The Custom Maps format is not relevant at the moment, it is much more efficient to use JNX. It is enough to crack the firmware and save the maps in JNX format using the MAPC2MAPC program described below.
Information about the formats of vector and raster maps Garmin.
As you know, the latest models of Garmin navigators (Oregon, Dakota, 62, Colorado, 78, Edge 800) support downloading raster maps in KMZ format. Let's try to figure out what it is and what it is eaten with.
The KMZ container is a zip archive containing:
Thus, each KMZ contains a map consisting of several fragments in JPEG format and a file for the navigator with their description.
At the moment, there are the following restrictions on loading raster maps:
Looking ahead, I will say that all these restrictions lead to the impossibility of having more than 12 standard sheets of the General Staff in the instrument at a time. These restrictions are purely software, but there is another format - JNX - that allows you to load a much larger number of maps with much more features. However, the use of JNX requires unauthorized intervention in the firmware of the device, so we will leave this issue for another time.
All methods of loading raster maps assume that you have at least the original map in drawing format. Where can I get it?
This download method is offered by Garmin itself and is described in some detail. In short:
In my experience, if you reduce the sheet of GSh so that there are 4 pieces, then processing the sheet takes no more than 40 minutes. We actually perform the binding manually, ignoring the existing one, and in a far from the most convenient way.
It consists in the fact that you use specialized software to create KMZ as much as possible. This method requires a map binding - a MAP file or similar. I use the MAPC2MAPC program, which will be discussed below. I’ll make a reservation right away that the program is paid (10 GBP), but the unpaid version is fully functional (it only shits on the card with red crosses), plus you can download old versions for free.
So, the features of this program include:
In general, with the settings made once, it is enough to load MAP, crop the map to your liking, select the desired fragments (if we do not need the whole map) and start the conversion. You can watch a video tutorial on how to create a KMZ in Mapc2mapc.
Tip: if you set the fragment size to 1200x870 pixels, then not 9, but 8 of them will go to the sheet of the General Staff - accordingly, more sheets will fit into memory. In addition, unnecessary parts of the map (large bodies of water) can be excluded from processing - thereby also saving space.
In addition, if the path to the map includes Russian characters, then the program will swear at it. The path is to hell with it, but the name of the map must be written in Latin, as well as the link to the picture in the MAP. You can fix it manually, or you can use the same OziMapTrans.
The easiest way to download is to manually drop them into the \Garmin\CustomMaps folder on the device or on a memory card. But if there were jambs during the conversion, then the device will either start to swear at startup, or simply will not show the card.
Therefore, a more reliable way is to use the program from Garmin Basecamp (free, Russian). She can do a lot, in particular, upload and unload all information from the device, except for branded cards. It is enough to import the KMZ created by us and send it to our device or to a memory card, then everything will be done by itself.
In the end, the sheet of the General Staff is converted into a KMZ file, consisting of 8 fragments and weighing 1.6 MB (quality "4", i.e. 80%). It is easy to calculate that 12 sheets will enter the memory of the device, and if you remove unnecessary fragments, then more. This is enough to cover an area of at least 50x50 km with 500 meters, and 200x200 km with 2 kilometers.
At the same time, a 5x10 km satellite photograph of the maximum scale takes up almost all available memory (80 fragments, about 25 MB), so if we want to load especially large raster volumes, we will have to use JNX. Information on this format is available on the GPS-Forum.
Memory cards with loaded raster maps can be changed, so if you need to cover a very large area (not fit into memory), it will be convenient to keep the main (vector) cards in the device’s memory, and insert raster cards as needed, since the MicroSD card costs from just 170 rubles. Just do not forget that the Garmin memory card connector is quite flimsy.
Here is the result of all our actions: a map from Candida, converted by me for downloading to Garmin. The file can be downloaded and opened in Google Earth (transparency is set in the conversion settings, the map is normal in the device itself). Site of the author of the map: bikeadventure.spb.ru.
Here is an example of the General Staff 500m lying under the vector as it appears on the GPSMap 62s screen.
And this is a satellite photo of the maximum scale:
The "turbidity" of the maps is due to the initial data - naturally, if desired, they can be sharpened and made brighter / more contrast.
