CSV and GPX on device together

The csv and gpx are the same file. Not looking at the gpx file, I suspect it will contain a little more info in it. It may also have phone numbers that are dialable via bluetooth.

Assuming that you have something like
MyPOIs <- Folder
  donutparadise.csv
  dountparadise.gpx

and you point POI Loader to MyPOIs

you will find two new custom POI files on your device and they will both be named "donutparadise". You can select either of them and you will see the same (up thru 50) locations for you to choose from.

John,

Are you certain there will be two entries? The data is the same, the output, IMO would be a single file with duplicate locations, but not duplicate menu names.

This is something I have never tested, but it would be logical that only the entries in the single Donut Paradise file would be duplicated, some with dialable phone numbers, others without.

Easy enough to do. Used EPE to create a file with 2 entries (csvpoint1 and csvpoint2) Saved as csvgpx.csv. Then changed the two names to gpxpoint1 and gpxpoint2 and saved as csvgpx.gpx. Ran POI Loader and pointed to the folder (in my case) "@bothcsvandgpx" which contained csvgpx.csv and csvgpx.gpx.

Got two new entries in Custom POIs - both named csvgpx. Both contained two entries. Just to check, I deleted the two .gpi files using Explorer. I then used EPE to open csvgpx.csv and immediately saved it AS csvgpx.gpx (overwriting the previously saved file). Ran POI Loader again. Now Custom POIs still has two new entries still both named csvgpx. But now each "category" has the same two entries - csvpoint1 and csvpoint2.

They are never on the device together. They are never on the device.

The POI loader translates CSV and/or GPX files into an internal format used by the Garmin. It is that internal format that is used by the device and is on the device, the CSV and GPX files never leave the computer.

And yes, you could double up POIs by loading the files multiple times. You can do that with even just a CSV file if you install it, rename the file and install it again. So there is no reason that you shouldn't be able to duplicate POIs by loading both a CSV an a GPX.

If you load lots of POIs and like to keep your POIs current (such as Red Light Cameras that change file contents weekly) then is is a big help to save the POIs under different names, either by renaming to POI file after it is loaded on the GPS or, with newer versions of the POI loader, specifying a different name. But be sure to remove the old copy when reinstalling the POI or you will see duplicates and even get multiple alerts.

To answer this part, POI Loader does not have a "default" choice when faced with having multiple files with the same character string to the left of the extensions.

As Frovingslosh has indicated, .csv files are simpler. However, they lack the ability to tackle complex tasks. Let me illustrate this by referencing another active thread Divided Highway And Interstate Crossovers

In this thread, WuLabsWuTecH needs to know where "crossovers" are on "divided highways" like Interstates. He is an emergency responder and should be authorized to use these "Authorized Users Only" crossover points. But, how can he know where they are up ahead - and in addition - he wants to know what type of crossover it is - dirt, gravel, paved, and similar attributes.

Well, given that he can locate all of the potential crossover points in the area inside which he operates, it is possible to create a .gpx file that can "tailor" an alert for each and every upcoming crossover.

I have been playing around with this using Extra POI Editor (EPE) written by one of our members, TurboCC.

He would start by inputting the coordinates of every crossover in his area into EPE. Just to simplify, I would suggest that he do three files - one for paved, one for gravel, and one for dirt. Later, these three files would be "Merge Opened" in EPE to create the final file.

One can create .wav files (since most of the newer nuvis do not support .mp3 files) that would describe each crossover. In the simplest case there might be only three. One would say "paved crossover ahead"; another would say "gravel crossover upcoming"; and another would say "dirt turnaround " (or whatever words would be best).

One would also create (or adapt) Icons for each type of crossover.

So, using "paved" as an example, EPE would have all the coordinates for paved crossovers entered (and EPE will import .csv files if WuLabsWuTecH happened to build it first. Into ever entry of the paved file, you would put a "Proximity" distance at which you wanted the alert to occur - say 700 feet. Also into every entry would be placed a link to the .wav file that says "paved crossover ahead", as well as a link to the .bmp Icon. This file would be saved as "paved.gpx".

Now, WuLabsWuTecH would create the other two files (gravel and dirt) perhaps with longer alert distances and with appropriate .wav files. He would save these as "gravel.gpx" and "dirt.gpx".

Doing three files makes it easier to use EPE's "replace all" capability for the "proximity" and the "link".

Finally, WuLabsWuTecH would "merge open" the files paved.gpx, gravel.gpx, and dirt.gpx and then save the combined coordinates as crossover.gpx.

Note that WuLabsWuTecH can use "Express" mode of POI Loader, because all of the information about "proximity" and "link" is part of the .gpx file.

Further, when an "alert" is announced (assuming that there are two people in the vehicle), touching the alert bar will bring up other information that was input for this entry.

Now, I'll admit that this might be an extreme use of a .gpx file that most would never have a need for. However, I present it as an example of the power of .gpx files and the ease that one can create them using EPE.