E-MAIL GARMIN FOR HUNTER WAYPOINT SYMBOL UPDATE!

[Siskiyou]

MapSource Beta 6.12.0.1

Beta software is a product that is given to consumer for field-testing and it may contain errors.  I recommend that most users wait until the update comes out in final form.  This Beta update has a drop-dead date in early March and will need to be reloaded.  I should note that I only downloaded it to one of my computer’s. 

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From Garmin Website:

Notes:
·   WARNING: This software will not work unless you already own a MapSource product.
·   This version of MapSource no longer supports Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows NT.


Changes made from version 6.11.6 to 6.12.0:
·   Changed the default file format to GDB version 3.
·   Added web links. This feature allows user created internet search options to appear on context menus. These search options can use either location or name information.
·   Added a MiniMap.
·   Added new waypoint symbols (contacts, geocache, hunting, etc.).
·   Added support for multiple links on waypoints, routes, and tracks.
·   Added additional guidance for the user when clicking on the ?View in Google Earth? menu item.
·   Added support for writing waypoints, routes, and tracks to SD cards for new chart plotters.
·   Enhanced the driving directions page in the route dialog to provide additional statistics.
·   Added two options to the routing preference ?Try to Avoid? list: ferries and seasonal road closures.
·   Added support for multi-line comments for waypoints.
·   Added a transfer preference to specify if (and which) serial ports should be searched for Garmin devices. This should solve problems for users that have badly behaved internal modems that cause MapSource to hang.
·   Added the ability to join tracks from the Tracks page.
·   Added track color to the list on the Tracks page.
·   Changed the behavior of the track draw tool to populate the elevation in tracks if the map product has DEM elevation data.
·   Changed several feature symbols (mountain peak, city, and airport) to be smaller so they don?t obscure as much of the map. This only applies when the large symbol size is selected.
·   Adjusted the layout of several preference pages for improved usability.
·   Changed the behavior of several dialogs to ignore the degree symbol in user provided coordinate strings.
·   Fixed an issue when selecting map sets larger than 4 GB in size.
·   Fixed an issue with saving files to offline network drives.
·   Fixed an issue with preserving line feeds inside of comments in GPX   
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Having posted that warning, I downloaded the new Beta Version.  Hunter’s will like the new hunting related Symbols (Icons).  Everything from a Blood Trail to a Tree Stand.

Will there be software updates for current gps units to include the new waypoint symbols? I called Garmin Support this morning (1/16/2006) and was told that normally this type of update would be offered in units to be introduced. 


Will the new waypoint symbols created on a PC transfer to a Garmin gps. (76CX or 60Cx).  The answer is no, the symbol has to be in the unit software.

While I can live without the new symbols I want to be able to load them on my Garmin 76C and the 76Cx.  I want you guys with other models to be able to download them as an update to your Garmin Units. 

I know that I have a fair amount of money tied up in Garmin GPS units with the 76Cx being my third unit.  Take a few minutes and send an e-mail to Garmin requesting they make the new hunting waypoint symbols available to current owners.  And let us not forget the owners of the eTrex Legend Cx, and eTrex Vista Cx.

If you are a hunter and currently looking at purchasing a Garmin Gps unit you may want to wait if the new symbols are important to your gps experience.  You may not want to purchase a current on the shelve unit, but wait until the new unit comes out.  If you get a very good price on a current unit you may want to buy it.  I would like to have the new waypoint symbols, but it is not a matter of life and death.


I believe that offering them as an update would be the “right thing to do” by Garmin.  Garmin has always been polite when I have contacted them.  In fact their customer service is good.   I ask that you be polite in your request, because your request will represent “our” community.

At the top of your message type “Suggestion regarding New Waypoint Symbols.”

http://www.garmin.com/contactUs/salesSupport.jsp

[Siskiyou]

The e-mail I sent to Garmin. 

Suggestion New Waypoint Symbols:

Having just downloaded the recent Garmin MapSource Beta 6.12.0.1, I am pleased to find new waypoint symbols for geocaching and hunting.  I currently own a 76C and 76Cx along with an older Garmin Legend.  To put it mildly, I am well invested in Garmin recreational gps units. 

