Mutiple hikes in a single gpx format

I haven't used Basecamp enough to answer this for Basecamp. The user interface requires me to twist my brain too much in an odd direction. :eek:

It's very simple to do in Mapsource which is also a free download from Garmin and will install easily if Basecamp is already installed. But the user interface is very different from Basecamp.

To do it with Mapsource, you would start with your current folder structure and launch two instances of Mapsource (e.g. open Mapsource twice so you have it in two different windows.

START
- In one window, you open one of the GPX track files so the track(s) show up in the TRACKS tab in Mapsource.
- Select the track names in the TRACKS tab. (You can use Ctrl-Click or Shift-Click or Ctrl-A or menu EDIT>Select All.)
- Copy the track names. (Hit Ctrl-C or menu EDIT > COPY.)
- Switch to the other Mapsource window that does not have any files open.
- Paste the track names into the TRACK tab. (Hit Ctrl-V or menu EDIT > Paste.) This actually pastes the tracks, not just the names.
- Repeat from START.

You are going to use that second window to accumulate all of the tracks. So in the first window, open another track GPX file and repeat the copy/paste operation to the second Mapsource window. The second Mapsource TRACKS tab will now have the track names from your first and second track GPX files in it.

Just keep opening track GPX files in the first window and copying/pasting the track names to the second Mapsource window TRACKS tab.

When you have all the tracks pasted into the second Mapsource window, save the file and you now have all of the hiking tracks viewable in a single file. In Mapsource you have the choice of saving as either a GPX or GDB file.

When you are done, your original folder structure will still be in place, untouched. Mapsource never messes with your files unless you do something explicitly using the FILE > Save/Save As menu yourself.

Once you have all the tracks usable in a single window, you also have the option in Mapsource of joining tracks together using the track editing tools, if that is something that would be useful.

Once that is done, you should be able to use the resulting file in Basecamp. I'm just not sure where/how it will show up when you open the file. That's the part of Basecamp that I still haven't sorted out in my head ... what shows up where. And why?? :confused: (Sorry, I'm not asking for an explanation from anyone .. I've read the documentation and many helpful explanations in here. It's either a comprehension problem on my part or still too many inconsistencies/limitations in the way Garmin has implemented it. Probably a bit of both.)

...ken...

The folder information is not stored when you export as gpx or gdb.

The only way to preserve folders would be to do a Backup and Restore. (A Backup will create a *.zip file with everything you need to get exactly to where you were.)

MapSource doesn't support folders at all, so I am not sure this will help you.

If all you wanted to do is store all hikes in a single gpx file, that is really simple in BaseCamp. You already figured out how to do it (but you do lose the folders if you re-import that gpx file.)

You don't really need to create folders at all if you don't want to, just import all the gpx files and export 'My Collection' and you will get a gpx file with all your tracks in it. Seems a lot easier than having 2 MapSource programs open and copy/pasting a lot.

I am a bit confused as to why you would want to re-import the gpx file though? Are you trying to do this on a different computer? Because BaseCamp retains all your data and folders automatically already.

If you want to transfer all of BaseCamp's data and folders to a different computer, use Backup/Restore.

Once that is done, you should be able to use the resulting file in Basecamp. I'm just not sure where/how it will show up when you open the file. That's the part of Basecamp that I still haven't sorted out in my head ... what shows up where. And why?? :confused: (Sorry, I'm not asking for an explanation from anyone .. I've read the documentation and many helpful explanations in here. It's either a comprehension problem on my part or still too many inconsistencies/limitations in the way Garmin has implemented it. Probably a bit of both.)

...ken...

I hope you didn't confuse the OP even more with your answer. ;) If he does what you propose, he'd end up with exactly what he already had in the first place, a gpx file with all his hikes, but without folder data...

MapSource is not developed anymore, so I would be glad to try to clear up any BaseCamp confusions you might have.

I hope you didn't confuse the OP even more with your answer. ;) If he does what you propose, he'd end up with exactly what he already had in the first place, a gpx file with all his hikes, but without folder data...

We need to be sure we understand which "folders" he's talking about: real Windows folders or arbitrary Basecamp "folders".

My assumption, which could be totally offbase, was that he was setting things up in real Windows folders which he was then losing. If that assumption is wrong, I apologize to everyone.

If I'm wrong and he is setting things up in Basecamp "folders" which Basecamp is subsequently blowing away, that seems unintuitive.

In any case, he's asking for a way to construct a unified view of the hike AND retain the folder structure. I haven't seen any other answer for that. It's pretty simple in Mapsource but you use the Windows folder structure to do it. If I understand you correctly, it's not possible in Basecamp.

MapSource is not developed anymore, so I would be glad to try to clear up any BaseCamp confusions you might have.

