Mapsource Files, MPS & GPX

[AlanLowry]

I downloaded the Northern Tier GPS files from the ACA website.  Some route segments include all four file types: gpx, mps, rte, and wpt.  Other segments include only gpx format.  My Mapsource 6.16.2 program will open the mps files, but it will not open the gpx files.  When attempting to import the ACA gpx data, Mapsource responds with a pop-up message, "! No error occurred."  I have successfully imported gpx files from other vendors into my Mapsource.

The result is that I can only get Mapsource to import the GPS data for the route segments that are provided in mps format data.  Suggestions?

[FredHiltz]

Hi Alan. I just downloaded the NT and successfully opened each of the 11 gpx files in MapSource v6.16.1.

Adventure Cycling used to prepare the data in several popular formats. Now that all vendors recognize GPX, they are dropping the proprietary formats.

I first thought you might have a bad download, but the other files in the zip package were OK and your unzipping program detected no checksum errors, so it is probably a defect in v6.16.2.

I'd try installing v6.16.1. If you did not save its installer, a Google search for "old versions MapSource" without the quotation marks turns up several web sites where you can get it.

MapSource has had gpx defects in several recent versions. They do work on them, as the defects seem to differ from version to version. Apparently their software production, or their QA, is weak in this area.

We ran into one last year when preparing the files, which caused the lodging icon to disappear. You will probably notice that in the v006 data files.

Do let us know how this turns out. We need to warn others if indeed 6.16.2 is bad.

Fred

[AlanLowry]

I am now running Mapsource version 6.16.3 under Windows Vista.  That is the latest version available from the Garmin website.  I found a download site http://www.gawisp.com/perry/mapsource/ to obtain a copy of Mapsource 6.16.1, as Fred Hiltz suggested.  I'm hesitating to install it, not knowing if I should first uninstall version 6.16.3, and would doing so delete my user license, etc.

Anyway, I just reproduced my problem.  I tried to open the ACA files of the Northern Tierused with my copy of Mapsource 6.16.3.  Both the gpx and mps files produced the pop-up message, "! No error occurred", and the file data does not appear in Mapsource.  Previously, I was able to get Mapsource 6.16.2 to open the mps file format, so my upgrade to Mapsource 6.16.3 made things worse.  I also verified that Mapsource 6.16.3 does open the gpx files that I obtained from American Discovery Trail.

I should add that I recently acquired Basecamp 3.1.3 software from the Garmin website.  It was suggested to me by a Garmin rep as a way to view the Rail Trails NE map that I purchased from Garmin.  I found that I could "import" the ACA file for Northern Tier into the Basecamp program.  That might be an adequate work-around, if Basecamp can do everything that I need.  I'm not that familiar with Basecamp at this point, and I'm curious why Garmin appears to have two competing products.   

[FredHiltz]

...  I'm hesitating to install it, [version 6.16.1] not knowing if I should first uninstall version 6.16.3, and would doing so delete my user license, etc.

I have installed older MapSource versions without uninstalling newer ones, although not this particular version, without trouble. These update files are apparently happy finding evidence of any MapSource product.

If you want to be very cautious, you could do a full disk image backup before going back. Or you could copy the entire Garmin folder from the Program Files folder and also set a System Restore point. In case of trouble, restore the program files and let System Restore return the registry to its former state.

The maps themselves are licensed to your GPS receiver, not to the computer or the MapSource product. You may have to connect your GPSR once to let MapSource make that connection.

Anyway, I just reproduced my problem.  I tried to open the ACA files of the Northern Tier used with my copy of Mapsource 6.16.3.  Both the gpx and mps files produced the pop-up message, "! No error occurred", and the file data does not appear in Mapsource.  Previously, I was able to get Mapsource 6.16.2 to open the mps file format, so my upgrade to Mapsource 6.16.3 made things worse.  I also verified that Mapsource 6.16.3 does open the gpx files that I obtained from American Discovery Trail.

The problem is that GPX is a very "loose" standard. One can write a great variety of conforming files easily, but it is really hard to program successful reading of every conforming file.

If my records are correct, I prepared the problematic GPX files with v6.15.11. As I wrote earlier v6.16.1 reads them OK, so you should have a workaround there. If for some reason this "Plan B" does not do it, please PM me to send the proprietary GDB format files to you.

Meanwhile, I will get on to Garmin tech support to see whether they know that their current versions choke on GPX written by their earlier version.

... I'm not that familiar with Basecamp at this point, and I'm curious why Garmin appears to have two competing products.

