Related
Options

Maximizing map visibility

7e9307d45e2a4c2fa4f1e56b8e95f272
11 months ago

Hello,

I am looking for a way to maximize the visibility of the maps for trail running. The fenix 7 experience was not glorious but seemed to be somehow better and I am trying to figure out what changed. 

Ideally, it would be great to fatten up roads, trails and rivers while temporarily removing as much of everything else as possible. Currently, all but the major roads are shaded a pale grey that barely stands out against the white or solid green background. High Contrast seems to do nothing except replace the solid green with a splattering of tiny tree icons that only add clutter without additional context (I don't really need to be shown that I'm in the woods while running thru said woods.)

Popularity, in my limited testing, seems to diminish visibility of less popular trails rather than increasing the thickness of the more popular ones, so that's out. 

Aside from relief shading I've yet to see any effect from any of the other layers and there isn't anything in the manual in regard to each specific layer.

I'd be grateful for tips, especially regarding why High Contrast does not seem to increase contrast and if there are suitable custom maps out there that show a minimal yet useful view suitable for quick glances while on the move. 

  • 0 11 months ago

    it seems that your only solution is to try custom top map, which would suite your requirements here https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin/Download

  • 0 11 months ago

    From what I understand, it should be possible to connect the watch to a computer, copy the current map theme file from the watch, edit it, and copy it back. I modified map theme files on my Fenix 7 to improve the contrast, for example get rid of the green background, use black color for roads and trails, etc.

    On Fenix 8 or Enduro 3, it is no longer possible to add a new map theme, but it should be possible to replace one of the existing theme files, for example the high contrast one. 

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to silentvoyager

    Which software you use to modify copyrighted img files?

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to Chukigek

    I don't modify img files. I modified map theme files, which are small text based XML files. I can use any text editor to modify them. 

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to silentvoyager

    Interesting, I'd love to try this. Is there a tutorial for this?

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to 7e9307d45e2a4c2fa4f1e56b8e95f272

    Not much tutorial because this is undocumented, but there are bits of information on Garmin Forums and elsewhere on the Internet. Garmin has used map themes since car navigators. You can think of them as skins for the maps. That is how Garmin switches the same maps between different modes (e. g. popularity, high contrast, marine, etc).

    There an online map theme editor to help.efiting the colors. I'll post it here later when I find the link.

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to silentvoyager

    I believe I found the Theme editor and gave it a whirl, only to discover that the E3 no longer has a folder for map themes -- too bad! However, it does have one for custom maps. So the search continues. 

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to silentvoyager

    Although, the themes in the editor were not XML but .kmft files. Interesting.

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to silentvoyager
    silentvoyager said:

    rom what I understand, it should be possible to connect the watch to a computer, copy the current map theme file from the watch, edit it, and copy it back. I modified map theme files on my Fenix 7 to improve the contrast, for example get rid of the green background, use black color for roads and trails, etc.

    On Fenix 8 or Enduro 3, it is no longer possible to add a new map theme, but it should be possible to replace one of the existing theme files, for example the high contrast one. 

    Thanks for confirming the chance to play with it Today I started to use my Enduro 2 and was pretty angry when I saw no Map Themes menu item in Settings/Map.

    After a short  investigation now it is clear that it was  removed for not just F7/Enduro2/Epix2/ etc, but for F8/Enduro3.

    Moreover  strange things happened  with F6 generationthrough a map update via GE. I mean F6 got the latest sw 5 months ago. And Map Themes disappeared around 1-2 months ago. So nprmally F6 must not be involved in this Map Themes disappearance.

    Anyway  it is highly unlikely that killing Map Themes menu is a bug. It is something Garmin wanted to do secretly without highlighing it in the release notes of F7/Enduro 2/Epix2 etc. and I guess this feature never existed for Enduro 3/Fenix 8

    Now I am testing what happens with my Enduro 2 if I use my self created kmtf for Fenix6X. I hope it will work the same way as it did with F6X. 

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to Tisztul_A_Visztula
    Tisztul_A_Visztula said:
    After a short  investigation now it is clear that it was  removed for not just F7/Enduro2/Epix2/ etc, but for F8/Enduro3.

    Yes, unfortunately Garmin has decided to remove the map theme menu from the UI. However, based on the discussion that I've seen in other posts, map themes are still used under the hood. For example, when you select a High Contrast or Popularity map in the UI, in fact it uses high contrast or popularity map theme, which still exist on the watch. So it should still be possible to customize those existing themes but it wouldn't be possible to add new themes. 

    I haven't tried that myself as I still haven't upgraded to Enduro 3 or Fenix 8. Also, I am still running v17.28 firmware on my Fenix 7X. So my watch still has map themes and I use a custom one. But according to what I've read in other posts, the trick with replacing one of the pre-defined map themes should work. We'd just need to make sure to save the original theme files in case they need to be restored.