Yesterday’s post was about CloudMade, a website where you can download Garmin map files based on OpenStreetMap data for any country in the world that has OSM data. But all the map tiles for a country or state are combined into a single gmapsupp.img file, which means you can’t install the tiles into Garmin’s MapSource program. Because of this limitation, you can’t combine them with other mapsets and upload them to your Garmin GPS using MapSource. But there’s a simple way to break that gmapsupp.img file into the component subtiles, which can then be installed into MapSource, and uploaded with other mapsets.
First, download the program gmaptool, and unzip it into the directory of your choice; this used to be a command-line utility, but now comes in a handy GUI format that drives the command line tool gmt.exe. Next, start up the program, navigate to the directory that contains the gmapsupp.img, and open the file:
Click on the Split tab, select the directory you want to put the tiles in, and select “single maps” from the dropdown:
Click on the “Split all” button, and the subtiles contained with the gmapsupp.img file will be extracted, and listed in a status window:
You can now use a program like MapSet Toolkit to install the tiles for viewing in MapSource, and uploading individually or combined with other mapsets into your Garmin GPS:
Note: The dropdown on the “Split” tab includes the option for creating files for installing the tiles directly into MapSource, but it doesn’t seem to be working right now. Running the install.bat file gives an error message saying that the needed program cgpsmapper can’t be found, and specifying the path for this file under the Options tab doesn’t solve the problem. I suspect this will work at some point in the future.
The command line program gmt.exe driven by the GMapTool GUI contains many additional advanced functions for handling Garmin map files, not all of which are currently accessible using the GUI, including removing/changing unlock codes (no, this won’t let you pirate Garmin mapsets), making maps transparent, and more. Check the readme.txt file that comes with the program for more info; there’s also a “gmaptool_en.html” help file with more info on the GMapTool GUI.
Actual screenshot |
See Real USGS Topo Maps, Aerial Photos And Scanned Maps On Your Garmin GPS WithMoagu:
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Actual screenshot |
Other posts in the Garmin GPS series
- Garmin microSD Card Tricks
- Exporting Data From Garmin’s MapSource Program To Google Earth
- Free Garmin GPS Unit Auto-Routing With MetroGuide Maps + Free European Basemap
- Cheap Worldwide Road And Contour Maps For Garmin GPS Units
- Converting A Garmin USB GPS Connection To Multiple Serial NMEA Connections
- Converting OpenStreetMap Data Into GPX Or Garmin .img Format
- Adding Garmin .img Map Files To MapSource
- Sources For Free Garmin .img GPS Map Files
- Beta Version Of DNRGarmin
- Google Maps Search Interface For Garmin .img Maps
- High-Res Garmin Topo Maps For CO, WY, and UT (also Argentina, Uruguay and Chile)
- Creating Custom Waypoint Icons For Garmin GPS Units I
- Creating Custom Waypoint Icons For Garmin GPS Units II
- Creating Custom Waypoint Icons For Garmin GPS Units III – Custom Waypoint Icons In MapSource
- Garmin Handheld GPS Units That Support Custom Waypoints
- Garmin MapSource For Free
- Garmin GPS Unit Waypoint Icons Table
- A Look At OpenStreetMap’s TIGER Data Exported To A Garmin GPS
- Beating The Garmin 2025-Map Limit With US Topo Maps
- High-Res Garmin Topo Maps Now Out For Utah
- Introduction To Garmin GPS Custom POI (Points Of Interest) Data
- Garmin Topo Maps For Montana And California
- Creating A Garmin Custom POI Datafile
- Managing Custom POI Data On A Garmin Handheld GPS
- Creating Custom Icons For Garmin Points Of Interest (POI)
- Creating A Garmin GPS Points Of Interest (POI) File From A Point Shapefile
- Entering Multiple Datasets For A Single Set Of Garmin Custom POIs
- AZ Garmin Topo Maps And More From The GPS File Depot
- Updates For Two Garmin-Related Programs
- Put USGS Topographic Maps, Aerial Imagery, And Other Raster Imagery On Your Garmin Handheld GPS
- New Garmin Map Links At The GPS File Depot
- Sets Of Custom Garmin Waypoint Icons
- Converting Raster Maps To Garmin Vector Format With BMap2MP
Actually, you CAN combine multiple gmapsupp.img files into one file, using Mkgmap. This way you don’t have to use MapSource (which is not available on the Mac). There’s info here… http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Mkgmap
Is there a Linux version of this program?
GMapTool is a GUI for gmt.exe, a command-line program. So if you can’t get GMapTool to run in WINE, you should be able to gmt to work; see the readme.txt in the download file for command options.
Leszek – I have downloaded GmapToolSetup047a.exe but, on trying to run it, Kaspersky has a message ‘riskware not-a-virus: RiskTool.win32.patcher.ab’ and deletes the program.
Are you aware of this problem – if so, how can I get your ptogram to work/
Many thanks
Tony Grimley UK
Haven’t heard of this problem before. Downloaded the latest version and scanned it with my antivirus (Avast), and it found nothing. I suspect it’s a false positive – I’ve seen that occasionally with other programs I know to be safe. Antivirus programs have algorithms that look for program patterns outside their virus definitions; that way, they can find viruses that might have been slightly modified, and aren’t in their definition lists yet. Sometimes, though, they’ll see a suspicious pattern in an innocuous program, but flag it anyway.
You might try having someone else on a different computer download the program and scan it; if it looks OK, try copying it onto your system and see if you can get it by Kaspersky
Is there a virus-free version somewhere?
I’ve scanned the program with Avast and Microsoft SE, and both have found no virus. I suspect it’s a false positive, but can’t be 100% sure.
Avira AntiVir just tagged wgmaptool044.zip as a positive for SPR/Tool.Patcher.T.