When Garmin finally decided to use raster formats, it itself immediately wanted to offer its customers to look at the Earth not only through the plane of topographic maps, but also from a bird's eye view. Why did I launch the BirdsEye service, by purchasing a subscription in which you can upload not only schematic images of the terrain, but also the achievement of the current civilization - satellite images.
The container (file format/extension) in which space photos are packed for uploading to the device, she called JNX.
Although at its heart, like KMZ files, there is still a bitmap with a topographic reference, the service shell is more advanced here:
First, there are levels of detail (scaling). Number 5.
. Secondly, if the device can understand (and forgive us) only 100 (or 500 in Montana devices) KMZ files/tiles, then the JNX container allows placing 50,000 of them at each level.
. Thirdly, Garmin allowed up to 250 cards/containers to be loaded into devices with firmware released since March 2011 and up to 200 cards running on earlier firmware. (!) Exactly firmware, not devices. Firmware can be updated if available.
. Fourth, based on the previous quantitative indicators, we can safely reduce the size and weight of each tile without significant area losses, which should increase the speed of displaying/updating and scrolling the image on the screen.
But there is also a spoonful of... fly in the ointment - all this beauty is locked up and rigidly tied to the device.
(!!!) That's why! a) if you are not ready to patch (read reflash) your device because of some superstition, because of fear for the directness of your hands or in fear of losing the warranty, b) at the same time you are also not ready to officially pay for BirdsEye Satellite Imagery - then it is better to stop at this place, being content with the possibilities of the KMZ format. At least until maturity :)
Now about how homemade JNX cards can get into our devices.
The meaning of this is this. Before paying for a BirdsEye subscription, Garmin kindly offers to test it (the service). And create one test JNX map with some minimum coverage area. The goal of the patch is to make the navigator's brain forever forget about limiting parameter checks after the "injection from greed", delighting us with the whole breadth of native open spaces.
But before proceeding with the procedure, you need to visit the page on the site a_whiter "a, the author of the patcher, and make sure that your device and firmware are suitable for such treatment. If the device data matches the capabilities of the patcher, feel free to go to the download page for the current version (following the link on the same page), download and unpack to a convenient for you folder.
Here the paths of those who have devices with the latest firmware version and who had the old firmware diverge for a short time. The latter can go straight to . And the first continue to prepare the device.
The fact is that the patched firmware is not some new and completely different program from the official one, but the same version of the same Garmin firmware, with only a small fraction of the code corrected. And the device, provided that the installed firmware is not buggy and works without errors, will refuse to update to the same version, remaining "with its own". Therefore, before installing a new firmware, we need to downgrade the installed one.
How WebUpdater works... This utility is basically a simple file downloader. Its role is as follows - first, it looks for some service file in the device, from which it reads the HWID and firmware version. Then he accesses his database, finds the latest version for this HWID and uploads it to the same folder? X:\Garmin\. End. Then the device does everything itself, starting the installation on reboot.
We need to do it manually, only the task is to find not the latest, but an earlier version.
Wikispaces can be taken as a starting point: Dakota , eTrex 20/30 , Montana , GPSMAP , Oregon 6xx , Oregon x50 (450 and 550) , Oregon 200, 300, 400i, 400c, 400t , Colorado .
If you can’t find it there, there is still a good catalog on this site, where you can also try to look for your own version by HWID. To do this, on the device, in the folder? X:\Garmin\ you need to find the GarminDevice.xml file and open it with any text editor (notepad will do). Almost in the first lines of code, find something like this line:
This means that the HWID of the device is "0661" with the firmware version "370" (do not flatter yourself, deceive the device, as it used to be, simply by correcting the version in the code to an earlier one (360; 350 ... 320), it will no longer work - they become a little smarter). Then find your version in the table, download it to your computer and unzip it if the file is packed into an archive.
PS: Maybe it will happen ... And most likely it will happen - the navigator will stop seeing the maps that are installed in it. Even vector ones, even basic ones, overviews... So, don't be afraid. From such "treatment with electricity" anyone you want will go brains, even if they are electronic. The device just lost touch with reality and cannot understand who he is where he is. Treat with understanding and help him - put him on the windowsill, or rather take him out to the balcony - he needs to talk with his companions. As soon as they tell him everything and report the latest news, he will become even better than before :)
Recently, a huge number of cards have appeared on the worldwide web, which, unfortunately, some sites want to sell. In our store there are only unique information products. Only here you can download a map of the Sverdlovsk region for free literally in one click. We cannot hide from users what has long been in the public domain. For example, here you can find Garmin topo maps for free. A navigator is a rather expensive purchase, so it may be that there is not enough money for maps. In any case, when you buy such a device, you win, but for the time being, you can use the free cards that are presented in this section.
