BMP Icon Discussion

 

This discussion topic is used for collaboration on the upkeep and improvement of the Icon Library.

You can provide feedback and suggestions for files in the Library area by replying to this topic.

New additions to the library will be announced here.

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icon on map

how do you get it to show on your map as you are traveling with your gps

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in a 100 feet turn right

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If you loaded the BMP files correctly with POI Loader and the corresponding Custom POI files, then the icons will show up on the map screen when you are zoomed in to the appropriate level.

On many/most units, they will show when you are zoomed to 200 feet (on some they will show at 300 feet).

icons favs

but i am still confuzed my garmin 255W came with icon preinstalled if I save a poi into my favorite I can set an pereinstalled icon to it and but with if i set a custom POI to my favorite list the icon IE ace hardware is not there. I loaded my custom poi with the icon BMP and csx/gpx file named the save is that correct or did i do that wrong

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in a 100 feet turn right

no, you didn't do anything wrong

ddot430 wrote:

but i am still confuzed my garmin 255W came with icon preinstalled if I save a poi into my favorite I can set an pereinstalled icon to it and but with if i set a custom POI to my favorite list the icon IE ace hardware is not there. I loaded my custom poi with the icon BMP and csx/gpx file named the save is that correct or did i do that wrong

You didn't do anything wrong. The unit will not display a custom icon with a favorite. It's not you, it's the unit just as MM explained.

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

.

Your Favorites and Custom POIs work in completely different ways.

With your Favorites, you can set an icon from the built in icons on the units. You cannot add to or edit these icons. You also cannot use these icons for Custom POIs (unless you set one as a Favorite). Your Favorites will show when you are zoomed out to around 2 - 5 miles (and closer) (depending on the GPS unit).

With Custom POIs, you LOAD the icons from your computer along with the associated Custom POI file. You MUST name the icon file (BMP) and the Custom POI file (CSV or GPX) EXACTLY the same (except for the file extension). Then you LOAD them to the GPS unit using Garmin's POI Loader software.

And again, you will only see the icons when you zoom in far enough.

i will try zooming in close

i will try zooming in close and see what happens

--
in a 100 feet turn right

bmp files

How to load icon with bmp extention file

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CLCarmichael/clc

Welcome to The Factory

cvlice wrote:

How to load icon with bmp extention file

Welcome. Here's a faq on loading bmp icons with Custom POIs:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/4359

Garmin 1100LM covers up custom icons

The pink highlighted route obscures or partially covers the BMP icons, Does anyone have a fix for this?

Icon

Would love to have one of a Prevost Bus

Thanks Bob

Speed Limit 70

Would someone please make a Speed Limit 70 bmp? I don't have the software to do it.

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NUVI40 Kingsport TN

sure

David King wrote:

Would someone please make a Speed Limit 70 bmp? I don't have the software to do it.

Let me get my crayons out.
Don't tell me your puter doesn't have MS Paint rolleyes

All Programs> Accessories>Paint

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Garmin 38 - Magellan Gold - Garmin Yellow eTrex - Nuvi 260 - Nuvi 2460LMT - Google Nexus 7 - Toyota Entune NAV

Yes, but

flaco wrote:

Don't tell me your puter doesn't have MS Paint rolleyes

All Programs> Accessories>Paint

I can't see that small.

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NUVI40 Kingsport TN

Try this

David King wrote:

I can't see that small.

I say try this because I have never done this before. If you can do this, then maybe we can turn it into a FAQ.

Open Paint
Start > Programs > Accessories > Paint

Image > Attributes
Set width and height to 24 each
Units > Pixels
Colors > colors
Ok

I know this is very small but stay with me

In the color picker at the bottom, make the foreground color black and the background color yellow. Left clicking on a color makes it the foreground color; right clicking on a color makes it a background color.

Click the text “A” in the toolbar

Put the cursor in the upper left of the image box and drag it diagonally down to the lower right and release. The image box should now be yellow in color.

View > Text Toolbar and select Ariel, 14, and Western

Click in the left part of the image box and type 70.

When you click outside of the box, you should have a black “70” on a yellow background.