That is most discouraging to hear. I appreciate the offer for clarification but I will continue to use Mapsource as my primary Garmin PC program until it no longer suits my needs. I understand the user paradigm you are trying to create with Basecamp. I don't much like it but I understand it and what you hope/wish/expect it could do for users someday when it's finished. But there are too many limitations today; mostly the inability for the user to control what they see, too much magic going on behind the scenes (also translates to less user control) and basic stuff that Mapsource has long been able to do that Basecamp still can't.

EDIT: I should clarify that I'm not against programmatical magic .... as long as the person using the program does not need to be aware of the magic and understand how it works in order to get things done. Basecamp fails on this criteria in a number of cases. This being one of them.

...ken...

In any case, he's asking for a way to construct a unified view of the hike AND retain the folder structure. I haven't seen any other answer for that. It's pretty simple in Mapsource but you use the Windows folder structure to do it. If I understand you correctly, it's not possible in Basecamp.

I definitely read it as him creating folders in BaseCamp. I also apologize if I misread it.

BaseCamp keeps track of all the data itself, let's you create folders inside the program and isn't concerned with Windows folders at all.

BaseCamp doesn't blow its folders away though. They are maintained in the internal database. They are just not stored as part of gpx or gdb (because folders are a BaseCamp-specific thing, not a generic GPS file format like the other two). BaseCamp's data is stored consistently, so there is no real notion of saving a BaseCamp file. You can export all or parts of the data, or you can Backup if you'd like to store data for a later Restore or transfer to a different computer.

But there are too many limitations today; mostly the inability for the user to control what they see, too much magic going on behind the scenes (also translates to less user control) and basic stuff that Mapsource has long been able to do that Basecamp still can't.

EDIT: I should clarify that I'm not against programmatical magic .... as long as the person using the program does not need to be aware of the magic and understand how it works in order to get things done. Basecamp fails on this criteria in a number of cases. This being one of them.

You cannot control what you see in MapSource either. You have to load a new file every time. Which seems tedious to me. In BaseCamp you can control what you see by using the folders, put everything you'd like to see in one folder and select that one. Only that data will be visible. No re-loading of different files is necessary, it's just one button click away. If you'd still like to store folder contents externally in a gpx file, you can still easily export all folder contents with the Export function.

You are being very generic in your criticism. What can BaseCamp not do that MapSource can? What magic behind the scenes are you talking about specifically?

You are of course free to use MapSource as long as you like. But BaseCamp is where we put our development in and where new features will show up.

So we'd like to know what keeps people from making the switch, what features they are missing and what confusions might exist.

I am of course biased, but I have stopped using MapSource long time ago, and I am using BaseCamp at home.

Falagar,

Thanks for clearing this up for me in how Basecamp stores its data. I thought it was be a convenient way of storing a hiking trip with all hikes with its individual gpx data and waypoints.
I was not looking for a gpx or gdb format, but any format that save the data structure...

thanks, Reinhard

I definitely read it as him creating folders in BaseCamp. I also apologize if I misread it.

BaseCamp keeps track of all the data itself, let's you create folders inside the program and isn't concerned with Windows folders at all.

BaseCamp doesn't blow its folders away though. They are maintained in the internal database. They are just not stored as part of gpx or gdb (because folders are a BaseCamp-specific thing, not a generic GPS file format like the other two). BaseCamp's data is stored consistently, so there is no real notion of saving a BaseCamp file. You can export all or parts of the data, or you can Backup if you'd like to store data for a later Restore or transfer to a different computer.



You cannot control what you see in MapSource either. You have to load a new file every time. Which seems tedious to me. In BaseCamp you can control what you see by using the folders, put everything you'd like to see in one folder and select that one. Only that data will be visible. No re-loading of different files is necessary, it's just one button click away. If you'd still like to store folder contents externally in a gpx file, you can still easily export all folder contents with the Export function.

You are being very generic in your criticism. What can BaseCamp not do that MapSource can? What magic behind the scenes are you talking about specifically?

You are of course free to use MapSource as long as you like. But BaseCamp is where we put our development in and where new features will show up.

So we'd like to know what keeps people from making the switch, what features they are missing and what confusions might exist.

I am of course biased, but I have stopped using MapSource long time ago, and I am using BaseCamp at home.

What can BaseCamp not do that MapSource can?

As far as I know there is no real address search in BaseCamp, it doesn't use search index included in map installed for Mapsource or the index in img from device. When using big map like City Navigator Europe you won't find any address unless you know where it is and start search near this address. This make it quite useless for car navigation. Are we supposed to use Google Maps instead? Well, there is Google Navigation too...

As far as I know there is no real address search in BaseCamp, it doesn't use search index included in map installed for Mapsource or the index in img from device. When using big map like City Navigator Europe you won't find any address unless you know where it is and start search near this address. This make it quite useless for car navigation. Are we supposed to use Google Maps instead? Well, there is Google Navigation too...

We definitely have find improvements on our to-do-list.