Mapsource & Basemap Question

[waterskier1]

Can you use the different basemaps with the PC Version of MapSouce (v6.5)? I have installed the Worldmap to my SD card in the iQue, but I don't know how (if) to change the basemap in MapSource. It cuts off midway across Mexice, and I will be traveling there soon, and would like the whole US, at least that the worldmap basemap level. Any suggestions? When I click on the drop down for maps, it has City Select NAv6, and my topo detail maps but not the worldmap basemap. Thanks.

[Roofrat]

I don't think MapSource works with basemaps. To my knowledge, there is only a PC version of MapSource. It is not meant to be a desktop version of QueMap. The primary purpose of MapSource is to assist in installing and managing detailed maps and associated data. Accordingly, the only selectable maps are the various available detailed maps, and the only accessible maps are those for which you have an unlock code.

[apersson850]

You can transfer the basemap images to the PC, for use there. But it takes some tricks, since it's not the intention.

The basemap you see now is probably the overview for CS USA.

There's a WorldMap available, for Mapsource, but it was very outdated already when I got it in 2001, and to my knowledge, they haven't updated it yet.

[Roofrat]

Taking a closer look, MapSource apparently does include a basemap (mine appears to be limited to USA, Canada and a portion of Central America), but there does not appear to be any option for changing the basemap.

I also took a look at NRoute, which is sort of a desktop version of QueMap, however it appears to be the same - uses a set basemap with no option for changing the map as far as I can see.

[waterskier1]

So, does anyone have an easy workaround for this? I plan on taking my 'Q on a cruise, and collecting tracks which I'll sync to my laptop. I'd like to view the tracks on the decktop/laptop so I can see the routes we took. Street level detail is not necessary, since we won't be driving, it will be a taxi or bus. It seems Mapsource is way behind MS Streets & Trips which I used on the last cruise, but had to take the laptop and the GPS "Mouse" up to the sun deck to receive anything. We were hoping this would be a solution to that.

[apersson850]

Well, you get what you buy.
With all detailed maps, there is kind of a basemap, which is big enough to enclose all corners of the detailed maps.
But that's it.

[stephanpls]

Originally posted by waterskier1
So, does anyone have an easy workaround for this?

Some seem to do it with registry hacking tricks. I did it another way. Besides City Select Europe I have also topographic maps of Belgium and Germany installed on my PC. Besides many detailed .imgs these sets also have a separate basemap.img (that City Select does not have). What I did is copying the 30 MB world basemap, called Gmapbmap.img, to the Belgian maps subdirectory. I renamed the Belgian basemap.img to basemapold.img, and renamed Gmapbmap.img into basemap.img. Now, if I open the Belgian maps, the world basemap is visible (though the detailed Belgian maps are invisible even after zooming in enough). Renaming in the reverse direction gets me back to the Belgian maps. This simple trick does not work in City Select, because it does not have a separate basemap.

[Curious Cat]

I haven't used it but this might be what you are looking for:

Click here (http://www.ja-gps.com.au/mapsource_worldmap.html)

[waterskier1]

I think I may not be clear in what I am asking. The world basemap I put on my iQue is fine for what I am doing. It is the "Map" shown on MapSource on the computer that is the problem. It does not show all of Mexico, along with the rest of Central and South America. I did look to see where it cut off to the east, but it only goes a small ways west of North America. I do not need detail maps (I doubt they even exist) for this area, just something that I can display the tracks I'll make on the iQue during a cruise. Right now, I'm going further down the west coast of Mexico than the MapSouce map goes. I did try the topo maps I bought, but they are just of US and Alaska. I'm am just looking for a basemap (maybe I'm using the term wrong, for the desktop application) that displays more of Mexico, and ideally, all of the world. I'm not looking for detail street or topo level, only the same level of detail that came with MapSource when I downloaded the world basemap to my iQue. I thought I could also use this same basemap on the desktop application.

[jonasolof]

Mexico road maps: http://www.bicimapas.com.mx/road_map.htm

[AndyF]

Can you use the different basemaps with the PC Version of MapSouce (v6.5)?

The response I got from Garmin is that you cannot display the basemap in MapSource.

According to thislink (http://www.pdastreet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33365) it appears that it can be done but it's not straightforward. Two methods are described. One involves hijacking registry entries from another unlocked map product that you have installed but no longer need. The other method uses an application called cGPSmapper to create the files and registry entries that are needed.

