Honda's CVS and KML POI files

The Garmin CSV layout allows 4 columns ... longitude, latitude, name, description. You need to find out the column and data field requirements for the Honda CSV POI files, then use something like Excel to edit the CSV file you download from here into the correct layout.

My guess from your explanation of the error you got is that Honda GPS uses one of the columns as Category, causing it to generate too many categories when you tried to import the file you got here.

I was thinking the same thing, so this is what I did:

I edited the csv file to only the first two entries but had the same error.
I goggled KML POI and it seems to be an xml format for Google maps.
I found http://garmin.gps-data-team.com/poi_manager.php which converts csv files to KML.
The file was too big so I converted the csv file with 2 entries.
Had the same error.
I looked at the KML file and found it had links to web sites. Like for icons.
I commented out the web links in the file.
It worked. It even had Shell icons on the map.

The working KML file had:

< name> appears to be the category
Can Excel create an xml file?
I'm going to try to add a column to the CSV file category. I try the first column first.
I'll keep this thread posted and all suggestions are welcome.

Update:
The name containing Book1.kml appears to be used for category.

It works. I cannot get CSV files to load but I used the program at http://choonchernlim.com/kmlcsv/ to convert then to KML. The POIs can then be downloaded into my 2013 Honda Accord Nav. However, it is limited to 2000 POIs which not allow many of the file here unusable.

Thanks for the input. I just got a new Honda and am interested in adding some new POIs to the system.
Is the limit of 2000 POIs total for the system or for each file uploaded?

I was able to upload a KML file for all the Red Light Camera locations in Canada. The file was created 2011/12/27. I took a GPX file and converted it to KML. When uploaded to my Honda Accord, the category created was WAYPOINTS. I haven't looked at the KML file using an editor to see if the category was defined in the file or created by the upload.

I turned on alerts for WAYPOINTS and guess what... it works!

This may seem dumb, but how did you do the upload. My wife has a new 2013 CR-V with Navi and I know that it has to be the same system so, some instructions would be great!

I have a 2014 is similar issues. I did find that the audio system needed to be FAT 32 format. Unrelated? maybe but FAT32 allows 255 items max per folder.

Did you find out if this is per file or for the entire system? If it's the whole system, useless! I want to download POIs for many things since the Honda navigation is not exactly current most of the time.

--And I would like to know too--

Hmm, anyone know the max import per file and total per system in a 2014 Honda Odyssey navigation system?

Yesterday bought a new Accura with Navigation.
Now working on finding out how to load POIs.
Not much out there...

Golfr2230, would you look at the KML file and copy and past here, maybe the first two or three lines so I can see just how it is suppose to look.
I can't get mine to work. Just tells me no files found.
Thanks, Mary

Mary did you use Extra Poi Editor?
1.Click on file.
2.Click open.
3.Add Redlight File.
4.Back to file.
5.Click merge open .
6.Add Speed Cameras.
7.Click File again.
8.Click save as.
9.Select Google Earth KML for Save As Type.
10.Put name in for file.Example Cameras.

I did try Extra Poi Editor and saved it in KML but it didn't work. Not sure why....

Must be some other steps to do once you get the KML. I would expect a certain folder it goes in or a new one to make. Maybe Golfr2230 can provide more info.

Congrats on the new Acura. Looking forward to hearing back from you regarding how many POIs and how many categories. I hope it's not a maximum of 2,000 POIs or that will be extremely UNHELPFUL as there are numerous categories on here that I would like to import into my Honda. The Walmart csv POI file alone has over 5,000 lines which would make a 2,000 Honda POI limit virtually useless.

After I find out the format that my Accord uses to download pois I will then look at the question of how many. As of now I have not been able to load even one. I have tried several ways to save the file and so far nothing. Will keep trying.

is probably clueless as to the format as well but they may have factory training data that will spell out the proper format and placement of the elements within a valid location. Ping on them.

Will check on this.

EDIT: Just used your words above about proper format and placement of the elements in an email to the salesman I bought my car from. He was very helpful and made the mistake of saying that if I needed to know anything and he didn't know the answer he would find it out. We will see..
Thanks

Let us know if the salesman is able to provide the correct information. We could then publish it in a FAQ.

Golfr2230 emailed me his Canada camera file that he was able to put on his Navigation system. It did not work with mine. I am thinking it may be my USB drive. I will buy a new one and see if that works.
I have contacted the great salesman that sold me my Honda. He is working with their Tech Guru to try and find me a format that will work with my Navigation. Will see what he comes up with. But will also try buying a new USB Drive and see.
Thanks for everyone's help. Will let you know if I get anything to work.

The sales man called me and gave me directions and said to use a .csv and the directions were just what I had been doing. He also said to go to Nav/Settings. And he said to use a cable with the usb drive.