This is proprietary software prepared by us. Professional cards, which come with a fee, have a lot more options. In order to understand whether they are needed, it is necessary to establish the purpose of your trips. If these are just trips to nature with the family, then it is enough to buy a navigator in our store and download free Garmin topographic maps. If you are engaged in serious multi-day trips (including ATV trips), then you will have to buy professional maps in the end.
Download free Garmin GPS maps and more. Information will be gradually updated here, we will expose maps prepared by us for free use. There are also topographic maps that were scanned a very long time ago, and have been in the public domain for more than 10 years. In fact, everything a beginner needs is here.
As you know, Garmin navigators of the following models
Alpha
Astro
Dakota
Oregon
Colorado
GPSMAP 62 series
GPSMAP 78 series
Edge 800
Montana
Rino
eTrex 20 and 30
support raster custom maps that you can create yourself based on the desired source
Not satisfied with the available official Garmin maps (Roads of Russia and TOPO), I began to study the process of making maps myself. A lot of information was shoveled and comprehended, a squeeze from which I will try to present
Comparison of various map formats in dry-digital form: http://whiter.brinkster.net/JNX.shtml
At first, I experimented with *.kmz maps - but I quickly realized that this format is very limited by the capabilities of the navigator (processing speed and the allowed number of files). In my opinion, this format has only one plus - no need to interfere with the firmware of the device
Having reached the understanding that you can’t cook porridge with the kmz format, I decided to start working with the * .jnx format
The standard firmware of navigators that support raster maps has a software limitation - in order to use jnx maps, you need to subscribe to the official Garmin BirdsEye service, and download maps only through it. To remove this limitation, the firmware of the device must be patched.
Interference with the standard firmware, of course, deprives the owner of the official warranty for the device - but, firstly, Garmin's hardware is quite reliable; secondly, my device was purchased in the States and was not happy with the Russian guarantee
Flashing the device
We will need:
- patcher, which can be downloaded from the link http://whiter.brinkster.net/Versions.shtml
- the official Garmin WebUpdater, which can be downloaded from http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=931
Preparatory steps:
- the batteries of the device must be charged. If the flashing process is interrupted due to dead batteries, the device may be damaged.
- it is worth making a backup copy of the standard software of the device, saving it on a computer
1. After connecting the device to the computer, launch the WebUpdater program. Next, there are two options
1a. The firmware of your device is up to date and WebUpdater does not start the firmware update process. In this case, download the old beta version of the update from http://u.to/yDEEAg and install it on the device:
Now we launch the WebUpdater program and start the update process. Its result will be the GUPDATE.gcd file created by the program in the Garmin directory on the device. Without disconnecting the device from the computer, and without turning it off, go to step 2
1b. The firmware of the device is outdated and can be updated. In this case, we start the update process. Its result will be the GUPDATE.gcd file created by the program in the Garmin directory on the device. Without disconnecting the device from the computer, and without turning it off, go to step 2
2. Cut out the GUPDATE.gcd file obtained on the device and paste it on the computer. Run the patcher downloaded earlier. Using the Browse key, point it to the GUPDATE.gcd file
The result will be the GUPDATE_Patched.GCD file created by the patcher in the same folder
3. Rename the resulting patched file GUPDATE_Patched.GCD to GUPDATE.gcd and paste it on the device instead of the cut file
4. Disconnect the device from the computer, turn it on. The instrument software update process starts. The result of it will be a new current firmware version, patched for unlimited use of *.jnx format maps
Creating custom maps in *.jnx format
We need the SAS.Planet program, which can be downloaded from the link: http://sasgis.ru/sasplaneta/
This program allows you to work with satellite images of google, yandex, bingmaps, maps of the General Staff and some other sources. The output product is maps in various formats, linked to coordinates and ready to be loaded into the device
1. Having opened the desired area, select the desired map ("Maps" tab)
2. Tab "Operations" - "Operations with a selected area" - select the required part of the map
3. A separate window "Operations with the selected area" appears, we need the "Download" tab
4. Select the required scale (optimum - Z17 - Z18), uncheck "Close window after start", check the box "Try to load missing tiles", press the button "Start"
5. At the end of the download, go to the "Export" tab
6. Select the same scale as when loading the map, select the save location and file name (in Latin), select the export format - JNX raster map for Garmin, press the "Start" button
7. On the additional memory card of the device in the Garmin folder, create a BirdsEye folder and copy the resulting map into it. Do not forget to enable user maps in the device menu
results
Standard instrument card
Uploaded satellite images
Being the owner of the Garmin device for about six months, of course, I began to study this device with curiosity. And along the way, I came across the fact that there are not so many answers and instructions that are understandable for someone who holds a navigator in their hands for the first time. Having studied the N-th number of sites and forums, I tried to collect a single "instruction for use" here. A list of sources of information is given at the end of the article.