File > Save As and make sure the “Save as type:” is “256 color Bitmap"

Provide a “File name” (I called mine Seventy) and choose a location
Save.

helping you to help yourself

David King wrote:
flaco wrote:

Don't tell me your puter doesn't have MS Paint rolleyes

All Programs> Accessories>Paint

I can't see that small.

Does the computer have Internet access? If so you could download the free great image viewer Irfanview from http://www.irfanview.net/

In addition to being a great image viewer it can do many other things, including cropping an image, reducing it to icon size, and letting you fill in the "invisible" pixels with the color you need to make a nice looking Garmin icon. And a lot more. It isn't a full multi-layer Photoshop replacement (see "GIMP" for that if you want a free one), but it is all you need to make icons.

And by the way, with either tool you can enlarge the 24x24 (or smaller) icon to full screen size, so if you can read this and have any use at all for an icon, limited sight isn't an issue.

Of course, if you don't have Internet access .....

Thanks to both of you

Frovingslosh wrote:

you could download the free great image viewer Irfanview from http://www.irfanview.net/

Thanks

Frovingslosh wrote:

Of course, if you don't have Internet access .....

Heh....

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NUVI40 Kingsport TN

If you don't have internet access

If you don't have internet access, you wouldn't be reading any of this anyway. grin

--
sewisdom - Drive carefully. The life you save... may be someone who owes you money!

downloading all icons at once

Is there a way to download all the icons in the library at one time? Seems it would be quicker considering so many are desirable.

Also, can they be uploaded to the GPS w/o a specific POI file to associate? Again, for the purpose of saving steps. The later when someone decides there is a POI to load to GPS, they just ensure it's got the same name as icon already stored(previously loaded) in GPS, assuming the GPS would make the new associations each time POI/POIs are loaded to it.

Or would every instance of say a Burger King need a uniquely named icon to associate with? In other words, I have one Burger King icon and 25 POIs, each referencing a unique Burger King location. It'd be nice/easier to upload one icon and associate it with every POI of same "brand".

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if you're following me, then we're both lost.

Too many

bikerj wrote:

Is there a way to download all the icons in the library at one time? Seems it would be quicker considering so many are desirable.

Also, can they be uploaded to the GPS w/o a specific POI file to associate? ...

The sheer number of icons compared to what you will actually use in conjunction with a POI file makes me think you'll be wasting time and memory space.

Welcome

bikerj wrote:

Is there a way to download all the icons in the library at one time? Seems it would be quicker considering so many are desirable.

Also, can they be uploaded to the GPS w/o a specific POI file to associate? Again, for the purpose of saving steps. The later when someone decides there is a POI to load to GPS, they just ensure it's got the same name as icon already stored(previously loaded) in GPS, assuming the GPS would make the new associations each time POI/POIs are loaded to it.

Or would every instance of say a Burger King need a uniquely named icon to associate with? In other words, I have one Burger King icon and 25 POIs, each referencing a unique Burger King location. It'd be nice/easier to upload one icon and associate it with every POI of same "brand".

Welcome to the site.

There is a Getting Started button in the upper right of this page right under POI Files. It is worthwhile visiting this page.

To make navigation easy, most browsers provide the following option. When you want to follow a link - but still keep your current page open - you can hold down the "Ctrl" key as you left-click on a link. That action will open a new "Tab" in your browser up on the "Tab" bar. When you then left-click on that new "Tab", you will follow the link - leaving the "Tab" you are now reading open and available to click on and return here.

So, using the "Getting Started" link, you might try the "Ctrl" - left-click sequence and then return here. You can return by either "X-ing" out of the "Getting Started" page (using the "X" on the "Tab" itself) or just left-clicking on the "Tab" for the page you are on right now.

Since you are new here, I encourage you to go through a couple of the Beginner Education FAQs.

