Google maps and GPS 'unit'

(RIP) Kaister

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did you know you can search for an address in Google maps, find the address then click on the 'send' link and a box will appear.

If you've got your GPS connected, it will have a GPS option - well it does on my TomTom730 - haven't tried it with anything alse yet.

Theres a vid on youtube about it

:thumb
 
I tried this tonight and it's really easy to use. Thanks MM. :thumb2

Search in Google Maps for where you need to go. In this case I am using the Leitrim Inn Hotel.

ge1s.jpg


The pin with the letter A is the one I need, so I click on the pin which opens a dialogue box.

ge2s.jpg


Click on the Send option, which will open another box.

ge3s.jpg


Select the GPS option, choose your GPS brand and hit Send

ge4s.jpg


You should get this message that the transfer has been successful. **

ge5s.jpg


** You may need to update your Garmin communicator in order for the transfer to your GPS unit to work.
 
MS Maps is better

I have been playing with Google maps and can't see how you can just randomly place a marker and then add to the satnav, it only seems to work for places that it has found for you using a postcode or town name etc.
MS Maps is better, http://www.bing.com/maps/ as you can right click on the map, add pushpin, then using the 'My Places Editor' - 'Actions' menu, then export it as a .gpx file which you can uplaod into your Zumo or load into Mapsource. :thumb2
 
I have been playing with Google maps and can't see how you can just randomly place a marker and then add to the satnav, it only seems to work for places that it has found for you using a postcode or town name etc.
Correct. It only works with the result of a search. I'll try Bing when I have a couple of hours to spare.
 
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I have done a quick video on how to do this using Bing MS maps and uploaded it to youtube, it has a voice over if it helps with the poor scrn quaility.

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/usZmwqzPwog&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/usZmwqzPwog&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>
 
I have tried this using Google Maps and Bing maps. Neither works using Mac, and basecamp.
However it will work using ViaMichelin.
 
Do you know if you can do the reverse?

For instance - plan a route using Mapsource and transfer the route file to Google (or Bing maps etc) so that you can show your route to those folks who ain't got a GPS unit / software ?
 
Yes, using Tyre.

What is tyre.

Also, what does it look like in mapsource ?

This is really interesting as a friend of mine is trying to develop some code to take the raw data from google maps and then import into mapsource, for this very reason.
He'll be gutted when i show him this thread, given he has always been a brilliant techy and i'm a pleb :)
 
Do you know if you can do the reverse?

For instance - plan a route using Mapsource and transfer the route file to Google (or Bing maps etc) so that you can show your route to those folks who ain't got a GPS unit / software ?

It's been a while since this post so you may already have found a way to do this...

I use ITN Converter (not to dissimilar to TYRE) that can import a GDB or GPX file and then export this as a Google Maps link. I use it for route planning and conversion into a wide range of GPS route file formats. One of the few pieces of donation-ware which have inspired me to open my wallet and hand over some cash.
 
What is tyre.

See above.

Also, what does it look like in mapsource ?

TYRE (Trace Your Route Everywhere) is a stand alone program that uses the Google Maps API for route calculation and can be used as a substitute for Mapsource or Basecamp as well as for route plotting for TomTom.

However, there are a couple of downsides:
  1. It needs a net connection to function as a route plotter/planner.
  2. The mapping is that of Google Maps so might not be the same as that in your sat nav which can give rise to errors/anomalies when navigating for real.
Even so it, and ITN Converter, are brilliant pieces of work. I wouldn't be without the latter in my GPS 'software toolkit'. In my case I use it alongside Basecamp rather than as an alternative. One of the better features is the ability to use viaMichelin mapping which shows those green lines alongside scenic routes (almost invariably this also means a cracking biking road).

This is really interesting as a friend of mine is trying to develop some code to take the raw data from google maps and then import into mapsource, for this very reason.
He'll be gutted when i show him this thread, given he has always been a brilliant techy and i'm a pleb :)

The generic GPX format can be read by Mapsource and Basecamp, this is fundamentally an XML file. Get him to open one that was created in ITN Converter in an XML editor and he'll see what it's all about. It would be fairly simple to strip out the Lat/Long from a Google Maps URL and write that to a file in the correct format.

The problem may come where Mapsource may interpret the route differently, if there are enough nodes then the chances of this are reduced. It also depends on the complexity of the road network. i.e. Asking one sat nav to plot a route from point A to point B across a large city and other brands of sat nav and Google Maps will all give different routes I'll wager. But add in enough nodes to shape the route and they should all start to sing from the same song sheet.

There is also a Garmin version of the GPX format that includes quite a bit of extra data. Create a route in Mapsource and export that as a GPX file, open in an XML editor and you'll see what I mean.
 


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