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Best trail OSM. Panning and zooming.

Out of the eight available OSM formats at Planet.osm, which shows trails the best? I use a 520 for mountain biking and am looking for OSM formats that have the best depiction of the trails. I downloaded a map from Planet.osm in the Garmin BBBike ASCII format. Trails are very narrow dotted lines but at least wooded backgrounds are not dark green like in some other formats. The trail depiction has some sporadic variations. Things like power line are boldly depicted obscuring associated trails. Is there a way of previewing what these formats look like without creating a map, downloading it, transferring it to the 520 and traveling around with it to see what they look like? I'd be happy if I could create and download a map and view it on my computer rather than have to ride/drive around with the 520 looking at the map (since you can't pan).

This brings up the second question. Is it possible, perhaps through and IQ app, to pan the map on the 520? I can't think of a good way to make that happen with the buttons present on the device, but perhaps someone has come up with one. Zooming during a ride is also a bit tedious as you need to click enter twice, click an arrow, and click enter again to get to a zoomable map. Once there you can zoom, but then have to click enter and arrows to get back to the ride data screens, and go through the whole thing again if needing to zoom again. An IQ app?

0 dpawlyk over 8 years ago

The fundamental way features are depicted are different allowing for the differences between the displays. For example, on the 520, power lines totally obscure the underlying trails which doesn't happen in BC at similar scales.

That's probably the result of the img file not having a TYP file.

TYP files are "style sheets" of sorts that describe how objects are drawn. The TYP file is necessary to have consistent rules between the device and Basecamp.

Without a TYP file, Basecamp fills areas with horizontal lines.

The "garmin osm-ascii" style from bbbike.org doesn't use a TYP file. This will look very different between Basecamp and the Edge. The other styles from bbbike do use TYP files.

http://www.javawa.nl/advanced.html -> the imginfo program displays some basic information about the img (map) file.

The Edges and Basecamp also use different rules with respect to resolution (differences in what zoom level different features are drawn and how they are drawn).

0 dpawlyk over 8 years ago

Out of the eight available OSM formats at Planet.osm, which shows trails the best? I use a 520 for mountain biking and am looking for OSM formats that have the best depiction of the trails. I downloaded a map from Planet.osm in the Garmin BBBike ASCII format.

This is not how it works.

"planet.osm" is just a "straight" copy of the OSM data.

It's bbbike.org that is converting this data into various formats.

One format is the Garmin "img" map format. bbbike.org can produce this format in 8 different styles.

https://extract.bbbike.org/

0 looigi over 7 years ago

...one format is the Garmin "img" map format. bbbike.org can produce this format in 8 different styles. https://extract.bbbike.org/

Yeah. That's the origin of my question, which of the 8 different styles will have the best depiction of trails on the 520. You can't really tell what something will look like on the 520 until you download and then actually travel with the 520 to that feature, power lines for example. (since you can't pan). I was looking for an app or site that would allow me to preview the map on my computer and have it look like it would on the 520 for the purposes of evaluating the map style. Evidently, BC won't do that, so is there any other?

0 dpawlyk over 7 years ago

Yeah. That's the origin of my question, which of the 8 different styles will have the best depiction of trails on the 520.

Yes, I got that. I compile my own maps.

You can't really tell what something will look like on the 520 until you download and then actually travel with the 520 to that feature, power lines for example. (since you can't pan).

Your issues are the consequence of choosing an inappropriate tool.

There are scores of different Garmin GPS units. They don't all render maps in the same exact way.

The only practical way of seeing what maps look like is for people to install them on the their own device. This takes some work but it's not that hard.

I was looking for an app or site that would allow me to preview the map on my computer and have it look like it would on the 520 for the purposes of evaluating the map style. Evidently, BC won't do that, so is there any other?

No. There is nothing.

It wouldn't be worth the large amount of effort it would take to program.

It's even less worth the effort to do that for the 520 (which doesn't provide map support that is complete enough).

0 looigi over 7 years ago

...The only practical way of seeing what maps look like is for people to install them on the their own device...

...and traveling around until a particular feature is on the 520's display. For example, I can download each map to my 520 but I can't see how power lines are depicted until I travel with it to the vicinity of actual power lines.

It's that part that is more onerous, particular if you're downloading maps for someplace far away that you are planning on traveling to. There is no way of knowing what you'll see on the device until you get there.

0 dpawlyk over 7 years ago

...and traveling around until a particular feature is on the 520's display. For example, I can download each map to my 520 but I can't see how power lines are depicted until I travel with it to the vicinity of actual power lines.

It's that part that is more onerous, particular if you're downloading maps for someplace far away that you are planning on traveling to. There is no way of knowing what you'll see on the device until you get there.

It's not "onerous" if you use the appropriate tool.

The 520 really isn't the unit to use if you are interested in maps.

That these OSM maps even work (sort of!) on it is a lucky break.

Garmin didn't intend the 520 to be used this way.

You have to live with its limitations (or get a more appropriate unit).

0 looigi over 7 years ago

I'm happy with the 520's capabilities. I would like to be able to preview the map on my computer so I can see the area of coverage and how things will be depicted on the 520. BC provides the former but not the latter. I don't view this as a shortcoming of either, but more of an inconvenient fact, whatever the reason.

I already own an 820. It has its own problems.

0 dpawlyk over 7 years ago

I would like to be able to preview the map on my computer so I can see the area of coverage and how things will be depicted on the 520.

There are no options available to do that.