Free maps for Garmin

[frankly frankie]

I don't think this is quite what you're looking for, but I've got an article about importing OSM maps (NB not Andy's compiled version) into Mapsource here - its a fairly complicated business.  [edit] as described below by fuaran [/edit]

Or you can download OSM files for Mapsource here - but these might not be cyclist-centric, I dunno, haven't looked at them closely.

[andygates]

Biketoutetoaster.com uses OSM data, so it'll have those paths.

Routing preferences are often a bit arbitrary - most "bike" modes assume fear of roads - so you might need lots of via-points to get the route exactly where you want.

[fuaran]

I usually use Mapsource for creating routes - perhaps I need to load a MunkyMap into there? If so, how?

Yes, you can install the MunkyMaps in MapSource, its not too hard:
Download the "Tiles" version of the Munky, and unzip the England / Scotland / Wales folder somewhere, plus the munky.typ file.
Download MapSetToolKit from cypherman1 - MapSetToolKit page
(font-end for cgpsmapper) and unzip it (note: you do not need to download cGPSmapper).

Run MapSetToolKit, and on the right there is a section for "Mapset installed". Click on the button underneath that for "Install".
Choose the TDB file, TYP file etc from the the Munky map folder you unzipped. I think the "Overview map" is the 63240000.img file.
You also need to fill in something for the "Registry name", I think this can be whatever you like, so long as its not the same as another mapset.
Then click Install, and it will be installed in MapSource.

Minor suggestion to Andy: can you give your maps a series name? Its currently just the mkgmap default of "OSM Map", which gets confusing if you have multiple OSM maps installed in MapSource. Its done using the --series-name= option in Mkgmap.

[andygates]

Wilco - I've left it untweaked for a while 'cos, well, I've been doing other things and just churning out updates  - but this week I finally fix the country names too.   

[Chris S]

I usually use Mapsource for creating routes - perhaps I need to load a MunkyMap into there? If so, how?

Yes, you can install the MunkyMaps in MapSource, its not too hard:

Brilliant. Worked a treat. Many thanks! 

[Kim]

Oooh, I'll have to try that later.  Presumably that means you can then upload both Munky and Garmin's maps to the GPS in the same image file, so you can switch between them easily from the wossname menu.  The Munky maps are fantastically clear, and OSM's coverage of off-road paths is occasionally extremely useful, but I find that sometimes the routing gets its knickers in a twist with OSM, where it Just Works in Metroguide.

[frankly frankie]

Yes, you can do that.
It helps to get the draw priority approx. right and I've never seen any documentation of where the Garmin maps are in the hierarchy.  
MapsetToolkit offers priorities up to level 31, and transparent or not, so you can arrange which map sits on top of which.  In theory, anyway.  

I reckon by trial and error that Metroguide v9 sits at 28 or 29.  Not 100% certain about this though.
I have added contours which sit at 31 and transparent.
So to add OSM into the mix a priority somewhere in the low 20s would seem about right.  It then sits invisibly 'under' Metroguide and if you switch Metroguide off the OSM map displays, in my case still with the contours on top.  (I think Andy's map has contours integrated ? so you would need a different approach in this case)

An interesting experiment would be to create a OSM TYP file that renders roads and areas invisible, leaving only paths and bridleways and cycletracks, plus a few POIs - ie just the useful bits that aren't in Metroguide.  Then put this at priority 30 and transparent - should be possible to get Metroguide with the OSM cycletracks etc displayed simultaneously.  Might try this when I'm bored.


P.S.  I think routing in OSM has to be seen as a very long-term project.  I tinker around in the map edit facility sometimes and I find mal-formed road junctions all the time.  Every such junction is presumably as bad as a missing road, from the routing point of view, and will have knock-on effects all around that vicinity.  Add to that, that a lot of the road classifications (primary, secondary, tertiary etc) are applied inconsistently (because of the wiki nature of the beast) and its never going to work too well IMO.

[Kim]

Okay, successfully installed the England Munky maps in mapsource using fuaran's method, and a combined mapset is currently crawling its way to my eTrex.

Is there a sensible way to install all the Munky maps at once?  That method won't allow me to have the England and the Wales maps at the same time without jibbling the FID.

[Polar Bear]

I download and unzip Andy's Garmin-Munky-UKIE map unzip, then simply copy into the Garmin directory on the machine.   Hey presto, all of the UK at once.  

<edit>

Of course, I might have just misunderstood your requirement.   Sorry.

</edit>

[saturn]

PB - I think this is about replacing the very basic mapsource map on the PC (ie for route planning - not for use on the GPS).

Kim I did it using the second link provided by frankly (thanks FF) although this is the standard OSM map not the munky version - I'm content to use the standard OSM in Mapsource but use the munkymap on the GPS however. You mark the areas you want and it builds a single map for you and emails a link after an hour or so.

