Questions regarding poi.gpi file on your Garmin

Yes. Rename the POI.GPI file to Reststops.GPI, Schoolzones.GPI and Shell.GPI after using POI Loader to create it.

You can have multiple GPI files, each representing a single or group list.

Answer Yes to storing them on the unit, and then tell it to Don't Ask Again, then press skip.

Proximity alerts are set at the time the source file is read and POI.GPI created. The proximity alert for that file is then part of the information written to POI.GPI. In my estimation, you are really better off using GPX files rather than CSV files. You can srill keep the CSV files for easy editing, but convert them using one of the GPX programs.

You are learning, that's what we like to see. It won't be long before you are coaching even newer users. Keep up the good work!

3. If you can store the groups separately on the microSD card, when you are asked by the GPS if you wish to load any of these EXTRA files into the internal memory of your Garmin, if you do so, do they all get stored together in the single poi.gpi file in the Garmin Folder of your GPS, or are multiple gpi files created in the Garmin Folder?

Answer Yes to storing them on the unit, and then tell it to Don't Ask Again, then press skip

If you have created 3 separate files on your microSD card, and say you want to load only 2 of them into internal memory, when you select the files to load in, do they get saved with the same file names as you had on the microSD card, or do they get saved together into a single file named poi.gpi in your Garmins POI folder?

I don't use the renaming method as I can't put the poi into separate categories. When my unit accesses the multiple .GPI files which may contain multiple files, it just lists the contents of all the files individually. So, no single category for fuel, rest stops, school zones or anything else.

I use the subfolder method and hace multiple files in each subfolder. The subfolders become categories I select from when I go Where To->Extras->Custom POI.

For what it is worth, I just tried this with my Garmin 1490T and the POILoader. In my above example, each of the 3 groups of POIS were saved individually, one at a time, each with their own alert information, onto the microSD card. I renamed the resulting poi.gmi file name on the card to a group name, e.g. reststop.gmi. Then I saved another group and did the same thing, ie change the resulting poi.gpi on the card, e.g.,SchoolZone.gmi.

When I save these both to the Garmin's internal memory, they got stored with the same group file names in the Garmin poi folder. In other words, they kept their individual identity when they got installed into the POI folder on the Garmin.

What's nice about this for me is I can indidually edit, change alerts, or delete any group, individually. It doesn't matter whether the files stay on the card or get installed on the Garmin. As long as I rename poi.gpi to group.gpi after loading a new group, the groups maintain their separate identities in either place, on the card or in the Garmin POI folder.

Now, when I am actually using the GPS, if I select Where To ?>Extras, when I press on Custom POIs, I see sub selectable item groups .e.g RestStops and SchoolZone, along with the All Custom POis. Therefore, I can look at only those POIS I want. It works great.

You might ask why do I bother with the card at all. Well my original intent was to keep all of the POIs on the card so that I could use it in multiple devices. I didn't think I needed to install them in the device. Unfortunately, what's different about the 1490T from older Garmins is you can't eliminate the annoying start up prompt that asks if you wish to install these extra pois. If you say no, it asks you again every time you turn on your GPS. If you say yes, the next screen doesn't give you an option of saying skip it, and don't bother me again asking me about it. The only way to get rid of that startup prompt, then, is to complete the installation of the files into the GPS. I was told these files don't take up much internal mememory space anyway, so that's what I did.

If you make a folder in My Documents/My POIs, just put each named POI file in that folder. Use one level of sub-folders for categories.
My POIs:
H-D Dealers.gpx
H-D Dealers.bmp (all files below have bmp's, not shown for simplicity)
Road Food/Diners Drive-ins and Dives.gpx
Road Food/Feasting on Asphalt.gpx
Road Food/Ride to Eat.gpx
Offbeat Tourist Attractions.gpx
zzCameras/Redlight Cameras.gpx
zzCameras/Speed Cameras.gpx

The above will display:
H-D Dealers
Road Food
Offbeat Tourist Destinations
zzCameras

If you want to delete a group of POIs from your GPS, just delete or move it out of My POIs folder and run POI Loader again, pointing it to My POIs. Each gpx file in manual mode will ask if you want it loaded or not and whether you want a proximity alert.

After a few times for testing, how often do you expect to add/remove POI files?

I prefer not to tie up my SD card with operating stuff like POIs, as when I'm traveling, I carry multiple SDs filled with 4 or 8GB of music. I don't want to have to put the same POI files on all of them.

I use the renaming method with a little twist. When running poi loader, I select Custom Folder (instead of Garmin Unit). I save the poi.gpi in the same folder as the source csv/gpx/mp3/bmp files. I then rename to poi Redlight.gpi. I then copy to nuvi. This also allows you to create without the nuvi.

I use this for my alert and tourguide files that have to be loaded in the manual mode. It is simplier for me than having to ignore all non-alert pois when running poi loader.

I tend to update different files at different times. It is easy for me to track when each was updated (by date on poi Redlight.gpi file).

It is also easier for me to use this method to load to other gpsr. I have tried sd card but don't use now. It is simplier for me to just load to nuvi.

Hope this helps - there are alot of ways to do it.

