So you’ve followed the directions in the previous post, and created a CSV POI file, and uploaded it to you Garmin GPS unit. Now what?
Continue reading ‘Managing Custom POI Data On A Garmin Handheld GPS’
Archive for March, 2008
In the first post of this series, I compared the features of custom POIs (Points Of Interest) and waypoints for a Garmin handheld GPS unit (like my 60Cx). This post will show how to create a POI datafile that can be uploaded into a Garmin GPSr.
“Waypoints”, geographic position markers created either in a GPS unit or using software, have been a function found on virtually every GPS unit ever made. More recently, “Points of Interest” or POIs have been implemented as an alternate way to store data for a point position, and many recent GPS units let you upload your own custom POI lists. POIs provide a handy way of organizing groups of points, and can also include more information on a point than a standard waypoint. I’ll be doing a short series of posts on creating and manipulating POIs. While the focus will be on Garmin GPS POI capabilities, other GPS manufacturers also support them as well, though usually in different formats. Note: As far as I know, only Garmin GPS units that use external data storage cards (like those listed in this post) can accept custom POI data.
Continue reading ‘Introduction To Garmin GPS Custom POI (Points Of Interest) Data’
I’ve posted previously about Tom Patterson’s shaded relief maps, and he has a new one out. The Physical Map Of The World extends out his earlier Physical Map Of The Coterminous United States to cover the entire globe with shaded relief topography, “natural” colors to represent biomes, and key physical features labeled:
You can view the imagery online in a Zoomify interface, but as with his other imagery, he also provides free downloadable versions of this imagery in CMYK JPEG, and Adobe Illustrator files with the labels and graticule.
Via the always excellent Map Room.
The final part of the series. Part One, Part Two, Part Three. All parts will be regularly updated as more programs come to my attention.
SAGA
Type: Freeware, open-source
Platform: Windows, Linux
Last update: 2007
Personal experience: Medium
Continue reading ‘The Big List Of Free GIS Programs – S Through Z’
Now this is pretty slick! Go to this link at the MapChannels website, choose a location with the Google Maps interface, fill out a simple form, select some basic options, and get embeddable code that lets you display the same location in both Google Maps and Microsoft Virtual Earth Maps, side by side. Scroll/zoom one side, and the other follows automatically; you can also change the view (Map/Satellite/Terrain for Google, Road/Aerial/Hybrid/Bird’s Eye for Microsoft) independently for each side. Try it out here: Map Channels – Free mapping tools for your website or blog
Part three of this series (part one, part two).
Natural Resources Database (NRDB)
Type: Freeware, open-source
Platform: Windows
Last update: 2007
Personal experience: Minimal
Description
Continue reading ‘The Big List Of Free GIS Programs – N Through R’
A continuation of this list from the first post.
Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS)
Type: Freeware (formerly commercial), open-source
Platform: Windows
Last update: 2006?
Personal experience: Minimal
I plan to look at this one in greater detail in the future – looks like it has some really useful capabilities. Here’s a list of chapter titles from the Applications Guide to give you a feeling for what it can do:
Continue reading ‘The Big List Of Free GIS Programs – I Through M’
