Export-Import

Former Member
Former Member
What is the point to save a file as .csv but you can't import it back into Bc?:confused:
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    POI loader uses comma separated values.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    Thanks for the reply, but that was not the answer I wanted.
    I don't want to send poi's to a device.
    Why can't you IMPORT a csv file back into Basecamp?
  • When you want to be able to import it later in BaseCamp, just don't use csv. CSV is one way only; it enables you to open it in a spreadsheet program.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    OK. Let's put it in plain understandable English. :rolleyes:
    Basecamp gives you the option to Export (save) a file as CSV.
    Now you make changes inside this CSV file and want to Import it back into Basecamp. But Basecamp don't allow you Import a CSV file. Stupid question: Why not?
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    OK. Let's put it in plain understandable English. :rolleyes:
    Basecamp gives you the option to Export (save) a file as CSV.
    Now you make changes inside this CSV file and want to Import it back into Basecamp. But Basecamp don't allow you Import a CSV file. Stupid question: Why not?


    Well here is a crude analogy for why exporting to csv is a one way process. If you write something on paper and then erase part of it it is gone, you cannot un-erase it. When the software takes a tcx file and converts it to csv it erases all the tags that identify all the individual pieces of data. Without the tags Basecamp cannot read the data and there is no record kept of which tags belong with each piece of data. That means there is no way to export a csv file back into a tcx file. Your only option is to re-write the tcx file yourself just like the only way to fix something you have erased from paper is to re-write it yourself.

    When I edit a tcx file I do it with Notepad or Wordpad or Notepad++ or FitFileRepairTool.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    Thank you for a well explained answer. Now if the file inside Basecamp is a gpx file that gets converted to csv, surely there is a way to change the csv back to gpx and import it to Basecamp?
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    No, sorry.
    GPX files also have tags just like TCX files.
    The tags are different and the format is different but the problem is the same.
    The csv conversion totally screws up the format and erases the tags.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    Use Extra POI Editor

    Use Extra POI Editor. It will convert to gpx and even send it to BaseCamp.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    A ha! If Extra Poi Editor, Gps Babel and online converters can change a csv to gpx and Basecamp can then Import it, why can't Basecamp import the csv file, do the conversion to gpx by itself and voila!:(
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    Because most serious POI maintainers use gpx format. There are field definitions that make them much higher quality than free form csv files, the format leftover from the past. I'd not waste time with a csv file. Too much junk in them. You can just as easily edit a gpx file or use Extra POI Editor and save as a gpx.

    I'd certainly prefer that Garmin developers focus on something more useful than importing csv files.

    Check out Extra POI Editor. It displays and edits gpx files much easier than messing with old csv files.