Alphabetize POIs

tomtoms alphabetize categories, distance within individual poi groups, which model causes the need to re-org manually
take off my to-look list

nuvi categories are alpha also.

The alpha list is for the POI Folders and not the POI locations which show by distance.

There are two things buried in this. If you have all your locations in a single folder, then they are added to the unit by POI Loader in the order they are found in the folder. If you use sub folders, the subfolders are in alpha order and the files within each subfolder are also in alpha order.

There are several threads and a few FAQs on setting up folders and subfolders.

I have both a NUVI 350 and a NUVI 2555LMT, and in both cases, the NUVI display subfolders in their creation order, and then they alphabetize the POIs within each subfolder.

I created subfolders, in the following Date/Time order "Vacation", "Hotels" and "Family & Friends".

I then load the custom POIs to each subfolder. It does not matter if I load the Hotel POIs first and the Vacation POIs last.

When I view the POIs, the first set of POIs that I now see are the Vacation POIs, then the Hotel POIs and Family & Friends POIs, because that was the Date/Time order that the subfolders were created. The POIs within each subfolder are shown in Alphabetic order.

e.g. Branson Trip, Myrtle Beach Trip, Court Hotels, Holiday Inns, etc.

You may be correct on this as I as operating from my sometimes poor memory.

I am pretty sure that others reading this thread are assuming that you have done ONE AND ONLY ONE run of POI Loader for each of your devices.

Is that true?

I have matching subdirectories on my computer and load each subdirectory seperately. The load order does not matter. It will still sort exactly as I indicated previously.

When I run POI Loader, I put my SD Card in the laptop and load to the SD Card. POI Loader will want me to browse to the preferred subdirectory. Clcking Next, will want me to browse the laptop to find the subdirectory where my POIs are stored.

If I choose to load "Hotels", I will browse to Hotels subdirectory on the SD card and then do the same for the computer subdirectory. I always load in Manual mode, and will choose which POI files to load and which to ignore, so I can load only the ones that I need. I can also add Proximity or Speed alerts if necessary. When these load, a file will be created in the Hotels sub, called Hotels.gpi.

I can now load any other set of files that I want, but the use of subs automatically forces you to make individual downloads with POI Loader for each sub.

In my case, the name and creation of subs was done with a bit of forethought and a few oops and lets try that again scenarios. If you do it give it some thought.

First off. Red Light and Speed cams and Rest Areas are set with a Proximity Alert and it is highly unlikely that you will ever want to set these as a waypoint. These are the absolute last subs that I create, because I want them at the end.

For me, when I go on vacation, I create two travel POI files. One for going and one for returning that have all the waypoints that I will use to force the GPS to take the route that I want. I also create POIs for places that I want to visit, etc. in and around our destination(s). I want these files to be right at the top when I'm traveling, so I create Vacation sub first.

I also want the Hotel files for the trip to come up next, so it is the next to be created.

I then create the subs for things like Business, Family & Friends and any other categories in whatever, I think suits best.

It's important to note, that when I'm back from my vacation, I delete the Vacation.gpi and Hotel.gpi files from their respective subdirectories. That way, they don't become a nuisance, because they keep appearing at the top of the POI list, when I'm no longer on vacation.

I didn't mention it before, but I also create a Restaurant Subdirectory that I load my favourite Restaurant files, when I'm on Vacation. These include Cheesecake factory, Steak & Shake, Bob Evans, etc. I also delete the Restaurant.gpi file when I return.

I suggest that you play with this. Create 3 or 4 subs and and load some files. then see how it displays. Take some care. The downside, is the fact that if you want to insert a sub, at the beginning or in the middle, you will have to delete all the subs that come after the place where you want the new file and recreate all the others in the right order. That's why I caution you to think this through ahead of time. Write out what you want. Walk away and come back several times, until you are reasonably sure that it's correct. Then create.

Good Luck.

Been There. Done That. Many times.

There is some detail I need to know to process this.

So, let's see if I have this right.

I am assuming you are NOT using Folders as "categories" for your custom poi files.

I am assuming that you had POI Loader create a .gpi file for each of the various poi files, so that your Starbuck pois are in a file named starbucks.gpi. Same for Crackerbarrel, Rest Areas, Walmarts, Hampton Inns, Bank of America locations, etc.

When you originally loaded the files you did POI Loader runs in this order

Bank of America
Crackerbarrel
Hampton Inns
Rest Areas
Starbucks
Walmarts

Subsequent to those POI Loader runs, you decided you wanted to add Sears and later Costco.

Wanting your custom poi files to be presented to you in alphabetic order, you
1. Copied the various .gpi files in the POI folder on your device to your desktop
2. Deleted all of the .gpi files on your device
3. In alphabetic order, copied the files from your desktop back to the POI folder on your device.
4. Safely disconnected your device; went to Categories > Custom POIs and found that your pois were now in alphabetical order.

