Custom Point of Interest file (cycle shops)

[Manotea]

I've been playing with custom Points of Interest files on my Garmin eTrex Vista/Metroguide. As the name suggests a custom PoI is a file of Points Of Interest compiled by a user, for example, detailing the cakeshops in your area.

The Garmin PoI loader seems to work OK loading custom PoI files onto my GPS but sadly the current release of Mapsource does not support the POILoader/Custom POIs). Obviously this is a must have feature for planing routes around custom PoIs. It may be that other mapping systems support custom POIs. Hopefully so will Mapsource in due course.

Obviously there is a lot of scope to prepare a cycling specific custom POI set of which the core would be a vaguely comprehensive directory of Bikeshops (I've got a POI file listing Halfords shops, but that doesn't quite cut it).

I'm sure we've all got anecdotes of being out on our bikes and needing to locate a bikeshop to make a repair or buy some spaires. It would be so much easier if we could ask our GPS to direct us to the nearest bikeshop, and so much better than asking for the nearest station because we were forced to pack'for the want of a nail' (or rather, an inner tube, seat bolt, spoke, whatever).

So.... does anybody know if a bikeshop POI file exists or have access to a (soft) directory which might be wrangled. This might one for the CTC or a bikeshop trade assoc to consider taking on...

[nuttycyclist]

...
The Garmin PoI loader seems to work OK loading custom PoI files onto my GPS but sadly the current release of Mapsource does not support the POILoader/Custom POIs). Obviously this is a must have feature for planing routes around custom PoIs. It may be that other mapping systems support custom POIs. Hopefully so will Mapsource in due course.
...

I'm not in front of the PC with POI loader installed, but I recall that it takes a CSV* file and converts it to Garmin format.   Could you somehow convert that CSV file to a GPX file and import to MapSource?






* Comma Seperated Values, openable in a text editor or spreadsheet

[Manotea]

...
The Garmin PoI loader seems to work OK loading custom PoI files onto my GPS but sadly the current release of Mapsource does not support the POILoader/Custom POIs). Obviously this is a must have feature for planing routes around custom PoIs. It may be that other mapping systems support custom POIs. Hopefully so will Mapsource in due course.
...

I'm not in front of the PC with POI loader installed, but I recall that it takes a CSV* file and converts it to Garmin format.   Could you somehow convert that CSV file to a GPX file and import to MapSource?

That's exactly how it works. You can also add address and other info to POI entries. There are various freeware utilities out there to assist compiling and loading POI sets (just google for them), however first one needs some data...

[frankly frankie]

I'm not in front of the PC with POI loader installed, but I recall that it takes a CSV* file and converts it to Garmin format.   Could you somehow convert that CSV file to a GPX file and import to MapSource?

You can do that, but at present it then just becomes a list of 'User Waypoints' which would impact on the GPS Waypoint limit of 500 or 1000.  Also you'd have to embed them in every project you do.

The Custom POIs sit separately in the GPS and don't impact the waypoint limit, and like the mapset, don't have to be reloaded for each ride. 
A cycle shops POIs file is a great project (though personally I'd be more interested in a French version).

[andygates]

For building a list, check out openstreetmap's tags for shop=cycle.   

[Manotea]

I'm not in front of the PC with POI loader installed, but I recall that it takes a CSV* file and converts it to Garmin format.   Could you somehow convert that CSV file to a GPX file and import to MapSource?

You can do that, but at present it then just becomes a list of 'User Waypoints' which would impact on the GPS Waypoint limit of 500 or 1000.  Also you'd have to embed them in every project you do.

The Custom POIs sit separately in the GPS and don't impact the waypoint limit, and like the mapset, don't have to be reloaded for each ride.  
A cycle shops POIs file is a great project (though personally I'd be more interested in a French version).

Sorry, yes, Francis is correct. To be clear what we're looking to build is a POI file for loading into a GPS which is a different annimal to a GPX for loading into Mapsource. Naturally all the GPS/Mapping vendors have their own standards for POI files. As usual, CSV/GPX is the Lingua Franca (no pun..).

Its also worth noting that whilst the Garmin POI Loader app supports loading Mapsource, the current release of Mapsource does not support custom POIs! A bit of a must have feature really for route planning. One could load custom POIs into Mapsource as a GPX to get an overview but thats a beyond clunky approach. Andy's beloved OpenStreetMap is starting to look ever more attractive...

[nuttycyclist]

Silly suggestion, but couldn't you send the POI to the GPS (to avoid the waypoint limit), so that all POIs show up on screen.

For route planning import to MapSource as GPX but do NOT SEND TO GPS as waypoints.

??


I've not had any issues to date with the 500 waypoint limit.   All my route planning has been done with "via points"* and has worked fine.



 *(i.e. drag and move the route in MapSource accordingly.  On the road, if you go past a place you manually adjusted the route, then "Via Point on left" shows on the screen.)

[Manotea]

Yes that  might work if you don't download way points to the GPS. Sadly, I do. Francis has written chapter and verse on waypoints and viapoints but I don't trust those pesky via points and I've not been anywhere near the GPS limits.