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Garmin MapSource is a shareware software app filed under mapping and made available by Garmin for Windows.

ETrex Legend H and eTrex Vista H Owner’s Manual Getting Started Understanding Terms Select—move the highlighted area on the screen up, down, left, or right with the ROCKER to.

Garmin MapSource 6.16.3. MapSource has been dropped in favor of new Garmin products. Full version Free Trial. Create routes on your laptop connected to a Garmin. Garmin MapSourceis software that lets you create, view, and edit waypoints, routes, and tracks on your computer and transfer them to your navigation device for your next trip. It was previously included with DVD/CD versions of our map products. MapSource is no longer included with DVD/CD versions of our maps.

The review for Garmin MapSource has not been completed yet, but it was tested by an editor here on a PC.

If you would like to submit a review of this software download, we welcome your input and encourage you to submit us something!

MapSource has been dropped in favor of new Garmin products

Garmin MapSource is software that lets you create, view, and edit waypoints, routes, and tracks on your computer and transfer them to your navigation device for your next trip. It was previously included with DVD/CD versions of our map products.

MapSource is no longer included with DVD/CD versions of our maps. Instead, use BaseCamp to view maps and create routes and waypoints for your next hiking, biking, motorcycling, driving or off-roading trip.

And for your next boating trip, pair HomePort with your existing BlueChart data and view map details such as underwater hazards and hidden obstacles so you can plan a route to avoid them.Compability and license

This download is licensed as shareware for the Windows operating system from mapping and can be used as a free trial until the trial period ends (after an unspecified number of days). The Garmin MapSource 6.16.3 demo is available to all software users as a free download with potential restrictions and is not necessarily the full version of this software.

Compatibility with this software may vary, but will generally run fine under Microsoft Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP on either a 32-bit or 64-bit setup. A separate x64 version may be available from Garmin.

Filed under:

1. Garmin MapSource Download
2. Major release: Garmin MapSource 6.16

By Adam Newham

Introduction

The following article gives step by step instructions for generating amap which is downloadable to the Garmin series of GPS receivers. Much ofthis information is available in the help text files that come with theGPSmapper utility used to generate these custom maps. Before I proceedany further, I would like to take the opportunity to give these guys thecredit that they are due. Needless to say this is one of the most talkedabout subjects with respect to the Garmin range of GPS receivers with someonefinally managing to 'step up to the plate'. (The utility may be downloadedhere and is called GPSmapper,and has just recently been updated to version 0.0044 which includes anautomatic installer)

I initially started looking for a utility to generate custom maps froma desire to map local golf courses that I play regularly and I was gettingfrustrated that no such function existed with MapSource or sold separatelyby Garmin. I even tried to contact Garmin who indicated that they haveno intention of marketing one. After digging around I found the GPSmapperutility and the following are instructions on how to generate your ownmap. My example is for a golf course, but the process is the same regardlessof content.

Requirements

The following is a list of requirements needed in order to generate custommaps using this method as detailed below.

• Accurate geographical data for the region that is being generated
• GPSmapper utility
• OziExplorer - required if photographicimagery is going to be used as a reference source
• Method of downloading map to GPS receiver. This article was written withthe assumption that MapSourcewould be the method of preference. Although a third party download utilityis available, I have not tested it and cannot verify that it will work.(You could try GPSexplorer,but I have not validated it)
• Graphic file manipulation program (MS Paint, Photoshop, USAPhotoMap etc)
• Finally....a Garmin GPS receiver.

Method

In order to generate my custom map, I obtained accurate geographic readingsby using a combination of aerial photographs, actual tracks, way pointsand cross reference's to street maps obtained from my GPS receivers basemap.

For the aerial photographs, my preference was to use the TerraServer, despite the images only being available in black and white,I found that I was able to download single images that were bigger in sizeand that adjacent pictures could be joined together with little lateraladjustment (if you use USAPhotoMap,the program will composite entire regions for you that can be saved asa single jpeg. Thanks to Dave Patton for the tip). Alternatively a mixtureof black and white/color images are available from MapQuest,but I found piecing the separate photographs together more difficult asthe images didn't align at the edges.

• Install Ozi Explorer (if not alreadyinstalled).
• Install the GPSmapperutility and make sure that it works correctly.
• Add the path to the GPSmapper utility (by default it will install at c:ProgramFilesGPSmap)
• Generate/download/scan the necessary photographs for the area to be mapped,collect way points etc.