Don't all the files get saved in the same file on your garmin. poi.gpi, if you do it your way?
Then if you wish to make a revision, you need to use the POI Loader and go through each of your groups of POI's again, instead of just one of them, don't you?
You then have to remember what the alert settings were fot he existing groups you don't need to change, in order to reload them.
Otherwise that poi.gpi file gets overwritten with a file that may not contain everything you want it to.

Many of the poi.gpi files that I have are very likely going to need updating even if they don't need to be removed.

As far as the SD card is concerned, I don't have mp3 files on my card. My model nuvi can't play them.
I probably wouldn't have bought the card except I thought having the POIs on one card would let me use it in another GPS. It will also save my GPS internal memory which seems to be getting smaller, anyway, as new larger map and firmware updates come out. (Maybe, instead, I just better get all those other language files off my Nuvi that I don't need)
As it turns out, the card isn't even useful for keeping the POIs since the 1490T keeps pestering me to load them into internal memory. I've given up and done so to avoid those annoying startup prompts.

I load almost 200,000 POI on my unit all in the express mode because I use GPX files for almost all those I want alerts on. The only one that generates an alert that isn't a GPX is the speed cameras, but it's set for a default of 25.

That's the great thing about GPX files, you can build in both distance and speed alerts for each point of interest. Using EPE it is a simple task to set the same distance for all the points using the replace function. The advantages of using GPX over CSV are so many there isn't enough space to list them in this forum.

So, when I prepare a CSV file for conversion I take the time to determine if I want an alert, the type, and build it into the file one time. No matter how many times I run POI Loader, I never have to mess with the file unless there is an update. - And I only play with 1 primary folder and only the updated individual poi. No renaming and trying to remember if the name is exactly the same so no duplicates.

Can you refer me to a good discussion of the advantages of GPX over CSV files?

I just wonder why so many of the POIs on this site are in the CSV format, if GPX is so superior.
Could it be that the CSV files just easier to work with for the beginner?

See http://www.poi-factory.com/node/6203 .

I prefer the gpx format when I want to build my alerts into the file and add more information this allows me to use express mode for poiloader.You are right csv files are the easiest to work with and to make.With a program like Extra Poi Editor that has all changed.You can download a csv file to it and build on it and save as a gpx file.This tool does many other things and should be added to your gps collection.

At least according to your profile. GPX allows you to have dialable phone numbers, so if you are paired, you can touch the screen and the phone number will be dialed. You can't do that with a CSV. EPE allows 20 more fields to be included in a POI listing than a CSV. CSV files are limited to 4 fields, 3 of which are mandatory, 2 for location and the name. The fourth field is optional and can contain any information the creator felt was important. There are several files on here that have only the 3 fields, no city, state or other information - just lat/long and a name.

Other CSV files have a lot of information in the fourth column, but it's not standardized. In all actuality, the more prolific file submitters and maintainers here all use Excel to build a POI file and use an editor such as EPE to decide what data to include in the CSV version while saving the "full load" for the GPX.

To see some of the differences first hand, load EPE and then download these two files for the same locations by two different maintainers - one CSV the other GPX.
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/491
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25140

The only custom POI's I have downloaded (I haven't yet created my own) are all CSV versions. I have been disappointed that I can't dial from them even though the phone numbers are listed. Not only that, but I tried to save some as favorites and the phone numbers disappear.

How difficult is it to convert the CVS versions to GPX and then load them.
I have downloaded the Extra-POI Editor, but I just can't figure out how to use it. Without changing anything in the existing files, if I resave the CSV versions as GPX files, will the phone number dialing work? Or what else do I need to do?

Do I then use the regular POILoader to set set the alert distance and load these back into my Garmin?

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Thanks for the great info. I'd been trying to figure out how to do just this!

I tried that, I tried building sufolders in the Garmin, and just about everything else and I could never get renaming to work. No category for say food with 10 to 15 restaurant chain pois. No category for fuel with the truck stops, Wal-Marts included. Just lists and lists of individual POI files even though I had run POI loader against a folder having only that category of files.

Since those days I've discovered the power in GPX and converted most of my files to GPX, set alerts as needed in the file and now just load the entire set. Everything is in my categories and alphabetical - both the categories and the files in them and they are all loaded using Express.

Download Extra Poi Editor at http://turboccc.wikispaces.com/Extra_POI_Editor If, after downloading the program and trying to install it, you get a message about an OCX file missing, go back to the main download page and scroll down to “Troubleshooting”. There you will find the Extra Poi Editor Installer that you will need to download. Once installation is completed, set your preferences. For example, under Options, click on Preferences. Under Units, make all the fields Imperial/US. After setting your preferences, click File, Open and select the file into which you want to build distance alerts. Click Edit, Replace Field, and then use the down arrow next to Field Name to select Proximity. Under New Field Value, enter the distance in feet for the alert. Then, click Replace All and Yes. EPE will set that distance for each POI in the file. You must save the updated file as a .gpx file. This POI file can now be loaded using the express mode in POILoader.

If you want distance set in ft it has to be. Under units you will see editor, select Imperial/US. For Field Read select metric and Field save select Metric.