In the window that opens, select the folder where the maps and mapping files were downloaded, select the "Ozi Explorer Map files (map.)" format. Select the binding files and click open.
The result is such a map glued from several sheets. For example, I stitch a 250-meter GHz map. Now you need to remove/cut off fields with unnecessary numbers and coordinates. To do this, in the "Tools" tab, select "Control Center". A window will open in which you need to select all the sheets of the map. Next, click "Settings".
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Next, you need to save the resulting map in KMZ format. To do this, click “File / Export / Export Rasters”. In the export window, select KML/KMZ. Next, in the window that appears, on the “KML / KMZ settings” tab, select the export settings (In the source, the author suggests choosing “PNG” and a size of 512x512 for faster loading of the map in the device. Here it is necessary to take into account the fact that Garmin devices have a limitation on fragments - images into which the map is split during conversion (most of them are 100. In addition, my Dakota, for some reason, refuses to see the “PNG” format, so I chose “JPG” and played with quality and resolution in the windows on the right and bottom.)
Item 4 is needed for those who have a border on the finished map when viewing, in place of the cropped fields. In the “Export borders” tab, put a dot in the item “Latitude / Longitude, deg.” Ready! The resulting file can be opened in Google Earth and see how it lays down on the terrain.
You can download the program from the official website, installation is not required. To glue a map for an example, I will be based on the topo maps of the General Staff from the site: routes.ru. We start the program. We move to the place we need on the map. For example: Slyudyanka. Next, select the display type: all kinds of services with maps and satellite images are provided to choose from.
Let's start creating a polygon - selecting an area (which will be your map). Click "Operations with the selected area" and select the appropriate option, for example, "Polygonal area". Then, using the mouse, select any area of interest to us. The mini-panel to the right of the selected area is needed to control the selection. When you're done selecting, click the checkmark in the mini-pane. The Selection Operations window appears. We will not fill anything in it yet, but move it aside so that it does not interfere. Although you can just close it. It will open again by pressing "Ctrl+B" or by selecting "Previous Selection" from the same menu.
But, neither Yandex, nor Google, nor anyone else, order satellite-space images of varying degrees of detail for each of their levels. It would be too expensive, and not entirely reasonable. Therefore, other scales are formed from images
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When the manual talks about the upper display level, the upper transition level and the upper level in general, it means a small Zoom (z1 is the smallest) and a small scale (1: 500,000 = 1 cm - 5 km smaller than 1: 50,000 = in 1 cm - 500 m.). If it will be easier for you to understand, then imagine yourself rising in a balloon - the higher you are above ground level, the smaller the scale of the "earth-map". The upper level is higher above the ground, we lower the level - we sink to the ground. The Yandex Maps service is well-organized both from the point of view of logic and usability of the interface - the "+" button is down.
In Google services and in SASPlanet, the slider must be pulled up to zoom in. But downgrade. So, in KMZ maps, the upper and lower limits on the display level are set by the standard and depend on the one from which the map is glued. Let's say we took pictures of the level, which corresponds to the kilometer scale (z15). When we upload them to the navigator, our map will turn on at a scale of 3 km (upper level), and turn off only at 20 meters (lower level). That is, with digital scaling, the real image will only decrease by 4 times (which is not bad), and increase by 16 (ass of pixels). Although we remember that when moving down one level (then we increase the scale), the number of tiles at a given size increases quadratically (a kilometer is divided into four 500 meters), reducing the available coverage area by 4 times, but it seems to me that you should not chase much increasing the area of the map, but it is better to choose levels that correspond, if not to the maximum image quality, then close to it. Just because the screens of navigators are not retina displays of smartphones, imperfection is easier to finish off with SD cards, which have fallen in price to some indecent figures - for 2 Gb they ask only 100 rubles ... But be that as it may, cards of the "z19" level you can cover about 12 square kilometers of area, quadrupling it with each zoom-out click.