• Using OziExplorer, load the image(File/Load and Calibrate Map)
• Calibrate the photograph using a good point of reference (cross street,landmark, coastline, way points etc) or if using Terra Server, click 'imageinfo' and extrapolate the Lat/Long from the grid lines. Again, if you useUSAPhotoMap, way points can be entered directly onto the map/saved thatwill be accurate and can be used to calibrate the image when imported intoOziExplorer. The calibration points should be as far apart as possiblein both Lat/Long. For the maps I used Lat/Long run horizontal/verticaland therefore the calibration point are optimal being diagonally apart.The accuracy of the calibration can be determined by enabling the gridinside OziExplorer under Map/Grid Line Setup).
• On the map, add points of reference that can be imported into GPSmapperthat will allow generation of the necessary map detail. I used a combinationof way points for marking the blue tee-boxes (BT-'hole number') and thecenter of the greens (H-'hole number'), and tracks for marking the outlineof the fairways and hazards.
• To generate the tracks click the 'Show' icon with the blue line (just underthe Moving Map menu), and then click 'track'. Before drawing each track,make sure that a clear box is at the top of the track list. When the trackhas been drawn, save each track into a separate file (Ozi Explorer PLTformat). Likewise when you're happy with all of the positions for the waypoints, save these as well (Ozi Explorer WPT format).

• Modify the example text file given. My example has two files, one for eachof the example golf courses mission_trails_img.txtand mt_woodson_img.txt. A final thirdfile brings in all of the individual maps together into a single group.
• Included in each of these files is a list of all of the PLT and WPT filesgenerated and the symbol to assign to it. An explanation of the file formatis given in the GPSMapper SampleMap directory, but as a summary RGN10'sare Points Of Interest, RGN20's are simple points/cities, RGN40's are streets,railroads, streams etc, RGN80's are regions such as lakes and reservations.Each region has it's own set of codes that can be used. In my example Ideclared the fairways as RGN80, with a hex number of 0x18, i.e. Golf. Likewisefor the Way Points I used RGN10 and 0x2d05 for the holes and tee boxes.Also declared in these text files is the grid resolution. The defaultsin the example SampleMap file generated a very jagged golf course map thatI had to modify to get the look you see below. (A list of all of the codesis listed in the GPSmapper directory as a file called RGNtype.csv and atext file version called RGNtype.txt)

Modify the GenerateMaps.bat file. Thiswill invoke the command line version of the GPS Mapper utility. As somepoint in the future I will probably turn this into a Makefile as I intendto build up a library of maps and I don't want to have to rebuild all ofthem each time I change a PLT or WPT file. At the same time, a Perl scriptthat automatically generates both the text control file and Makefile fromthe list of PLT anf WPT file would also be a worthy addition. But for now,lets keep things simple.My batch file doesn't automatically invoke GPSMapper. But you can run the program by hand and then load the image thatyour are interested in modifying. This will also allow labels/TRE's tobe modified. I'm currently trying to work out how to make a patch file,I'll update this 'How To' when I've worked it out!

Garmin Mapsource Update

• The batch file creates two image files 10000012/13 respectively and a toplevel GOLFCOURSE.img/tdb. It is these two top level files that are usedinside MapSource to navigate which maps needs to be downloaded withouthaving to insert a CD.
• If you haven't done so already, you will need to modify the registry. TheGPS Mapper web site has a utility that will generate a template for you.It is useful to use this as a starting point as if the order is wrong/datais invalid, MapSource will fail to start. This script generates a registryentry under product code 66.
• Make sure that the maps just generated correspond to the location in theregistry. If they do not agree modify either the registry or the path wherethe maps are stored..
• Start MapSource. If it barfs, go back to the registry and check your settingsuntil MapSource starts without complaint..
• For my example, a title should exist called 'GOLF COURSES'. When you navigateto this, (they are in the San Diego, CA area of the map) you will see tworegion boxes. By zooming in on these boxes additional details will becomevisible. For your map, play with the zoom and grid scale settings untilthe desired amount of detail is seen in the preview.

• In MapSource highlight the region you wish to download to your GPS receiver.If you have other MapSource products such as Topo/US R&R etc, highlightthe desired regions as well.
• Connect you're GPS device to your PC and click 'File/Send To Device'.
• Navigate to the approximate location of the maps on your GPS receiver andyou should be rewarded with customs maps!

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Questions? Corrections? Additions? Click HEREto send Email to author Adam Newham

Garmin Mapsource App

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