The first link makes sure the settings on your computer are such that you can do more advanced POI loading.
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/30393

The next link helps you make a backup of your GPS by attaching it to your computer. (NEVER do anything to your GPS until you have a backup)
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/30394

Now, to your question on Icons. It is POI Loader that associates Icons (.bmp files) and Alert Sounds (.wav most newer units) with POIs (.csv or .gpx files) as it creates the .gpi files that it stores on the GPS in the ../Garmin/POI folder. All of the Icon files need to be on the GPS for you to use them.

icons useless without a POI file

bikerj wrote:

Also, can they be uploaded to the GPS w/o a specific POI file to associate?

User defined icons must be linked to a POI file. They do not show up under the list of icons already on the GPS for use with "favorites" created directly on the GPS. So it would be of no use to upload icons from here to your GPS without a POI file to go with it.

There might be some logic in letting all of the icons be downloaded as one zip file. Because the icon files are so very very tiny it wouldn't be all that much to download if there were one all inclusive zip file made. However, there seems to be little need for it. Since you can't load them in any useful way onto the GPS without a POI, it would seem best to just grab the few you want when you get the related POIs. Giving more icons might confuse some people who think they could use them without the POI file. And someone at POI Factory would just have to make that file and keep it updated every time that new icons were uploaded to this site.

this reply seems to be the most useful thus far

Frovingslosh wrote:
bikerj wrote:

Also, can they be uploaded to the GPS w/o a specific POI file to associate?

User defined icons must be linked to a POI file. They do not show up under the list of icons already on the GPS for use with "favorites" created directly on the GPS. So it would be of no use to upload icons from here to your GPS without a POI file to go with it.

There might be some logic in letting all of the icons be downloaded as one zip file. Because the icon files are so very very tiny it wouldn't be all that much to download if there were one all inclusive zip file made. However, there seems to be little need for it. Since you can't load them in any useful way onto the GPS without a POI, it would seem best to just grab the few you want when you get the related POIs. Giving more icons might confuse some people who think they could use them without the POI file. And someone at POI Factory would just have to make that file and keep it updated every time that new icons were uploaded to this site.

Thanks for the information. I don't understand why people think just because a newbie is just that- new to a particular forum/activity that the newbie is clueless to basic concepts such as reading FAQs first, as well as navigating any particular website/page, or doing a search of desired information perhaps already posted. I guess people are just as presumptuous here as everywhere else, at least in America.

Frovingslosh is correct re: the size of icon files. Skimming through this thread, it sounded like maybe 300 unique icons could be conceivably downloaded. The question was asked "why?" Simply because as Bob in this thread alluded to by mentioning batch files (he obviously knows the value in minimizing repetitive steps)- it would be overall quicker and fewer steps to download them all once, then to have to repeat the same basic procedure X number of times, whether it be for 12 icons or 50 or 300. As they say, I want to work smart, not hard.
when someone does a map update, do they buy only part of a map or all of it? Yes, it's recommended to upload only portions of a map to be used at a given time in order to save space, but I reckon map files are a lot larger than poi files. When a person buys a set of encyclopedias (I know- no one does that anymore), do they buy just one vol. at a time or the whole set?
Get my point?

It is not my intent to view every single icon on the GPS device in some list, but to hopefully just upload them all just one time, where they'd reside in the device's storage until needed. Kinda like the 1000s of pics people load on their laptops, yet they usually only review a small portion of them. They don't wait to offload one image file to the computer from their camera only when they want to view a particular picture.

I read a third file being created, the gpi file, which consisted of the icon file and the POI file during the upload? Purportedly, the POI loader is the program that creates this file. And if this is so, perhaps the GPS device does not know how to deal with just an icon file, and therefore would not be able to simply store an icon file and then associate it w/ an applicable POI file uploaded at a later time? I realized a potential problem in that each img file has to have same name as POI file, so even if one had the same icon for say a Vespa dealership, but had 20 POI files, each representing a different Vespa location, the same icon file could not be applied to all 20 POIs, or could it somehow? I'm guessing some additional coding would be involved. Let's keep favorites separate from POIs.

BTW, the streetpilot 2730 will supposedly store 2000 favorites/waypoints/locations. an icon file 30x30 pixels is really small. I think my calculations came to maybe 3 KB on average for an icon file, so 900 KB for 300 icons; a very small amount. Naturally, the POI files associated w/ these are going to make the total amount much higher, but I thought I read the 2730 has a 10GB partition. Yes, I realize maps will suck up a good amount of this.

