Making your own Garmin GPS maps

November 2007 - I have actually successfully built a building footprint layer for Corvallis Oregon and loaded it into my Garmin Etrex Vista Hcx.

My long term objective

I use ArcGIS software on a daily basis and I write software. I'd really like to be able to produce maps directly from ArcGIS. I realize this is outside the scope of most of the people likely to find this page. Not to worry, so far I have only found time to use freely available tools to do the actual Garmin maps.

The steps would be

1. Collect data required for the project.
2. Process into a usable format with ESRI tools.
3. Convert it into the format used by Garmin in mapping GPS receivers.
4. Upload it to the Garmin.

An earlier version of this page said I'd like to be able to upload finished maps to a web server, and be able to distribute the maps with a plugin that would allow directly loading them into the Garmin. In my experience this will never happen because maps are loaded as sets, so you can't add just one map to the existing set. You have to create the set in Garmin MapSource and then send the complete set to the device.

Anyway - there is a site (http://mapcenter2.cgpsmapper.com/) to exchange completed maps and I'd probably use it rather than duplicate their efforts.

A simpler thing than making full maps is to create POI's. Garmin POI loader

Garmin map format

The format used by the Garmin devices is proprietary and has not been released. The programmers had to reverse engineer Garmin's format to write the programs that are able to create Garmin maps. That's why there are only a couple programs capable of generating Garmin map files.

Rasters

The current crop of Garmin devices use vector data only. That means you cannot upload rasters such as scanned paper maps and USGS DRG topos to the Garmin devices.

With the release of the Garmin Oregon this may have changed.

This program claims to be able to work with rasters. I have not tried it yet. http://moagu.com/ It works with only a few models, and it requires the cGPSmapper program.

Another one is bmap2ms (http://bmap2mp.webhop.org/bmap2mp.rar)

Available tools

cGPSmapper This software makes it possible to create vectors maps which can be uploaded to Garmin GPS receivers. There is a LINUX version, YAY! Also available is sendmap, for uploading maps to GPS receiver. This is a command line program. Create personal maps with free version or maps you can sell with expensive version (700 Euros)

cGPSmapper is a command line tool - you have to specify in program
parameters what you want to do.
There are 4 basic actions you can do with the program :
- create a new GARMIN compatible map from the Polish Format
- create a preview files for use with MapSource
- convert a Polish Format file to ESRI format
- display draw priority of the GARMIN compatible map

Using cGPSmapper is compared with programming, you create a MP file describing the output and then run cGPSmapper to compile the input files into a GARMIN vector map file.

If you are building commercial grade maps there are more advanced versions of cGPSmapper. If you want to do beautiful maps and give them away, you can create the MP file, then zip the data and upload it to Mapcenter. The online version of cGPSmapper will then compile your map and add it to the library.

The options (as of Oct 2008): Free version or Shareware version $30 or Pro version $400 or Routable maps version $2800

Data files can be in Shape, OZI, MapDekode formats.

GPSMapEdit Shareware ($54) This software is designed for visual authoring of GPS-maps in various proprietary cartographic formats, including Shapefiles, cGPSMapper, GPX, OziExplorer maps, Garmin, Magellan, ALAN Map 500, Holux. Handling of projected shapefiles is limited. Does not save to Garmin IMG files; you have to export data to cGPSmapper and use it to generate IMG files. This appears to be a simple GIS program. Use it if you don't have ArcGIS.

GPSTrackMaker Free. Transfers data between a computer and many different GPS receivers. Does not support maps, it supports waypoints, tracks and routes. You can view rasters as backgroups to help create vector data. Website is a data source for maps of Brazil.

mapdekode There is not much information at the website unless I am missing something.

OZIexplorer There are Windows and WindowsCE versions. There is a cool 3D version. There are free and affordable (around $100) versions. The CE version costs a few dollars more. This is moving map software. It supports waypoint/track/route transfers. There is also a Map Merge utility program here.

With the trial/free version you can only use BMP files as a source for a map image. After I calibarte the BM{ image I can't change from WGS84, not sure if this is a limitation of the trial version.

MapSource Let's not forget that I do have a licensed copy of Garmin MapSource available. I also have a collection of Garmin data including Metro, Roads and Rec, and Topo for US, Canada, and Europe.

Update 1/2008, just heard about this one from the [GPS Maps mailing list]. http://www.mapman.org.uk/ "MapMan is the only map making application to bring you Automapit, automatic feature recognition to take the drudge out of map making."

Rasters

Topo maps -- If you want to make a topographic contour layer the tool to use is DEM2TOPO. (Update 7/2008)

Another approach is to use the program Mapwel which is described on this page http://travelbygps.com/articles/cartography.php

Utilities

MapExtract Freeware. "Simply, it is a tool which help you to extract selected piece(s) from large map(s) and load it(them) into your Garmin GPS for minutes. This will change the speed of map refreshing on the screen and certainly you'll not miss next turn waiting to see where you are :-) This software can be used also as map data preprocessing and postprocessing tool for cGPSmapper - Garmin MapSource maps creator." Yahoo! mapextract group

POI Loader is free software from Garmin that lets you transfer POI files to the GPS receiver.

Map preparation

So far based on the above notes it looks like I need to be looking at cGPSMapper and possibly MapDekode to do the conversion of shapefiles to Garmin IMG files.

In ArcMap I create a map containing the data that I want to transfer to the Garmin.

Projection

What projection should I use? Probably UTM. Certainly won't be convenient. Do I have to convert my datasets?

Vector data

Points will be transferred to a POI file. Symbolization I want to have a set of Garmin graphics to use in ArcMap, is that possible?

Lines Polygons

Raster data

I used a tinted hillshade when working in ArcMap just because it looks good.

I have DEM and hillshade layers for the state of Oregon.

Garmin format

Resolution limited to 2.4 m

MapDekode

MapDekode is primarily a tool to convert OZIexplorer maps into Garmin format. MapDekode can also convert GPSTrackMaker files into Garmin format.

Max file size is 1MB Suggested limit is 500kB

Resources

Maps for Garmin GPS Receivers Includes a HOWTO section

Make custom TOPOs for your Garmin, step by step guide. Uses DEM2TOPO and GPSMapper

Map authoring guide

gps-maps group on Yahoo groups

MapCenter has maps that folks have created.