POI with mp3/photo embedded

POI Loader Help includes a page under Creating Custom POI Files that describes the basic steps. Start POI Loader, click on help, then look for the "Creating TourGuide Files" page.

Basic Steps:

* use MapSource to create the POI file
* in the File/URL field, include the name of the MP3 file. The filename must include the phrase "TourGuide"
* save the POIs as a .gpx file
* using an MP3 tagging program, edit the MP3 file's ID3 tag to include the path to the .jpg file you want displayed
* place the gpx file and all the mp3 and jpg files together and load them onto an SD card.

I haven't tried this yet myself, but I think many of us would be interested to hear how it turns out.

JM

Is it necessary to use Mapsource for this? Can a csv file be created to do the same thing?

Update.... I guess it is a moot point with my C340 as i don't think it has the capability.

I read the comment in another thread from kch50428 about how cool it would be to have celebrity voices (Rachel Ray "yum-o") as a proximity alert. It got me thinking (always dangerous) and experimenting. I had an mp3 with a dog barking, only a couple of sec's worth so I didn't have to edit the mp3. I wrote a short csv with the coords of some neighborhood intersections, so I could take a simulated drive.
The short of the story is ... very cool! It works. You just need to rename the mp3 to match your file name and bmp name (if using a bmp) and have it in the same directory. I found it best to use the manual function in the poi loader, then checking the applicable check boxes and setting the distance you want. Very Cool

I'm going to have to try this out....

now to think of some cool applications...

I "thought" that I had followed the instructions to embed an MP3 into a POI on my NUVI 660. The help file for POI Loader (2.4 beta) is a tad confusing. Do all MP3 files have to have 'tourguide' in the name in order to play for a related POI?

--
Garmin NUVI 660

Can the tour guide actually talk to you. I have Fodors travel guide loaded, and am now curious if those written words can actually be spoken to me as a pace a POI.

"Do all MP3 files have to have 'tourguide' in the name in order to play for a related POI?"

Tourguide must be part of the mp3 name otherwise POI loader won't transfer the audio file.

This is the site I use for text to speech.
(I apologize if I'm breaking any rules by posting this link here.)

Type your text, download the wav. file and convert it to a mp3.

http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php

No, all mp3 files do not have to have "tourguide" in the name.

Try a small mp3 sound file, such as a ring tone etc.something only a few seconds long.
Put the mp3 in the same folder with your csv file.
name the mp3 the same as the csv file.
For example; you have a folder named "custom poi's"
inside that folder you have a file named "dog_house.csv"
you also have a file named "dog_house.mp3" if you had a bmp of your dog's house you'd have "dog_house.bmp" also in the folder. You would point the poi loader to the "custom poi's" folder and it would load the valid files within that folder. You would then set your proximity alert to whatever distance you wanted using poi loader in manual mode.

He does if he's creating a TourGuide.

I thought I read the question as;

"Do all MP3 files have to have 'tourguide' in the name in order to play for a related POI?"

For a tourguide yes, if used for something as a proximity alert no. Therefore All mp3's do not need tourguide in the name.

I read Craig470's question as him wanting to make a sound as an alert for a particular poi - not necessarily a story about the Boston Tea Party when approaching Boston Harbor.

Your right.

That is correct, I was able to get the MP3 to play as a tourguide but could not for an alert. I removed the current POI completely and reloaded to see if that would help. I am using MapSource to point to the MP3 and saving as a .gpx

But now with your help I think I see the problem. I thought I had named them the same, but they weren't.

redlight camera.gpx, but had the MP3 named redlight.mp3

I'll try that.

Thanks for the assistance, I am a moron . It helps when you pay attention when you are naming files.

I tried to do this but cannot get it to work. I have Places.mp3 in the same directory as the Places.csv. When I get near to a POI I do get the reverse video Red at the top of the screen for the alert but no sound.
My goal is to create a tour of local historical sites that will display a picture & brief description when you approach a POI. Does anyone have a sample they can share. I want to create something like the "Amtrak - City of New Orleans Time table "sample at http://www.gps-poi-us.com/tourguide.html

In the mean time I'm assuming you've also set distance/proximity alert info whilst loading via Poi Loader.

If using the TourGuide deal, tourguide has to be in the file names. As they are in the Amtrak file you noted.

