maps

You'll have to contact the manufacturer to obtain additional maps and/or map updates.

-OR-

If you're a member of an auto club, like AAA, you can submit an online request to have maps (and tourbooks) mailed to you at no charge.

If you're looking for free versions of Garmin's maps, then you're out of luck.

However, Mapcenter is a place where you'll find free maps for various regions, created by private individuals.

You'll require Sendmap to load them to your PC.

These maps have all been created using cgpsmapper.

Have you had any problems with sendmap finding a garmin? Although I can ready the garmin disk drive the sendmap application cannot find it on my usb port. Any suggestions?

Ah yes - forgot to mention

IIRC - if you specify the Garmin, it actually writes to the SD card, not the internal memory! (so if you've not got an SD card in ...)

I normally just tell it to write it to file (GMAPSUPP.IMG) and then manually copy the file down.

(Actually, I use GMAPOEM.IMG - because I've already used GMAPSUPP.IMG for other things.)

Sorry but are you saying to manually copy the map file to a sd card? Please enlighten me.

...Just managed to confuse myself...

Sendmap20 can work in two modes - the first is for accessing GPSr's that support Garmin's USB GPS Mode (Handhelds, C3xx and the undocumented C5xx mode). It doesn't work with your Nüvi 670 in this mode. Actually, it might - but only in "Pre-boot mode". Let's not go there ). Even when it does work, it has a tendency to only write to the SD card.

The mode you require, is with the Nüvi connected as a Mass-storage device, choose "Create GMAPSUPP.IMG" and then browse to your Nüvi's \Garmin directory (or, your Nüvi's SD card). Equally, you can write the GMAPSUPP.IMG to any other location on your PC and manually copy it to the Nüvi (or its card).

Note: it's safest (especially with maps you've made yourself), to copy them to the SD card initially ... just in case they stop the unit booting!

Ok So this is how far I have gotten. Made my map with mapman. Exported the file as a Polish Format Map file. Mapman also asks if you want to create the img file and provides only a numerical option. I have it do this as well and then copied the file from my hard drive onto the SD card shown as Drive F: in a folder I called Garmin Map Images. and Presto.
When I turn on my 670 nothing happens with the map. Unit loaded fine but no new image. Where did I go wrong?

I think you missed a step.

1. Create .IMG file from Polish format .mp file using cgpsmapper.exe (This is what Mapman is invoking). Select a different number for each map you make. Make sure you say "map is transparent" (slightly counter-intuitive...)
2. Use Sendmap20 to convert this .IMG to GMAPSUPP.IMG. You can convert several separate .IMG into this one file. As you load each one, you give it a descriptive name.
3. Move the resulting GMAPSUPP.IMG from Sendmap20 to the unit's \garmin directory, or \garmin on an SD card (best option for 1st tests!)
4. The 'descriptive names' should show up in the list of maps, when you visit the "Map Info" option on the unit. You may have to manually enable your new map.

I will try this next and let you know. Thanks for your knowledge and support.

So far so good. Ok so I know the map loaded as like you said it would show up in the info screen. Also if I brwse the map and click on the area the street names show up but no lines for the roads. Have I done something wrong in the map creation process? What is meant y manually enabling?

OK - so you've produced a valid map and the Nüvi sees it (ie it's enabled). Did you remember to make it transparent? - that seems to be important when other maps are enabled (ie ticked/checked on the Map "Info" screen).

When you say the Street names show up - are these street names that you've entered, or from the one of the underlying maps? [Maybe disable all the other maps - so you just see your own and the Basemap]

I think you probably just need to get to grips with the zoom levels next.
You might need to read the cgpsmapper manual at
http://www.cgpsmapper.com/manual.htm

In a nutshell:-

Each object in your map has two zoom levels associated with it. These are the level at which it starts to be visible and the level at which it stops being visible.

Each GPSr has a set of zoom levels, but these differ - for example, you can zoom in one step further with the StreetPilot C5xx than you can with the Nüvi 3xx. Mapsource has yet another set. The zoom levels are also influenced by the amount of Map Detail that's selected in the GPSr.

There is a table that attempts to map the absolute zoom number (0-9?) into the zoom settings; this appears at the beginning of the .mp file. I just had a glance at one of my maps and this is what I used:-

Levels=6
Level0=24
Level1=21
Level2=19
Level3=17
Level4=16
Level5=15


See the cgpsmapper manual for the approx. meanings of the numbers to the right.

If you get these 'wrong', you get some very strange effects - roundabouts with no roads connecting them until you zoom right in; POI's that are still visible when you zoom right out ... all that kind of thing! (At one point, the icon for my house covered most of Northern England )

Another useful tool:
http://cypherman1.googlepages.com/home

This loads your custom maps into Mapsource. Beware - they may behave differently in Mapsource to how they behave on the GPSr!

There is also http://mapcenter.cgpsmapper.com. You can download other people's maps from here (including the source) - you might find a working example that gives you some clues. (The idea of that website, is that it gives you access to the full-blown commercial version of cgpsmapper...but means you have to share your maps with others.)

When you finally get all this working, you will have a new found respect for Navteq

Thanks for the great info. I will obviously need to take a little time reading those manuals you speak of. Never was one to open the "directions" . I'll take your advice and look at a couple of maps others have made.

As to some of the questions you asked.

1.My map is on the info screen and checked (enabled).
2.I was quite sure I had set it to transparent. I will double check.
3.The area I mapped on the base map and City Navigator map was a blank area other than one road. That road continued to show up as well as the street names I gave for the roads in my map.