How to determine the "correct" picture? Oddly enough, the most efficient way is purely visual. The truth is, it takes some tinkering. If approached subjectively, then the layer before the last one seems to be the sharpest, and the next one is a little pixelated, stretched. But usually this effect is created by the "digital noise" inherent in electric photographs - and in fact it is our "correct" one.
To disable non-existent levels in SASPlanet, you need to uncheck the box next to the line "Take maps from smaller scales" in the "View" menu and the missing tiles will not be displayed.
We return to the "Operations with the selected area" window. It will immediately open on the "Download" tab. In the “Download” tab, in the drop-down menu, select our map source. (Not necessarily the same one in which we view the map in the program.) Select the desired zoom in the column on the right 1-24. Click "Start".
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At the end of the process, close the download window and go to the “Glue” tab. But first, it would not be bad to make sure that it ended with a positive result. The "Layer Fill Map" can help in this matter. In this menu, you need to specify three parameters: In the "Form for ..." submenu, select "As on the main map", or the map you need. Select scale. Choose what to show - existing tiles or missing ones. If you select the missing ones, they will change the tone to a darker one, if the existing ones (as in the picture) - they will darken.
After making sure that the layer is filled evenly, you can move on. In the "Glue" tab, select: "Resulting format" - select "KMZ for GARMIN". "Where to save" - select a folder and give a name to the file. Check the card type. Don't forget to adjust the "Scale". The "Overlay" field and the projection to it are left empty. Also, do not put any checkmarks in front of the items "Apply image correction" and "Overlay display marks" (if the latter are not needed of course). If there is an item "Save PNG with transparency" (v.121010) - remove the selection - these pictures are definitely not needed here.
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And in the "Create a binding file" field, we also do not set anything - we have a KML binding inside a KMZ file. "Quality for JPEG and ECW" leave the default - "95". We look at the line "Number of files", where we see such values \u200b\u200b"49x28 (1372), size: 12353x6785".
We are not interested in the number of tiles actually downloaded, they are not of our size. The task of the program is to first glue them together, and then cut them according to the KMZ template. Therefore, only the last values are important to us.
We remember that the size of our tile should not exceed 1024 pixels on each side. It is into such squares that we need to cut the map. This is achieved through simple arithmetic calculations, where each digit must be divided by 1024, and any result must be rounded up to a larger value. So we get the numbers xx horizontally and xx vertically.
Click "Start" and wait for the end of the process. Ready!
Briefly about the JNX format
JNX files are used by Garmin devices to display satellite maps available through a BirdsEye subscription. In navigators, these files are located in the “Garmin\BirdsEye” folder on the internal drive or SD card. JNX is the so-called “tiled” format, that is, a large raster image in the map is divided into smaller rectangular parts to speed up the display by the navigator. JNX map support is available on the following devices: Alpha 100, Astro 320, Colorado 300/400, Dakota 10/20, Edge 800, Etrex 20/30, GPSMAP 62/78, Montana 600/650, Oregon 200/300/400/450 /550, Rino 610/650/655.
A significant limitation of the JNX format is the hard binding of maps to the device.
Research results
The JNX format has been almost completely explored (with the exception of a part of the loader's service data block, which can be completely neglected when creating your own maps). A set of utilities has been developed both for converting raster maps to JNX format and for reverse conversion.
Although JNX files contain a device binding code, there are two known ways to use your own JNX maps in Garmin navigation devices.
First way:
You can patch the device's firmware in such a way as to remove the restriction on the number of demo cards shown and their area.
Second way:
If you have a BirdsEye subscription, you can use BaseCamp to activate your own JNX maps. To do this, it is enough to make the map one of the converters, upload the resulting JNX file to the device, then run “BaseCamp” and copy the map from the device to the collection. The map can then be sent back to the device, with BaseCamp activating the map and linking it to the device. This method will only work if the device is associated with a "BirdsEye" subscription.
