Custom POIs "How to" for Magellan 4350/4370

First, since I do not own any Magellan model released since the 4350/4370, I can not determine if they also use iGo8 software. If you can connect the unit to a PC via a USB cable you may be able to deterine by examining the files in Windows Explorer.
For example in my 4350 in the "APP" folder appears the file "magellan_pna.exe". In the Tiles view it has a iGo icon and says "Nav N Go Kft." If you bring up "Properties" under "Product Version" it will show sonething like "8.3.2.64084" The is the iGo8 version it is running. For my unit its running iGo8 ver. 8.3.2 build 64084.

There are two methods that I know of to install custom POIs. One is to use KML or KMZ files. The prefered method is to add them using Content Manager. I have not tried this but I also understand they can be added by copying KML/KMZ files directly to the "MAP/userdata/poi" folder.

Up to now I did not have any documentation on using KML/KMZ files with iGo8 which made things hard. Now I do, its titled "Working with KML (Google Earth) files in NavNGo iGO8" Its located at: http://blog.sancho.hu/download/NNG/NavNGo_iGO8_working_with_...

This document indicates that among the usual KML elements iGO8 supports <description>. However, if you look at the screen shots, it appears that in the standard iGO8 implementation selecting an individual POI brings up another screen with the description information. This screen does not appear in the 4350/4370. As far as I can tell the description KML elements are not supported in the Magellan. (You may be able to modify "sys.txt" or one of the ini files to produce this screen, but I'm not going there.)

Also the document states (and I have confirmed) that you can create subcategories by nesting the "folder" element.

Also note that a maximum of 50 characters is displayed on the POI Name line.

KML files can be edited using a text editor or an XML editor. I use Notepad to edit my files.

There is another way to create custom POIs. That is to modify the "user.upoi" file in the "USR/DEFAULTS" folder. iGO8, unlike earlier versions, does not use an iGO.db file. But that is a post for another day.

As I memtioned in my last update POIs may also be added by modifying the "user.upoi" file in the "USR/DEFAULTS" folder. This is an undocumented feature. I assume that it is intented to be used by value added vendors and businesses that want to add custom pois that can not easily be changed by end users. It is a unicode text file that uses pipes "|" to delimit the fields. The layout is ID|Category.Subcategory1.etc.|POI Name|Icon Name|Latitude|Longitude|unknown|unknown|unknown|unknown|postal code|City, State|Street Name|Street Number|Description|Phone Number

For example: 1|Restaurants.American|Goofy's Bar and Grill|Restaurants|81.573140|28.355470||||34747|Lake Buena Vista, FL|Mickey Blvd.|1928|Best burgers in town|000-000-0000

Like with KML files, Magellan 4350 and 4370 do not support the description field.

So why use a user.upoi file rather than a KML file?

While I have not personally verified this, it appears to allow the assignment of stock icons to custom POIs.

Also it allows the placement of text in the address line. Normally the address line has an address determined by the unit based on latitude and longitude. I can think of two reasons you might want to change this. First the address given by the gps system is wrong and you want the correct address. Second, you might want to replace the address with a description.

Among the four fields the address line will display a maximum of 60 characters. The address field that is displayed first (street number) will display up to 60 charaters. If you put 60 characters in that field none of the the information in the other address fields will be displayed. If there is less than 60 charaters in the "street number" field then the characters from the next field will be displayed up to a total between the two fields of 60 character and so on.

The file can be created using a text editor. There is an online conversion program at https://poi.ashus.net/ It supports the conversion of KML, CSV, iGO8 ver 8.0 to 8.2 user.upoi, and iGO8 ver 8.3 user.upoi. (the file format changed with ver. 8.3, Magellan uses 8.3) However, I don't think this program supports all the fields.

Well that's about it. I'll update with any more information as I discover it.