Mac POI Loader

You need to use the beta version of POI Loader to get manual mode:
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/32218

If you haven't already done so, read Phil Hornby's post on creating alerts:
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/6764

Yes I have and an item stated in the post is not acting as indicated

"These can be overridden by the presence of an .mp3 file, whose file name matches the .csv or .gpx containing the POI’s. This comparison
is not case-sensitive."

The default proximity alert still takes precedence..

Thanks for the beta advice, works well.

Garmin 255W
PC XP & Mac OS x

I've read almost every post concerning overriding the existing proximity alert with an MP3 file. ( yes the file conventions are correct and identical )

Most of the time its redundant advice as, turn on the prox settings, name the file the same, make sure its in the same folder where the data is being obtained from, does it have MP3 capabilities, etc. One advice said exactly that and as an outside observer I could see how the user who obviously was new to not only the POI functionality but also to computer capabilities probably went into the Garmin device and applied the mp3 file to the POI directory instead of the user-defined 'holding folder' for when the loader is activated for upload into the device.

All said and done, I did not see any successes other than a SOX advice which does not look like it pertained actually to the requesters dilemma.

Bottom line, has anyone experienced a bug where the Garmin does not override the default proximity alert with a user-provided MP3 file and if so, what was the fix. Are there any other white pages where this is identified?

Common issues such as user error settings and version/model questions are not getting to the answers many seem to need.

Thanks in advance.....

Wow, you've got a lot of stuff going on.

First of all, you are not going to get MP3 alerts with the nuvi 255w. You MUST use WAV files. And it is IMPERATIVE that you use the correct version of SOX.EXE and that you place it in the correct directory on your computer.

Second, I would recommend NOT using the CSVtoGPX converter. Phil has reported that it does weird things because it's original purpose had to do with converting speed camera files. And you don't need GPX files to get basic alerts. Properly formatted CSV files will work just fine.

For alert for regular Custom POI files (ie not redlight or speed cameras), you must SET an alert if you want to be alerted. Regular Custom POIs do NOT alert by default.

As bentbiker pointed out, you must use the Beta version on a Mac in order to get the Manual Option. If you have a Windows PC with XP (as you have indicated), it might be easier to just use that.

If you read Phil's great guide for setting alerts, you saw that you can code the data to have alerts. You can, for example, place a speed designation (for example @25) in each POI location's name in the file that you want to have a 25 MPH (or KPH) speed alert. Or you can add the speed to the file name to have the whole file alert at the same speed. Or you can just set the alerts manually.

Get that working before you try anything more complex. (Cue Phil explaining the intricacies of setting specific alerts within the GPX file.)

I also wouldn't recommend that you think of the POI folder on your computer as a "holding" folder. Think of it as the permanent place on your computer where they live. Keep them there. And reload them from the same consistent location.

Did that answer most everything? Did I miss anything?

One question is the data set in the speed and red light files provided. I asked what the data reference was in decimal and no one answered that question. This is just and FYI on my part. A curiosity.

Correct version of SOX I assume ( I hate doing that, assuming that is ) is the version which will correspond to XP, latest and greatest. Correct? Is there a site which is devoted to that?

I have already seen the miscoding in CSV2GPX as it does look like it was written for a previous version of the loader. Thanks for the added tip.

I never defaulted to the alert status on the customs after I learned the versiontracker for Mac was available. The beta was much more user adaptable and the acceptance was a lot more solid as to the expectations of the manuals.

I'm really not interested in speed as location of substations in a quick manner is the priority. Thanks for the advise on that but I did notice the speed code in the file name when I first looked closely at the data and that would be an exercise in 101.

As to the holding folder. That is only an area to experiment, the real-time data is located in a dedicated folder.

Thanks for your time, I can tell you are as busy or busier than I am. I really appreciate you taking a minute to look over this. I need to get the units up and running before the next storm.

The reference number is just an aid for Miss POI to keep track of the cameras.
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/6483

Note that not all of the speed cameras have a speed associated with them because the data wasn't/isn't available. But if you keep the word "speed" in the file name, you will get an automatic alert for all the locations no matter what your speed.

Since I don't use the SOX.EXE, I'm not sure if it's Windows only or if it will work on a Mac (perhaps someone will chime in on that part). If you search the forum for 'SOX.EXE', you will find the thread that details the use of the file.

You will download it from SoundForge and then place it in the same directory as POI Loader.

Just be sure that you get the correct version.

EXE files do not run on a Mac.

So without saying BentBiker you are saying only the wintel platform works. All others will be a source of failure or frustration.

No, I don't know whether there is a SOX application written for the Mac or not. I don't find the need for custom audio alerts, so I never tried to find a Mac version. I just know that the exe file won't work. For all I know, the Mac might not need the file; I'd try it SOX-less before anything else.

bentbiker, thanks for the confirmation on .EXE files. That's what I thought, but I wasn't 100% sure.

Bill, the main issue is that you are trying to get Custom Audio alerts on a unit that doesn't support it. Meaning it doesn't have a built-in MP3 player. The SOX.EXE work around is exactly that. A work around that has been figured out by users.

So if it's only available as a work around on the Windows platform, your options would seem to be to stick with the default alerts, use a Windows platform, or purchase a unit that has an MP3 player built in to the firmware.

Check out this thread regarding SOX.EXE.
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/16728