I would also like to view the basemap in MapSource but given the cryptic directions in the referenced link I have not had the courage to start editing the registry and try it. The instructions are scattered across a number of posts and not real clear, at least to me. If one of the "experts" has used cGPSmapper and can provide "step by step" instructions I'm sure others would find it useful.

[reinbeau]

I may be mistaken, but I thought Jonas had figured out a way to display the basemap in Mapsource? :confused:

[waterskier1]

The intent of this thread was not to steal or hack something, but to only use what is included on the Map Source distribution CDs. It has a world basemap, whick I can download to the iQue, but I would also like to view the same basemap on the MapSource desktop application. I'm not really looking to design new maps either. Just use what they supplied. It would seem to me that you could use the basemaps that MapSource includes???

[AndyF]

One would think it would be easy to view the Garmin basemap in MapSource but that is not the case. I contacted Garmin technical support and they said it cannot be done.

In the link referenced above Jonas describes a method for doing so. He used the registry entries for another map product, European City Select 5 in his example.

[jonasolof]

Ann, several people had, but mine was simplistic. Let's see if we can find an even easier way of doing it.

Edit: Deleted this, was only confusing. See further down.

[Curious Cat]

The link I provided a few posts back is for a product by Garmin that gives you a world map you can use on your desktop MapSource. It would be illogical to assume that they would be including it free to everyone who had MapSource when this is their target audience. It is sold as an enhancement to the desktop software.

[waterskier1]

C Cat. I know what you provided. That is not what this thread is about. It is about the included world basemap that comes with the MapSource software. You are looking at a completely different software package.

I believe someone else posted that it is not easily possible to display the included world basemap on MapSource. The did provide links that I haven't had time to read through completely yet. I think they understood the question, and the answer, what whatever reason, is that it's not easy to do. I thought I was missing the obvious.

[Curious Cat]

Waterskier1,
I believe that I did understand what you were asking but you stated that you did not want to "steal or hack something" so I was just pointing out your legal alternatives. As has been discussed already there is no simple way to use the basemap intended for the handheld within the desktop MapSource program.

[waterskier1]

My appologies C Cat. I believe that I am the one whom is not communicating well with the rest of you. When I originally read "hack" I defined that with a dictionary defination of "to gain access to a computer illegally", which was not my intent. After further reading, I am finding that the use of "hack" in this case is another derination, which I did not associate - "to write computer programs for enjoyment". I see now that the hack is not stealing something, but a way to implement the world basemap that is included, but there is no provided means of using it. I see upon further inspection that the reason for downloading other software was not to "steal the codes" but rather for an example of how to create the registry entries for the additional basemap. I have not tried this yet. I need to study more about *.image files and cGPSmapper, pvx vs pv options and other thing first. I thought, as a new user, that I was simply missing something. At least I now know that I am not, and for some unknown reason, Garmin or MapSouce has included files which can not be used on the desktop version of MapSource, but only on the iQue. I just had to have someone hit me over the head with a block of wood to get that message. :eek:

[Curious Cat]

Waterskier1, no problem. If you search this forum on the word "MapSource" you will find Anders explaining many times that the word itself is used to describe more then one product. It can be very confusing with MapInstall, City Select etc. Here's a copy from the FAQ which explains a lot but really doesn't help your particular situation. :)

"Q: There is a lot of talk about that I should get "Mapsource". Do I not have that already, since I installed City Select?

- The term "Mapsource" is probably the single most confusing name in Garmin's entire product range.

First, Mapsource is the generic family name used for all Garmin's mapping products. City Select is one of them. Metroguide, Blue Chart, Topo and City Navigator are others, to name but a few. They are targeted for different use in different GPS receivers.

Then Mapsource is also a map handling program, used to create waypoints and routes, as well as setting up map sets to transfer to a suitable receiver.

With the iQue, you do get the Mapsource mapping product known as City Select. But you do not get the map handling program Mapsource. Instead, they provide you with a simplified map handler, known as MapInstall. MapInstall is basically a subset of Mapsource. MapInstall can be used with the iQue only, while Mapsource can be used with all Garmin GPS receivers.

The fact that you do have City Select installed is enough to qualify for the installation of an upgrade of Mapsource (the program), so you can very well download that from Garmin's site and install it to your PC.
Then you'll be able to handle all maps you have for the iQue (in your case City Select only) with the Mapsource software as well. It does support searching for POI's, creation of waypoints and so on.