I had been using a cable and doing everything he said to do. I got frustrated and just set in the car trying stuff with the .csv file.

"He also said to look on the web site "POI-Factory" for photos and information".....

Well I came back in the house and opened my "Extra POI Editor".
I downloaded my Food.gpx in Extra POI Editor and saved it every way that was offered in .csv format and then saved it again in the .klm format.

I went to Navigation/Settings/Download POI and it still didn't see anything.

I started checking other spots on the car and while the Navigation screen is up I pressed Menu. This is where you look at all the built in POIs and search by other ways for built in POIs.
This is the path I took while the Nativation screen is on the top screen:
Press Menu.
Scroll to More Search Methods.
Select Download POI.
Down Select (arrow at bottom of screen)import from USB.
This brought up my files on the USB drive.
I tried a couple of .csv files and and received the message importing file then a message that I had too many categories.
I then selected the .klm formatted file.
Message said importing file please wait.
It worked. I then had the file Food in my view.
"I did make a little yea noise"

I then saved a couple more of my files, doctors and people. They worked...

Be sure and save the file in folders and import them one at a time as this is how they come up on the system.

-------------------
You get to your POI files in the same way you saved them:
While the Navigation map screen is on the top screen:
Press Menu
Scroll to More Search Methods
Select Download POI (All the folders you imported are there)

----------------
To get to options you now go into Settings:
Press Settings
Select Navi Settings
Scroll to Download POI
Select the POI Folder you want the options for.
The options in my folders were:
Alert settings (on,off)
Delete Category
Edit Icon

Hope I made myself clear. If I didn't explain any thing clearly please ask.

Box Car, I hope you can make this out if you want to make a FAQ from it.

Mary

“To Save File to USB Drive”
Save your files in separate categories
This will make them easier to find when searching for them.
When downloading to car download each file one at a time.
Use the .kml format

“To Download File”
With Navigation Map showing on the top screen:

Press “Menu Button”
Scroll down to “More Search Methods”
Select “Download POI”
At the bottom of screen press select button down to select “Import from USB”
Your files should come up on your screen from your USB Drive
Select the file you want to download and press “Enter”

“To Find your file”
With Navigation Map showing on the top screen

Press “Menu Button”
Scroll down to “More Search Methods”
Select “Download POI”
Your folders will be here for you to select.

“To Set Options for your POI files”
With Navigation Map showing on the top screen

Press “Settings”
Select “Navi Settings”
Scroll to “Download POI”
Select the folder you want to change options
- Set alerts (ON, OFF)
- Delete Category
- Edit Icon

Nice going.Patience and determination paid off.Submit it for FAQ.You have ever thing there.

Click on http://www.poi-factory.com/node/add and select FAQ and put in your information.

You can also click on Create content top right below your sign in name.

Go back a few posts until you get to yours.

Highlight the body of your explanation; right click and select copy.

Scroll up to the top of the thread and then click on the entry "Create content" which is the fourth entry under your name.

In the left hand pane, click on the blue "FAQ".

In the "Submit FAQ" dialog that appears, scroll down to the "Answer" section; click your cursor in the "Answer" section, then right-click and select paste.

Scroll up to the "Question" line and enter an appropriate title for the FAQ.

Pick the correct entry in the Reference Section.

Scroll to the bottom and select "Submit"

I did it... After 5 years never did a FAQ before.
Thanks for all the help.

I am now going to try and download a file with over 4000 files to see if it takes more than 2000 files

Ok, I just tried to load the Redlight Camera files to my Honda Navigation.
It took a while to load but at the end the screen flashed that the file limit had been reached and then another screen flashed on for just a second or two and I saw 2000 file limit. There was several more rows of information but the screen flashed on too fast.
Don't know if it is 2000 files per folder or a total of 2000 files.
When I find out any more will let you know

Just to do a quick check with the 2000 Redligt cameras still loaded.Make a different folder for the Speed Cameras.Load them just to see if it takes and stops at 2000.If it does you know to break the files down to 2000 per category.Hopefully the limit is the amount of space you have available on the Gps.

Even though the file said loading when the 2000 limit was reached it did not save to my unit.

I put the Redlight Camera file in Excel and saved only the Texas Cameras and then opened Extra POI Editor and saved them to .kml then I turned on Alerts and will have to see if they alert.

I now have 910 files on my unit and I will keep up with what I put on it and see if the 2000 is for total or each file.

Now have to find how to load Icons. All my downloaded Icons are the same.

This info has been very helpful so far. Anxious to hear back with your results on the 2,000 limit!

great news for cvs files

You were very clear, thanks!

You are welcome.
When I spend so much time on finding out how to do something I do so love to share with all my friends here.