[fuaran]

Is there a sensible way to install all the Munky maps at once?  That method won't allow me to have the England and the Wales maps at the same time without jibbling the FID.

You could combine all of the tiles them into a single mapset, then install in MapSource, but you would have to generate a new TDB file and an overview map.
This should be possible using Mkgmap, with the --tdbfile option, specify all of the individual map tiles as inputs.

Though if you're doing this, then you might as well just generate the Garmin maps from the OSM files in the first place.
I don't know if there's any particular reason why Andy is generating the Tiles maps as split up into England / Scotland / Wales etc anyway. It shouldn't be any more complicated to make it as a complete Britain map.

[andygates]

My comp is a poor little kitten with hilariously feeble resources, plus I thought it would be intuitive chunks in case people wanted just a part.  The tiles aren't really my focus, which is that monolithic uber-map a la Polar Bear - they're just easy to slap up online as a bonus for Mapsource folks.

I can give it a go as one great tile bucket and we'll see how it plays, if you like.

Also: OSM on the Beeb: BBC News - The volunteer mappers who helped Haiiti (that's my racecourse, that is )

[Kim]

Okay, that appears to have worked stunningly well.  I've got myself a nice shiny .img file containing the UK in both Metroguide and TopoGB flavours, along with the Munky map of England and the SMC contour data (which I'd installed in Mapsource some time previously).  All easily selected and de-selected from the sekrit mapset toggle menu in "setup map", with the contours as a transparent overlay for whichever map is visible (I find the contours make Metroguide maps much easier to interpret once you're away from civilisation).  

I also note the OSM routing data has improved since I last tried it.  It can now work out a route to my friend's flat (about 10km across central Brum) without freezing for 2 minutes and eventually giving up with some unhelpful error message (I suspect bogus routing data causing it to go round in circles until it runs out of memory).  Okay, it wants me to go via the Aston Expressway and Spaghetti Junction, but in navigation terms 'certain death' is still an improvement on 'lost'.  

I suspect that if I were to coax it onto the canal network, it would find a vaguely sensible towpath route that avoids those bits.

I can give it a go as one great tile bucket and we'll see how it plays, if you like.

That would be lovely, as I'm not a million miles from the Welsh border...

[leeg]

This could be a stupid question but...

How do I tell which area of the UK each tile of the tiled munky maps points to?

I've got an old eTrex Vista with only 24mb so have to be selective on what I upload.

[Kim]

How do I tell which area of the UK each tile of the tiled munky maps points to?
I've got an old eTrex Vista with only 24mb so have to be selective on what I upload.

Install them all in Mapsource as described above, then click on the ones you want on the map of the UK with the map selecty thing, and click "send to GPS" as you would with Garmin maps.

[andygates]

Yay, it works!   

[leeg]

Install them all in Mapsource as described above, then click on the ones you want on the map of the UK with the map selecty thing, and click "send to GPS" as you would with Garmin maps.

Thanks.  I'd been using the sendmap20 utility for so long I'd forgotten MapSource could do this.

[saturn]

I'm hooked! It's a bit of a challenge round here finding roads that aren't mapped (probably none of any significance within 20 miles) but I'm having fun filling in the few gaps that exist. Unexpectedly stumbling across an uncharted road when out for a ride thrills like a "free cakes" sign might. Are these feelings normal? Do I need help? 

[andygates]

I chase down unmapped roads like a dog that's seen a butcher's van.

[piedwagtail91]

are munky maps ok in a oregon 300. i've found myself in a very unusaul position of being able to afford a new gps but don't want to buy a  model that won't work with these maps. another update and more of my area is filled in! somtimes wish there was a yahoo image underneath to compare the gps trace to.

[andygates]

The OSM docs say it'll work fine, so if you have problems, it's with my version of the map and I'll need to fix 'em.  Go for it.   

[piedwagtail91]

thanks, will find out tomorrow!

[MikeFromLFE]

I'm hooked! It's a bit of a challenge round here finding roads that aren't mapped (probably none of any significance within 20 miles) but I'm having fun filling in the few gaps that exist. Unexpectedly stumbling across an uncharted road when out for a ride thrills like a "free cakes" sign might. Are these feelings normal? Do I need help? 

Curiously, a large estate very close to me seems to be largely unmapped, which is rather odd. (It did used to have *that* sort of reputation, but I regularly used to cycle through it, with no ill effects).
I feel a sad sort of afternoon's ride round some glum suburban streets coming on!

[piedwagtail91]

i know how you feel. i've spent a couple of hours for the past two saturday mornings walking around housing estates!

[David Martin]

I chase down unmapped roads like a dog that's seen a butcher's van.

I started doing that. It now means that any mapping ride is a minimum of 30 miles (and that is just the couple of miles of gaps left that close.)

Most of the minor roads NW of Dundee are mapped by me, and I will have to start heading in to the badlands E of the A90 soon.

..d