Importing GPX file to Memorymap

[9D280]

Anyone had problems doing this?

The bottom line is I am trying to get my waypoint files into memorymap to allow me to print some nice rib friendly (ish) A5 charts with the waypoints on, to make visualising / setting the routes in my wee Garmin easier. ("Why?" is another discussion entirely, but suffice to say "back up" would summarise it nicely!)

I find that without fail if I import a GPX file directly, half the waypoints are missing, and 99% of what's left have been renamed "mark". If, however I squirt them down the wire in to the GPS for the original file using EasyGPS, open M-Map & upload form the Garmin, the whole file is there, unscathed, including comments, routes, tracks & all.

Anyone experienced this data import problem, & if so, was there a work-round?. Nothing I can find on the M-map help pages. Using the Garmin as a buffer is a workable fudge, but is a bit tedious.

M-Map is V5.4.2 Build 1089

[Channel Ribs]

What file format would MM like the waypoints in?

[Poly]

9d280,

If you then export from MM to GPX can you see any difference in the file content / layout / structure?

And can MM then import a GPX file (correctly) that it originally created?

Sounds like the sort of irritating hard to spot issue you get with file conversion where a rogue space/tab/return screws up stuff...

[Pikey Dave]

For starters, MM uses it's own custom library for waypoint names/symbols. If when you import the GPX file the names & symbols aren't recognised, MM will just rename them to a generic "mark" I use a garmin handheld & MM for Geocaching (I know it's anoraky but it gets us out in the winter) We have custom libraries for Geocaching waypoints. I'll have a delve into it & see what I can find.

PS just had a quick play & imported a GPX file into MM & all I got was blue dots for the waypoint symbols. If you right click on the waypoint & select "properties" you can manually change the symbol. I think this might be a limitation of the GPX format or as Polly says a syntax prob. I'll keep looking

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

For starters, MM uses it's own custom library for waypoint names/symbols.

(I know it's anoraky but it gets us out in the winter)

Surely MM allows you to "import" other formats, even if it is a CSV or such?

Nothing wrong with Geocaching

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Channel Ribs

Surely MM allows you to "import" other formats, even if it is a CSV or such?

Nothing wrong with Geocaching

It does, you can import various formats, I use .csv exports from GSAK
into Mmap & it works great, but you have to tweak the exports from GSAK using a couple of macros to make the waypoints display properly when you import them into MMap. I think R2D2's problem might be the export from Garmin to MMap. If Garmin asigns a certain symbol to a waypoint & that symbol doesn't exist in the MMap symbol library, it doesn't know what to do. Is it possible to export from the Garmin unit in another file format e.g csv, you could then open it in excel & have a peek. The other thing to try is GPS Babel which is handy to have anyway.

[9D280]

OK, gory detail time.

The files were imported from a Garmin12 (the one that works) or a file modified & saved by EasyGPS XP edition (the one that is causing problems).

- the symbols are unaffected (if it was a flag / boat / fish on the GPX file, it's a flag / boat / fish on M-Map when imported from the Garmin. It's the import of the file on the C:\ drive that gets corrupted in M-map.
- only about 12 (although granted I haven't counted on each attempt to check) waypoints show on the map (not the first alphabetically, just random groups of 2-4 points from an area, the rest are imported as: called "mark (that as the default name I understand), hidden, and the comments box is a weird mish mash of either the wpt name & comment, name twice (comment lost) or comment twice (name lost).

Now, if I export from EasyGPS to the Garmin, I can then import the whole shebang from the garmin into M-map and it's charachter & symbol perfect, including routes. I can also imoport the GPX file into another lump of software called POIedit with no issues.

I have since saved the files that I moved via the Garmin as MMO (the memory map overlay format) , and they seem to imp/export with no problems. As I now have M-map i'll be using it as the main waypoint cruncher, but as the G12 has limited waypoint storage, I still want to keep the waypoint files as smaller blocks so I just load the area I'm going to before I go.

(To stop the inevitable array of "why not upgrade the GPS?" thread hijacks - 12 hr battery life is the simple answer. )

[9D280]

Originally Posted by Channel Ribs

So all good now?

Just to cause trouble, the Garmin 78 has 30 hours of battery life.

Aye, it was a once off PITA, but as a workaround, it worked! I was just curious to see if anyone else found this, because if the GPS isn't within wire length radius of the serial port, any future imports will be a pain.

Have they put a new fangled battery in there or upgraded the innards with less power hungry electronics? Last time I checked it was only 8 or so hrs, which is why I stuck with the '12 and it's half ton of AAs.

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by 9D280

Have they put a new fangled battery in there or upgraded the innards with less power hungry electronics? Last time I checked it was only 8 or so hrs, which is why I stuck with the '12 and it's half ton of AAs.

The 78 is specified as giving 20 hours of battery life with standard AAs, but 30 hours with rechargeable Lithiums.

[9D280]

Originally Posted by Channel Ribs

The 78 is specified as giving 20 hours of battery life with standard AAs, but 30 hours with rechargeable Lithiums.

Nice one. Looks like they have de- juiced the electronics a bit. Must try a set of them in the '12...

[Poly]

my lowrance seems to last for days... but the battery pack is quite big: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...rter&width=800