Did I get that reasonably correct?

@jgermann
Mostly right except for the one run. I tried the one run ... once. Then I decided it was "better for me" and the way I do things to install one POI at a time. The way I have done that is to rename all the csv to cvx and then do one at a time.

I do not use subfolders. I have about 12 custom POIs and have them all available all the time. Haven't found a need to have separate POIs for different trips. I would put myself as a casual user, and quite new to Garmin. There is a secondary reason for using POIs in the TourGuide mode or some of my POIs... it helps keep me alert while driving. Sometimes my wife, if with me, is dozing and Jill talks to me now and then Those in TG mode are also places we like to frequent as well.

Back to the process ... you have it right. Mostly

I do note hat your do not do one run only. Indeed, even though you seem to have all the poi files in one directory, you take the time to change the extension on every file - except the one you are about to load - so that POI Loader is pointing to what I will call your MyPOIs folder but finds only one .csv file.

If this being the case, you have to type in a name for POI Loader to give to each .gpi file it creates.

You cycle through various POI Loader runs until you have loaded each of the 12 custom POI files in this MyPOIs folder.

However, if you ever find that your POI files (the .gpi ones on your device) get out of alpha order, you do the process earlier described

1. copy out of device to desktop,
2. delete .gpi files in unit
3. copy .gpi files back in the order you want (in your case alphabetically).

My trials indicated that it was also possible to create a folder on my computer. Move all of the .gpi files from my device to this folder. Then, copy all the files in the computer folder back to the POI folder on the device and they would be in alpha order because they would have normally been in that order within the computer folder. Fewer steps for me.

What is interesting is that, once the .gpi files have been moved (or copied then deleted on the device), I can put these files back on the device in any order I want (and this is pertinent to later comments on what GPSgeek is doing)

Box Car observed

and Box Car was correct as usual

GPSgeek took exception to this observation and posted

The trick here is that Box Car never mentioned anything about .gpi files showing up in the device in some order. Based on previous threads, I am pretty sure that Box Car would have agreed that this would be the case.

Let's insert here that POI Loader always must be pointed to a "Folder". The name of this folder is not significant, but POI Loader will offer to use it as the name of the .gpi file it is about to create. You can change this "default" name to anything that makes sense to you.

This folder can contain .csv, .gpx, ,mp3, .wav, and .bmp files. As a matter of fact, it can contain almost any file but POI Loader will use only file extensions it recognizes.

This folder can also contain one level of sub-folders. If there are at least two sub-folders, then these sub-folders become "Categories" with each category being able to contain 32 poi files (meaning .csv or .gpx).

What was glossed over in Box Car's obversation was that - in a single run of POI loader on a folder -

dferron does not do a "single run" because he wants the option to have each and every different POI file be displayed on his device in "alpha" order. Myself, I prefer catagories.

GPSgeek has a different way of creating "Categories". He does them all offline, as it were, because his SD card is in his laptop computer when it is used by POI Loader.

It is true that a device will use .gpi files in the order in which they were "loaded" by POI Loader to the device. GPSgeek is making use of aspects of this by going to great pains in the time stamping of the "Folders" he creates on his SD card while he might be able to take advantage of dferron's technique of copy-delete-recopy for .gpi files.

@GPSgeek, give me excruciating details of the various folders on your SD card, please. You have a "Vacation" folder on your SD card, but I am unclear if the word "Vacation" appears under your Custom POIs when you look at them like it might if you were using categories. If you could detail the SD card folder names, the internal .gpi names within these SD card folders and then what "custom poi names" appear on the device when you access them, it would be very helpful.

John, like me is essentially lazy when it comes to loading POI. We use GPX files where we add proximity values, subfolders and then run POI Loader to reload the entire mess at one time. Everything is in alpha order and we don't have to remember the distances on files we didn't change.

I am a bit confused, well, maybe more than a bit.

What is the advantage of Vacation folder, Fishing folder or whatever folder you have created?

Does this keep the contained POIs from displaying all the time when encountered? Do you delete one folder from the GPS when you want to switch from one event to another and then add the new one?

BTW .. I am enjoying this thread, not because I will run and create new folders today, but that there may be a day I will, and hopefully I will remember what I have learned. This is a great place to be educated on what the factory doesn't seem fit to tell us.

Welcome to the wacky world of customization. Each of us have our preferences and ways of doing them. One advantage (or is it a disadvantage?) of the Garmin units is the wonderful and wacky ways we can add things to suit our particular needs and wants.

Perhaps one way to visualize the response is to think of a database. Now, there are two basic types of databases, a "flat file" where everything is laid out in a single file and you go through the file picking the elements you want. The other is a relational database where items fitting in one or more category are related so therefore they are grouped together.

