Using several different databases in BaseCamp

Is it possible to switch between different databases in BC?
For me, that would be a great improvement. I am used to MapSource, which in fact has this possibility.
I need to make it possible for several persons to see the same collection of tracks an waypoints in Search and Rescue operations. Currently we are doing that in Microsoft SharePoint Workspace (formerly Groove) using MapSource and .gdb-files. To us, BC is a giant step backwards from MapSource in this respect because the data is so local to one user:mad:.

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

You can sort of do this in Basecamp.

Basecamp, of course, has no File/Open command so you have to use the File/Import function.

You can select File/Import and point it at any of those .GDB files from Mapsource. Basecamp will import the file into a new list with the same name as the .GDB file you just imported.

When you are done with the list you can right-click on it and select to "Delete List & Contents".

This will work okay with a couple of caveats:

1. This will be best if the people using it are using it "read-only", e.g. they do not have any requirement to make additions or changes. If they do, it just opens up a whole can of worms.

2. When they're done, they must use "Delete List & Contents" in order to get rid of the whole thing. This is the equivalent in Mapsource of closing the file or simply exiting. If they don't do this, I have no idea what happens when they import the same .GDB file again if the file has been changed since the last time they used it.

Basecamp's lack of File > Open/Close commands really makes a mess of some things that should be simple.

I don't buy the line that they can't do File > Open/Close just because it's some sort of database paradigm now. I also don't buy the line that this capability would somehow make it more complicated for users.

...ken...

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

Backup/Restore = FIle Open/Close

Save a BC backup and have each user restore that backup to their PC. It will make the same database available to each user. The activity profiles are not included with the backup/restore, as in MS where preferences are not part of a gdb.

You control the names and folders where backups/restores are located, so multiple databases are also possible.

A .backup file is just a .zip file with the type renamed. The database is located at WIN7:\Users\%user%\AppData\Roaming\Garmin\BaseCamp\DataBase\3.2 so when BC 3.3 is installed, you may want to delete folder 3.2 to not have the zip file carry old unused data.