Why would we ask on exit? BaseCamp automatically saves your data every time you exit.
A popup stating that it is saving to xxxxxxxx location and giving the user an option to change the location (or choose an additional location) would certainly be nice to the users.
One gripe I have is that there is no "save" function like most other software. If the backup function is actually a save function, then give it a name that means more to more folks.
BC is database oriented. There is nothing to save on exit, as each change you make is updated immediately in the database.
Backup/restore create a zip file/restore a zip file of the WIN7 folder, including sub-folders and files at C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Garmin\BaseCamp\ .
At that location, there are two files with a .bak type. The .bak type files are the state of the database before the latest change. If something goes sour, you can rename the two current file types to .new and rename the .bak file types to be current.
As has been state elsewhere in these forums, the .backup type (zip file) contains everything in the C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Garmin\BaseCamp\ folder. When you update BC to a new version, the old sub-folder stays behind. Right now my Database has two sub-folders, 3.3 (current) and 3.2 (previous versions). I'm going to delete the 3.2 subfolder to make my .backups smaller.
First, I like BaseCamp a lot. I use it in place of MapSource. Comments are not intended to be negative.
I now agree that no prompt is needed before exiting the program because each change is updated immediately, and automatically saved in the database. I suggest a modified prompt for Restore.
I have several complex databases (one for each State) in BaseCamp. Each one has a few hundred tracks, numerous waypoints, and 3-5 folders with subfolders and lists. It would be very cumbersome to combine them all in a single database. Let’s just talk about switching between State 1 and State 2 for this discussion.
Assume I have been working with both State 1 and State 2, and I have been dutiful backing up both databases. Now I finish up additional work in State 1 and want to switch to State 2. I am less than dutiful and forget to backup State 1. When I click Restore (to State 2) I get the message “Restoring BaseCamp requires restarting the application. Continue?”
After reading the replies above, I understand that this message really means the following: “BaseCamp only has one database at a time on your computer. If you leave State 1 and restore State 2, all information for State 1 will disappear from this database and be replaced by information for State 2. You will lose all changes you have made since your last backup of State 1. If you want to save both databases you MUST backup State 1 first.”
I doubt that many users interpret the existing prompt correctly. I know I didn’t.
My feature request now is to rewrite the prompt so most users will know what it means.
I think the main issue is that you are trying to do something with BaseCamp that the software is not designed to do.
BaseCamp supports only one database. Switching between databases was never part of the requirements.
I understand, of course, that switching databases is what you want to do. We might support that at some point in the future, and then there will be a more stream-lined approach to do this.
That being said, I do agree that the Restore message could state more clearly that all the current data will be lost. I'll see if we can get that changed.
