Comments on: Creating Custom Waypoint Icons For Garmin GPS Units II

By: Leszek Pawlowicz

Leszek Pawlowicz — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:14:08 +0000

Can’t say for sure there’s no risk, but it’s unlikely. If you have a mapset that’s licensed to a single GPS unit, like City Navigator, that might create an issue, but since I don’t, I can’t say for sure.

By: Erik Kirknel

Erik Kirknel — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:53:04 +0000

OK, I tried to update my MapSource on a second PC I have. v. 6.15.4 shoved up with costum wp icons in the way point drop down meny!! Guess I have to remove my MapSource on the first PC reinstall and update. Is there any risk in removing MapSource and re-install??

By: Erik Kirknel

Erik Kirknel — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:30:31 +0000

My garmin\Costum waypoint symbols contains 7 png-files, no bmp-files! But in the earlier versions of MapSource I could find 7 round blue costum icons among marine, hunt, air transport icons. I dont see the costum icons.

By: Leszek Pawlowicz

Leszek Pawlowicz — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:40:43 +0000

Works on my system – found it in the My Garmin directory in Documents. Try a search for “001.bmp” on your computer, and maybe you’ll find it that way.

By: Erik Kirknel

Erik Kirknel — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:46:16 +0000

Just downloaded MapSource 6.15.4. Garmin claims costum waypoint symbols is again integrated in the usual wp directory, but I can’t find where it use to be. Any good advises??

By: Leszek Pawlowicz

Leszek Pawlowicz — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:35:33 +0000

You’re right – thanks for the update. I’ve emailed Garmin to ask them why they’ve dropped support for custom waypoint icons, especially since they still include it in the help file. In the meantime, the only way to get back custom waypoint icon support is to uninstall the latest version of MapSource, then re-install it from your data disk and upgrade it to version 6.14.1, the upgrade before the most recent version; you can download it from Garmin at:

http://www8.garmin.com/software/MapSource_6141.exe

By: Erik Kirknel

Erik Kirknel — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 08:46:53 +0000

MapSource 15.6.3 do not have the costum icon option. Any good advise how to establish icons in this version??

By: Art Carnage

Art Carnage — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 03:26:28 +0000

The comment about Paint.net is no longer true. It can save a bmp file in 8 bit mode. The option will be display when you save the image. The Magenta color on the pallet won’t work as a transparent color though. After selecting the color, you need to tweak the settings so that it’s an exact FF00FF. One bit off, and it won’t be transparent.

By: Erik Kirknel

Erik Kirknel — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:40:26 +0000

Regarding software and waypoint making: If you can get hold of the old MS Image Composer v. 1.5 you only need this software for creating custom wp. Download the custom file as described above, fill the file with cyan (255,0,255), save. Either draw your wp with the pencil in Image Composer, OR insert a bmp, jpg as a second layer. Adjust in size as the “cyan file”, overlay the cyan file with the inserted file, save as bmp, voila, new wp to be loaded.

By: Leszek Pawlowicz

Leszek Pawlowicz — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:43:25 +0000

16 x 16 is the only size that works for waypoints uploaded to the GPS; 24 x 24 is only acceptable for icons used by Mapsource.

It’s interesting that you got it to work with Paint Shop Pro. I tried it again with Photoshop Elements 2.0, and it still had a problem. But if I opened a waypoint BMP file that had been uploaded successfully before, then saved it in PSE, it did upload successfully to my Garmin, even though the DPI had changed. RLE wasn’t enabled in either case. So you’re right, the DPI isn’t critical, but some other unknown parameter does make a difference. What that is, I have no idea.