Internal structure of JNX files
The format description is based on experimentation with JNX files provided by volunteers.
Run the program and find the desired region. We will not go far, we will take the same Slyudyanka. If for KMZ maps we had to choose one level and one source for it, now we can dream up (JNX format allows using up to 5 different layers in one map). But before that, it would not be bad to check who offers what to this territory. Wandering through the Maps menu, I chose three levels. At the bottom (z18) we will have all the Google satellites, in the middle of the "paper" GHC at 250 m (z16), so as not to get lost, and at the very top (z14) we will place the General Staff at 2 km.
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Further, as in the previous paragraph - creating maps in KMZ format using SASPlanet.(We select the desired area, and download the map from the sources we need with the “correct” zoom (i.e. in my example, download Google satellite, when the download is completed in the same window, select the next source - 250-meter GHz from Routes.ru, download , repeat the procedure for 2 km of the General Staff). Do not forget to make sure with the help of the "Map of filling the layer" that all the selected tiles are in place. After that, the area of the unknown already begins - the "Export" tab in the "Operations with the selected area" window.
But before you fill it with meanings, you need to understand a little bit - how, with what and why. Imagine that you have a stack of cards of the same area in front of you. To look at a particular square in more detail, you simply put aside the small scale sheet and move on to the next one. First, 10 kilometers, then 5, then 2, then 1, then 500 meters... In the navigator, however, the detailing can happen more smoothly, because the gradation of scales is more extended. And zooming in, for some time you will still be looking at the same map.
Native JNX maps, obtained through a BirdsEye subscription, contain levels with scale values given by some integers of various sizes. What they really mean is still unknown to science and remains a mystery to Garmin programmers. But smart people based on them came up with their own, extended sequence, which is used in all decent programs capable of compiling JNX files. In SASPlanet, this scale of numbers has been translated into a meter-kilometer format that is convenient for us.
Everything would be simple if we made maps according to the BirdsEye template and the scales went sequentially, one after the other. The program itself would substitute the necessary values and there would be no need to take a steam bath. Only with us, everything can be a little more complicated, if not more fancy.
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Let's consider a simple situation where our card collection is missing one sheet. For example, a sheet of 500 meters was lost somewhere, and only a kilometer and 250 meters are available. On paper, as already mentioned, this is easy to do - put aside one sheet and immediately move on to another. The navigator will have to go a longer way - go through the levels of 800 m., 500 m. and 300 meters. And our task, when creating such a map, is to tell him at what level to "turn off" one and turn on the other.
It would seem that the solution lying on the surface is to take everything and share it. Equally. = 500. But for people who deal with photographs, the number 800 would seem no less logical - it’s better to look at a 250-meter reduced by 4 times than at a pixel kilometer. Only the correct figure is 300. And to understand why this is so, consider one, not at all hypothetical case.
Suppose that your navigator is filled with maps of two neighboring squares. You made one and made it two-level. Because somewhere they lost their 500-meter sheet, and they appointed a level of 500 meters as a "transition point". And on the other square, a friend gave you (or downloaded from the Internet) and it contains all 3 levels with the correct transitions: 800 m for a 500-meter sheet and 300 meters for a 250-meter one.
When you find yourself at the junction of these squares, and their tiles are simultaneously displayed on the screen, this is what will happen:
To be honest, I don’t know if this is a bug or a feature, but if for cards of the same level (in our case 250 meters) we set different values for the upper display level, let’s call it a “transition point”, then cards with higher values will no longer be displayed. Provided that they are simultaneously visible on the screen of course. Of course, it is impossible to do this in one map with one file. But for two neighboring cards - easily.
Therefore, the rule is this - if you are striving for compatibility not only with all your maps, but also with the maps of your friends-mapmakers, in the presence of missing scales, always set the upper display level to values following the scale of the existing map:
But then again ... There are rules. But they are so subjective... In some communities they are one, in others they can be completely different - I wrote about them for the sake of order. You do what is comfortable for you and what you think is right. These are your cards and you live with them. And what for then suffer? Try to make different options around your house, and walking with a dog (well, or for a beer there) test how and what. It is difficult to describe the rules in fact - everyone has their own attitude. If the paper 250m was important to me in this assembly, and only the satellite 2km at the top level, I would spit on the rules and set the upper transition point for it at 1.2km. - to enhance the overview of the surroundings.
