What is this nice terrain view in Basecamp?

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Some maps have elevation data. Some do not.

What you are seeing is elevation shading (an alternative is contour lines).

On some Garmin units (the Edge Touring unit for cycling, for example), the elevation map is separate). The cycling units (maybe, others) let you overlay multiple maps).

Not sure why it's not displayed on the other computer (it might be because it has lower resolution).

Yes, elevation shading! Sounds exactly like this, thanks!

The travel notebook where this does not appear has a resolution of 2160 x 1440 while the main notebook with 1920 x 1080 shows it, but only with the usage of the morocco map.

But what I *really* wonder is, why this elevation shading is visible WORLDWIDE as soon as I use the morocco map (CN Middle East & N Africa).

Isn't this magic? And it looks much nicer, so I would like to activate this independant of the morocco map and on both notebooks.

Whether it's visible or not with any particular map is more to do with the installed graphics card/drivers than screen resolution. Why it only shows on your system with the ME and North Africa map I'm not sure, the EU one is now so large they may have removed the terrain data.

Edit: I've just checked mine with the ME and North Africa map, and I'm not getting the terrain shading, so it must be something other than the map. I suspect your Zumo has the relevant file, and on that it's associated with the ME and North Africa map.

*** Update ***

Old Notebook:

- using the Morocco map from Zumo: elevation shading shown worldwide
- using the Europe map from Zumo: elevation shading shown worldwide
- using the Europe map from PC: no elevation shading shown

New Notebook:

- using the Morocco map from Zumo: no elevation shading shown (!)
- using the Europe map from Zumo: elevation shading shown worldwide
- using the Europe map from PC: no elevation shading shown

So the first problem is, that the shading is only shown when using the maps from the Zumo (so the Zumo must be connected when using Basecamp).

But the second problem is, that on my new travel notebook, it does only work with the Europe map, but not with the Morocco map.

I guess it has to do with the DEM (digial elevation) data. How does this work, how is this stored? Included in img file (but then it would work always, on the local maps and the Zumo maps)?

From your other thread, it appears you are using the maps from your plugged-in Zumo on the "main notebook" (shows shading) and copied maps on the "travel notebook" (doesn't show shading).

Does the shading only show up at low zoom levels?


Basically, the devices (and Basecamp) use two maps: one is a detailed map (displayed at higher zoom levels) and a "world basemap" (used at low zoom levels). Some of the devices can also use overlay maps (one is the map with details and the other maps are transparent maps, maybe, with contour lines). Basecamp can only use one map at a time.

Maps (img files) with "DEM" in the name have elevation data (shading). (There could be cases where this isn't true but it wouldn't be typical.)

Some of the units ship with a world basemap that has DEM (elevation) data (and shading).

Detail maps can have shading too. If the map does, it might not show up at high zoom levels. The "City Navigator" (CN) maps don't have elevation data (some topographic maps might).

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The Zumo probably has another map (img file) with "DEM" in the name (there might even be two of them).

I suspect Basecamp is using the Zumo's world basemap (which has DEM data).

If the Zumo has a separate detailed DEM map (you should see the file in the folder), it's possible that Basecamp is seeing the two map files as some sort of "merged" map. (Basecamp can only use data from one file at a time.)

The img files are "virtual disks" (of a sort) themselves. The maps are split into small regions called "tiles".

I suspect that Basecamp is not using the Zumo as a regular USB drive (which might be too slow). It may be asking the Zumo to get the "tiles" from the map files and that process might be hiding the fact that it's not one map.

So, if Basecamp is just getting tiles from the Zumo, it's possible that the order it is getting them is different.

If the shade tile is drawn after the detail tile, you'll see the shading. If the shade tile is drawn first, you won't see the shading (because drawing the detail tile second overwrites the shading).

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The newer Edges (GPS units for cycling) come with a detailed map, a DEM map, and a world basemap (which usually doesn't have DEM data unless you have a AUS/NZ Edge).

The DEM map isn't displayed on the unit (it's used to determine the elevation gain in calculated routes). Basecamp can display this map but all you get is shading.

Keeping the elevation data in a separate map means the detail map (which is updated frequently) is smaller. (The DEM data is rarely updated.)

From your other thread, it appears you are using the maps from your plugged-in Zumo on the "main notebook" (shows shading) and copied maps on the "travel notebook" (doesn't show shading).

Does the shading only show up at low zoom levels?

IF the shadings are shown, it's in all zoom levels.

