Transferring Detail Maps from Mapsource to Mobile PC

Thanks Ken

But no luck.

After hours of fun and insanity, I think the answer is about route naming convention differences between MapSource and MobilePC.

MapSource generates default route names based on the names of the waypoints - some of them get quite long (50+ characters) and MapSource is happy with them.

Mobile PC only allows a limited name length for the routes. When it reads in the longer names and truncates them, I'm guessing that if loses the link between the MobilePC lable and the MapSource recorded routes.

I copied my European routes to a new file and then manually shortened all the names to perhaps 20-30 characters (too tired to go back and count or better still to test the limits) - Saved the new route files in MapSource.

Opened Mobile PC and started MapSource as described in my earlier post - transferred the routes and waypoints to Mobile PC - and all the routes got transferred in one hit.

Hugely relieved as I'm off to Europe later today - I hope to get back to do some more detailed testing of this when I get back to Australia in June.

Thanks all for your help - I don't think I'd have gotten anywhere near this far without your help - gold stars all round.

Hope that made sense!

Mark

Hi Mark,

Glad you got it to transfer. Thanks for the tip on the length of the route names. My tests were with routes that only had a start point and end point so they were short names.

Don't relax yet, though. Check some of those routes in Mobile PC and make sure they are the actual route you think they are. When I first transferred multiple routes only the first one was right. The others had the right names but had the same route information as the first route in the list, not their proper route information.

EDIT: I just tested and my theory about cutting and pasting the routes directly into the "current.gpx" file don't work. Sorry if anyone has wasted any time trying it.

...ken...

Sorry if this is the wrong thread (I've been reading this FAQ for four hours now; 3am!)

I have a UMPC which already has a built-in GPS.
-I would purchase Mobile PC (software only; which should have N. America on it)
-That in turn gets unlocked to my UMPC when I install it

Then, if I want other regions mapsets I purchase them from Garmin, follow this FAQ and can get them loaded on my UMPC?

Additionally, I can find all the free mapsets I'm looking for and get them into the UMPC (via Mapsource.)

Sorry, I didn't want to retype the Mapsource procedures. I get it on building the .img... and it's because these have been the best crafted posts in a forum I've read in awhile.

Thanks,
T808

The problem is you would need a software-only version of Mobile PC to work with your UMPC's internal GPS (assuming it would work). You would not be able to unlock maps to that version. There would be no problem with other non-locked maps though.

Terry

Hi T808,

I'm glad the posts have been helpful. You are 100% correct except that, as Terry points out, you can't use locked maps with Mobile PC software-only version.

You can use Garmin products like Topo and Metroguide and Worldmap that are not locked. And all free Garmin-compatible maps you can find. But there's no way to use Garmin products like the various City Navigator products which are locked.

...ken...

Hi Ken,
I followed your instruction to the letter so Mobile PC can access the maps of WorldMap v4-CD (with the exception that I downloaded MapSource software v6156). Laptop has Vista O/S Home Premium
(1)-Installed Mobile PC in laptop (Quick Start DVD)-files in C:\Program Files\Garmin\Mobile PC
(2)- Run MapSource v6156 EXE in laptop (EXE file downloaded from Garmin Web)-files in C:\Garmin (I.e. MapSource application file)
(3)- Installed WorldMap v4 in laptop (CD used)-files by default in C:\Garmin (i.e. WM4 file folder)
(4)-Run MapSource and a full world map is displayed on the laptop screen
(5)-Did instruction VIEW > SWITCH TO PRODUCT and MapSource displays “WorldMap v4” text ticked
(6)- Went to TOOL > and a menu opens with “Selection” text already ticked
(7)- Went to SELECT > TRANSFER > SEND TO DEVICE and the following message appears: “To transfer data to your device, select maps, or create waypoints, route or track”. From this point forward it was not possible to continue.
The Switch to Product-step (5) indicated that WorldMap maps have been selected. However step (7) indicated that I must select maps when this was done in step (5).
Note:
When selecting UTILITIES > GET UNIT ID MapSource responds with a small window with the following information: Find Device: GPS 20X USB (Unit ID: 3588860012) or Garmin Mobile PC.
Perhaps WorldMap software maps are not compatible with the Mobile PC environment. Does someone in this forum has managed to use the maps from WorldMap using Mobile PC?
B

It appears that WorldMap is not compatible with Mobile PC software. I have searched the Garmin Web: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=662#productTab to find what devices are compatible with WorldMap to find out that Mobile PC is not in the extensive list of compatibilities. A summary of GPS devices compatible with WorldMap v4 are: GPS 18 Deluxe, GPS V, GPSMap, iQue, Nuvi, Oregon, Quest, Rino, StreetPilot, and Zumo.