So if you suddenly find yourself in a situation where a part of the map at some values is no longer displayed on the screen, while it definitely was there and worked, then the only way out of this situation is to temporarily turn off one that is not needed yet.
This is for the top level values. Now let's move on to the bottom. It's easy with him - he's not there. A map of any scale, if it lies at the lowest level, in theory will be displayed up to the limiting ground values (in Garmin - 5 m.) For satellite images under the BirdsEye subscription, this may be normal, but if we have at least a kilometer at the lower level , then when approaching 5 meters, the screen will display not even a pixel of the scanned map, but a small part of it. For such cases, a solution was also invented, but it is not entirely trivial. (JNX maps have only an upper limit on the zoom levels at which one or another map level is shown. For example, if the scale value of 76437 is written in the JNX level header, then the tiles of this level will be shown at zooms from 20km to 5m. But the possibilities are clearly to specify that the level should turn off, say, when reaching an approximation of 1.2 km (that is, to set a lower limit), the format does not provide.However, there is an implicit way to introduce such a limit.
To turn off the map below a certain zoom, you need to create another layer in the map with the desired scale value (for a zoom of 1.2 km it will be 4777), containing a single tile with coordinates that do not intersect with the map coordinates. Naturally, a map to which a new limiting level is added can contain no more than four normal levels.
A single-pixel image can be used as a tile image, or a link to the first tile from the first level of the map can be written to a file. The coordinates can be taken equal to, say, 90N, 180E - this is the preferred option, but it will require the completion of the currently available converters. Or you can simply use the coordinates of one of the corners of the map as the coordinates of the tile - this method can be used even with currently available programs). In an effort to cover the unreachable, it is easy to go overboard when the number of tiles at some level can exceed the allowable format. But in SASPlanet, we can't set the tile sizes for JNZ maps ourselves, as we did with KMZ maps. It will prevent us (hopefully for now) from increasing the size by decreasing the quantity. But he offers another option - a multi-volume archive. So do not be alarmed if you see two or even three files instead of one in the final. But, again, this is also an area of the unknown for me, I did not make such huge maps, but it seems to work as it should.
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We return to the "Export" tab. First, we decide on the basic things - choose a name for the map and indicate where we want to save it.
Next up is the Maps tab. The sequence in which we will fill in the levels does not matter, they will become correct in any scenario. It seems logical to me to place maps for the top level at the top of the table, and large scales at the bottom - it's harder to get confused in the "transition points" from map to map. But again - whoever is more comfortable.
The first on the list is the 2km General Staff. Zoom 14 roughly corresponds to a paper 2 km, but since we have the highest level and large enough for paper, I will set the scale to 3 km. I will not compress it, I will leave 95.
The second number is a paper 250-meter GHz, taken from the 16th zoom "a. The cards are running, so I’ll turn on the display at 300 meters. I won’t compress either, but if you want, you can reduce the quality for paper to 70, it doesn’t cost less.
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The third lower one is a Google sub-meter satellite from the 18th zoom "a. This is much less than a hundred meters on paper, but I need it and I want to turn it on already from 200 hundred meters. The quality is unchanged.
The last step is to go to the "Additional operations" tab. "Image type (ID)". By default, a standard list is offered, available through a BirdsEye subscription. But you can put your own. JNX maps in the device are grouped by this field. It's like a virtual folder, like a library. Physically, all map files should be in the “Garmin\BirdsEye” folder, but they will be divided into groups in the list of installed maps. Only the literal value of the group and the file name will be displayed. The structure of the filling is: "digital value" "space" "hyphen" "word in Latin". My ID is "27 - SD". Day of the month - 27, SD - SLUDYANKA. Fields "Map Name" and "Name" - this information is necessary only for "BaseCamp", without it he refuses to accept homemade products. You can leave the default. "03" in my case means combined levels.
Draw Order, display order or Z-sort. This thing has 101 values: from 0 to 100. In JNX maps of the 4th version, as well as in KMZ, manual installation is allowed. What does she mean. The original, and the most familiar to Garmin - vector format cards. In addition to several levels of detail, it has a multilayer structure. Objects such as roads, paths, lakes, forests - all these things are located on different layers (approximately like layers in Photoshop). The value 50 passes through the road layer.