No, before we go into the virtual drives, let's first solve it without. So if I use the Morocco map only from the Zumo in Basecamp, on one PC the elevation shades are shown, but on the other it is not shown. And no, it's no problem with any settings (the are equal on both PC's) because using the Europe map from the Zumo the elevation shadings are shown on BOTH PC's.

Old Notebook:

- using the Morocco map from Zumo: elevation shading shown worldwide
- using the Europe map from Zumo: elevation shading shown worldwide
- using the Europe map from PC: no elevation shading shown

New Notebook:

- using the Morocco map from Zumo: no elevation shading shown (!) <==== this one here
- using the Europe map from Zumo: elevation shading shown worldwide
- using the Europe map from PC: no elevation shading shown


On the Zumo there's only one file containing the string "DEM" in the file name (gmapdem.img in .System). On the PC's there's no such file (I checked the complete disks). I tried to copy the gmapdem.img in various different folders to the PC, but it makes no difference.

Our posts are crossing.

On the Zumo there's only one file containing the string "DEM" in the file name (gmapdem.img in .System). On the PC's there's no such file (I checked the complete disks). I tried to copy the gmapdem.img in various different folders to the PC, but it makes no difference.

That is a transparent map. The tiles from that file have to be drawn after the tiles from the detail map.

I explain it in detail in the earlier post.

The summary is this:

* Basecamp can only use one "img" file at a time.
* With the Zumo plugged in, Basecamp may be using the Zumo to get the tiles for it (not using it like a regular drive).
* The Zumo may be returning two tiles (instead of one). One from the detail map and the other from the transparent map.
* The order of the two files happens to be different (one way with the Euro detail map and and the other way with the ME detail map).
* Though, I'd expect the order would be the same, independent of the computer Basecamp is running on.


You can copy that DEM file to your virtual drive and select it in Basecamp but you'll only see shading (Basecamp can only use one img file at a time).

Our posts are crossing.


That is a transparent map. The tiles from that file have to be drawn after the tiles from the detail map.

I explain it in detail in the earlier post.

The summary is this:

* Basecamp can only use one "img" file at a time.
* With the Zumo plugged in, Basecamp may be using the Zumo to get the tiles for it (not using it like a regular drive).
* The Zumo may be returning two tiles (instead of one). One from the detail map and the other from the transparent map.
* The order of the two files happens to be different (one way with the Euro detail map and and the other way with the ME detail map).


You can copy that DEM file to you virtual drive and select it in Basecamp but you'll only see shading (Basecamp can only use one img file at a time).

Well, that sounds logical to me. But still, why is it then working in some constellations without the Zumo plugged in but with a complete different behaviour on different PC's?

I'm in this since the Zumo 660 came out, Mapsource etc., now I spent much money hoping things are better now with a device and maps of the newest generation. For example simple things like that I can just have my maps on the PC in order to do the route planning (without virtual devices, hacks, investigations, questions of map orders etc. etc.).
Looks like I just have too high expectations. I spent all my time for this technical stuff instead using it for the route planning itself, so I will give up with this now.

But thanks anyways for all your help.

Well, that sounds logical to me. But still, why is it then working in some constellations without the Zumo plugged in but with a complete different behaviour on different PC's?

The configurations you listed earlier indicate you didn't get the shading with maps on the PC and that you got them sometimes with maps on the Zumo.

You won't ever get the shading without the DEM map. (Some detail maps can include the shading but that's doesn't seem to be the case here).

People have been asking to have Basecamp use transparent maps for a while. There's no way of selecting more than one map.


I recall (I think) seeing the overlayed shading stuff using a device I borrowed. But that was a while ago.

It's mostly irrelevant (to me) because I don't use my device for maps.


There is another way of having Basecamp use maps on the PC but the virtual disk seems (to me) more straightforward and easier to manage.

On the Zumo there's only one file containing the string "DEM" in the file name (gmapdem.img in .System). On the PC's there's no such file (I checked the complete disks). I tried to copy the gmapdem.img in various different folders to the PC, but it makes no difference.

It appears that the files on the Zumo are organized differently than the Edges I'm familiar with.

If the DEM map is in ".system", rather than in the same folder as the other maps, it suggests that there is something different about it (or how it's used).

It's possible that Basecamp is treating the Zumo in a special way. (The Zumo's are kind of different anyway.)

I'd try setting up the virtual disk to look more like the disk on the Zumo.

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DEM maps have drawing data (the shading you see) and elevation data (I'm pretty sure they are separate).

Timezones are also implemented as a map (another type of map).