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Topo AND contours

Goodtwist
over 6 years ago
Hello,

I really don't know how to make Basecamp display two maps at the same time - and seemingly that's what my topographic map and its contours are about. When I open the Maps menue I can choose only one "map" at a time which makes it impossible to display altitude contours.

I found the topographic map here: http://garmin.opentopomap.org/
That map comes with a separate contours file. On my fenix 5X all I had to do was to drag two files into the appropriate folder and luckily it worked. But with Basecamp it's a another story... Since the countours file doesn't appear as "installed" in Basecamp I additionally copied the austria_contours.img into the map's installation folder but so far it hasn't helped either.

Is there a way to make things work? ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1308787.png ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1308788.png
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    I'm well aware of their utility. I've published overlay maps for 15 years. I know exactly how it works and why. I've also had numerous discussions with programmers at Garmin on the issue. All of those programs that create overlay maps are not ones developed by Garmin, nor approved by Garmin. They are all technically illegal. The whole (incorrect) use of the word "transparent" came from the the guy that reverse engineered the map format and wrote cgpsmapper. Because English is not his first language, he used the wrong word. The maps "overlay" onto other maps. They are not transparent.

    Regardless, it is all a wasted discussion. Basecamp is a dead program.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Made with nuvi 3790 unit with CNNA attached. Usable terrain but still will not show an elevation profile ("graph" in the menu) for routes and tracks. It does however list elevation max, min, gain, loss in "properties". I do understand the virtual drive or memory stick approach.
    ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1310903.jpg
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    They are all technically illegal.


    It's not illegal to reverse engineer file formats.
    The whole (incorrect) use of the word "transparent" came from the the guy that reverse engineered the map format and wrote cgpsmapper. Because English is not his first language, he used the wrong word. The maps "overlay" onto other maps. They are not transparent.

    That's why I included "overlay". Most of overlay maps are transparent (it's a common way of referring to the effect in digital graphics).

    I'm well aware of their utility. I've published overlay maps for 15 years. I know exactly how it works and why.

    The maps have a flag that indicates that they are overlay. That's by design.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Regardless, it is all a wasted discussion. Basecamp is a dead program.
    Would you mind to recommend an alternative for a fenix 5X user, please?
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    BaseCamp development has stopped but it still works and should do so for many years yet. It's predecessor MapSource is still available and used by many.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    It's not illegal to reverse engineer file formats.


    To write programs and sell them for profit in that proprietary format, it is. That is why cGPSmapper was shut down. Garmin was going after the owner.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Would you mind to recommend an alternative for a fenix 5X user, please?


    There is no alternative. As mentioned, it is a proprietary file format, so it is not really possible for a company to make a program that works with the maps.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    To write programs and sell them for profit in that proprietary format, it is. That is why cGPSmapper was shut down. Garmin was going after the owner.


    It appears to be legal in Europe (cGPSmapper was developed in Poland).

    https://code.i-harness.com/en/q/1d978

    In any case, mkgmap still exists (and is still being updated).

    Development/support for cGPSmapper was shutdown likely because, with the free mkgmap, it's redundant.
  • 0 over 6 years ago


    I am looking for some one who cane make me a map transparency/over lay for a Montana 650. I have 400 plus tracks that I would like to convert to the transparency. I have both BaseCamp and MapSource. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    I have 400 plus tracks that I would like to convert to the transparency.


    I've used the following to create overlap maps for the Edge 800.

    http://www.javawa.nl/imgfromgpx_en.html

    The Edge 800 can use more than one overlay map at a time (using many maps might slow down screen drawing).