How can BaseCamp win over MapSource users?

Former Member
Former Member
When MapSource users import their old gdb files into BaseCamp and find every Waypoint must have a unique name they don't like it. The first time I saw waypoints named Home, Home1, Home2,...,Home5, I was concerned. I tried repairing this by selecting the most best version of this waypoint and replacing the other 5 with the best version. Home4 isn't used in any lists, yet I cannot delete it in BaseCamp. [Bug Report: If you use the "X" in a waypoint properties Lists tab, that waypoint becomes undeletable.] That is frustrating to not have an explanation for no delete available for an unused POI. While I understand how to reduce this waypoint reassigning to a minimum, it is a lot of extra effort.

There are also mysteries in the Map database where sometimes making a waypoint out of a map POI results in the name being changed to include the trailing number and other times not. Whatever the reason for this discrepancy should be changed for consistency. Why do we make waypoints out of map POIs? Because the map POIs are many times innacurate as to location and don't include URL references and user entered descriptions.

When a MapSource user exports one of their lists to a gdb to look at it in MapSource or directly sends it to their GPS and finds that many of their waypoints have been renamed with a number at the end of the names, this does not lead to acceptance of a database approach like BaseCamp. I'm guessing when I read someone's comment that BC "messed up" all their routes that it is a combination of this and a somewhat different routing algorithm.

Once the user has all their information in BC and resolves most all the name issues, going forward it is easier, as all waypoints in lists link back to the same database entry. If the location is refined and the user updates it, all lists using that waypoint are updated.

Maybe a tool in BC to resolve this would be useful, letting the user determine the waypoint of a numbered group to use by displaying all the unique data. The user chooses the the default and replace all the numbered ones by this default, unnumbered one.

A separate feedback comment is that I find MapSource routing, is easier to use than BaseCamp. The sticky location caption bubbles don't change frequently enough when moving the mouse looking for an address and are not present in the rubberband via point Insert Tool. Consider a review of the MS and BC processes of route design to see where effectiveness improvements can be made.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    Intuitive mapping

    Okay, this is what I'm talking about. In BaseCamp I want to create a map set with both roads and topo data. I move to the area I'm interested in then choose 'select' and drag a rectangle. Nothing happens. I then switch to 24K topo and drag a rectangle. Nothing happens.

    I do the same thing in MapSource. I drag the roads rectangle and the roads tile(s) show up in the map list. I switch to 24K and drag a rectangle. The tile(s) are added to the map list. I can then save the .gdb file with all the data.

    1) Which is easier and more intuitive?
    2) How do I do this operation in BaseCamp? :confused:
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    As already stated, by Falagar, BaseCamp doesn't transfer maps.

    You use MapInstall (PC/Mac) or MapSource (PC).
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    Say what?

    I am trying to simply select an area of a map and add it to a list. That is not transferring that is creating. BTW, BaseCamp can transfer maps to/from a GPS.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    I BaseCamp can transfer maps to/from a GPS.

    Are you talking about Birdseye images?
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    No I am talking about maps created from purchased products such as City Navigator and Topo US 24K. Are you saying that BaseCamp can't create maps from these products, and that I must use MapSource and/or MapInstall to do this?

    What happens if/when these products are no longer supported?
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    No I am talking about maps created from purchased products such as City Navigator and Topo US 24K. Are you saying that BaseCamp can't create maps from these products, and that I must use MapSource and/or MapInstall to do this?

    I think you're confused.

    If you have Garmin maps, installed on your PC, they're viewable in BaseCamp and MapSource. MapSource allows you to select all or part of one or more map products and transfer those to you device(s). MapInstall does the same thing. You don't create maps in those programs.

    MapSource Tutorial: Selecting and Saving Map Sets


    BaseCamp does not allow you to select and transfer maps. It doesn't have that functionality.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    It's my understanding that MapSource is no longer being developed, and that 6.16.3 is the final version. Will there be any other software that will allow the end user to create custom maps from Garmin's map products and save them to the hard drive, not just to the GPS?
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    Re: regarding original OP topic

    +1 on migration tool. This would have saved me countless hours of cleanup. Thanks to Mr Manual, now I have one set of waypoints at a global level that're shared or linked across all lists. This tool would really go a long ways to help users with MS-->BC migration, adoption and standardization...

    The new Basecamp really is a much better tool after the import and cleanup process. But what a time consuming and pain in the ass process, that is if you have a sizable collection of MS files.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    How can Basecamp win over Mapsource users???

    For me it's fairly easy ... give us Categories and make the Route tool work in the same easy way as Mapsource.

    I can live with the other things that annoy me. But I can't migrate and manage my data without categories (no, that named list silliness isn't a useful substitute).

    And I use my PC for route planning so I need route planning that's as simple and clean as Mapsource makes it. In particular, make it as simple as Mapsource to clean up all the undesired routes after a planning session.

    ...ken...
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    For those frustrated by BaseCamp's inability to transfer maps, it is worthwhile to get MapInstall and play around with it and try to do what you used to with MapSource. For my purposes, it seemed to work well. There may be some things that others are doing that I am unaware of, but for the simple moving of maps to an older unit's garmin card with limited capacity, it did the trick.