In creating individual GPI files, you have a "flat" database where all your POI are displayed and you pick the one you want. Using subfolders, you group the items into pieces that are related to each other and when you want to see what is available, you go to that group and all your files which are related are displayed. Hence, a "relational" database.

There are advantages to using both, and of course disadvantages to both. Assuming you load each POI file individually to create a single GPI file containing, say Hilton Hotels. When you want to crate an alert for Hiltons, you run POI Loader against the source file in manual mode and specify the alert or proximity distance. Now, you decide you want Marriott hotels as well. You can repeat the steps or, you can create a folder labeled Hotels and put both files into that folder. Now, when you want a hotel, you bring up the listing (category) Hotels from Custom POI, select it and then choose if you want Hilton or Marriott or search both and choose the one striking your fancy.

If you have an alert set for one or the other - or even both - an alert will announce that one (or both) are nearby. This works exactly the same as having individual POI files stored as GPI files on the Nuvi. The difference being the addition of a search step. If you want a Hilton, you first open the Custom POI, select Hotels and then Hilton where before all you did was open Custom and scroll till you found Hilton.

How you organize your POI depends entirely on how you use your unit. Personally I do a lot of business travel so subfolders and categories work best for me. I can open a category based on the type of business I want/need and then search for either that specific business or search all the locations I have put into that category. Great for finding places to eat when "I'm hungry, but i don't know what for" moments strike.

If you decide to use categories for your custom POIS. This may help http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25721 .Also if you want to build alerts into GPX files so you can run Poiloader in express mode see http://www.poi-factory.com/node/28521

@dferron,
When you get to the point of having downloaded 46 files from poi-factory (like I have) plus having created several more (which I have uploaded to poi-factory and, thus, do not need to download since I already have them), you will understand why "Categories" make sense.

I assume that you have read charlies's FAQ at
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25721 so we will use some examples from there.

He starts with a "My POIS" folder. Since he knows that there are quite a few restaurants that he might want to eat at during a vacation trip, he creates a subfolder called "Food" within the "My POIS" main folder. There are places that he likes to shop that give good value for the money, so he also creates a subfolder called "Shopping". Of course, he has the poi-factory camera files, so he creates a subfolder called "Cameras" to contain the two files. After moving all of the separate POI files into these three folders and doing a POI Loader run, he would see the following when he accesses his Custom POIs

All Categories
Cameras
Food
Shopping

OK - I know his FAQ has less files than you do, but I have 19 Food (from Arby's to Zaxby's) and 12 Shopping (from Batteries Plus to Walmart). It helps me a lot to have them together. Scrolling my 765 is not the easiest thing I have ever done.

I can't speak for other people, but in my case, I have about 8-10 subfolders and these were created in a date/time order to simplify finding things that are laid out according to importance.

When I go on a vacation (if you're retired, is it still called vacation?), I want certain things to be easily available.

First, I create a specfic file using EPE that has maybe 4 or 5 waypoints, that I use to force the Garmin to route me the way I want. If I go to Florida from Kitchener, I want it to go via the Ambassador Bridge, I want to take the Cincinatti Bypass, and the Macon Bypass. I also include where we will be staying. I then load these into Trip Planner, in sequence, in my NUVI 2555LMT. I do this for both the southern trip and the return trip.

I may also have a file created that has specific points that I want to visit, when I get to various areas, such as in Tampa, Orlando, etc. Each of these files might have 10-20 sites.

I also want the Hotels and Restaurants that I prefer in easy access, so I load these files under my Hotels and Restaurant sub folders.

Now when I look for the POIs that I want, for my trip, they will all be near the top and I won't have to scroll to the bottom.

When I return home, I delete Vacation.gpi, Hotels.gpi and Restaurants.gpi., but I leave the subfolders intact.

As I said previously, I have no need to use Rest Areas or Red Light Cameras as a waypoint, so they will ALWAYS be at the bottom.

Hope this helps.

Those folders are grouped so that you can use them as text to see what is in the area as well as give you an alert? Do the POIs in the subfolders give alerts as if they were at the first level?

POI = first level (containing individual POI files)
POI>subfolder "Vacation" (contains POI files)
POI>Vacation>Hotels (contains Hotel POI files)
POI>Vacation>Restaurants (contains your cholesterol POIs)
This is how I visualize it anyway.

I haven't played with waypoints yet. Maybe this summer when gadding about.

Please let me know if I am incorrect ... I don't get offended when I am trying to learn a new concept ... just get frustrated

Thanks all for explanation, got to try folders this summer

As stated, customizing your unit is a wacky world. Here are some points I've surmised over the years. I haven't tried all these iterations, but from the discussions in many threads you can pick up these points:

1. GPI files - The default name for a GPI file created by POI Loader is the same as the folder you tell the program to load. You are given the option to change the name of the GPI file as part of the POI Loader process.