--
if you're following me, then we're both lost.

Every point...

bikerj wrote:

...
I read a third file being created, the gpi file, which consisted of the icon file and the POI file during the upload? Purportedly, the POI loader is the program that creates this file. And if this is so, perhaps the GPS device does not know how to deal with just an icon file, and therefore would not be able to simply store an icon file and then associate it w/ an applicable POI file uploaded at a later time? I realized a potential problem in that each img file has to have same name as POI file, so even if one had the same icon for say a Vespa dealership, but had 20 POI files, each representing a different Vespa location, the same icon file could not be applied to all 20 POIs, or could it somehow? I'm guessing some additional coding would be involved. Let's keep favorites separate from POIs.
...

Every point can have an icon and/or sound file associated with it if one wants to take the time to make the .gpx file that is required to support doing so.

Such a .gpx file needs to be sent to the GPS as a .gpi file by POI Loader.

POI and icons

You surmised correctly regarding an icon being associated with a POI. It's done as part of the GPI file creation. Loading an icon that is not associated witth locations through POI Loader results in the icon just sitting in the unit's storage. To be associated, the POI source file, icon and sound must be in the source catalogs run through POI Loader when the GPI file is created.

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

BMPs

Surely there must be some way to associate pre-loaded business locations with their respective Icons...? Chase Bank and Wells Fargo have unique Icons on my Nuvi 2595!! (purchased Spring 2013.)

(I guess it's just a matter of paying Garmin a fee!)

I would like to load Icons for Starbucks, Trader Joe's, and so on. Would you please reply to this discussion thread if you find out how?!!

Its easy

bdp_33 wrote:

Surely there must be some way to associate pre-loaded business locations with their respective Icons...? Chase Bank and Wells Fargo have unique Icons on my Nuvi 2595!! (purchased Spring 2013.)

(I guess it's just a matter of paying Garmin a fee!)

I would like to load Icons for Starbucks, Trader Joe's, and so on. Would you please reply to this discussion thread if you find out how?!!

When you use poi loader to load the poi files just add the icons with them.

Starbucks.csv
Starbucks.bmp
Trader Joes.csv
Trader Joes.bmp

--
Nuvi 2460LMT.

.

bdp_33 wrote:

Surely there must be some way to associate pre-loaded business locations with their respective Icons...? Chase Bank and Wells Fargo have unique Icons on my Nuvi 2595!! (purchased Spring 2013.)

(I guess it's just a matter of paying Garmin a fee!)

I would like to load Icons for Starbucks, Trader Joe's, and so on. Would you please reply to this discussion thread if you find out how?!!

There is no way for you (the user) to change the icons for the preloaded Points of Interest.

Larger BMPs

All of my searches reveal that the consensus is icons must be no larger than 24x24. However, I was able to use a 24(w)x30(h) BMP to my Nuvi 2555. I also found this FAQ on Garmin's site that states they can be up to 32x32:

https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId={f597caf0-43df-11e2-e8a7-000000000000}

I was trying to get the pointy bit on my POI like the stock locations have. Anybody else have success with the larger size BMPs?

Square or not?

Dumb question perhaps, but do the icons need to be square (ie L x W = same) or can the be rectangular as long as they're not more than 24 on either axis?

Rectangular

catnapped wrote:

Dumb question perhaps, but do the icons need to be square (ie L x W = same) or can the be rectangular as long as they're not more than 24 on either axis?

They can be rectangular. I have seen some reports that claim that at least one of the two sides must be an even number of pixels. And, of course, since some pixels can be transparent, the final viewed result can be any shape.

I think someone on this site was making some 32x32

Uncle Hans wrote:

All of my searches reveal that the consensus is icons must be no larger than 24x24. However, I was able to use a 24(w)x30(h) BMP to my Nuvi 2555. I also found this FAQ on Garmin's site that states they can be up to 32x32:

https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId={f597caf0-43df-11e2-e8a7-000000000000}

I was trying to get the pointy bit on my POI like the stock locations have. Anybody else have success with the larger size BMPs?