Also note that attached to the iQue information page on Garmin's web site, there are some updates and add-ons to the Palm Desktop for the iQue. By installing these, you can transfer the track log from the iQue to the PC, and waypoints from the PC to the iQue, in addition to the basic function of transferring maps."

[AndyF]

OK then, now that we've cleared up the misunderstanding, let's get back to the question at hand. How does one view the basemap in MapSource?

Where are your garmin maps? In C:\GARMIN\... ? I use E:\\\\


Jonas, to answer your question, my Garmin maps are in C:\GARMIN\NACSV5. That directory has 1050 files, all .IMG (no .tdb files). There is a nacsv5.tdb file in C:\GARMIN though.

The attached file shows the contents of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Garmin\MapSource\Famil ies

I also found two references to NACSv5.img in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Inst aller\UserData\S-1-5-18\Components

Thus, I've a feeling that it should be possible to make an extremly simple installation of the world basemap as a separate product among the mapsource products.


Now that's what I'm looking for!

[stephanpls]

Originally posted by jonasolof
Ann, several people had, but mine was simplistic. Let's see if we can find an even easier way of doing it.

AndyF,
even if somebody gave you a zip file with the necessary files in it to edit the registry, it would only work for a specific folder.

Where are your garmin maps? In C:\GARMIN\... ? I use E:\\\\

In my E:\GARMIN\WORLDMAP folder there is only the GMAPBMAP.img, ie.e the actual world map from the iQue. No tdb file (edit: Probably the tdb file in the folder above is used but I don't know...).


Me thinks: The world map won't fit in a zip file to be attached here, but I guess the rest of the files do. BTW, you don't need any other files in the GARMIN folder, I only have the E:\GARMIN\WORLDMAP\GMAPBMAP.img (edit: Probably the tdb file in the folder above is used but I don't know..)

Then you need to look at the registry where there are several entries.

On the "left hand side"

It is IQUE WORLD BASE MAP and under that item 1. Clicking on item 1 I get the keys for that position:

Bmap E:\GARMIN\WORLDMAP\GMAPBMAP.IMG
so that's the folder location of the map

Next ís

Loc E:\GARMIN\EuroCS5

that's where I cheated and put in the world map instead. So when I open Mapsource and choose Europe CS5, I see the world map.

Next key is
tdb E:\GARMIN\EuroCSv5.tdb

Now in the directory E:\GARMIN there are the following files: EuroCSv5.img, eurocsv5.mdx, eurocsv5tdb and eurocsv5_mdr.img

However, I don't think that they are all necessary.

Since the world map folder doesn't contain any detailed files, you don't need to give any hints to where to look for those.

Thus, I've a feeling that it should be possible to make an extremly simple installation of the world basemap as a separate product among the mapsource products.

I just tried putting a copy of the world map into my moscow map folder but that didn't make the world map show up.

LeRoux Strydom - could you make a zip file with the necessary regedit file for the world map to be included into Mapsource? The actual world map file itself should be inserted by the user himself into a C:\GARMIN\WORLDMAP folder, first since it's too big,
second because each user should employ the map he's bought.

Sorry that the above isn't clear but the obvious reason is that I don't understand all the details.

OK I tried to alter a few things in the registry to se what would happen, mainly with the aim to have the worldmap to show up under WORLDMAP in the MApsoource pull down menu instead of the prefvious title European CS5
.
Keys under 1: Changed Loc to E:\GARMIN\WORLDMAP from EuroCSv5 - nothing happened.

Up one step to "family" order key IQUE WORLD BASEMAP (my naming of previous CS5 key: Changed IDX key to end with WORLDMAP instead of EuroCSv5.mdx
Nothing happened. But then I didn't restart computer....

So where does the pull down name come from? tdb?


Jonas,

Does this large story still mean that for viewing the worldmap you need an old City Select (for us Europeans CS5 or CS6) installation? And then remove all the detailed .imgs there, put the worldmap there instead, hack the registry a little bit and off you go?

What I would like is doing it without the "obligation" of using an old CS installation, I mean install the worldmap from scratch.

Anyway for the time being I view the worldmap in Mapsource by putting the worldmap instead of the Belgian basemap used for the Belgian topo maps (see my post in the beginning of this thread). This method works for all Mapsource compatible products that have a separate basemap.

