few files and only have to update one. Like now if you switch banks, you can just delete bankofamerica.gpi without affecting any other files and load Wachovia.gpi. My question though is sometimes these gpi files are not there when you go into Custom POI's and sometimes they are.

Thanks Phil,
That would totally make sense since all the Europe files dissappeared when I went to Seattle and re-appeared when I came back to the East coast. I never realized that there would be a distance cut off point. I'll have to check and see if the current ones are around that range.
Thanks
Paul

So one of the files that was fluctuating was 4659 miles away. I checked the other gpi files in there and they seem to be about the same distance (4655-4659).

As I was in there, the file dissapeared again and only showed a "Blank" spot but when I clicked on it it opened up with the POI's in it.

I just checked my pois, they are not gpx files, but they show at distances of 5400+ miles, as do my favrites, Garmin Asia is close to 6800 miles away.. I wonder why the difference between csv and gpx when distance is concerned?

The .gpx files on your nuvi are your favorites. The .gpi files are your Custom POI's. csv files get converted to .gpi when using POI Loader.

The favorites are waypoints from my StreetPiolot3, that were downloaded to MapSource and then uploaded to my nuvi 760, which as I understand from a post by MM that would make it a gpx file. At any rate I haven't had any files disappearing....

I know when I use POI Loader csv and gpx becomes gpi. If you transfer waypoints through mapsource it goes directly to favorites so they would appear as .gpx. So you probably used mapsource to transfer, correct? I usually do not use mapsource to transfer. I like using the glitch in the program to make use of both the comment and text fields.

I do load them with mapsource... I probably should think about using another way, I have to add phone numbers manually once they are in my gps Maybe I'll try geepex...

The subject problem is having multiple gpi files, some having only locations that are thousands of miles away, and having the locations or the categories within those gpi files (not certain whether it is a question of either or both) not show up under Extras, until you are closer.

I posted a possible reason for categories not showing up awhile back. I suggested that perhaps a category disappears from Extas if none of the locations within that category are within the closest 50. Could this be the same thing?

It is true that my gpi files are all European right now. I was going to merge them all together but that is too much work. All my gpi's have pictures embedded in them with map icons and two fields of text. (I didn't use mp3 since the files then get really large). They seem to be fine now. I deleted the old ones and re-dragged them in and I have not noticed any vanishing files again.

It is odd though that they would have a 5000 mile cap because how would you "test" the file if you were not there?

Just re-set your location.

But, could the missing locations have all been outside the closest 50? Did you have categories that disappeared as well?

I noticed that I was getting a double text field in all my tourguide files so what I did was in making my file using mapsource, I created a waypoint and wrote the name, address, phone number in the comment field. Then I saved it as a .gpx file to my computer, I opened up the file in notepad and it displays the text twice as text and comment. Then I just changed the text field and copy and pasted the summary of the POI there and saved the file. Then I used POI loader and when you view the tourguide file, there are two seperate text fields displayed. The first has the POI address, the second has an unlimited text field.

Yes, it was a whole category that dissapeared. Sometimes it would just show a blank line under the other categories but if I clicked it, it would pull in the POI's that were listed there.

So then does this mean the 20 GPI (or category) limit can be 20 here, then another 20 over 5000 miles away? So the 20 in the US should dissapear when I am in Europe? That would be interesting to try out.

I have multiple custom pois loaded in my gps. They were all loaded with poi loader. As an example:
food and drink>
Starbucks.csv
StarbucksJapan.csv
StarbucksEngland.csv
MomAndPop.csv
etc...

The Starbucks in Japan and England are both at distances exceeding 5500 miles... They all appear in my custom pois..

I also have waypoints that I have acquired on trips to various countries. I uploaded them with MapSource and they appear in my favorites. They are as far away as 6800 miles and all are visible in my favorites on the gps...

Am I missing something in Paul’s post? I thought he was saying, using my examples that my Starbucks England, Japan or at least the locations were disappearing.... And the possibility exists that it may be because of distance.

Gary,

You have them saved as favorites, I have them as Custom POI's. I think that might be the difference.

Paul

Sorry I just re-read your post and saw you have both. I don't know why there are some differences.

Here is an example of what the issue was. I have 4 gpi files in my POI folder.

Munich Restaurants.gpi
US Embassy in Munich.gpi
Munich museums.gpi
Munich Money Exchange sites.gpi

When I go to Custom POI's, the Munich Museums would not be there. If I back out and go in again it is there. It seems to be spontaneous when it displays that category. Somtimes, I will have the other 3 listed and there will be a line for the 4th file but the category name is not displayed. If I click that empty line, the museums will be displayed that I have in there.

Does that help to follow along with what was going on?

Mine are simple csv files, even though they are different gpi files, I wonder if it's the size of the files.... Or that they ar gpx

As an experiment I set my location to Spain, I found there were a lot more locations listed in Starbucks England and none were listed in Starbucks Japan... Whatever that means... I believe I have about a 5500 mile max....

But come to think of it the category Starbucks Japan was still there, it was empty however...