This morning I contacted Garmin costumer service and was told the new waypoint symbols are not transferable to my current gps units from MapSource on my computer.  The new waypoint symbols must be in the unit itself.  I was told the feature most likely would be offered in new models.  I am requesting that Garmin do the right thing and provide the new waypoint symbols in software upgrades for the Legend Cx, Vista Cx, 60 series, and 76 series gps units.

If I was looking for a gps unit and the symbol upgrades are not offered for existing models, I would wait and see what is going to be released, rather then buy an obsolete model.

[brnchbrkr]

E-Mail sent.

[Siskiyou]

Thanks for the support.  You will recieve a "can" response from Garmin but who knows if they get enough imput from customers we might get our waypoint sysmbols in an up grade.  Hopefully others will send off an e-mail.

[xr650rRider]

You can have the new Icons on your 60CSx or 76CSx.  You will have to upload them to your GPS as custom waypoints using Ximage.

http://www.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=545

Here is a link to all the icons that are included in Mapsource 6.12.2.  They are in the proper format to work with Ximage.

http://home.windstream.net/linngl/Waypoint%20Symbols.zip

Ximage will allow you to upload the custom waypoints to your GPS.  Just extract the file and pick out the ones that you want.  They will have to be named "Waypoint Symbol 000.bmp" "Waypoint Symbol 001.bmp" "Waypoint Symbol 002.bmp" and so on.  So if you want the new treestand waypoint symbol to appear first in the custom list, you would copy "Waypoint Symbol 244.bmp" to a new folder then rename "Waypoint Symbol 244.bmp" to "Waypoint Symbol 000.bmp" then use Ximage and send it to the GPS in the first custom position.  The first attachment shows Ximage screen.  The second attachment shows my custom waypoint symbols on my 60CSx.

Now the other piece of the puzzle is how to get them to show in Mapsource and correlate to your GPS.  Every user profile will have a different custom waypoint set under Mapsource.  Each users should be in "MyDocuments", "My Garmin", "Custom Waypoint Symbols".  There will about 9 files already there and all of them are the default blue dot.  Copy the exact same files that you uploaded to your GPS to this folder.  Then rename the files so that "Waypoint Symbol 000.bmp" is now "000.bmp" and repeat for all the files you uploaded.  24 custom waypoints is the limit for the 60CSx I have.  Enjoy.

[Siskiyou]

Xr650rRider:  Great post, I still think that Garmin should provide the symbols as an update.  But I like the option you have shown us.  I printed your reply and will give it a try.  The other day I was looking at the Ximage down and plan on loading it on my Kamikaze computer.  Currently a visiting granddaughter is doing a project on it, but it will be mine later this week.  When grandma gets her new computer the Kamikaze will go to a granddaughter because the old laptop was too slow and the hard drive to small.  I believe that will make five computers in the home. 


Qt.  I might want to create a custom symbol from artwork found on the Internet.  Do you have a link on directions to do this?  A twist in the ball game for me.

Just printed the help pages.  Instructions seem to be step X step. 

[xr650rRider]

Your limited on what you can do with images from other sources.  These symbols or icons are 72x72 dpi or 16x16 pixel.  They have to be bitmaps that use the pixel format pf8Bit or 256 color.  I use Microsoft Paint if I want to modify one.  I created an Image Editor with Delphi several years ago and I can convert different formats to icons but you just don't have any detail left usually.  Load one of these bitmaps in Paint and then select "View", "Zoom", "Custom", "800%".   Choose the pencil drawing tool then select a foreground color that is different than the color you click on.  Then click on a box and you'll see that you only have 16 boxes x 16 boxes to draw your custom symbol.  256 colored dots to represent a good picture is difficult and I just don't have the talent for it.  For these to work on your GPS you need to leave Fuschia as the background color as this is Garmins transparent color.

The 249 symbols in that zip file are all the symbols that are included with Mapsource 6.12.2.  I used a resource editor and extracted them from Mapsource_Lang.dll.  You probably won't ever get them included with a GPS update as these are all the symbols/icons used on all of the currently available Garmin GPS's models.

[Siskiyou]

I need to check out the images that you have provided us.  And thanks for a great resource.  Your computer talents far exceed mine.