View source for Make route files for your Garmin

[[Category: GPS]]

== The project ==

I have obtained a shapefile from [http://www.linn.or.us/bikemap/ bikemap] site.

I want to convert it into a format suitable for use in a Garmin GPS receiver.

=== Another approach ===
http://www.marengo-ltd.com/gps/

Create the routes on GoogleMaps then generate a GPX file for download to the Garmin.

== What is a route? ==

== Conversion process ==

=== Obtain suitable data ===

Shapefile containing points or lines

In this case it's lines. Each line feature in the file represents one bike ride route.

=== Coordinate system ===

The file is in a projected coordinate system and I need it in latlon WGS84 format.

ogr2ogr -overwrite -t_srs wgs84 -f "ESRI Shapefile" BikeMap.shp SelectRoutes.shp

ogr2ogr is installed from the Ubuntu gdal-bin package. See http://www.gdal.org/ogr2ogr.html

=== Shapefile to GPX file ===

This command converts the shapefile into a GPX file.
GPX is an interchange format commonly used by free and open source GPS programs.

gpsbabel -i shape -f BikeMap.shp -o gpx -F BikeMap.gpx

=== Transfer GPX file to Garmin ===

Three '''Linux''' programs that can be used to load GPX files are Viking,  josm, and merkaartor. None of these seem to do anything with the file that I created. '''Thuban''' can display the shapefiles but does not understand GPX.

'''QLandKarte''' can read Garmin IMG files (used to hold map data) but locks up when I point it at my GPX file.

My little  low power Atom computer [[8track]] chokes on "Google Earth". The KDE program Marble
runs. I wanted to make a KML file to load into Google Earth. It  will have to wait until I can get access to [[Iris]], the laptop running Windows that my wife has annexed every evening lately so that she can take a distance learning class.

'''Windows''' -- In the past I have used a Windows program called '''EasyGPS''' which I believe supports GPX files. Perhaps tomorrow when I have access to Windows...

== Conclusions ==