Creating A Personal POI FIle

I like to keep it simple and use Notepad to create a .csv file. Others like Excel. Still others like to use Extra_POI_Editor to make a .gpx file.

A .gpx file is better if you have a preference for it depending on how you run POI Loader or if you want more info for each POI. My opinion is when starting out keep it simple with .csv. Later, you can use E_P_E to turn the file into a .gpx if you like.

To alert on a radius, use a TourGuide. It will work with Harley Davidson just like you want. There is a lot of info on TourGuides in the FAQs and previous forum threads.

dobs108

In what form is your "information" now?

Why don't you consider taking the Harley Davidson file (which is already a .gpx file and using EPE to add "TourGuide" information of whatever distance alert you want (use a replace all function) and replace all to the link to the ,mp3 file (make the name of everything something like HD TourGuide except for the extensions of .gpx, .bmp and .mp3.)

Then use POILoader in express mode to create a new HD TourGuide.gpi file

Thanks for the leads and I will look into EPE. I am not sure I am understanding about TourGuide so I will do some searching and reading about it. Is it used in the naming of a POI file and then recognized by the GPS so that the notification is given. If this is some part or option of the GPS firmware I so not have that option in my Nuvi 750 that is about 5 years old but the last update from Garmin was Sept 2009.

It just may be easier to use the Excel file as there are only about 10 locations that are not covered by files that are already here on POI-Factory.

Now off to research TourGuide and EPE.

Thanks

TourGuide is part of a file name. It can be used with csv or gpx. An example would be:
Dunkin Donuts TourGuide.csv.

Thanks a few clicks and I now understand the workings of TourGuide and it will work on the Nuvi 750. And I see the true benefits of using it. It will do just what I want for the Harley Davidson locations and even McDonald's. How many road trips have you been on when every exit has a McDonald's a few hundred feet from the exit ramp but when you decide to stop for coffee after an all night drive the one you pick is 5 miles into town. TourGuide will be a real help here.

Now onto EPE.

I noticed on my first long trip that not all the McDonalds showed up because they were set back from the road. I now use TourGuide for McDonalds and WalMart. I created my own wav files for the announcements.

I played around with Extra POI Editor and found a few things interesting. The difference in size between a .GPX file and a .CSV is great and the .GXP is about 3.5 times larger than the .CSV. I took the McDonald's POI file and loaded it into Excel and stripped out the states that I will not be traveling into on my next trip. I still had over 2700 locations in the .CSV file. I then opened the file with EPE and took a look at a few locations that are close to home. I noticed that in one instance the location was not the McDonald's but the BP station on the other side of a Taco Bell and that was about 1/8 mile off. I made the change and saved the file as a .GXP and boy was I surprised. The .CSV file was 271k and the .GXP was 982K. I am not sure if I am going to use the McDonald's file as it surly will slow down the overall GPS operation and the GPS will be going off at every exit on the interstate and on a 17 hour trip that will drive anyone nuts. I tried that on one trip by loading all the intersections on the interstates and after the first hour of driving I was ready to stop and get the lap top out and reload things without the interstate POI.

I also created a personal POI file with about 10 way-points and wanted to set a proximity distance point for each point. Some I wanted at a 3 mile alert and others a 4 mile alert. I saved the file everything was correct but when I reopened the file all the proximity distances changed and in some cases were as much as 16 miles. I checked everything to make sure things were in miles and not meters and everything was correct. I have no idea as to what is going on there so I just cleared out the proximity points and I guess I will have to set them all at the same distance via POI Loader.

Make sure you have the 3 settings correct.
Under options click on preferences. For example using ft for input. Under units you will see editor, select Imperial/US. For Field Read and Field save select Metric.

Option for replace all.
After setting your preferences click on file and click open to select from your computer the file you want to build the alert distance for. Then go to edit and click on replace field. Once the next screen comes up use the down arrow for Field name and pick proximity. Under new field value put in the distance in ft you want for the alert. Then click replace all. You now have alert distance set for each custom poi. Then save as gpx file. If you select save as csv you will lose the built in alert.

A gpx file will be larger on the computer.Once loaded to Gps using poiloader it will be reduced in size once it becomes a gpi file.See http://www.poi-factory.com/node/6203 .

First - make sure that you follow charlesd45's advice about the preferences in EPE.

Give us some more info on your personal POI file. You ought to be able to use EPE to set an alert distance for each of your 10 points. Just put the distance into the Tourguide/Proximity field which should be showing feet as its unit. 15840 for 3 miles; 21120 for 4 miles. Put them in and then save the file as a .gpx file.

As charlesd45 has already said, the size of the file (csv vs gpx) on your computer is not the issue, it is the size of the .gpi file on your GPS that is what you should be concerned about.

Please try a POILoader run with each type file before you make any conclusion.

By the way, since these distances you quote of 3 miles or 4 miles are so large, are you trying to get an "along the route" alert or a "within this radius alert"? If it is the latter, then you will need a TourGuide file.

jgermann

The personal POI is just a collection of about 10 way points that I personally use as a type of milestone on the trip. For example, the two tunnel locations on I-77. Another point I like to be warned about is the I-10 intersection on I-95 in Jacksonville Fl. For years there is a very sharp left hand turn on 95 and you really have to slow down for this turn. Also it comes up on you rather fast so I just like to be prepared as one year I almost got the wall as so many others have done. This may be a thing of the past in that the state has been working on construction there for over 10 years and the turn may be more sweeping.

I have made the changes charlesd45 provided and everything is working properly.

As far as alert distance so large I personally like to be informed of a rest area about 3 or 4 miles in advance so this would of course be the normal "along the route" alert. As for speed traps I also like the longer distances as police are known to change locations within there patrol territory.

It was just recently that I found out about TourGuide and how it works. The TourGuide radius will work great for something like the Harley Davidson dealers as they may be in view of the interstate but not "along the route". Same thing for some restaurants or motels. In the case of McDonalds the radius proximity will have to be set very low (1/4 or 1/8 mile) or the alert will be going off at almost every exit and that is sure to drive anyone nuts. One year I loaded all the interstate exits POI thinking that would be cool. Well it did not take long to figure out I made a big mistake as the GPS was always going off with alerts. Needless to say that POI was not loaded on for the return trip. I most likely will not load the McDonalds POI but may try a few other restaurants.

Glad it worked out.One suggestion on the example of the files you had for different alert distance.You may want to look at the file merge option.Split the file and use replace field feature for each one setting the distance you want.Then save as each one.Once you have them set.Open first file back up in EPE then go back and click under file Merge Open to open the other file.Now you will have both files showing in EPE and can save as a combined file.

charlesd45

I played around with the Merge Open last night just to see what I could do with it and I was amazed. It will allow me to create the personal POI just the way I want it and have the alert warnings the way I want them.

I also played around with the Find POI on Route and the huge McDonald's file. By selecting a 1/2 mile I was able to cut the 15000 + locations down to 78 for the route I am planning to use and to 49 locations if I use 1/4 mile. No longer will I have to get a warning for something that is 4 or 5 miles off the interstate unless I really want it.

Thanks again

I done the same thing for trip to FL. Put the custom poi hotels and restaurants in for along the route and made a file for it using EPE and it worked pretty good. A lot you can do with it.