If you own a Garmin mapset that includes DEM data, like their 1:24K topographic mapsets or Topo US 2008, you might want to download and take a look at Garmin’s new free 3D map viewer and GPS data editor, BaseCamp. Here’s a screenshot using Topo US 2008 data:
On the plus side:
- 2D/3D/Overview map views
- Elevation profiles along a track
- Photo geotagging using a GPS track
- Some advanced editing features, like a track split function and eraser
On the down side:
- Program is slooooow, even on my fairly recent quad-core system
- Default 3D view is too subtle, even with decent topography; go to the options section and change the elevation exaggeration to something more useable, like 200%.
It’s probably worth downloading if you have a compatible mapset, but I don’t find the new features compelling enough to make me switch over from Garmin’s older Mapsource program to BaseCamp, especially given how sluggish the latter is. Hopefully future versions will be snappier, and add more features.
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
This software is a joke. It must be a beta version of some early kind.
Yes, BaseCamp is pretty sad. It did take Garmin years to produce a version of MapSource that was useable.
Leszek,
While we’re on the subject:
I mentioned a while back I was developing a free software for generating Garmin maps from OpenStreetMap data. Well, the software (called GroundTruth) has been released a few months ago. Yesterday I released a new version which can also generate relief contours from SRTM data. Here are some links:
- http://igorbrejc.net/openstreetmap/groundtruth-v13
- http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/GroundTruth
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/28786233@N03/tags/groundtruth/
BTW: I haven’t updated all of the docs with new features, it will take a day or two to do so.
BaseCamp software version 2.0.6 released.
Change History
Changes made from version 2.0.5 to 2.0.6:
* Added a worldwide base map for use with BaseCamp.
* Automatically named routes will now be named correctly when created in a folder.
* Improvements to undo and redo functionality.
* Better handling of tracks that only contain 1 point.
* Find now works if the location is set to ‘Center of Screen’.
* Improved print preview functionality on smaller screens.
* Grid lines print correctly.
Download here:
http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=4435
Thanks, Thomas. It also seems to run quite a bit faster than the version I tested. Still not very compelling for use with the Topo 2008, but might make more sense with the 1:24K mapsets.