Any update on the 2,000 POI limit for Honda's navigation system - is it per category or total for the system? Since Honda's navigation typically lags well behind Garmin, I'd like to be able to load up some chain restaurants I often visit when travelling in addition to the red light and speed cams. The 2,000 limit is so aggravating because 2,000 can't take up that much space on the system. Heck, the red light and speed cams aren't even 1 MB in a csv!

I have most every thing I want on my Honda except for the Rest Areas. I took the speed cameras and only put Texas on it as that is the only place we basically drive as we fly if going any further. I am going to get the Texas Rest Areas if there is one, if not I will do as I did the speed cameras and pull the Texas out of the US one.
Doesn't look like I will be near the 2000 mark for a while.
Have not messed with it for a while as I was sidetracked with Garmin Viago.
I do need to get back to the Rest Areas.
If I ever get to 2000 I will let you know.
Mary

Very good diagnosis! I am chomping at the bit to go home and load up my 2014 Accord. The POI and address book format data seems to be the Holy Grail of my recent purchase. Thanks for sharing.

Any thoughts on this one? ... Both the CSV AND KML files that I have on my USB drive are returning a "No Entries Exist" grayed out error.

I'm at the download POI menu option and both files are on the USB drive in the root directory.

I edited both files to only contain my few surrounding states to be certain that I'm below any limit of 2000 that I've read about. I'm under 950.

Anything else I can try? Thanks in advance

Hi, when I have just the downloaded files in csv format on my usb drive, I can see the file names on the car menu, but when I load them I get an upload failed error. I tried as Mary stated, and put each file in it's own folder... when I do that I can't even see the names. So file folders do not work for me. I will try looking at the file format and checking out the 'name' command and what I can do with that. I'm downloading right from poi-factory in csv format, which all easily load onto my portable Garmin. Honda really should look at this and fix the problem. Or at least show the format expected.

that statement may be telling you there are no files loaded on your car. On that screen do you have some sort of button or selection that says to upload POIs? My Odyssey says the same thing, but I can pull the control knob downward which selects the option to load POIs. At the point, I can see the poi file names on the usb drive (as long as they are not in any folder).

I copied the link and info from this post:
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/33782

""Assuming you have a PC, use Turbo's Extra_POI_Editor (EPE). (Instructions on where to find EPE and how to install it are in many different threads, but the file itself is at http://turboccc.wikispaces.com/Extra_POI_Editor.)""

Change the csv file with this program. It works great.
I did not put the files in FOLDERS on my USB drive.
I had each one in their own FILE, (food.kml, hotels.kml etc.) There does have to be more than one file on the USB drive or it will go to Favorites and not the name of the file.

The csv will not work, it does have to be kml and the only kml I could get to work was changed by the above mentioned program. I could not get Google Earth KML files to work. The program above is from one of our group and works great. It used to be free, haven't looked lately.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/42862

There are two areas with Download POIs on the unit.
Be sure you are at the correct one.

Be sure you have two different .kml files on the usb drive or it will not load it with the name but as a favorite. You only load one at a time so you can only load the one you want.

Press “Menu Button”
Scroll down to “More Search Methods”
Select “Download POI”
At the bottom of screen press select button down to select “Import from USB”
Your files should come up on your screen from your USB Drive
Select the file you want to download and press “Enter”

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/42862

Also see above post for program to change cvs to kml if you don't already have it. It is the only program I could get my file to work from.

I used Turbo CCC / Extra POI Editor and saved the RL and SC files as KML. ONLY saw Google Earth/KML as the option, not KML by itself. Wrote both to USB drive. ONLY saw one place to Download POI's under "Navi Settings" and "Download POI". The instant I select it, I get "No Entries Exist".

Can anyone suggest a fix? Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks in advance -
Rick

Yes Google Earth/KML is correct.
I was talking about using Google Earth to not save the file. Sorry for confusion.

But do NOT select Settings..

With map showing on the screen press the button to the right of the select knob that says ..MENU..
Then Select... More Search options..
Then select ..Poi download..

Mary

Mary - That was PERFECT! I had no idea that 2nd POI area was under MENU and not settings. I played with the options for 15 minutes and missed it.

It worked, and let me download both the Speed Camera file AND the Red Light Camera KML files. I edited the CSV's first to exclude states I wouldn't likely drive to before converting them.

Then, I went to the SETTINGS menu and turned ON the alerts and selected the icon. It looked like I only had one choice for the icon.

I'm anxious to hear what the alert sounds like and see what's displayed on the screen while in alert mode.

Do you know?

MANY Thanks again,
Rick

Glag it worked.

We do not go out of our little town often and after two months only have 500 miles on the car and have not gone anywhere near cameras yet. Let me know if you go by any and I will do the same.

Have looked into adding a different icon but no luck yet.