POI bmp icon sizes on the nuvi 3597

The default size icon size (24x24?) is rendered very small on the 34xx/35xx units (don't know about the newer devices). As you've seen, enlarging them makes them more visible but blurry. The other problem with increasing the icon size is that of compatibility. The 44x44 size you used to build yours may not be compatible with other units. If you're fine with that size and don't have to worry about rebuilding them for compatibility reasons and you're happy with the result...I don't see them getting any better looking.

I personally have a wide spread of units that I use all my POI files with (same build for all units) so I stick with the 24x24 size strictly for compatibility between units. If the icons are small on a particular unit, so be it...at least I'll be seeing more of the map.

That's what I was hoping to hear, thanks. I started creating my own custom bmp icons for this nuvi since it's my only one. Most so far are around 48x48. When I don't need transparency, I leave them at 24k colors and they look great on the 3597. When I want them "fancy", I save as 256 colors to be able to use the transparent background color. So far, so good. Making me love this nuvi even more.

Though it would be nice if you could just load an icon in for the built-in POIs without having to add your own.

On a related note: I notice that some "national chain" icons (Panera Bread, Dunkin' Donuts, etc) seem to appear at random according to the time, area, zoom level and maybe even the phase of the moon ;^)! Sometimes they are there, then the next day on the same route: nothing. FWIW, I have never seen a McDonald's icon on my 2595, but the Burger King across the street will be on the screen. Doesn't seem to be any pattern that I can figure out and I always wonder if it's a case of you pay a fee to Garmin to get your icon on there.

I agree williston. My guess is that any companies that pay Garmin most likely get their custom icons displayed with the built-in POIs.

Thanks to everyone here who contributes, I now have my Garmin starting to look how I want it. Loading some POIs from here for some of the more common food/gas places around, and creating my own higher res bitmap icons, I have it looking like this now...

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w623/brisan2003/76679_zp...

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w623/brisan2003/47699_zp...

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w623/brisan2003/61112_zp...

Looks good. What resolution and color depth are you using for your icons?

Most are 48x48 size. I made them about twice the size as the ones from the site here as the others were too small for my liking. They all start out as 24-bit color. But any that need transparency, like the McDonalds, Wendys, Burger King ones for example, need to be converted down to 256 colors to do that. The White Castle one looks really cool when not covered up by other places close by.

If anyone was interested, I could try to figure out what it would take to upload them here.

Very much interested in the larger icon size. Could you please put together a detailed set of instructions as the steps along with what program or programs you are using. Over time maybe we can get many of the popular icons updated.

The 24x24 worked well on my old Nuvi 750 but not so well on my 3590.

Thanks

So I've created a good handful of new higher-res icons that I can share with others, but I'm not sure how/where to upload to here. I tried following some directions from the site here by sending an email to photos@poi-factory.com a few weeks ago, but I never received a response. Any other methods?

Great job. I was also noticing small icons on my Nuvi 3597.

Maybe she can create a special link or folder or other designatian that they are special for certain GPS units.

I'd like to see/use FunkyBoss's icons as well but in the meantime I use an easy workaround for the small icons on the 3597 by converting the current ones to 44x44 pixels and they are easily seen. Some, like the Subway icon for example, aren't very readable stretched out that big, but they will do until a better one, like FunkyBoss's, comes along.

Well in the meantime, I've zipped up all the ones I've made and put them out here...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ki190zo3h1ncup2/Garmin_hi-res_icon...

Let me know if you have any feedback if you decide to use them.

Great, thanks so much for making them available to us.

Some questions, from a guy that knows nothing about making these icons, are the majority of them suppose to have the pink background? If so, is there a way to change that to some other color, like white?

I notice in your earlier posts with links to the screenshots that the icons appear with what could be transparent backgrounds. Are these the same as the ones in your downloadable zip? If so, could it be my graphics program that's displaying the pink?

Examples of what I mean by pink backgrounds are for the Arby's and Target icons but it doesn't appear on the Cracker Barrel or Home Depot ones.

I believe magenta is the default "transparancy" color for Garmin icons. So when they display on the nuvi screen, the magenta is invisible and shows the color from the layer behind it.

Yep, like Alan says, the "pink" or "magenta" background will be transparent when loaded into the Garmin.

Thanks alanb. I'll load them to my 3797 and hopefully that will solve the issue.

Here is how Target and Arby's look on the computer:

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad75/t923347/Arbys.png

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad75/t923347/Target.png

while the Cracker Barrel one is white:

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad75/t923347/CrackerBarre...

If it works the way I think it does, the Target and Arby's will have transparent backgrounds and the CrackerBarrel will have a white background.

You are correct guys. Thanks alot!

Yeah, I never got around to making Cracker Barrel transparent. It seemed to look okay with the white background.

What did you use to create these icons?

I keep it really simple... Google and MS Paint! I basically search for and download a larger company logo, shrink it in Paint and converted to a bmp. For the transparent ones, I make sure to save it as 256 colors and fill in anywhere I want to be see-through with the transparent magenta color.

I also changed mine from 24 pixels to 48 and looks great on my 3590 LMT. Its Eye Catching!

Thanks for your tips. I have also used many of your icons. I needed to fix few mine for Canadian companies. All working fine.

I just wanted to add my thanks as well. I'm in the process of updating a lot of my icons for use on the 3597.

Try sending me the file directly.

Thanks!

~Angela

Did anyone post the process needed to convert 24x24 to 48x48?

I have a 3597 and need to enlarge the icons.

Thanks,

Click to open Paint.

Click the Paint button Picture of the Paint button, click Open, click the picture you want to resize, and then click Open.

On the Home tab, in the Image group, click Resize.

In the Resize and Skew dialog box, select the Maintain aspect ratio check box so that the resized picture will have the same aspect ratio as the original picture.

If the Maintain aspect ratio check box is selected, you only need to enter the horizontal value (width) or vertical value (height). The other box in the Resize area is updated automatically.

Do one of the following in the Resize area, and then click OK:

To resize your picture by a certain percentage, click Percentage, and then enter a percentage to reduce the width by in the Horizontal box or a percentage to reduce the height by in the Vertical box.

To resize the picture so it's a specific size, click Pixels, and then enter a new width in the Horizontal box or new height in the Vertical box.

Click the Paint button Picture of the Paint button, point to Save as, and then click the picture file type for the resized image.

Type a new file name in the File name box, and then click Save.