If you want some vector objects to be displayed on top of your JNX map (I always have TOPO), then you need to set the values< 50. По мере уменьшения значения к дорогам и тропинкам присоединятся леса и болота, реки и озёра, поля и луга... Путевые точки, треки, маршруты, POI – они находится за границей допустимых значений и отображаться будут всегда. Нажимаем “Начать” – Готово!
Let me give you a simple example, for the Tunkinsky bald mountains “Nilova Pustyn – Shumak – Arshan” in the SASPlanet program there are no maps of the General Staff on a 500-meter scale, there are 1 km and others. But, for example, on the site http://loadmap.net/ these maps are available. To create your own maps, you will need 2 programs: “Global Mapper” and “Satmap”.
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Open "Global Mapper". Open the downloaded map sheets / mapping files map. Exporting the map to the web. Let's dwell on the settings in more detail: if, for example, when exporting it is equal to 15, as in the screenshot, then in fact it will be 16, that is, 1 more. The zoom level number affects how many levels will be created (I always set it to 1, it happens faster, and it's more convenient to create smaller zooms in the SAS planet). As a rule, I choose the tile format JPG with quality 99 (PNG can be used when creating layers with transparency) and check the boxes marked in the screenshot (it significantly increases the speed of creating tiles).
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In the left field of the "Import Google Map Tiles" window, check the "All" box and click "Ok". After that, the program will open/import the data set that we saved in the previous step in the “Global Mapper”.
We select what we saved in the 6th paragraph (select the disk itself). Depending on the format in which we exported from the “Global Mapper” and in this program we specify the extension. The next step is to export the cache. Select menu “Tools/Export cache to SASPlanet” I usually select all and levels and layers.
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Specify where to save the cache. I have not quite figured it out yet and just save the cache to the desktop and from there I throw the card into the desired cache category. In this example, we did not have 500-meter maps of the General Staff for the Tunkinsky bald mountains in our program. I put the cache in the cache/genshtab500 folder. We press “Ok” and we have the cache created by us. After closing “SatMap”, it is desirable to delete 3 files created by it, so that at the next start the cache does not mix and a normal map comes out. To delete them, I sort the files by creation date, and those created on the day I make the map, delete them after it is created.
Modification of the device firmware, for the possibility of free work with JNX cards. An option for those who do not have the latest firmware version. First, we need to get the firmware for our device somewhere. The easiest and most reliable way is to cook it yourself. To do this, we need the “Garmin Web Updater”, which we download from the Garmin website. Install the web updater, connect the device with a usb cable, and then run the “Garmin Web Updater”. It finds our device and we accordingly press "Next". Then the wizard will guide us through all the steps of the update. When finished, click “Finish”, but do not disconnect the cable. The instrument remains connected to the computer. Now through the explorer we go inside the device to the “Garmin” folder. We find the file “GUPDATE.GCD” there and copy it to the desktop into the folder we created in advance with the name “Firmware”. The device is still connected to the computer! Downloading the patch. Unpack the archive into the "Firmware" folder and run the patch. First, the Disclaimer window appears. We press “Yes” in it and the patcher itself starts immediately.
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Then we proceed as follows: Press “Browse ..” And in the window that opens, we will see our firmware. We double-click on it. That's all... Of course, the patcher has a couple more checkboxes for ticks, but they do not affect the operation of the device and the display of maps, so I see no reason to dwell on them. All. In the folder next to our “GUPDATE.GCD” firmware, a file “GUPDATE_Patched.GCD” appeared. This is our patched firmware! We return it to the device and put it in the “Garmin” folder, where we rename it from “GUPDATE_Patched.GCD” to simply “GUPDATE.GCD”. Only now we disconnect the cable and reboot, or start the device. The firmware will start immediately. All. The device is flashed and ready to understand and see JNX format raster maps!
Now let's consider another option, this is when you already have the latest version and the device does not want to "sew" to the patched version. For example, my Dakota had the latest firmware (5.80). Sources on the Internet basically suggest finding and downloading the previous version of the firmware, and then rolling back to it. And then follow the instructions above. But it is much easier to trick your device a little at the stage of patching the firmware. In the patcher window before opening the original firmware. You need to check the box “Adjust Firmware version number”. Thus, I kind of deceived the navigator, telling him that I was installing the firmware version (5.81) on my (5.80) version.
