Thanks, think i have to get my friend to help me, he's a lot more into the computer stuff then me :)

Properly going to get a Lowrance HDS unit soon anyway, and as i understand it should be pretty easy to get RM's maps to the lowrance unit.

Its got to be the easiest way there is. Lowrance opening up their chart format for home chartmaking was the best move they ever made. Equipment choice is determined to a huge extent now by chart availability.

T

Exactly, and that was why i stared with a Garmin unit, as they are the only ones who makes a topographic chart of the Danish freshwater lakes where i fish, but as i now get to make the charts myself, it's not going to be a problem.

And btw, awesome work with the guide, it's great to have so many pictures of the windows you got to get through rather then just have a text that explains it.

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.

T

trevor
i ran a test with the garmin tutorial everthing worked fine set up with skin file etc and with the american lakes test files...BUT
i then tried with my own files from RM and created a mp
(without a shore or land just isobaths and major contours)..is this a problem to just use these??

then made img file with cpgs mapper...
(it looks ok in cpgsmapper ..but when i try to load to garmin basestation/mapsource with
mapsettoolkit software v1.77
select image.....i get error popup
"cannot find file or filename is not composed always from 8 gigits(eg12345678.img)"
i know the file is there it just wont recognie it...can i rename it ??
or does it need to be put into a certain file directory to be recognized like shp files do??
or other suggestions??
dave

the filename of the img file you create must have 8 numbers only. 12345678.img for example or it wont be recognised as a Garmin file.

T

think i got it remnamed mp file(XXX) to number 12345678 ... then open new mp in gpsmapedit export to cpgsmapper
to make new renamed( .img )file
ds

T,
a new question for you.....
maybe not your area.....
but I have A problem loading to (garmin basecamp/mapsource) now...sort of..
i finally got the cpgsmapper and gpsmapedit to work to create a proper mp and img file of my data
looks great in gps map edit 2.0

when i add image to mapsettoolkit everything loads to basecamp but the actual map output
i get is the test file from your tutorial on anglingcharts site not the newly created img i formed
Could I have i set up something wrong in cpgsmapper?
as mentioned in an earlier post i didnt add shore or land (just isobaths and maj contours)
...could that be the problem?

suggestions
DS

There is very little to set up in cgpsmapper - and that is all done from within the setup tabs in GPSMapedit. It sounds as though you may have an issue with the way you set up mapsettoolkit. I'll have a think about it. You are giving it a different mapset name aren't you ?
Email me the files to anglingcharts and I'll have a play. It may be that I need to look at the tutorials. Admittedly, I dont use basecamp as I don't think it recognises marine objects (?). I use homeport.

Edit: once cgpsmapper has done it "stuff" all you need to do is to copy the xxxxxxxx.img into a new folder called "Garmin" on a clean SD card, then rename the file to gmapsupp.img. Stick it in your chartplotter. That will tell you immediately whether your chart works where it needs to work. Getting charts to appear in mapsource and homeport can be fiddly, particularly if you are new to the thing. Check your chart in a plotter first before tearing your (remaining) hair out. Don't forget that you will need to scroll across to the lake, unless you live in it.

T

To confirm, as its probably not too clear....

The process creates "Bluechart" compatible charts. These are not readable in Basecamp. If you want to make charts that are readable in Basecamp you will need to remove the "Marine=B" entry in GPSMapedit - File - Map properties - Extras. This will probably make a real mess of all the other objects so don't expect to get a workable chart. It won't be readable in a Garmin Marine unit either (GPSMap 451 etc..)

There are a few units which read both Bluechart and Normal charts (60csx etc).

T

i checked with garmin site says my rino610 is not compatible with bleucharts... only inland lakes map
:(
ds

Your problem actually resolved down to the settings in the GPSMapedit header. You had not set zoom levels etc. I've sent you a corrected file. It would still be possible for you to create a chart, but you would need to change the "Extras" back to Marine = N (or nothing at all), and then choose non marine objects as the polygons and lines. Your unit will also accept customized objects in a typ file, so you can do it quite easily. Its a bit of a learning curve though.


Trevor