Situational "How to" or Wishlists

Former Member over 14 years ago

My intent of this question is to lay out the situation I’m trying to accomplish using BaseCamp. I believe this situation is similar to what many people are trying to accomplish, especially those using the “on trail series”; such as the Oregon. Hopefully this will help not only me, but also many first time users.

Additionally, I understand some of the developers read the forum, so this may help them not only see BaseCamp as a piece of software, but also as a tool many of us hope to use to enhance our enjoyment of your products. I’ve tried to call out wishlist items that either I haven’t figured out how to do yet or could be added to the product. Also, maybe you could take this and turn it into a FAQ or tutorial.

Situation: My wife and I are horseback riders. We live in Texas but have a second home in Colorado. In the summer time we take the horses with us and head to the mountains to rest, relax and ride. I bought an Oregon 450T to take with us to help navigate, go to new and interesting places, and to increase our safety. (It’d be nice to know if I’m about to ride off a cliff.)

What I have: Oregon 450T with the Garmin 100K US Topo which shows many of the trails in the areas we ride, but is missing some landmarks such as streams and lakes. A 24K Topo of Colorado which shows all the stream and lakes, but doesn’t have any of the trails. A trail overlay which shows most, but not all, of the trails on the 100K Topo, but has several other trails as well. Soon I’ll be adding Birdseye which is important since I’ll be able to see things such as rock outcroppings that you can’t see on a topo. BaseCamp v3.1.3.

Planning: Before we take off we always plan out where we’re going for the day. First it helps know where and how long we’re going to be gone. Secondly, if something happens, people will know where to come looking for us.

What I would like to be able to do is use BaseCamp to plan out the route we’re going to take. In order to do that I would like to able to see all the topos, trail maps, landmarks and satellite imagery on the BaseCamp screen.

Wishlist: On the Oregon 450T I can see all those maps and overlays simultaneously, but on BaseCamp I’m only able to see one map at a time.
I could then plan out the ride for the day over existing trails or “off pique” or a combination of both. If I see a lake I want to get to, or a waterfall, I can figure out how to generate the best and safest route to get there.

Wishlist: I don’t mind using waypoints to generate the route, but I wish there was a way to turn off the flags. I already have the route highlighted, the flags just get in the way and clutter the screen.

Post Trip: I’d like to take the track I just completed, or ones that I saved if I want to do them all at once after the trip, and upload them to BaseCamp. (Which I understand I can do).

Wishlist: I’d then like to take the tracks and edit them and turn them into “trails”. (My understanding is “tracks” is something I’ve done. “Routes” are something I’ve planned, so I had to come up with “trails” as a new nomenclature.) I need to edit the tracks because there may be places I went that I wouldn’t want added to the trail, e.g. a dead end from which I had to back track. These trails I would then use to create a map overlay so I could see them all when I’m out riding. (My understanding is that I can only see the active route and track on the Oregon 450T.)

Sorry for the long post, but I thought it would help set the context of the “what and why” I’m trying to accomplish in BaseCamp. Please feel free to add other thing I’m not thinking about for this context, and address any “wishlist” items or answer any of those as questions if I’m just too stupid to have found out how to do it yet.

I think BaseCamp is a good product is one of the main reasons I chose a Garmin GPS.

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

Quote:
... but I wish there was a way to turn off the flags. I already have the route highlighted, the flags just get in the way and clutter the screen ...

I second that.

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

I don’t mind using waypoints to generate the route, but I wish there was a way to turn off the flags. I already have the route highlighted, the flags just get in the way and clutter the screen.

I do not use BaseCamp but this is what I did using MapSource and it might also work in BaseCamp.

The waypoint symbols are goverened by what you used when you created the waypoint on the computer. I changed the Waypoint default settings on my computer. Click > Edit > Preferences > Waypoint Tab > Change the symbol to the smallest round circle which is a green one for a small city in MapSource. After that all waypoints you create will have that symbol.

To change existing waypoints, use the computer, open the file containing the waypoints, click the Waypoint Tab, select all the waypoints, put the cursor on a waypoint and right click, then Waypoint Properties, then change the symbol to the tiny circle (or whatever), then Okay.

