How to create extended .gpx files to include dialable phone numbers for you garmin

 

This is useful for garmins that have dialing capabilities. I personally own the c550.

Below is the xml code for a sample waypoint address with a sample phone number. Also a sample waypoint with a phone number and no address. For now I have to use manual editing to add a new waypoint with a phone number. Would love to see someone write a program that extracts phone numbers from a .csv file and convert it into a extended .gpx file like below. This is tested using poi loader beta from Garmins site and works fine with my Garmin c550 (ie I can dial the numbers!).

the file is located at the site below. Enjoy!

http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/2/20/798737/test.gpx

btw you Must use the BETA version of poi loader from Garmin for the phone numbers and addresses to be imported this way.

link to beta poi loader..
http://www.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=1673

I downloaded your file and

I downloaded your file and it does allow me to pull up the POI and attempt to dial it from my Zumo.

Unfortunately it is a pain to add that xml to every gpx file. I had discovered before that these same ones are used for adding address and phone info to Favorites, but never thought I could do it with POI's.

As an answer to one of your other questions, Mapsource 6.11.6 will leave the .gpx extendend info in the file if you pull from the GPS and load it back up. And yes, in none of the 6.12.x betas can you view that info. That would be very nice if they added it.

--
Rusty Myers Austin, TX Garmin eTrex Vista, Zumo 550

Would love to see someone write a program ....

Meanwhile, in a parallel universe wink

I think I *might* have written your program...

I was concentrating more on extended descriptions and attached images, but the 3(!) phone numbers are accessible as well.

Have a look at http://GeePeeEx.googlepages.com

I'd love some feedback. Even negative feedback! - I'm living in a vacuum !

--
------------------------ Phil Hornby, Stockport, England ----------------------               http://GeePeeEx.com - Garmin POI Creation made easy           »      

Could be it

If your program will allow the unit to auto dial the phone numbers, that's what we've been looking for.
Your program will make it much easier than .. hand coding each entry phone number etc.

I've d/l it and looks ok, haven't the time right now to give it a try.

Ahhhhh,

I couldn't just drop it...had to give it a go with one entry, with comments and an image. Loaded it with poi loader and it worked ok. No smoke, No noises...and the phone icon is there with the phone number, press and it auto dials! Just like the factory poi's.
I didn't notice or recall any mention of adding mp3's or did I miss it? This would be a great utility to create TourGuides with the image and mp3 capability.

Great work Hornbyp ! You and RetiredTechnician should get together..lol

--
........Garmin StreetPilot c550 / Nüvi 765...........

MP3

lsmonop wrote:

I didn't notice or recall any mention of adding mp3's or did I miss it? This would be a great utility to create TourGuides with the image and mp3 capability.

Thanks for the feedback.

The snag is, that I have a StreetPilot C510 that doesn't support MP3's. I didn't want to add support for something that I have no means of testing. I'm about to sit down and play with Tourguides, but I know it doesn't officially support them either.

You will have noticed that the version of the editor I've released so far, is limited to outputing 5 'waypoints'. I was living in hope that I might be able to sell the full version and make enough cash to finance the purchase of other models in the Garmin range. At the moment, I'm fairly pessimistic about that happening sad
I'll update my website to include the information about support for the C550's dialing abilities. May be that will be a crowd-pleaser smile

Phil.

--
------------------------ Phil Hornby, Stockport, England ----------------------               http://GeePeeEx.com - Garmin POI Creation made easy           »      

good point

Right, understand the snag.

The dialing abilities for the c550's will definitely be a crowd pleaser.

--
........Garmin StreetPilot c550 / Nüvi 765...........

tried it out and liked it.

Hornbyp wrote:

Meanwhile, in a parallel universe wink

I think I *might* have written your program...

I was concentrating more on extended descriptions and attached images, but the 3(!) phone numbers are accessible as well.

Have a look at http://GeePeeEx.googlepages.com

I'd love some feedback. Even negative feedback! - I'm living in a vacuum !

Okay, I downloaded in and it is nice. I was either updating the phone info on my Zumo and pulling back to the pc to get the extended xml fields, or editing the .gpx file in cooktop with a cut and paste from a "good" waypoint. Since it seems to do what I want, how can we work out a way to get a version that allows more than 5 waypoints?

The only thing I didn't like was when I used the Windows control red X to close the program it made me go to the file menu for a clean exit. I wish it would just give me the same message as File/exit does.

--
Rusty Myers Austin, TX Garmin eTrex Vista, Zumo 550

Lazy programmers :-)

woodbutcher wrote:

The only thing I didn't like was when I used the Windows control red X ... I wish it would just give me the same message as File/exit does.

That annoys me too smile) I'll attend to it!

Phil.

--
------------------------ Phil Hornby, Stockport, England ----------------------               http://GeePeeEx.com - Garmin POI Creation made easy           »      

c580

Hi Phil,

Do you know whether custom POIs with phone numbers and addreses are impossible with the StreetPilot c580? Every time I try to upload a gpx file with phone xml tags, the POI Loader says it is an invalid file.

I even saw your sample on wikipedia and tried that and that didn't work.

thanks!

.

Cameron@draze.com wrote:

Do you know whether custom POIs with phone numbers and addreses are impossible with the StreetPilot c580?

AFAIK, the C580 supports dialable phone numbers.

He also wrote:

Every time I try to upload a gpx file with phone xml tags, the POI Loader says it is an invalid file.

What did you use to create your gpx file? POI Loader doesn't know (or care) what the target device is...it's just complaining about the contents of the file.

--
------------------------ Phil Hornby, Stockport, England ----------------------               http://GeePeeEx.com - Garmin POI Creation made easy           »