OSM to SDAL format?

Anyone know of any OSM to SDAL converters?
The “free” SDAL format was used in car navigation in the mid 2000s, and since NavTeq stopped distributing maps in SDAL format around 2008, we who have navigation systems built in which rely on SDAL maps, are out of luck getting new maps.
I’ve seen SDAL being used in GIS too.

A OSM to SDAL converter should make a lot of SAAB, Mazda, Kenwood and I think some BMW and Mercedes owners happy since that would enable them to get fresh maps again.
I’d say I’d gladly pay for that tool, quite handsomely too! New maps from the manufacturer are usually really expensive, like €4-500 and I know I’d gladly pay €200 or more for a tool with which I could make new maps for my car out of OSM data!

For what it is worth, it looks like the SDAL specification was made public, see http://press-nl.navteq.com/index.php?s=4580&item=6738 but the location of that specification on the web eludes me. If someone can find that then it would make the job much simpler.

Mildly interested in this but with a different format: My car uses KIWI-W format data. There was an update for my older car’s nav system in 2012 but it would not surprise me if they stop issuing updates in the next year or two and I’d love to be able to create navigation DVDs using OSM data. At least the KIWI-W specification is public, see: http://www.kiwi-w.org/documents_eng.html

Don’t know if the SDAL system works this way, but the KIWI-W ISO DVD contains software/firmware that is specific to the hardware it is to be run on. So to make a new ISO DVD one would probably have to copy those hardware specific portions out of an original OEM disk replacing only the map, routing and POI data with information pulled from OSM. If someone else does not get around to this by the time Toyota/Lexus stop supplying updates I might add this to my retirement project list.

Hi!
SDAL specific: http://www.janczinsky.cz/dwn/SDAL_spec.pdf :wink:

It would be so awesome if someone picked up on this and converted OSM to SDAL. A kickstarter campaign would be a good start! :slight_smile: