Copying POI gpi file

I'm not sure, but I believe you can import gpi into EPE. If so you can delete waypoints and adjust if needed. You can then save as gpx and load with POI Loader.

Your friend could download EPE and you could use this to teach him how to use it.

Just a thought, but hope it makes sense.

... I'd simply give him a gpx file. Not sure why you're bothering to turn it into a .gpi file?

Some people are not very computer/GPS literate, ie my friend.

I'm trying to make it as easy for someone else to do this.

It's my understanding if you copy a new current.gpx file into a Garmin it will overwrite the current "CURRENT" and remove all existing waypoints. I'm trying to do it so existing way-points will remain.

Actually converting gpx to gpi is very quick and easy.

I have tried to use a waypoint.gpx file in the past and the Garmin did not recognize the file. All you really ever see in the GPX folder is a temp and a current file in an older Garmin. The newer ones also may have a last position.gpx file.

The question I did ask though was, whether the "EXTRA's" in a Garmin can be used to set up a route.

Is he leaving soon?

If there is enough time, save your route as a gpx file. Then load your file plus a few other useful files like Ontario and US rest areas to an SD card.

A simple 4 gb card is relatively cheap and small enough to mail to him.

Be sure to include a proximity alert for the rest areas.

All he has to do, to install is to turn off his gps (not just sleep) and install the SD into the GPS. When he starts it up he will get a request to know if he wants to load onto his gps. It's his choice if he answers yes or no. Say Yes if you might want to load more files on the SD for him in the future.

Be sure you set up the SD card's file structure correctly and possibly test if your own gps sees the file.

In the future he can send the card back to you to add additional routes or POI files, like the all important Cheesecake Factory.

Works like a charm.

Alright GPSgeek, so what I need to do is save all as a for example "route.gpx" and then his GPS will read from the SD card and can add those way-points to his existing ones. That is when the option is presented, but not delete what he already has.
Do I understand correctly?

You can call it whatever you want and load to the sd. If you load additional files, like rest areas, just load them with their original names, but be sure to include the proximity alerts for the rest areas. Personally, I would create a subdirectory on your pc, with your friends name as the directory name. Copy all files, that you want to give your friend, including route.gpx, rest areas.csv, and any other files into that directory. It allows you to load all with poi loader in one procedure. It also makes it easier for you to keep track of what you gave him.

Each poi file will show on the gps with its own indivudual file name. I presume that route.gpx will have your waypoints for the trip. This will not delete any of his waypoints as long as he doesn't have his own file called route.gpx, which is unlikely.

The files on the sd card will show up under the custom poi section of his gps. The location will vary depending on the model of gps that he has. It might be under Extras or Categories, etc. I presume he knows how to access custom poi's.

Your friend will have to load each point in the right order, either individually, into trip planner or add each point as a new via point. To help keep in order, you might sequentially number each point and include the city name after the number.

Does this help?

You just call it anything but current. MapSource and BaseCamp if allowed create the file temp.gpx when they send data to your device.

Not quite sure I understand this. If you mean can you use POIs to create a route then yes, you can.

Take you route file an put it into a separate folder after editing it. Run POI Loader and save the output file to your computer/desktop with a name of your choice. Mail the resulting GPI file to your friend and tell them to install it in the POI folder on their Garmin. It will be fully addressable and can be used for routing. This is the same technique used to create separate POI files for a unit so you don't have to update everything, just the files that change.

Your friend can just just file copy the gpi file to their gps. It will work just fine. I maintained and distributed a file that way for a couple years for another group.

Did the GPX route. That way just slip the SD card in and let it load. I don't think he is too adept at copy and paste of any flavor.
Thanks

You could also have put the GPI file into a Garmin\POI folder on the card.