Basecamp corrupts custom maps

More information re: corruption

I have researched this quite a bit and the corruption seems related to starting with image files with blanks in their names. After starting with such a file, using MAPC2MAPC64 to turn that into a Garmin Custom map and using BaseCamp (BC) to import it, a whole host of problems occur. When the image file name does not have any blanks, I can't reproduce any of the problems. I have sent additional information to Garmin but I am still waiting for a response from Basecamp Support.

Background:
Garmin custom maps are .kmz files copied to the CustomMaps folder of a Garmin device. They may also be sent there, or exported there, by BC. A .kmz file is basically a .zip file containing a doc.kml file and a set of .jpg files which are the overlays over a base map or Google Earth (GE). The doc.kml file describes each .jpg as to its coordinates, rotation, link to the appropriate .jpg file in the .kmz file, etc.

Problem:
When starting with an image file with a blank in its name, BC corrupts custom maps in several ways. Some of these are consistently reproducible; others are not consistently reproducible.
1. <Always> If the original file has a name such as “Trail map.jpg”, MAPC2MAPC64 will preserve that blank in both the doc.kml descriptor and the .jpg file name for each tile. For example, doc.kml will reference the first tile as “files/Trail map_1_0_0.jpg” and the file in the .kmz file will be named “Trail map_1_0_0.jpg”. BC changes the file name in the .kmz file to be “Trail%20map_1_0_0.jpg” but does not change the descriptor in doc.kml. For example if a map was imported into BC and sent to a Garmin device, the .kmz on the device would cause GE to display large red “X”’s for each tile because it cannot match the names. BC can display the map on the device however.
2. <Usually> Following the scenario in 1 to import a map into BC and send it to a device, after restarting BC, BC cannot display the map it has in its “My Collection”. Opening the map shows “???” for Size, Dimension and Resolution. However if the map is dragged and dropped from Windows Explorer to “My Collection”, BC can show it after a restart until it is sent to a device. After sending it to a device it can no longer display it after a restart.
3. <Usually> After using BC to send a map to a Garmin device, the device says the map is too large and cannot be displayed. In reality, the map is corrupt but BC can still display it.
4. <Sometimes> I have seen many situations where BC corrupted doc.kml by pre-pending a slash or multiple slashes before the reference to the .jpg for the tile. For example, the reference in 1. had become “//files/Trail map_1_0_0.jpg” thus creating another failure mode.
5. <Sometimes> Many times I have seen a functional map get corrupt by simply opening it with BC.

I spoke too soon

Sigh! I started BC today only to discover that a map with no blanks in the file name had been corrupted in the usual way.

I've never had Basecamp corrupt custom maps, either on my Etrex 20 or Montana. Perhaps there's an issue with the Etrex 30X?

Your best bet may be to contact Product Support

North America Support:

US Toll Free: 1-800-800-1020
Canada: 1-866-429-9296
Mon–Thurs: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Fri: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Central Time (closed holidays)

United Kingdom Support:

Freephone from UK landline: 0808 238 0000
Within UK: 0870 850 1242
Outside UK: +44 870 850 1242

For other locales please visit: www.garmin.com/support for contact details

Support has been contacted

They have been contacted, all data sent and I am waiting for a response. It isn't the eTrex because BC sees one on my UBS attached drives as a memory card and I am able to test with that instead of plugging in the eTrex. BC will corrupt the map no matter where it is. Also I can simply import a custom map from my hard drive and BC corrupts it without sending it to any device. It also sometimes corrupts it when I simply send it from one BC list to another. It is all BC.

I think there is a problem, I normally build custom maps with the mapc2mapc program, and just copy them to the Garmin/Custom Maps folder, but I had them set to save with a draw order or 60, which was causing them to block another active vector map. In basecamp I opened the custom map and just changed the draw order to 30, but then after disconnecting the device the custom map was not shown properly, even after disabling the vector map. I had to build the custom map again with the new draw order in the third party tool.

Exactly what I have experienced

Changing the draw order with BC is one of its best features because it treats the map as a whole and takes care of changing the draw order of each tile. However, as you and I have experienced it usually corrupts the map. For now I manually change the draw order of each tile with GE or an XML editor like XML Notepad and keep an original copy of the map safely out of the reach of BC. The safest thing is to use Windows Explorer to just copy the file to the eTrex.

Heard from BC support

They think they have a fix and it should be in BC 4.5. Don't know when that will be released.

Still problems with BC 4.5

Some problems have been fixed but if the .kmz file name has blanks, BC will corrupt it so that it is not usable in GE or the eTrex. Oddly with the fixes in 4.5 BC can process it OK and doesn't seem to have the previously seen failure modes but the file will be corrupted for use outside BC. I have reported this to BC support.

We have received some reports of this. I have forwarded this and the other reports to appropriate team members. I will keep you all updated.

Thanks.

BC 4.5.1 status

The good news is that the corruption problem with maps with blanks in their name seems to be fixed. The bad news is that BC doesn't see the map on the eTrex, although Windows explorer shows it is there and the eTrex displays it. I have reported this to BC technical support.