Of course they do not say, but I suspect Base Camp will eventually replace MapSource. The latter is getting long in the tooth, has a--to be charitable--unconventional user interface, and is increasingly difficult to keep free of defects, as the GPX mess testifies.

Fred

[AlanLowry]

Thanks Fred, for your prompt and thorough replies.  At least for now, I am going with the Basecamp work-around.  After I import the ACA gpx files into Basecamp, I can then copy/paste the resulting waypoints and routes from Basecamp into Mapsource.

[DonWulff]

Here's a simple solution.

I couldn't use MapSource to load GPX files from my Garmin NUVI 3490 via USB---I got the "No error occurred" message from MapSource.  So, I copied the GPX file from the NUVI to a directory on my hard drive, and then tried to open it with MapSource.  It worked.  I am using MapSource version 6.16.3

[FredHiltz]

... After I import the ACA gpx files into Basecamp, I can then copy/paste the resulting waypoints and routes from Basecamp into Mapsource.

Hah! the Nuvis is supposed to act like any other mass storage device, but give this and the evidence from Don Wulff, it does not. Good detective work, gents.

Fred

[AdventureRide]

Fred - I'm so confused.  My wife and I are planning a transcontinental ride on ACA routes for Spring '13.  We've used a Garmin Edge for tours of up to 2 weeks by creating our daily routes using one of the mapping sites like RideWithGPS or MapMyRide.  Reading forum posts and what I know first hand about the Edge, it appears that it is not a suitable GPSR for our transcon.
So, we're looking for that dedicated GPSR that, as I understand it, with the ACA waypoints download, will give us turn by turn directions all the way across the country - just follow the highlighted line like on the Edge (of course we'll also have ACA maps for backup, a smartphone and an ipad)? 
Is my expectation correct?  Is it as simple as a download to your home computer and then a further download from your computer into the GPSR?  As you can tell, I'm not very tech savy (white male, 60years).  I can fix my bike in the middle of nowhere with some duct tape and bailing wire, but electrons are like herding cats to me.
I've read the ACA GPS explanation page over and over.  I'm sure it's well done, but it's not getting through to me.  Is there a video tutorial somewhere that explains how the process works?  I'm pretty visual, seeing it hands on is always a help.
I've been to a couple of outdoor stores that sell the dedicated GPSRs.  The salespeople, so far, have been useless.  They've never heard of ACA and the waypoints thing. 
I'm trying to get a handle on this.  Maybe I'm not alone.  Perhaps you could dumb down a video tutorial that us Luddites could understand.  Thanks for all your help.

[FredHiltz]

Fred - ... planning a transcontinental ride on ACA routes for Spring '13.  We've used a Garmin Edge for tours of up to 2 weeks by creating our daily routes using one of the mapping sites like RideWithGPS or MapMyRide.  Reading forum posts and what I know first hand about the Edge, it appears that it is not a suitable GPSR for our transcon.

It can be made to work, as you have no doubt been reading, but it is certainly not the most suitable for such a long route in unfamiliar terrain.

So, we're looking for that dedicated GPSR that, as I understand it, with the ACA waypoints download, will give us turn by turn directions all the way across the country - just follow the highlighted line like on the Edge (of course we'll also have ACA maps for backup, a smartphone and an ipad)? Is my expectation correct?  Is it as simple as a download to your home computer and then a further download from your computer into the GPSR?

Your expectation is indeed correct. Because these are the machines for which we designed the ACA data, you need only to load the published files into your computer, apply the addenda if you wish, and transfer the routes and waypoints into the receiver.

You will need to buy one of the higher-end models to get enough storage for all the waypoints at once. MapSource counts the waypoints in a selected route. A few minutes spent adding these will show how many you need. Then browse the Garmin features comparison http://www.garmin.com/us/products/onthetrail.

I've read the ACA GPS explanation page over and over.  I'm sure it's well done, but it's not getting through to me.

Your use of the singular "page" makes me guess that you have seen the GPS Information page on the web site, and perhaps the Quick Start Guide linked there. Get the GPS Data User Guide too. It has all the good information.

None of these documents intends to teach how to use the GPSR. They teach using the Adventure Cycling data on a GPSR that you already know how to use.

I should hope that the owner's manual covers loading routes into the receiver, and then navigating them. You might find some useful tutorials on http://gpsinformation.net/]

None of these documents intends to teach how to use the GPSR. They teach how to use the Adventure Cycling data on a GPSR that you already know how to use.

I should hope that the owner's manual covers loading routes into the receiver, and then navigating them. You might find some useful tutorials on
[url]http://gpsinformation.net/.