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How To join custom map with MapSend Topo USA

Since Nygma (Varga Csongor) has suggested to use MobileMapper Office for Magellan receivers (Sept. 30, 2003), many successful attempts were done to create custom maps and join several maps in one. Joinmaps program was created by Tim Ford to simplify the joining process (see mobilemapper group). But if the whole MapSend application is joining with a custom map, there are some tricks specific to the type of MapSend.

If you are not familiar with MMO, please visit mobilemapper yahoo group to find instruction how to create custom maps from either GIS data or scanned maps. Several perfect documents written by members of the group are available at the File section.

Here you will find step-by-step instruction how to join MapSend Topo for the US with custom map created with MMO. The joined can be exported from MMO to GPSR. The procedure described is for MMO1.00, if the later versions (1.10, 2.00) are used; the detailed map *.img file must be converted with MMOconverter or convertMMOoutput prior to upload.

1. Create custom map with MMO (say to the NewMap folder)
2. Backup MMO MAP and DATA folders (rename for example)
3. Copy MAP and DATA folders from MapSend Topo to MMO
4. Copy NewMap folder to the MAP folder (new one) (basemap.ini and export.cfg files are not needed and can be deleted)
5. Open map.ini in NewMap folder with editor
    5.1. Repace in [Group] Section 0=NewMap_BackgroundMap ... to     0=NewMap_Roads ...
6. Open NewMap\export.cfg with editor
    6.2 Copy layers under [LAYERS] section     
6. Open export.cfg file in the MAP folder with editor
    6.1. Append layer information (copied in 6.2) to the [LAYERS] section
    6.2. Change NUMBER in [LAYERS] section to the total number of levels
7. Add \NewMap\map.ini reference to the \MAP\map.ini in the [ADD_MAPS_REF] section.

The trick is: to export POIs to GPSR, [GROUPS] section in the export.cfg must not contain additional groups, that is why we replace NewMap_BackgroundMap group to the NewMap _Roads. Also DATA folder should be transfered to MMO. Be shure DATA\catscat.dat file contan category information (file has not zero length) [before coping to MMO please select POI categories that should be exported (with F9), this information is saved in the catscat.dat file).

8. (Optional) Select look definitions or create new ones for your objects (look of object created with MMO will be lost while joining, see PCmapView program).

Example: I add Appalachian trail as a trail line, and shelters as a points with numbers (corresponding SHP files are available at Appalachian trail conference web site).

part of \NewMap\map.ini:

part of \MAP\export.cfg:

[LAYERS] NUMBER = 11 0 = Freeways fwy 0 7 0 7 0 5 0 6 0 6 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 BLACK US_INTERSTATE_HW_LINE 1 = Highways hwy 0 7 0 7 0 0 0 6 0 6 0 0 0 5 0 5 0 0 0 5 0 5 0 0 0 5 0 5 0 0 BLACK US_STATE_HW_LINE 2 = Major_Roads maj 0 7 0 7 0 5 0 6 0 6 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 BLACK US_STATE_HW_LINE 3 = Streets str 0 7 0 5 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 4 0 2 0 3 0 3 0 2 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 2 BLACK US_STREET_LINE 4= Trails_4WD trail 0 7 0 5 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 4 0 2 0 3 0 3 0 2 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 2 BLACK TRAIL_LINE 5 = Railroads rail 0 7 0 6 0 4 0 6 0 3 0 3 0 5 0 2 0 2 0 5 0 1 0 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 DARK_GRAY US_RAIL_ROAD 6 = Hydro_Polygons hydp 0 7 0 7 0 0 0 6 0 6 0 0 0 5 0 5 0 0 0 5 0 5 0 0 0 5 0 5 0 0 DARK_GRAY SOLID_FILL 7 = Hydro_Lines hydl 0 7 0 6 0 5 0 6 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 4 0 5 0 3 0 3 0 5 0 3 0 3 DARK_GRAY SINGLE_LINE 8 = Parks park 0 7 0 7 0 0 0 6 0 6 0 0 0 5 0 5 0 0 0 5 0 5 0 0 0 5 0 5 0 0 LIGHT_GRAY BOX_PATT 9 = at_centerline lay0 0 7 0 7 0 5 0 6 0 6 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 BLACK MSOLID_LINE 10 = at_shelters lay1 0 7 0 7 0 5 0 6 0 6 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 BLACK LARGE_CITIES [GROUPS] NUMBER = 4 0 = Roads 3 u 2 u 2 u 2 1 = Railroads 0 2 = Hydrography 0 3 = Parks 0 [POI] UNIT_PARAMS=0 8 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 BLACK NO_FILL POI_INDEX=4 CAT_NUMBER=40 0=Arch, Arch.bmp, ARCH

part of Map\map.ini

[VERSION] VERSION=19 [ADD_MAPS_REF] 0 = \street_ak\map.ini 1 = \street_al\map.ini 2 = \street_ar\map.ini 3 = \street_az\map.ini ................................. 48 = \street_wi\map.ini 49 = \street_wv\map.ini 50 = \street_wy\map.ini 51 = \NewMap\map.ini [LIMITRECTANGLE] BOUNDRECT=-198.950394 198.950394 -100.108803 100.108803 [MAP_INFO] BND_BOX=-180.863998 180.863998 -91.008003 91.008003

Note: In this example we created new look definition for the line (thickness=2, green, label font is black, surrounded with white outline, label inserted in rounded rectangle), number of the definition is #36 (next to existing in MapSend Topo #35 for lines). For the points we selected existing definition #1 (small square) (just selected looking in the preview area of PCmapView). Then we repaced #77 (line) and #10 (point) created with MMO to #36 and #1 discussed above in the NewMap\map.ini [GROUPS] secton.See PCmapView program for details.