2. You can have multiple GPI files on your device at the same time however, each GPI file must have a unique name.

3. Alerts set for any file within a GPI file are active and will produce an alert when triggered.

4. GPI file names can be used as categories describing their content.

5. GPI files can contain categories within each GPI file.

6. POI Loader reads a single folder converting the contents into the location and alert information for the data contained within that folder. The data in the folder may be either in CSV or GPX format.

7. The folder POI loader reads may contain a single level of subfolders. Each subfolder can contain location data in CSV or GPX format. POI Loader has a limit of 32 sub folders. Each subfolder may contain up to 32 location files in either CSV or GPX format. Icon and sound files are not included in the 32 file limit. The name of the subfolder becomes a category name within that GPI file. The limit of 32 files and folders is ONLY if you use subfolders.

There are many possible permutations of these 7 points, but these are the basics. The other point to remember, and this is for Garmin units only is that any POI location list has to reside in a folder for POI Loader to process it.

There is a whole nother bag of snakes with cans of worms when you start dealing with standalone GPX files that I'm not going to kick here.

I am very selective on the use of alerts, since too many can very quickly become annoying. In my case, I only apply Proximity Alerts to Rest Areas and Red Light Cameras. Depending on what you want to alert, the distance requirement can vary greatly. Rest Area Alerts are about 2500 meters for me (1 1/2 miles). It's enough to make a decision to get off, but you will often still get a false alert for the Rest Area on the other side of the high way. It's a minor annoyance, but no big deal.

If you had alerts for hotels or restaurants, you might need a larger alert, because the place might be 3 or 4 miles off the highway. Now you could end up with multiple alerts for multiple hotels that are often located in clusters. If I want a hotel or restaurant, I look up a specific restaurant or hotel after I pull of to the side of the road.

There is at least one FAQ that will explain how to set up subfolders and I'm sure you can find it on the site. When you try it, I would experiment with 3 or 4 to learn how they work. It's not that hard to delete what doesn't work and start again.

Also, download Extra POI Editor and learn how to create your very own custom POIs. These can be very helpful. Again start simple. Create a Custom POI for Family and Friends,, or if you're in sales or trucking, etc create one for your customers. I have Family & Friends that I don't always see often enough to remember how to get to their house.

EPE also allows you to change the value in a particular field for an entire group of sites in a POI file. This means that if you want to set a 1 1/2 or 2 mile Alert on all the rest Areas, you can change the value in the Proximity Alert field for all of them. Doing so, means that you don't have to set the alert distance via POI Loader. That will simplify your life also.

@dferron and GPSgeek

You might want to read through
Comparing Alerts - Speed, Along The Road, And TourGuide
to understand "how" and "when" alerts work.

Note that using subfolders to make POI Loader create "Categories" within your Custom POIs has no impact on your ability to set up alerts.

Let me illustrate what might be in a folder called "MyPOIs" to which I will point POI Loader.

MyPOIs
>>> one or more subfolders (*)
>>> one or more individual POI sets (**)

I do this because files and subfolders will be arranged within the MyPOIs folder (assuming you have Windows Explorer set to display in "name" order) as above - subfolders in alpha order, then files in alpha order.

However, when POI LOader creates MyPOIs.gpi, it will arrange things as follows within MyPOIs.gpi (and I will act like I could - which I can't - see its directory tree)

MyPOIs.gpi
>>> possibly some individual POI sets
>>> one or more subfolders
>>>>>> two or more file POI file sets
>>> possibly some individual POI sets
>>> one or more subfolders
>>>>>> two or more file POI file sets
>>> etc.

"Possibly" is used because POI Loader arranges its entries in alpha order of whatever (file or subfolder) it finds at the root level and then alpha within subfolders

(*) a subfolder can not contain more than 32 file sets
(**) a file set is described as a .csv or .gpx file and possible a Icon (.bmp) file and possible a Sound/Alert (.mp3 or .wav) file. Note that the character string to the left of the extension of each file within a file set must be the same - not being the same is a common reason why alerts do not work.

The name of any subfolder become the name that your device will display when you go to Custom POIs. When you touch that name, the device will then display the up to 32 entries within that subfolder.

I run POI Loader for each subdirectory and for each device. I use my 350 strictly, in case I need it for work. I drive parts for a GM dealer 2 days a week and only load about 3 or 4 POIs, which just happen to all be in separate subdirectories. I have so few POIs that has redlight cameras, for my immediate area only, Rest Areas for the main highways in Ontario only, and the POIs for the dealership's out of town customers. None of which needs frequent updating.

The 2555 has the most used subdirectories and the most number of POIs. I will load Vacation POIs, only when I'm on vacation, POIs for GM dealerships in Canada, POI for my preferred gas station, and the same red light and Rest Area file that I mentioned for my 350. All told, I might run POI Loader 3 or 4 times. Once for each subdirectory.