[jonasolof]

Stephan

The basemap for City Select v 6 resides in the \GARMIN folder under the name of EuroCSv6.img and thus not in the subfolder for the particular City Select version.

I renamed this file EuroCSv6.jmg

The basemap from the iQue I then named EuroCSv6.img (also in the \GARMIN folder) . I open mapsource City Select 6 and the world map shows up.

However, having done this, I can't zoom in to detailed maps.

Thus the easiest way to use an old version of City Select to see the worldmap is as described now. You can actually delete the whole folder with the deailed maps. No registry editing necessary.

The purpose of the other v6 image file eurocsv6_mdr.img I don't know. It is in my folder 214 MB and can't be opened in Mapsource. The corresponding CSv7 file is 225 MB, the CSv5 file is197 MB so it certainly isn't a basemap.



BTW this wasw Kaba's entry in the discussion:

Yes, there is a way, but you need to deal with the registry...
Don't try this if you are not familiar with the Mapsource registry settings!!!
- First, a quick and dirty solution: if you have any Mapsource product registered (eg. Worldmap), then you can edit a registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Garmin\MapSource\Produ
cts\5\Bmap, and change the value to the path and filename where you stored the selected basemap image (GMAPBMAP.IMG)
Start Mapsource, select World Map, and voila...
Please remember the original Bmap value, you need to restore this if you ever want to use the original Worldmap again.
- The not so quick solution: use cgpsmapper to create an own registration (product id and tdb) for the basemap

One remark The Bmap key is not under "products" but under item 1 beneath the specific CS version. If you hate the idea of touching the registry you can just as well do as I did, change file names.

The task of adding the worldmap to Mapsource as a separate product in the curtain menu I leave to others since I don't know how to do it. Actually, Qyd already did it in this post

http://www.pdastreet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33365

The next step would be to process this into a zip file containing the tdb file and the registry file but not the basemap file since it is too large to be attached here. After downloading, each user should add his own basemap file.

[stephanpls]

Originally posted by jonasolof
....The basemap for City Select v 6 resides in the \GARMIN folder under the name of EuroCSv6.img and thus not in the subfolder for the particular City Select version.

I renamed this file EuroCSv6.jmg

The basemap from the iQue I then named EuroCSv6.img (also in the \GARMIN folder) . I open mapsource City Select 6 and the world map shows up.

However, having done this, I can't zoom in to detailed maps.....


So, the world basemap we want to see differs from the City Select basemap (other than with respect to geographic contents). Why does this happen? Maybe due to their boundaries, somewhere hidden in some file, for instance that .tdb file?

[jonasolof]

If you open the original EuroCSv5.img (for example ) file in GPSmapedit, you'll see that it contains all the tile borders contained in the detailed maps. So it's not only a basemap, it also interacts in some way with detailed maps.

The tile borders often (almost) coincide with lat long lines in the GPSmapedit screen so don't misunderstand the tile presentation.

[AndyF]

Judging by the underwhelming response I may have over estimated the interest others would have in viewing a basemap in MapSource. Jonas, thank you for your posts.

In case anyone else would like to try it, attached are step by step instructions for 1) using cGPSmapper to create two necessary files, and 2) editing the registry to point MapSource to the files. This technique is not original but was not well documented. Obligatory disclaimer: editing the registry is dangerous and should only be done by trained professionals.

[LeRoux Strydom]

I have done this for my own use. I "collated" the 3 worldmap tiles available from the Garmin CD into a self-installing product that creates its own registry entries, therefore there is no need to hack into your windows registry or hijack another product's registry values. It displays the Garmin worldmap when you select it from the pull-down menu in Mapsource.

I could make this available, but I have several issues to overcome:

1. Someone should enlighten me on the legal implications of posting Garmin's copyrighted material. I did this to simpify matters for myself, i.e. to be able to view the Worldmap images on Mapsource and not only on the iQue exactly like waterskier and others wanted.

2. My homepage web host only allows me 20Gb space, and the Worldmap is about 30GB in size (verify from your iQue). I would need another website host to post this.

Subject to these two points being resolved, I would be happy to share my work with others.

LeRoux

[AndyF]

LeRoux, yours is certainly the elegant solution. Perhaps Garmin would like to post your program on their site. That would address both issues you mentioned!