It sounds as if the zoom level is what I am most likely having a problem with. I did go in and out but maybe not as far as I should.

I do see that this is why everyone wants the most up-to-date version of their maps.

I found my map. I will continue to experiment however the only way I could see it was to turn off the City Nav maps. Which considering I want to have both available isn't what I was looking for. I understand that each map set is another layer over the base map but If my map was transparent shouldn't the City Nav maps show through with my map on the top?

I remember being at this stage...with the same symptoms.

Logically, it seemed to me, like I needed to make *City Navigator* 'transparent' (so I could see my map though it), but setting *my* map 'transparent' cured the problem. (That's why I said it was counter-intuitive).

In the [IMG ID] section at the top of your .mp file, does it definitely say

Transparent=Y


?

This is the header in the file
[IMG ID]
ID=500000
Name=Stonebridge
Elevation=m
Datum=W84
Levels=2
POIIndex=Y
Transparent=Y
Level0=22
Level1=21
[END-IMG ID]

So as I understand it should show on top. I am going to modify the file so I have more levels available but any other thoughts?

That looks ok. If you loaded it on a card, did you try rebooting the Nüvi, after reinserting the card?

Here's a (very) simple map that definitely displays on top. I 'scribbled' an extra road around Mirabel airport, Montreal (the red one!) (-74.025536,45.659647). Maybe you can spot a difference in this map, compared to yours?

Screenshots:
http://geepeeex.googlepages.com/265.jpg
http://geepeeex.googlepages.com/279.jpg

Files to recreate it:
http://geepeeex.googlepages.com/MIRABEL.ZIP

This is the entire source for the map:-

[IMG ID]
ID=500039
Name=Defacing Montreal
Elevation=m
Datum=W84
Levels=2
POIIndex=Y
Transparent=Y
Level0=24
Level1=17
[END-IMG ID]

[RGN40]
Type=1
Label=Phil's airport perimeter road
Levels=1
Data0=(45.682270,-74.092995),(45.666952,-74.097109),(45.665995,-74.075168),(45.6
63123,-74.051856),(45.659293,-74.028544),(45.659293,-74.027173),(45.681313,-73.9
99747),(45.675569,-73.997004),(45.697588,-73.966836),(45.706204,-73.968207),(45.
710991,-73.970950),(45.714820,-73.976435),(45.715778,-73.979177),(45.709076,-73.
987405),(45.704289,-73.999747),(45.699503,-74.005232),(45.693758,-74.010717),(45
.690886,-74.017574),(45.688972,-74.021688),(45.687057,-74.024430),(45.679398,-74
.017574),(45.676526,-74.012088),(45.671739,-74.017574),(45.668867,-74.024430),(4
5.668867,-74.031287),(45.671739,-74.040886),(45.668867,-74.055970),(45.668867,-7
4.060084),(45.672696,-74.073797),(45.672696,-74.079282),(45.670782,-74.086138),(
45.674611,-74.090252),(45.682270,-74.092995)
[END]


Thanks for the help on this I think I am getting the hang of things.

I revised my own map yesterday and now it performs as you had indicated. I am going to continue to refine it (types of roads) etc. I will need to do a bit of testing when I get time but have a suggestion as to why my map may not have worked right off.

When I did a bit more reading in Mapman I saw that there is a setting for transparency and zoom levels. I had not made any changes here so possibly although in Sendmap20 when I made the .img file and indicated transparent it didn't do exactly what it was suppose too.

Once again you have helped tremendously and I thank you for that. Now to figure out the different map symbols.

And of course making my map routable. Any suggested sites and tools?

The map elements topic (types of roads, lakes, Cities, POIs, etc etc) is very interesting - there are millions of them and of course, each Garmin has its own particular subset. If it can't find the one you want, it substitutes a default. Even when it has the element you've requested, different Garmin units can display them in different ways. (This is noticeable when comparing my Nüvi and Streetpilot.)

I've not tried the Routing stuff yet. The commercial version of cgpsmapper that is required to do this, is mega-expensive...however:

There are two (separate) sites (I don't understand why there are two, when they're clearly related !)

http://mapcenter.cgpsmapper.com
http://mapcenter2.cgpsmapper.com

where you get access to this version for free. The caveat is that anyone can download your maps. (I suppose the thinking is, that you can't actually use the commercial version for commercial purposes, under such conditions).

Once you've uploaded something, there is no way of deleting it. You just have to live with your embarrassing mistakes

The other resource is the Yahoo! "Map_Authors" group. The author of Mapman (Keith Sheppard) frequents it, though most people are actually using other tools.

edit: Something else you might like to experiment with - I was wondering; if you overlay a section of the City Navigator map with your own, can you change the characteristics of the route that you're travelling. In other words, if you have on your map, a road that you've marked as a 5mph speed limit, no cars allowed, one-way etc, could you implement an "Avoidance" ... or will it still look at the detail of the underlying road?

Also, I *think* there is method of extracting the 'points' that make up some of City Navigator's maps.

If you use the 'Route tool' in Mapsource and draw along existing roads, and then export that Route as a gpx file, there is some useful data in that file. It insert <rtept> entries for the major points, but it also generates zillions of <rpt> entries as well. I think these can only be the nodes that make up City Nav's map...could be useful for 'connecting' your own roads up precisely.

That's what the points are on this image:

http://geepeeex.googlepages.com/view.jpg