Another thing to note:
TourGuide files must be saved as .gpx files.
If you look at the Amtrak file, after you've extracted it

Right click on the folder named;
TourGuide - Amtrak - City of New Orleans

Then click explore, you will see that it is listed as GPS eXchange Format and not csv

Has anyone had any luck getting a jpg to display in addition to playing the .mps I am able to get the mp3 to play when I get to a desired location but I am unable to get the picture to display. I seen the brief instruction that say :

Adding Pictures to TourGuide Points
You can add .jpg images to your TourGuide points. To do so, include the path to the .jpg image in the ID3 data of your TourGuide .mp3 file. Search the internet for more information on ID3 tags for .mp3 files.

(If anyone has had success creating their own custom Tour Guide files and would like to share their insights with others, please e-mail us here.)
I then entered the following in the ecomment field of the id3 tag(didn't know where to actually put the path to the .jpg so I put it here. I am thinking this is the wrong place since it doesn't work:
file://C:/WINDOWS/Desktop/GarminGPS/TomsPOIsTEST/TourGuidePl...

This doesnt work. The mp3 file plays fine. It's called TourGuidePlacce1.mp3 & it's tag is above. Any help is appreciated. Does the jpg file have to be a certain size. I have it the same name as the mp3 file except for the .jpg extension I understand the picture is supposed to appear when click on the icon to display the TourGuide detail.
Any ideas on what I am doing wrong, or can you provide an example that does this?

Thanks,
Tom

Maybe I can help...or further confuse.

I don't think you can get the mp3 and jpg to play and display at the same time.

If you attach a jpg as album art you can have the mp3 play when you get to the desired proximity you've set. You should get the red bar at the top of the screen with "TourGuide:" whatever-you-named-it. You also get a bull horn and a pair of lips in the bottom of the screen (mine is on the bottom left). Press the bull horn, you'll get another screen..on the bottom I have-back - map - save - more
Press more, that takes you to another screen, on the bottom I have - back - image - and up - down arrows. Press Image you should then see the image, there are also + and - bars to increase/decrease the image size...my - doesn't work and that will be another email to garmin..

Now, how to get that all to work. I've found MapSource to be the easiest...seems daunting but not difficult.
Since you've gotten most of the tourguide function to work, it would seem to me that really all you need to do is attach the jpg to the mp3. The only way I've found (but haven't tried real hard) is to use an ID3 tag Editor to attach any photo as album art.

To have a photo attached to the poi, in MapSource (Waypoint properties) in the file/url block, browse and select the photo you want. It won't alert you, but when you tap the poi you'll have the "More" button on the bottom of the screen.
I downloaded a freeware application that will edit ID3 tags and you can assign any jpg or bmp as the album art.
http://www.softpointer.com/AudioShell.htm
to get it to work, find the mp3 then right click, then click on properties, then you'll see a tab on the top AudioShell Tag Editor, then near the bottom you'll see Add cover. Then just select the pic you want.

The largest pic I've tried so far has been 340 x 204
and have to bump the + bar a few times to fill the screen, which is strange since the splash screen is 320 x240.

Hope You Were Able To Follow Along

So what is the difference between having a poi with an mp3 assiciated with it, and having it as a tourguide?

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/1629 for added info

Basically, the TourGuide feature will give you the red alert bar at the top of the screen;
1. "TourGuide:and whatever you named it"
2. Your mp3's do not have to have the same file name, but do need TourGuide in the name.
3. Must be saved as gpx file
4. Overall it's just a bit more tidy

Thanks for the quick response. The information you gave resolved the issue. The id tag editor I was using didn't allow editing of album art. I got the mp3 tag editor you specified and once I specified the jpg to be used for album art, it work!
Thanks again,
Tom

Glad you got it all workin'

thanks so much for the information. i can finally use the feature with ur help!

Is anyone here using Garmin Mobile XT for Palm? I'm having trouble creating a tourguide file for it, but I don't know if this feature is working properly on GMXT or if I'm doing something wrong.

I tried adding a custom audio tone with my POIs and it did not work. I have a KNA-G510. I'm using POI Loader Beta. I wanted to be alerted whenever I came in the proximity of a Walmart since I figured it could come handy on a road trip. I named the MP3, the bmp icon file, and the csv file "Walmart_safety". The bmp icon comes up whenever I'm around walmart and the alert sounds but there is no mp3 playback. Please help.

I don't know a thing about the KNA-G510

I did a quick search, and nothing in the specs that I could find mention anything about mp3 capability.

Research the manual and see if there is any mention of mp3.

