Custom POIs Not Showing Sub Folder Names On My GPS

When prompted in POI Loader to choose a name for the POI file, choose Custom POIs.

If a folder on the PC has no files, it will not appear in the nuvi as a category. For categories to work, at least two subfolders with poi files are needed.

Next time you run POI Loader, choose to remove all custom pois. Then run POI Loader again to load the custom pois once again. This is to make sure that all pois are under the same name to start with, not multiple names. Always enter the same name for the pois - Custom POIs.

The folder structure in the PC becomes the category structure in the nuvi. Future POI files will be in their own category as long as the POI file is inside its own subfolder on the PC.

dobs108

See http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25721 for installing and setting up custom pois.

geoprell, you brought out an important point about naming the POI file in POI Loader. The FAQ did not include that. I have edited it and credited the change to you!

Any suggestions for improvements to this FAQ would be appreciated!

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/30728

dobs108

Should this be changed too?
Tutorials:
Beginners Education 4 - Using POI Loader To Put POI Files On A Garmin GPS

STEP 6:
Run POI Loader using this procedure:

G:
In the "Choose a name for the newly created custom POI file:" box, enter some name meaningful to you.

Section "G" is what gave me the idea to enter "Red Light Cameras" again.

Thanks for the help.

Check Using POI Loader to Put POI Files on a Garmin GPS to see if the "Notes" under G would have helped explain what was about to happen.

It doesn't matter what you name it as long as you always use the same name. For that reason, both FAQs are correct.

My FAQ is written to make it as simple as possible to do this. That is the only reason I specified Custom POIs.

When POI Loader asks for a name, it is talking about the top name - the name for all custom pois on the nuvi. Just as the top folder on the PC can be called Custom POIs, you can use that name in POI Loader for all custom pois on the nuvi.

The nuvi menu would be - Where To/Extras/Custom POIs/
with categories -
/Red Light Cameras
/Speed Cameras
/Rest Areas

The name Red Light Cameras or Speed Cameras never has to be entered in POI Loader because the category receives its name from the subfolder on the PC inside the top Custom POIs folder.

A possible pitfall you can easily avoid:

Let's say you decide to update the POI files weekly. The first week you run POI Loader and name the file Custom POIs. The second week you load the latest files and name the file My POIs. The third week you load the latest files and name the file POIs. You will have three of every POI location on the nuvi and it most likely will lock up on approaching a red light camera.

That is why someone just learning about this should always use the same name.

To remove the mess above, just run POI Loader to remove all custom pois. Then run it again to load pois. Only one of every location will be on the nuvi.

For more advanced users, different poi files can be loaded one after the other using different names in POI Loader, for specific purposes. That is outside the scope of the discussion in this thread.

dobs108

dobs108,

I'm glad I found this post. I tried to install a three level folder tree and came up lacking on the lowest level.

>Custom POIs
..>Retail-Specialty
....>Office Supplies
....>Building Supplies
....>Convenience

I follow your instructions about removing the old POIs and then loading the new POIs.

If I understand the above posts, this is not possible.

Am I correct?

e_piph_a_ny, Based on the above posts, we have not discussed whether a three-level folder tree can create similar levels of categories in the nuvi. I have never tried that, so I have no first-hand information.

This issue has been addressed previously. I feel sure an expert on POI Factory knows whether this is possible.

However, I think you have the answer. If this has been attempted and that level of sub-folders has not appeared in the nuvi as categories, you have proven it as long as the lowest level sub-folders have poi files inside.

dobs108

Only 1 level of sub-folders is allowed (and note that there must be two sub-folders within the main folder for a sub-folders to become a "Category").

POI Loader (and the Nuvi) only support 1 level of sub-folders for a total of 2 folder names. For what you want it appears you will end up with multiple GPI or POI files on your unit. You can do a Retail-Specialty top level with the store categories below that. If you want another with say fuel stops, then you will need another top level for fuel with the station files below that.

This makes for an interesting conundrum in that you have better categorization but more top-level folders and more runs of POI Loader to do a complete reload of your POI.

Thanks to jgermann and Box Car!

dobs108

My FAQ has been revised to explain the naming of the total list of POI files.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/30728

dobs108