Transparency color is magenta
Mon, 04/11/2022 - 8:55am
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    3 years
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I understand that when creating a POI icon the transparency color is magenta.
I tested it on my Garmin Drive 51 and for some reason magenta is showing as magenta, no transparency.
Maybe I'm missing something and there is a tip or trick that may help.
Any suggestions?
Gif editor
What GIF Editor are you using?
Metricman DriveSmart 76 Williamsburg, VA
Paint
I'm using Paint for the *.bmp files
Dorin
It supposedly can be done
I'm using Paint for the *.bmp files
After doing a search online, I'm now more confused. It seems that the BMP file has to be saved in the right format.
Do a search on Google for "BMP file transparency" (without quotes).
What does "Paint" say about BMP transparency?
Metricman DriveSmart 76 Williamsburg, VA
256 Color Bitmap
Garmin reads magenta (RGB 255,0,255) as transparent.
I just realized that I have saved the bitmap file in a 24-bit Bitmap and that would not work.
Once I re-saved the files as 256 Color Bitmap... it just works now. I believe that 16-Color Bitmap is supposed to work also.
Dorin
Great
Garmin reads magenta (RGB 255,0,255) as transparent.
I just realized that I have saved the bitmap file in a 24-bit Bitmap and that would not work.
Once I re-saved the files as 256 Color Bitmap... it just works now. I believe that 16-Color Bitmap is supposed to work also.
Great!
Metricman DriveSmart 76 Williamsburg, VA
Why not PNG files
Garmin reads magenta (RGB 255,0,255) as transparent.
I just realized that I have saved the bitmap file in a 24-bit Bitmap and that would not work.
Once I re-saved the files as 256 Color Bitmap... it just works now. I believe that 16-Color Bitmap is supposed to work also.
I would hope that eventually Garmin would support PNG images with transparency. It would make creating bitmaps much easier and eliminate the jagged edges and/or off-color edges that occur when magenta as used for transparency. GIFs may have made sense decades ago when memory and processing power were limited, but not now. Just a thought.
Mark
Creating Icons for Custom POIs
Garmin Support Center website idicates the following:
When Creating a Custom Icon, the Image Must be in the Following File Type, Size, and Color Palette:
File type: .bmp
Color palette: RGB, 8-bit or 16-bit
Size: 24x24 pixels
Transparency color is magenta RGB: R=255, G=0, B=255
The file name must be identical to the name of the .csv or .gpx file (e.g. 'POI.gpx' and 'POI.bmp')
For now it only supports bitmap files so make sure it is saved in the proper format: RGB, 8-bit or 16-bit.
Dorin
Garmin's Support is not always offering current info
Garmin Support Center website idicates the following:
When Creating a Custom Icon, the Image Must be in the Following File Type, Size, and Color Palette:
File type: .bmp
Color palette: RGB, 8-bit or 16-bit
Size: 24x24 pixels
Transparency color is magenta RGB: R=255, G=0, B=255
The file name must be identical to the name of the .csv or .gpx file (e.g. 'POI.gpx' and 'POI.bmp')
For now it only supports bitmap files so make sure it is saved in the proper format: RGB, 8-bit or 16-bit.
24x24 pixels was good for the early, small nuvi models. On the newer models, that leaves a microscopic image on the GPS device. We've shown here that several larger sizes of bmp file work, and result in a better experience.
Garmin Support still only recognizes that some of their On The Road devices can play mp3 files but has never recognized that we can use custom audio alerts for POIs using wav files.
It's always good to go to Garmin's FAQs for help but know that some of what Garmin states is incorrect.
Garmin's Support Is Not Always Offering Current Info
Do you know which models the larger-sized files work with? I have models that span decades and try to keep them up-to date.