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Nuvi 2460LMT.

Seems like bigger will work on some devices

Site probably wants to keep parity so the icons will work on all devices, but I just did one that's 48x15 and it shows up on my 2595. Went as far as 59x18 but that one started getting cut off so there seems to be a maximum size that's somewhere below that.

Icons-Logos

This is an awfully long thread to read through.

Maybe this has already been covered, but I am fairly new to POI's and some I have downloaded do not have an icon.

It did not take me long to figure out how to get them if they are not stored on POI factory.

Just go to GOOGLE, type in the company, store name whatever and most times something comes up where you find a logo to copy, download and then manipulate it to fit. I convert them to jpeg and bmp to fit either of my 2 GPS's.

I use a program "Irfanview" to convert bmp to jpeg or whatever.
I also have a small program to convert MP3 to wav files.

Just my .02 worth.

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Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.

Good advice

I never thought about doing it this way before. This is a good idea.

--
With God, all things are possible. ——State motto of the Great State of Ohio

Icon uploader

Maybe it's me, but I just don't get it. I get the idea of using the POI loader, making sure that the POI names and icons (.bmp) are named the same, etc. But, the bmp icons from the icon factory simply will not show up on my GPS. Example: if I load a Mobil Gas POI and a Mobil Icon from the icon factory to a folder on my computer, then to the POI loader for upload, the POI will upload but the bmp icon will not.

I have double checked the bmp file size according to the posts I have read.

Another weird thing... I do have a POI for Starbucks but did not upload a icon, when I reach the proximity of a bux, what I think is an icon of starbucks flashes very fast and is very faint and white in color. Very weird!

I am using a Mac (new with latest OS), Nuvi 3590LM GPS and the latest version of the POI loader.

Any help would be appreciated.

Your

Your problem is probably mostly that your using a 3790 which is very particular about the color depth of the saved icon.. You have to insure that the icon is not only saved with exactly the same name as the POI file but that it is only saved as a 256 color bitmap.

I'm not sure how you would save the file using a MAC but in Microsoft Paint (which is built into Windows) you can save the icon as a bitmap and select 256 color as the format to save in.

Once the icon file is saved at the correct color depth you can reload the POI and icon using POIloader and you should be able to see the icons on your 3790. That being said at the default icon size they will probably be so small that you'll have trouble figuring out what the icon is for, but that's another problem.

--
Nuvi 350, 760, 1695LM, 3790LMT, 2460LMT, 3597LMTHD, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, DriveSmart 61, Garmin Drive 52, Garmin Backup Camera 40 and TomTom XXL540s.

.

PapaJohnL wrote:

Example: if I load a Mobil Gas POI and a Mobil Icon from the icon factory to a folder on my computer, then to the POI loader for upload, the POI will upload but the bmp icon will not.

The Mobil POI was discussed in a thread you started last November. http://www.poi-factory.com/node/41512

Was it not resolved back then? And when you say "icon factory" do you mean "POI Factory"?

PapaJohnL also wrote:

Another weird thing... I do have a POI for Starbucks but did not upload a icon, when I reach the proximity of a bux, what I think is an icon of starbucks flashes very fast and is very faint and white in color. Very weird!

Some companies (e.g. Starbucks Dairy Queen),have custom icons displayed for their POIs.

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Nüvi 2595LMT

wassup...No the last thread

wassup...No the last thread you found did not resolve the problem I am experiencing. And yes, it was a slip..I do mean icons from the POI Factory.

Good point T9. Thanks! I'll

Good point T9. Thanks! I'll look at that. Also, you are correct about the size issue. I did find some discussion on that.

no reason to speculate

Unfortunately, PapaJohL is on a MAC rather than a PC, or I would simply suggest that he load Ifranview (mentioned many times in this thread) and post back the data for one of his failing icons listed under menu Image->Information. I'm not a MAC user but can't one of you tell us a MAC program that will give similar information? Or, as a work around, do you PapaJohnL have access to a Windows PC to make the check. What would help is the filename, encoding, current size in pixels, and number of colors/color depth.