In the Garmin MobilePC folder, rename gmapsupp.img to gmapsup2.img.

In MapSource, go to Tools-map and click on the base map. It should turn pink. If there is more than one section of the map, click on each one and the pink colour should indicate which sections you have chosen. The sections will be listed on the left under the Maps tab. Then try your transfer.

In the Garminmobilepc folder, rename gmapsupp.img to gmapbmap.img.

Terry

Terry, I don't understand the renaming. Did you do a typo somewhere or am I just misunderstanding your intent?

Batman, the word "select" is causing you difficulty. You need to do a "selection" operation twice.

First:

View/Switch to Product (or use the map selector dropdown list).

Second:

Once the desired map (in this case your World Basemap) is being displayed on the screen you need to select which parts of it you want to transfer to Mobile PC.

Mapsource is designed with the idea that you will be using a handheld GPS device with limited memory. Most of Garmin's map products come installed in segments. That is, there are actually many many files required to make the entire map that you see displayed in Mapsource.

So Mapsource expects you to select the map segments that you want to transfer to your GPS device. The error message you got means that you have selected a map for Mapsource to display but you have not selected any of its map segments to transfer to the GPS device.

I don't know if the World Basemap has many segments or if it is just a single large segment. In any case, after you have selected the World Basemap to be the one displayed in Mapsource, you must then use the selection tool (TOOLS > MAP) to select some or all of the World Basemap.

If you have selected the correct tool, the cursor will have a broken rectangle beside it as you move it around the map display. You must click it on a map segment and make it turn pink to select it. When you do this, the name of that map segment will also show up on the list on the MAPS tab at the left of the screen.

You must have one or more items listed in the MAPS tab or Mapsource will continue to give you the same error.

I hope that helps. All of the information you have provided makes it clear that you will have success transferring the World Basemap to Mobile PC as soon as you select some or all of its segments to transfer.

...ken...

My concern was there might already be a gmapsupp.img in the Mobile PC folder. If you don't rename it first, it will be overwritten. I couldn't say for sure the worldmap transfer wouldn't show up as a gmapsupp as all others do. So the safest way was to rename gmapsupp.ing first.

I tested with the ersatz worldmap I have but it does not respond to the Tools-map command so cannot say how this will progress. Better safe than sorry!

If, on the other hand, batman's basemap is the same as ours - just put a renamed (if necessary) gmapbmap.img copy of it directly in the GarminMobilePC folder

Terry

Terry, did you mean GMAPBMAP.IMG and fear it might be overwritten?

Mobile PC when freshly installed will not have a GMAPSUPP.IMG file. It will have GMAPBMAP.IMG (its basemap) and GMAPPROM.IMG (City Navigator detailed map).

Did you use the Garmin WorldMap product or did you just use one of the GMAPBMAP.IMG basemap files that can be downloaded freely from Garmin and also come preinstalled on a variety of Garmin devices?

It's possible that the WorldMap product might just behave like a regular basemap (GMAPBMAP.IMG) and not be transferable but since it's sold as a MapSource product I figure there's a reasonably high probability that it will be selectable and transferable. There must be some extra value to it, above the free downloadable basemaps, or they wouldn't be selling it.

Would they?

...ken...

Why is there any use in transferring a basemap if the user already has one? Or does the World map poroduct have more detail than the existing GMPC base map.

Terry

A quick comparison of World Map 4 on the Garmin site and the base map in GMPC says the GMPC one is better. The only thing missing are the ocean navigation lights. They may not even show in GMPC anyway.

Terry

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Did you zoom in tight in a city in some part of the world that does not have detailed map coverage in a Garmin product to see which, if either, has more detail?

...ken...

Okay, I took a look in the Phillipines around Manila and it looks like the amount of detail is about the same ... major roads and highways but no street level detail. The coastlines are definitely better detailed in Mobile PC's basemap.

I agree, it looks like the basemap that comes preinstalled in Mobile PC is at least as good as WorldMap v4.0.

...ken...