When you say you collated the three basemaps from the CD are you referring to the Americas Standard, Atlantic Standard, and Pacific Standard? Why did you combine those three instead of using the World basemap?

[JMckie]

LeRoux, that sounds interesting. I have the same question as AndyF: how is your collated map different from the world basemap?

[LeRoux Strydom]

Originally posted by LeRoux Strydom
2. My homepage web host only allows me 20Gb space, and the Worldmap is about 30GB in size (verify from your iQue). I would need another website host to post this.


Scratch that - of course the worldmap is only 30MB in size. All this talk about gigabytes that are not gigabytes in the other thread must have scrambled my brains......

I'll post my self-installer worldmap if the consensus here is that Garmin's copyright will not be infringed.

Yes, I used the World basemap, but in reality Garmin also just combined the Atlantic, Americas and Pacific subsets. The detail is identical.

LeRoux

[apersson850]

Originally posted by LeRoux Strydom
....must have scrambled my brains......

LeRoux I wonder how many he has???? :p

[LeRoux Strydom]

Originally posted by apersson850
I wonder how many he has???? :p

See, even the few remaining cells are confused. Sigh. :o

LeRoux

[Ken in Regina]

This is the first time I've looked at the world basemap. I used the trick of replacing my old North America City Select v5 basemap in the /GARMIN directory with the world basemap, renaming it accordingly.

Now I can see the whole world and I can still see the details in North America. That part seems to have worked just fine. However...

When I zoom w--a--y out so I can get a better view of the big wide world I don't see one single map, I see three chunks. One chunk is the Americas, one is Africa, Asia, Europe, and the third is Australia and New Zealand. All three sit roughly where you would expect them on a Mercater-ish projection (flatten out the orange peel) but there is a large amount of open grid space between all three.

Are they supposed to be stitched together in the proper worldview?

This isn't a complaint. I think it's neat that I can now use the world basemap to check up on the non-North American places when folks talk about them in here, without any fancy registry hacks. I'm just curious if I'm seeing what I should expect to see?

[LeRoux Strydom]

Yes, that is the way it appears. It is confirmation that the basemap.img file is stitched together from the three separate ones in the subsets (Americas, Pacific and Atlantic). It is not possible to see all three together on one screen in Mapsource, you have to click & drag to move from one to the other.

Any further views on the copyright issue so I can post my selfinstaller for those folks who do not want to DYI?

Better yet, PM me, and I will email you the download link.

LeRoux

[AndyF]

When I zoom w--a--y out so I can get a better view of the big wide world I don't see one single map, I see three chunks. One chunk is the Americas, one is Africa, Asia, Europe, and the third is Australia and New Zealand. All three sit roughly where you would expect them on a Mercater-ish projection (flatten out the orange peel) but there is a large amount of open grid space between all three
Ken, that is not the effect I see when viewing the world basemap in MapSource. If I scroll east-west it appears to be one contiguous map without the breaks you describe. If I continue to scroll I end up back to the original view but I don't see the open grid space.

I did notice that I can't scroll north-south over the poles however. Contrary to popular belief, it appears that the earth is actually a cylinder rather than a sphere.

[Roofrat]

For me, it's continuous east to west unless I scroll upward or downward. When I scroll up or down, it distorts and ultimately separates the 3 map sets. By the way, since I haven't purchased the NA6 yet, I replaced the NA6 basemap with the world base map and it works just as well - I use NA5 for the US detailed maps and NA6 to access the world base map. Works great for me. If and when I upgrade to NA6, I'll just reverse the base maps.

[JMckie]

LeRoux, I sent you a PM about this (http://www.yousendit.com/) method of sending large files.

[LeRoux Strydom]

I have posted my selfinstaller for the worldmap. I will not publish the link, for obvious reasons. Those who want it, pm me and I will email you the link.

If you do not see your continent, fear not, just keep scrolling left/right until it appears. See discussion above.

LeRoux

[apersson850]

Since I have Garmin's World Map (no worries, it's spelled like that, and you use the word "Worldmap", so there's no conflict in Mapsource), I can compare the two.
There's more detail in Garmin's Mapsource product, but data is more recent in the basemap for the iQue.

Some of the data in Garmin's World Map is more than 20 years old. That can't be called anything but ridicuolus, if they still sell it, and I think they do.

[JMckie]

LeRoux,

I just tried it and it works great! Very professional install procedure by the way. Well done. Now I can see my non-North American tracks in context. Thanks!