The manual sucks.....lol. The manual doesn't tell you anything but the fact that you can load custom POIs and they can be found on the web. I didn't know I could use CSV files or even bitmap images. I didn't even know about keywords like "safety" and "camera" that trigger alerts. I just read it on this site and tried those things and they happened to work.

It's weird how Garmin never included cool stuff like that in the manual. They left everything ambiguous.

Did some further research on your question:
I'm sure it'll play the mp3 as an alert:

Found this on pg 40 of the Owners Manual (pdf)

You probably already have, but double check just to confirm.

Settings -> General -> Proximity Alerts

Then make sure the Audio Notification ON is selected

Owners Manual
http://www.garmin.com/manuals/KNAG510_OwnersManual.pdf

Thanks but yeah I also saw that page in the manual and I have audio notification set to ON. I think that just refers to the "ding ding" sound when an alert comes. I don't know.

I've been messing around with this for a few days, and thanks to your post I'm starting to get a grip on it.

Can you put an mp3 file with a poi proximity alert into the Garmin 530?

fmarotta

I would also be interested if this could be done with the c530... Anyone with an answer?

Also, I would like to know if A tourguide file can be used with this device?

Thanks in advance!

no mention of mp3 as a supported file type.

Garmin TourGuide POIs are currently compatible with the nüvi™, zūmo™, and the StreetPilot® c550, 2730, 2820, 7200 and 7500.

fellow kna-g510 user.... have you been able to get the mp3 and bmp file to show yet? And when you say icon, do you mean a really small picture? What exactly are you using?

Quote from Ismonop earlier post:

"If you attach a jpg as album art you can have the mp3 play when you get to the desired proximity you've set. You should get the red bar at the top of the screen with "TourGuide:" whatever-you-named-it."
"Since you've gotten most of the tourguide function to work, it would seem to me that really all you need to do is attach the jpg to the mp3. The only way I've found (but haven't tried real hard) is to use an ID3 tag Editor to attach any photo as album art."
"To have a photo attached to the poi, in MapSource (Waypoint properties) in the file/url block, browse and select the photo you want. It won't alert you, but when you tap the poi you'll have the "More" button on the bottom of the screen."

My reply:

If you want to associate both an .mp3 & .jpg with a poi as an alert or tourguide (although I haven't tried tourguide yet)put them both in the same folder and name them the same, then in Mapsource (waypoint properties) in the file/url block, browse and select the photo or mp3 you want, then go to the line beside browse that shows the path and delete the end till it shows up to the folder that both files are in. You have to do it this way because in browse you can't select just the folder or more than one file. (but for some reason you can edit the path line and thats ok)... then save as .gpx file and load with poi loader.

When the alert .mp3 comes up on my nuvi 660 you tap the red alert bar at the top which brings up the poi and there's a little thumbnail of the picture which you press on to bring up the picture full size with + / - buttons that do seem to work.

Hope I didn't cause too much confusion.
Greg

Hi! I'm Mauro from Milan, Italy, for the first I want to ask excuse for my bad english, I have some problem to understand well all what you say and I hope that you understand what I will say to you!
I've got a problem to associate an image to mp3. I have tried to use the software "AudioShell" but when I've ended the installation I've not found the exe file to launch the application! Then, I've used software as "TagScanner" or ID3-TagIT and I've
inserted the image jpg (whith the same name of mp3 file) in the mp3 file as "cover front" but in my nuvi I don't see nobody image associate! If I wach in the menù where are the TourGuide POI, I can listen the mp3 but I don't see the image! I've tried inserted the image with the tag "cover front", "cover back", "other" and I've do a lot of attempts but... nothing!
I'm desperate! Someone knows what is my mistake or some council on the software to use?

Thank you very much and still sorry!

I've had some success doing this by using the Garmin Mapsource program & POI Loader.
See my post above for info, also read Ismonop's posts above.

Once you get it to work you should be able to tap the red alert bar at the top of the screen when the mp3 plays and that will bring up the poi with a small thumbnail picture on it, tap the thumbnail and it brings up the picture full size.

I haven't tried Ismonop's method of using an ID3-tag editor, but the Mapsource method does work with my nuvi 660.

Hope this helps,
Greg

But, alas, as I understand it this does not work for the C340. Is this correct?

