updating Mapsource tiles in Mapsource

ras_oscar · 2010-02-09T06:23:04.000Z

I have downloaded several areas of routable maps in the US. Installed them into mapsource using the OSM mapsource installer, then combined them with Topo from gpsfiledepot and exported them to my data card for use on a Garmin GPS. All is well.

Now I would like to update tiles in mapsource and export the updated data back to my GPSr. What is the easiest method of doing this?

Also, I would like to combine the “several areas” into a single pull down tab on the mapsource tab “OSM World routable” would I use MKGMAP to do this? I’ve not used java a great deal, although I’ve written batch programs and dabbled a lttle in C++. Using Windows platform if it matters. Can In use wildcards on the mkgmap command line or do I need to list each tile explicitly?

csdf · 2010-02-10T09:54:38.000Z

Updating Mapsource:

Assuming you’ve just downloaded up-to-date tiles from a 3rd party, and that these have the same file names as the older versions, and that you’ve also got the new overview map tile and TDB file, you can just copy these new files on top of the old ones (with MapSource closed). Next time you use MapSource it will chunter on happily as if nothing happened, but with the new tiles. This is how I do it (but I generate my tiles with mkgmap, rather than downloading them).
Combining areas:
MapSource pull-down options are controlled by the Family ID and Series Name of the particular mapset. If you’ve got multiple areas with different Family IDs and series names, they will list as separate pull-downs. The only way to list them as a single pull down would be to re-build the tiles to all have the same Family ID and series name.

ras_oscar · 2010-02-10T16:04:46.000Z

thanks for the reply. I had downloaded the mapsets several months ago, and the installer only wrote one registry entry. I downloaded from the Garmin link. I noticed since then that they have added links to download by state. Does the installer now write multiple registry entries?

Second queston?:
the installer writes a group of .img files (the tiles)

a 63240000.tbd What is that for?

a 63240000_mdr.img what is that for?

are those the correct files to hand to mkgmap? i’d reaally like to crack th code and compile maps myself, so long as I dont end up breaking my mapsource installation. What do I need to use as a settings file? the maps I get from OSM Download are fine for my purposes, I feel no prese nt need to modify them during the compile process. Any Idea where I could find the “default” settings file that OSM uses to create the maps they send me?

csdf · 2010-02-10T16:41:21.000Z

ras_oscar:

thanks for the reply. I had downloaded the mapsets several months ago, and the installer only wrote one registry entry. I downloaded from the Garmin link. I noticed since then that they have added links to download by state. Does the installer now write multiple registry entries?

I’m not sure where you’re downloading from, so can’t answer this.

ras_oscar:

Second queston?:
the installer writes a group of .img files (the tiles)

a 63240000.tbd What is that for?

The TDB file is used by MapSource. If you want to install a map into MapSource, you must have a TDB file.

ras_oscar:

a 63240000_mdr.img what is that for?

The MDR file contains a searchable index so that you can search for POIs. See more here: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin/IMG_File_Format

ras_oscar:

are those the correct files to hand to mkgmap? i’d reaally like to crack th code and compile maps myself, so long as I dont end up breaking my mapsource installation. What do I need to use as a settings file? the maps I get from OSM Download are fine for my purposes, I feel no prese nt need to modify them during the compile process. Any Idea where I could find the “default” settings file that OSM uses to create the maps they send me?

I think you’re confusing a few things here.
OSM is just a geospatial database. What you see on the OSM website is a rendering of that data, by default done using a piece of software called Mapnik. Mapnik is not OSM, it is just a renderer. If you click the + sign in the top right, you can change renderer (e.g. Osmarender). Each renderer produces a different looking map because it decides what to show, what not to show, and how to show it. You could go to the Cloudmade website and see yet another version of the same underlying OSM data (and indeed, on Cloudmade you can really get your hands dirty and change the style to your heart’s content).

mkgmap takes OSM data, and creates IMG files. You can then load these into MapSource or onto your GPS. mkgmap uses style files to decide what to show and what not to show. You can edit these style files to suit your personal needs, or indeed to emulate Mapnik, if you wanted to. But that’s no small task!

ras_oscar · 2010-02-10T22:32:08.000Z

So if I wanted to produce the same maps that are available here

http://garmin.na1400.info/routable.php

I would use mkgmap. Is there a default style file or do I need ot create one? Trying to determine the magnitude of my tasks ahead.

Vclaw · 2010-02-11T00:10:56.000Z

ras_oscar:

So if I wanted to produce the same maps that are available here

http://garmin.na1400.info/routable.php

I would use mkgmap. Is there a default style file or do I need ot create one? Trying to determine the magnitude of my tasks ahead.

That website used the default mkgmap style. This is included with mkgmap, and will be used if you don’t specify another style when running mkgmap.
This is included with the mkgmap download in the resources\styles\default directory, so you can look at it and edit it if you want.