Nerd corner: makefile for compiling own gmapsupp.img using mkgmap styles

[Euan Uzami]

I once spent a bit of effort perfecting a compilation of my own garmin maps using mkgmap. Then lost it. And even if I'd found it would probably have forgotten how to run it.

So in the expectation that I will do the same again, I created a makefile for it, and put it on line on github -   posting here just to  share really in case it's useful for others.

I have copied and modified the default style to remove all points (shops, etc - I don't need them showing up - makes town centres look too cluttered) - pointless lines (footpaths, contours, political boundaries, constituency boundaries, hedges, pilons, ley lines, ... etc etc), so I've basically got just roads and areas (forest, lakes, etc) - looks nice and clean and uncluttered. Hence having named the style 'clean'.

https://github.com/bjtaylor1/garminmaps

I've made it so that  you can run 'make' again to update your gmapsupp.img and it will run osmupdate to (I believe) download patches and apply them, rather than redownloading the whole file (which could be large) again.

Also you can have just the country (or countries) you want in it. For instance I just have britain and france.

[Plug1n]

Chapeau!

And thanks for sharing

[wilkyboy]

This looks great, thanks Ben.

One question: can you load multiple maps .img files in the Garmin directory?  Or can there be only one?

[Euan Uzami]

One question: can you load multiple maps .img files in the Garmin directory?  Or can there be only one?

Seems to depend on the age of your Garmin. My old HCx Extrex will only accept one it seems, but the Edge 800 (for instance) is quite happy with multiple maps - you can just choose between them through "Menu > System > Map > Map Information"

My etrex 30 can have multiple *.img but it ignores all except the one called gmapsupp.img, and AFAIK it can't be told to load multiple *.img files.
However I can store them in there for when I want to use one of them, i.e. by renaming to gmapsupp.img.

[fuaran]

My etrex 30 can have multiple *.img but it ignores all except the one called gmapsupp.img, and AFAIK it can't be told to load multiple *.img files.
However I can store them in there for when I want to use one of them, i.e. by renaming to gmapsupp.img.

The Etrex 30 should work fine with multiple IMG files. Sounds like there's something strange about yours if it doesn't.

Note it depends on what is inside each IMG file. A file can contain a variety of map prducts, and each of these has a name and a "family ID". Also each map can be made up of multiple segments. You could get problems if you try using several IMG files with the same segment IDs inside.
Usually this won't be a problem, but things may not work if you try using several copies of a map from the same source.

[Euan Uzami]

Oh, yeah - when i say it doesn't work, I probably mean I haven't ever managed to get it to work, not that it won't ever work. To be honest it's not something I'm that bothered about.