Wouldn't you lose a bit of the accuracy by doing that?
You can't just take 2 gps files and merge them?
GPS Recommendations
- Thread starter Engignar
- Start date
Wouldn't you lose a bit of the accuracy by doing that?
You can't just take 2 gps files and merge them?
gtluke
The Moped
nope. the garmins can only read 1 line at a time. if you drew a line for every trail, you'd have to turn every single line on so they show up on your base map. each line would be it's own file.
this is why when i do this you have to draw the entire map out with a single line, backing over itself when needed to get a complete map.
there needs to be a way to edit the base map file itself so you can draw like roads on it so they show up all the time.
this is why when i do this you have to draw the entire map out with a single line, backing over itself when needed to get a complete map.
there needs to be a way to edit the base map file itself so you can draw like roads on it so they show up all the time.
Glancing Aft
Active Member
It was about 5 years ago that I did it so I guess there are easier ways to do it now. But my method was relatively quick and I would say accurate enough for a trail map (maybe within +/- 50')
1) Setup a base layer with the USGS topo or whatever background you want to use...
2) Then take a motionbased or map file of some of the data you want to use. Set it as a new layer and make it transparent. and move it around to overlap the USGS topo.
3) On a Third layer trace the GPS data making it pretty with whatever notes you want (trail symbols, colors, ect)
4) Then turn off layer 2, leaving you with just the USGS and the map level you created.
5) Repeate steps 2- 4 with however many logs you have.
Norm the advantage I found with this over merging GPS routes is that you wouldn't end up with multiple paths where you backtrack on yourself. Granted the software has improved since I did this so it might be a lot easier now.
Update: This obviously wouldn't be backwards compatible with making a GPS file to upload to your unit, only for a printed trailmap.
1) Setup a base layer with the USGS topo or whatever background you want to use...
2) Then take a motionbased or map file of some of the data you want to use. Set it as a new layer and make it transparent. and move it around to overlap the USGS topo.
3) On a Third layer trace the GPS data making it pretty with whatever notes you want (trail symbols, colors, ect)
4) Then turn off layer 2, leaving you with just the USGS and the map level you created.
5) Repeate steps 2- 4 with however many logs you have.
Norm the advantage I found with this over merging GPS routes is that you wouldn't end up with multiple paths where you backtrack on yourself. Granted the software has improved since I did this so it might be a lot easier now.
Update: This obviously wouldn't be backwards compatible with making a GPS file to upload to your unit, only for a printed trailmap.
I tried to find it, but I remember too little of the OP that I don't know where to begin looking. I think the guy was around all of 1 week.
gtluke
The Moped
I hear there are ways to edit the base map. If I can figure out how to do it I can draw all my maps onto a base map and you should be able to import it into a 605/705
What would be super sweet is if you could add the trails as if they were roads, so your garmin could successfully use them to navigate from one place to another using the trails as roads.
What would be super sweet is if you could add the trails as if they were roads, so your garmin could successfully use them to navigate from one place to another using the trails as roads.
Engignar
New Member
My plan was to gather a bunch of routes from motionbased/ garmin connect and open them up in topofusion. Topofusion allows you to "merge tracks" to remove duplicates and the redundancy that is inevitable when going out and back on a trail.
Initially I would start out with the track of 1 large ride, and then I can also open the track of a second ride. I would then Merge Track.
Now I've got one track with both rides' trails, lets call it Main Track.
I can then open another track and merge trails with the Main Track and I have just added some more trails to Main Track. When I do some rides on new, non tracked trails I can then Merge them to Main Track, or do the same by finding others motionbased rides.
Eventually the whole network should be one merged track that I should be able to save to the garmin. I may even be able to color code the trails so they show up in the garmin as different colors, but I am not sure.
I have not even started this project yet though...too busy riding. I think it is a winter time activity for me.
Initially I would start out with the track of 1 large ride, and then I can also open the track of a second ride. I would then Merge Track.
Now I've got one track with both rides' trails, lets call it Main Track.
I can then open another track and merge trails with the Main Track and I have just added some more trails to Main Track. When I do some rides on new, non tracked trails I can then Merge them to Main Track, or do the same by finding others motionbased rides.
Eventually the whole network should be one merged track that I should be able to save to the garmin. I may even be able to color code the trails so they show up in the garmin as different colors, but I am not sure.
I have not even started this project yet though...too busy riding. I think it is a winter time activity for me.
elzoller
El Guac-Oh
rlb
Well-Known Member
I'm chiming in w/o reading all of the posts here, cause I'm lazy right now, but I've been gathering trail data park by park and this is my process:
Download ~5 track files (as KML) from motionbased. There are a few super MTB riders here that have a lot of tracks to chose from, so I tend to look them up first.
Convert each KML to shapefile and load into ArcMap (You can skip this and work inside of Google Earth cause ArcMap isn't free)
Manually trace the "average" trail line from the several tracks into one master track file for that given park. I also overlay whatever park maps are available to assist me.
Convert back to KML then to GPX.
Load the master track file for that park into my GPS
This was how I gathered the data to make the Six Mile Run map. I've been putting together data for Allaire and CR though I'm not planning to make maps of those places.
As I start hitting up more parks, I start to gather & process the trail data for them, though I haven't been doing much data work these days since time has been tight.
Download ~5 track files (as KML) from motionbased. There are a few super MTB riders here that have a lot of tracks to chose from, so I tend to look them up first.
Convert each KML to shapefile and load into ArcMap (You can skip this and work inside of Google Earth cause ArcMap isn't free)
Manually trace the "average" trail line from the several tracks into one master track file for that given park. I also overlay whatever park maps are available to assist me.
Convert back to KML then to GPX.
Load the master track file for that park into my GPS
This was how I gathered the data to make the Six Mile Run map. I've been putting together data for Allaire and CR though I'm not planning to make maps of those places.
As I start hitting up more parks, I start to gather & process the trail data for them, though I haven't been doing much data work these days since time has been tight.
gtluke
The Moped
Okay I tried that big file
It just loads on like 25 seperate tracks, you would have to turn them all on to see them. One at a time. THough recently the new updates to the 705 have let it keep showing the one's I click "show on map" even if I turn it on and off, which is nice.
Doesnt' help the whole single line file thing.
It just loads on like 25 seperate tracks, you would have to turn them all on to see them. One at a time. THough recently the new updates to the 705 have let it keep showing the one's I click "show on map" even if I turn it on and off, which is nice.
Doesnt' help the whole single line file thing.
