Related

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
    BaseCamp can only show one map at a time. If you want contours download a map that has them, most do.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Thank you for answering me. A little odd does it seem, though, that the fenix watch is capable of displaying several maps at once while Basecamp isn't... Would you mind recommending me an alternative to Basecamp, which would be able to display two maps simultaneously and which roughly features Basecamp's functions?
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    There isn't one. Most Garmin devices can select more than one map but problems can occur when you do. As I pointed out most maps these days have contours included so it's generally not an issue.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    The problems starts with the fact that Garmin programmers never intended two maps to be viewed together. People that (illegally) reverse engineered the programming of the maps figured out that it would work on the GPS in certain ways. However since Garmin never intended for that to happen and the map format is proprietary, they have not supported that use. The Basecamp program along with any other Garmin mapping programs have been abandoned and not being further developed.
  • 0 over 6 years ago

    This isn't quite correct.

    The GPS units are designed (and intended) to work with multiple maps (it's not accidental). The units (at least some of them) take advantage of being able to use multiple maps (for various reasons). Garmin built-in the ability to have transparency in maps (for overlay maps).

    The original format for img files was reverse engineered but that's separate from what the GPS units can do with maps.

    Basecamp was never designed** to handle more than one map (unlike the GPS units). I have no idea why.

    ** there's a somewhat quirky exception to this. Basecamp can display the DEM map (as "hillshading) that some units (like the Edge Touring) come with as an overlay (second) map.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    So is the single map limit the reason Basecamp alone will not show terrain shading nor 3D relief in "CNNA 2018.30", but does show shading and 3D relief when my 3490 and 3790 are plugged in? I note that both units contain "CNNA DEM" and "CNNA 2018.30 3D" enabled. Both the units and Basecamp maps were updated at the same time using GE.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    The shading (elevation data) is in the DEM map. The CNNA map has no shading (or elevation) data.

    Basecamp will only use a DEM map that has a particular format.

    Basecamp will find maps if they are in a \Garmin folder on a removable drive.

    You can create a virtual removable drive.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    I do recall in the hazy past having a "CNNA xxxx.xx (3D)" in the list of maps installed to Basecamp and having the road map plus 3D terrain (although coarse) that I could move around in and rotate as well as shading with no unit attached. So I know it was somehow possible. I think that was back when I had a Nuvi 5000 and an earlier PC.

    (edit) And in fact Basecamp clearly does display both the DEM and CNNA at once -- as long as it's a version of CNNA with "3D" at the end as when the connected unit's maps are selected. The question then becomes why doesn't GE install this "3D" version, plus the DEM, in the Basecamp map directory.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    This isn't quite correct.

    The GPS units are designed (and intended) to work with multiple maps (it's not accidental). The units (at least some of them) take advantage of being able to use multiple maps (for various reasons). Garmin built-in the ability to have transparency in maps (for overlay maps).


    Garmin programmers, specifically stated on THESE forums that there was no design intention to have two maps visible at the same time.
  • 0 over 6 years ago


    It's something I actually use.

    The Edge 800 (and and others) can display two maps at one time. Actually, it can display more than two (I think i have had 8 or more).

    The secondary maps have to be transparent/overlay maps. For obvious reasons, the units won't display more than one primary map.

    Here's a program that can create these transparent maps. It implies that it's a general feature (maybe, for handheld units).

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

    Basecamp can display two maps at the same time (but the second map has to be a special DEM map).