Uploading GPX Files

Thank you! Should be fun to experiment with the gpx files.

What's a GPX file?

Thanks JM.

A GPX file is just another type of file that can hold POI locations. It was designed to be a general purpose format for GPS, not tied to any particular model or brand.

JM

That was a joke......... JM

I had asked the question earlier regarding using the GPX file on a c530 which doesn't support the phone numbers or the .mp3's. What would happen if you load the new GPX files into a c530? Will it just not use some of the data? Would phone numbers be dropped or would they just show up as text?

JM, in my earlier question (an hour ago) I asked the question as a "premature question". As usual, you are quick to upgrade the site, so now the question is no longer premature. Keep up the good work.

Mkahn try going to this file I created:
http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/2/20/798737/test.gpx
Click on view source (if using ie) when you get to the page then save it with a .gpx extension. Then use poi loader beta to try to load it into your 530. Should work as I have done this with a 340 and it worked.

I uploaded a test .gpx file for others to test if thier GPS supports the v3 format or not.

Also, if you use mapsource and want to export phone numbers and addresses from your favorites, make sure you are using the latest beta version of that program (the regular version does not support exporting addresses and phone numbers in the extended format). currently even with the beta version of mapsource I do not see a way to enter phone numbers, maybe someone knows if you can do this? But, I can confirm that the beta version does export them if you transfer them from your GPS and previously entered the phone number/address in your favorites.

I intend to add capability to the site to convert from GPX to CSV. (Going the other way is hard because CSV is less structured.)

On i2 with POI Loader 2.4.0, the extra fields seem to be discarded (not show up as text). I would be interested to see results for other models.

JM

Maybe only the newer generation of Garmins support this like the streetpilot c series or the nuvi's?

Well in one way that is good at least it loaded without a error
you can always use ""comment""street address etc.""/""comment"" (substitute the quotes with a less/greater than sign)
to show addresses also in a .gpx file that does not support the v3 standard.

This file is located under the Projects category. Here's a link:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/1671

Tested file on my c530. For the first address I got all of the fields, on the second, only the name and phone number which is all that I believe the file contained.

Since the c530 doesn't support bluetooth, the file just comes over the same as it would with a .csv file.

Interestingly, I opened the file in Microsoft Word and word asked if I wanted to download an xml extension. I did, and it shows up with all of the tags graphically and in color.

What other brands support the GPX files?

Thanks.

You would have to check with the manufacturer about a specific model of GPS, but GPX was developed in 2001 as a common format to exchange GPS data between programs, the web, and GPS units. Older units may not support it, but it is a growing industry standard and is formatted in XML (Extensible Markup Language) which is a common data format for exchanging data.

I have been working with CSV files for a few weeks and decided to try copying a GPX file to my nuvi 200. I put it in the POI folder twice, and each time it mysteriously disappeared. I then noticed that the points in the GPX file were listed under Favorites. This isn't what I wanted and the only way I could delete the GPX data was to delete each favorite individually. Thankfully, the GPX only had about 60 points, and not thousands!! Is this normal behavior for GPX data?

You need to load the file(s) using POI Loader. Copying the GPX file will cause exactly what you describe. (Which isn't what you want.)

Thanks. I store my data files on an SD card in my nuvi 200 so I always have them with me to edit. I Then use POI Loader to transfer them to the GPS internal memory. I copied the GPX file to the SD card, but it kept disappearing before I could use POI Loader to load it. I guess I will have to hide the GPX files somewhere the nuvi can't find them!

I'm glad to hear you are planning a program to convert GPX files to CSV format. I was looking for info on how to do this but couldn't find any good source. I have created a GPX file for North Carolina State parks using GPS Visualizer. It took a while because the Yahoo version took about five tries to find all the correct coordinates. I will be uploading the file shortly.

I have already tried to convert the GPX file through POI Loader and it did so correctly to the Garmin format. Only, I can't see how it works until I receive my Garmin unit.

My new Nuvi 350 unit is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow so I wanted to jump in feet first to GPS navigating. You have a great website and I am glad I found it. I look forward to contributing more files in the future and enjoy the discussion threads.

Using Garmin POI Loader 2.0.2.1 for the Mac the test GPX loaded on my 350. However, all I got on the intro screens were the names "SERS" and "HOME". I don't know if there was supposed to be any thing else other than those names. The maps do show up as well as the distance from here to each of the map locations.

Ralph

It appears that Garmin took their GPX V3 Extension Schema off their site and I can no longer validate my GPX files. It used to be located at:
http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3/GpxExtensi....

Anyone happen to have a copy that I can have until they put the schema back on? Without the schema, I can't validate any GPX files...

Thanks

http://www8.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3/GpxExtens...

I tracked it down using this: http://developer.garmin.com/2007/09/04/garmin-formats/

As a matter of interest, what are you using to actually perform the validation? The topografix website says that the official test is to use saxcount - but AIUI, that's not really saxcount's intended purpose.
(I have another xml file that I'm struggling to validate against its schema.)

Thanks Phil!,

I got far as finding their similar developer page at: http://developer.garmin.com/schemas/gpxx/v3/oxygen/index.htm... but never found an actual link to the schema.

These clowns at Garmin don't realize that if you put in a schema location in an Xml document, you cannot move it before udating all documents that reference that.

As for your validation question, if your app is .Net-based, you can validate within your code using the standard .Net framework API, or you can use most Xml editors. I have a license for Altova MissionKit for Enterprise XML Developers and use its XmlSpy for manual validation. It IS the best XML/XSD editor in the industry. That being said, I believe Microsoft's free XmlNotepad also does a decent job of Xml validation.

Regards

P.S. You can download a 30-day trial copy of XmlSpy if you're just interested in validating a specific document...

In order to convert from CSV to GPX, you need a program called IGO POI explorer (you can do a google search) You open the CSV file and do SAVE AS a gpx file

I took your post of last Sept on how to create a GPX file. The example had one waypoint worth of XML. Do I need additional XML header info and where do I get it from?

When I use POI Loader with the example waypoint (copied exactly as you had it), all I get is the message invalid file.

Or is this due to Loader not finding the schema on Garmin?

Thanks

Please be aware of, and not confused by what "v3" is referring to- It's Garmin's version 3 of their extensions to the GPX format.

Meaning that the GPX format allows for extensions to be added to it. It doesn't necessarily mean that another mfr's hardware or software will read a Garmin extension. Technically, to conform to the "GPX Format" "standard", means that the format must be readable and software/hardware should make use of the basic gpx tags, and should be able to read an extension without problems, but it doesn't HAVE to do anything with another mfr's extension tags. Or, one mfr can theoretically use the extended tag differently than another!

I'm not saying this is the case right now (or not!) among mfrs because I'm only just beginning to dive into things, and I have a Garmin as my primary experimental toy. I'm just saying that this is a subtle but important distinction to understand for the more technical people here.

The GPX format as of Jan 2009 is v1.1 and Garmin's extensions are v3.