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Creating POIs on a Mac

 
Tue, 01/13/2009 - 7:34am

Let me state at the outset that this is a cross-post. I began by posting it on the Creating POI Files Forum, but perhaps my problem is related to creating my POI on a Mac. Here's my post repeated below:

After reading the FAQ on how to create POI's, I tried to make a simple file of a half-dozen locations.

When, however, I run Garmin's POI Loader on my Macintosh, it won't recognize the file.

Clearly, I've done something wrong. Here is my first attempt:

-77.163162,38.814566, "Penn Daw SC", "6238 N Kings Hwy", "Alexandria, Rte. 1"
-77.077503,38.821521, "Steuart Alexandria Commons SC", "3155 Duke St., Alexandria Rte. 236"
-77.109907,38.829345, "Seminary Plaza SC", "4606 Kenmore Ave. Alexandria"
-77.07304,38.855216, "Alexandria Shopping Center"‎, "3811 Mount Vernon Ave Alexandria"
-77.050123,38.839407, "Potomac Yard Center"‎, "3671 Jefferson Davis Hwy Alexandria"
-77.091441,38.828874, "Bradlee SC", "Rte 7 & Quaker Lane Alexandria"
-77.133001,38.810800, "Van Dorn Plaza", "Van Dorn St./Rte. 1 Alexandria"

Can anyone see where I made my mistake? Also, in what format should the file be saved? BTW, I do use .csv when I save the document in TextEdit

Using TextEdit as the FAQ suggests, my choices are:
RTF
HTML
Web archive
OpenDocument Text
Word 2007
Word 97
Word 2003 XML Form

Finally, I have successfully downloaded and installed POI from this site, so I do understand the mechanics of how that's done.

Many thanks for any assistance,
Speed3

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Quo vadis?

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Nuvi 3790T w. Lifetime Maps/Macintosh OS Lion/iPhone 4/iPad 1
Tue, 01/13/2009 - 9:28am

Limit sections with quotes

I believe each line should only have two sections with quotes. Use the format: Coordinates, "Name","Address". This creates a four-column file that the GPS recognizes.

Save the file as rtf but change the suffix manually to csv.

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Brent - DriveLuxe 51 LMT-S
Tue, 01/13/2009 - 9:41am

Columns

The first entry has 5 columns instead of 4.

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Tom
Tue, 01/13/2009 - 6:25pm

Thanks for help

Off to try it again and see what happens.

OK! Success!!

I downloaded a small .csv file, opened it in Excel, replaced the data in the fields with my data, placed it inside a folder, ran POI loader and now they are on my Garmin.

Thanks to all.

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Nuvi 3790T w. Lifetime Maps/Macintosh OS Lion/iPhone 4/iPad 1
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 9:07am

POI Tool

Hey Speed3,

Just wanted to pass along my buddy wrote a program to organize POI's on the Mac and load with Garmin's POI Loader. You can get it here:
http://web.me.com/poi_organizer/POI_Organizer/POI_Organizer....

It works great and he's working on version 2.0 for a release later this year.

-chuck

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Chuck Nuvi 350, MacBook Pro, PowerMac Dual G5
Tue, 06/16/2009 - 4:58pm

Text Editor

Another thought is from my understanding POI files are in pure text format, not RTF, doc, HMTL, etc. To save a pure text file in OS X's "TextEdit" you need to go to "Format" in the menu bar and then choose "Make Plain Text" Then just save it as UTF-8. I would assume that would work, if not "Western (Windows Latin 1)"

Hope that helps!

Tue, 06/23/2009 - 9:31am

Many thanks for that tip

I'll give it a try.

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Nuvi 3790T w. Lifetime Maps/Macintosh OS Lion/iPhone 4/iPad 1
Tue, 08/11/2009 - 6:14pm

POI, Using Mac

The best and easy way to upload IPOs to a Garmin device without problem using a Mac system, is not to use Garmin Uploader at all.
Instead download and use Garmin "RoadTrip". Then just click "Import" files (.GPX format) first and then click "Transfer".

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mstone
Mon, 08/31/2009 - 9:08am

POI, Using Macs

Thanks. Got to give that a try next time I update my POI files.

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Nuvi 3790T w. Lifetime Maps/Macintosh OS Lion/iPhone 4/iPad 1
Thu, 09/03/2009 - 6:56pm

Use Excel

I've created POI's with Mac simply using a 4 column Excel spreadsheet with Long and Lat in the first 2 columns, Name in the third, Other info in the fourth, save as CSV file, and down load to POI Factory. Nothing else to do.

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NUVI 660, Late 2012 iMac, Macbook 2.1 Fall 2008, iPhone6 , Nuvi 3790, iPad2
Tue, 12/29/2009 - 11:48pm

Thanks

Thanks for the info

Wed, 12/30/2009 - 1:03am

Also thanks

geochapman wrote:

I've created POI's with Mac simply using a 4 column Excel spreadsheet with Long and Lat in the first 2 columns, Name in the third, Other info in the fourth, save as CSV file, and down load to POI Factory. Nothing else to do.

And thank you from me--also on a MacBook
guy

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guy-----C320>nuvi 200>Nuvi 255W
Wed, 12/30/2009 - 1:12pm

Thanks,all. I think I'll try

Thanks,all.

I think I'll try and make a POI file for my own use.

pkdmslf

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OK.....so where the heck am I?