Also, it has been said many times but still deserves repeating, you may not see the Icon displayed until you are zoomed very far in on the map.

maybe use the file property feature

I read this after a google search:
==============================
"On Windows, you might have got used to right-clicking on a file and clicking “Properties” to see the meta information about the file itself – such as its size, and so on.

On Mac OS X, you can do the same thing by choosing the “Get Info” command.

You can get to it in a variety of ways:
1.Select the file in a Finder window, and hit Command+I
2.Select it, and click on the File menu, then Get Info
3.Select it, then click the Action button in the Finder toolbar, and choose Get Info
4.Control-click or right-click on it, and click Get Info from the popup list

You can use Get Info on anything you see in a Finder window, whether it’s a file, a folder, a drive, anything.

Read more at http://www.cultofmac.com/56414/100-tips-25-whats-the-mac-equivalent-of-file-properties/#jBrTZcCq8xb7S7LT.99"

=============================

I wonder if the properties of a bmp file found that way would include the pixel size and bit depth like it does on Windows

IIRC a bit depth of 8 would indicate a "256 color bitmap"

Preview Application on Mac

The Preview app on a Mac can show the color bit depth by using the "Tools" menu item and the "Show Inspector" pulldown. Click on "More Info" to show the bit depth.

All of the POI icons that I use are 8-bit. The thing is, Preview can't change the color bit depth. The Mac app Pixelmator (and also any of the Photoshops) can be used to change a 16-bit image to 8-bit.

For the mobil.bmp Color

For the mobil.bmp

Color Model: RGB
Depth: 8
DPI Height: 96
DPI Width: 96
Pixel Height: 13
Pixel Width: 23

Does

Does making the icons 96x96 let you see them clearly on the map screen. Seems pretty large. I use 48x48 on my 3597 and that seems to be pretty readable.

--
Nuvi 350, 760, 1695LM, 3790LMT, 2460LMT, 3597LMTHD, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, DriveSmart 61, Garmin Drive 52, Garmin Backup Camera 40 and TomTom XXL540s.

Size

t923347 wrote:

Does making the icons 96x96 let you see them clearly on the map screen. Seems pretty large. I use 48x48 on my 3597 and that seems to be pretty readable.

The 96 is DPI and I think is meaningless.

The pixel size is what counts and the 23 pixel width is near recommend size but the 13 pixel height is getting fairly narrow.

BTW Having read articles such as this is the reason I think the DPI is meaningless in the context of how the bitmap image will appear on a Garmin. It has do with printing on paper only.
See for example:
http://www.rideau-info.com/photos/mythdpi.html

http://www.steves-digicams.com/knowledge-center/coming-to-te...

http://www.dpiphoto.eu/dpi.htm

@PapaJohnL

I am able to see the Mobil Station icon on my Garmin 40 but I have to zoom in to 200 feet.

Specs:
Width 23 pixels
Height 13 pixels
Bit depth 24

try making one or both sides even

PapaJohnL wrote:

For the mobil.bmp

Color Model: RGB
Depth: 8
DPI Height: 96
DPI Width: 96
Pixel Height: 13
Pixel Width: 23

I never ran into this myself, as I always made my icons for my old nuvi 250 the maximum 24x24 size for that device, but I remember seeing some discussion in these forums that while you could make one or both sides smaller than 24, at least one of them had to be an even number of pixels. I would try pasting that 13x23 icon into a 14x24 (or even 24x24) size image, making the extra pixels the "transparent" color, and see if that doesn't fix the issue.

Thank you all for the advice

Thank you all for the advice and comments. Doing Reserve Duty at the moment. As soon as I get back to civilian life, I will try the suggestions.

rand mcnally 530LM

how do you upload these to a Rand Mcnally 530LM?

any icons that can be downloaded? Just need a bridge and tunnel icon.

thanks

Making small icons

I see lots of discussion on large icons. does anyone know how small (big) the default blue dot icon is that Garmin uses if you do not add your own.

--
Lives in Edmonton AB A volunteer driver for Drive Happiness.ca and now (since June 20 2021) uses a DS65 to find his clients.
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