Mauro,

with the AudioShell, find the mp3 you want to use, then right click on the file. Then click on Properties, you should get a window with 4 tabs at the top,
General, Audioshell Information, Audioshell tag editor, and summary.
click on the Audioshell tag editor, go down to cover art then click on add cover.

Are you using MapSource to create your TourGuide?
I assume you are making TourGuides?
Or, just using mp3 as an audio alert?

TourGuide:
più importante
TourGuide files MUST be saved as a .gpx file
Jpg must be attached to MP3
MP3 must be renamed with TourGuide in the file name such as ; TourGuide_whatever.mp3
Set a proximity for your TourGuide.
TourGuide_whatever.gpx and TourGuide_whatever.mp3
in same folder.

TourGuides will show up just like an ordinary POI
where you can "GO" to it. OR, with a proximity set, it will play the mp3 when you get near it.

Look at some screen shots of what you should see:

http://www.geocities.com/ls_monop//c55oindex.html?20079

Thank you very much! Now I understand how audioshell work! I'm stupid, I dont have read the "readme" file!
Sorry.
I use MapSource for create the tourguide poi.
I include an image on MP3 file (with audioshell as "Cover Art" too) and rename Mp3 with TourGuide in the name of file. I create the POI with MapSource, I add the MP3 TourGuide file path and save it as GPX file.
With POIloader I transfer the POI on my Nuvi 350.
I've setting the nuvi for the proximity allarm on.
When I'm near the POI the MP3 file start, I see the red bar on the top and the speaker icon on the bottom.
If I touch the read bar or the icon, I go on the menù with the green key "GO!" and the key "back" "Map" and "save" (in italian "Vai!" "Canc" "Mappa" and "salva") and in the nuvi (the nuvi is a little various one from the c550) I would have to find a thumbnail of the image over the "GO!" green key, and if I touch the thumbnail I would have to see the full size image. (I've resize the image to 320 x 240 pixel)
The problem is that there isn't the image! I don't see the thumbnail and the full size image.
I have made all good and I do not understand where mistake...

Thank you and bye

ive been reading about custom POI's and MP3 embedding, could someone give me an example of an excel spread sheet and exactly what line C & D would say if i wanted to attach thissound.mp3 to it?

Columns
A----------------B-------------C------------D

Longitude # | Latitude # | 10th & 36th |

this is not where you identify the mp3

First decide what it is you want to accomplish.

Do you want:

A TourGuide File
or
Just to use an MP3 as an alert sound.

i would like to just have an mp3 alert sound, for every red light camera in the excel file

I then take it you want an mp3 to be your alert sound.
If that is the case, rename the mp3 that you want to use to match the name of the red light camera file you have.
Example: If your red light file is named

redlight_camera.csv then you must name the mp3
redlight_camera.mp3

make sure the mp3 is in the same folder as the csv you want to use it with.

NOTE:

TourGuide files must be saved in .gpx format

I’ve resolved the problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve right when think that it was surely a stupid problem…
I used the PoiLoader 2.31 and no the last version 2.32:

Changes made from version 2.3.1 to 2.3.2:

* Fixed an issue where reading .gpx files with phone numbers could cause POI Loader to crash.
* Fixed an issue where alerts were being created for all POIs.
* Fixed an issue where certain .bmp files could cause POI Loader to crash.
* Fixed an issue where a .jpg file embedded in a .mp3 file's ID3 tag would not display on the unit.

Thank you very much for your help and in particular I want tell thanks to Ismonop!

Glad you got it working.

You and others might want to try using the beta version of the poi loader 2.4.0.1

http://www.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=1673

Best of luck to you Mauro! Have fun

This is what I found for my c530 at:
http://www.garmin.com/products/sp530/

Near the bottom of the mage:

Optional Software

Optional software available on plug-in SD cards, lets you instantly add new features to your c530 — without connecting to your computer.

Garmin Travel Guide™ — gives you helpful and thorough reviews and recommendations for restaurants, hotels, shopping, nightlife, sporting events and tourist attractions. Travel Guide for Europe available for purchase. Travel Guide for United States coming soon.

SaversGuide®; — a “geo-coded” coupon book that notifies you of nearby discounts on restaurants, hotels, shopping, and more at thousands of participating Entertainment® businesses throughout North America.

Still no mention of mp3 capability

The Garmin Travel Guide is a POI database on SD card, which;

"Allows user to look up particular points of interest by a defining category. The information is provided in five different languages: English, French, Italian, German and Spanish".

Quite different from the TourGuide function.