40-50 waypoints will take a couple minutes in MapSource so go get a snack and relax. :)

Then you will have to reload your waypoints to the gps.

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

Wishlist: On the Oregon 450T I can see all those maps and overlays simultaneously, but on BaseCamp I’m only able to see one map at a time.

Agree. This has been on the wishlist on the forum for some time now.

Wishlist: I don’t mind using waypoints to generate the route, but I wish there was a way to turn off the flags.

I like the concept. And @DATEZZ idea of adding a preference for waypoint symbols would be a good solution.

Wishlist: I’d then like to take the tracks and edit them and turn them into “trails”.

You can edit your tracks within BaseCamp. Select the track- then on the toolbar, you should see tools for track editing, like joining/deleting etc. Converting these edited tracks to a trail map isn't something BaseCamp should do- you should use tools that are dedicated to making trail maps for that.

I think BaseCamp is a good product is one of the main reasons I chose a Garmin GPS.

I like that! Instead of whining and griping, you have presented a well articulated wishlist.

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

Here is a solution for your second wishlist item. You can directly set the value of the symbol used by BaseCamp for waypoints in the registy:

1. Windows->Run->RegEdit
2. Browse to where BaseCamp stores its user "Settings" on your machine. This is dependent on the OS you use. For example, on XP, this is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Garmin\BaseCamp\Settings\Waypoint. If you have difficult finding this for your particular OS, ask on this forum.
3. Right click on Waypoint, then New->Binary Value
4. Set the name to "Symbol" and value to 12 00 00 00
5. Done! (quit and restart BaseCamp)

New Registry Entry

Result After Modifying Registry

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

Waypoint flags clutter my GPS screen

I followed the change registry directions and opened BaseCamp. Now I am lost to change the flags to a smaller symbol? The flags are still on my BaseCamp map?:confused:

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

Those Flags may be VIA points rather than Way points. To change those you may have to edit the GPX file manually.

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

@TMALSACK,

I must've explained better, those directions are for removing the big flags when you create routes. For routes that are already created, there is another technique.

If you are also trying to remove those flags on routes that you are creating, and you are observing that nothing changed for you when you made the registry changes, that means that you haven't updated the correct registry entry. What Operating System (example: XP/Vista/Win7/32/64bit) are you using? Where did you add the new registry entry (Example: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Garmin\BaseCamp\Setting s\Waypoint)?

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

@ GRMNGURU

Thanks for the update. The registry patch works as explained for Basecamp.

But after sending the route to my GPS device (Dakota 20) the route is still showing the annoying blue pinheads on my device. Is there a way to change those symbols as well.
I can't find anything about it in the manual. There is also is no Dakota forum on the Garmin pages, so I just put the question here.

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

waypoint flags cluttering up GPS screen

Thanks, the regedit fix worked and now are replaced by dots, much more functional!! Thomas

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

"Wishlist: I’d then like to take the tracks and edit them and turn them into “trails”. (My understanding is “tracks” is something I’ve done. “Routes” are something I’ve planned, so I had to come up with “trails” as a new nomenclature.)

Proud.Papa
I believe the original intention of "Tracks" was as you said--record where you have been. But over the years that use has changed to be more like a Track is also where you want to go off-road. You are somewhat correct, in that a Route is where you want to go---but by Road--not trail. You can download a Track (really a .gpx file) from many internet sites, MapMyRide is an example, and use that file as an off road display of where you want to. As you have no doubt found, you can edit a Track in BaseCamp, move track points, etc. You can create your own Track in BC, by copying portions of trails from a map. You can add Waypoints to your Track so you know when might be approaching a stream, as an example so you can water your horses, or perhaps a junction of a different trail. Then using BC you Send the .gpx file to your O450t. Using your O450t, you follow the Track you created, and you can display on your map, Time (or Distance) to Next Point, etc.

I use exactly what i have written for off road biking. It is a very nice way to bike/hike/ride in areas unfamiliar to you.

I have downloaded around 500 miles of mostly Rails to Trails in MN. I plan to bike those trails this summer, but it will all be out and back rides 50-60 miles RT. I use BC to plan where i will stay at an RV park, etc.

hth, Ron