# Fenix: Replacing the fenix basemap with a Trail network map



## or_watching

I got so excited about the .img file installation proof-of-concept, I literally ran out to get the fenix at my local shop.
Umm, "Honey, about the credit card bill&#8230; remember all those times I saved $20 by changing my own oil?..."

After waiting what feels like a decade for useful ABCHR watch with GPS, now I have two!

I can't yet tell if the fenix & Ambit will be like my children and I'll keep both, or if they be like my other past watches and one of them will be on Craigslist in 6 months. I can tell it's going to come down to two factors


How good is the fenix vs ambit tracks & sensor data in the real world of my hikes and jogs and vacation-wear? 
How good is the November Ambit update? I'm excited about that too. 
Is one of them better enough at one activity type or usage-model or the other to keep both? 
(ok. 3 factors)

Anyway, back to the Trails "map" installation

************ WARNING: Do At Your Own Risk of turning your fenix into a paperweight ********************


I copied the original gmapbmap.img from the fenix/Garmin folder to another folder on my PC for safe keeping. 
I used Garmin Map Install 
Selected the fenix. 
Message: "all my maps won't fit" 
So I chose just Washington and Oregon from Northwest Trails 
Installed it. Took about 2 minutes. 
It placed a second .img file in the Garmin directory of the fenix, called Northwest Trails.img 
I deleted the original gmapbmap.img 
I renamed the Northwest Trails.img to gmapbmap.img 

Voila!
The original basemap .img file is about 558kB.
The new .img file is 4590kB. (about 1/4th of the fenix capacity) and has essentially every known trail in a 500mile by 300mile 2-state area.

Awesome!
Way way more useful to me than the Garmin Basemap.

This is super helpful to a hiker&#8230; so I'll have not just my planned route in the fenix, I'll see all the other intersecting trails, and can identify their names. In the watch. It's that extra bit of back-up and confidence, yep, I've had paper maps blow away, and yep, I've had dead batteries in my handheld. Never at the same time though. . Plus I can impress my friends with 1-inch 70x70 pixel black&white trail maps. Priceless.

Here are images:
Northwest Trails overview in Basecamp - it has a bajillion trails. Make a donation, it's worth supporting.








Northwest Trails zoom-in in Basecamp. What you'd typically use to map/overlay your Route Waypoints.








A place I've been: my existing Waypoints from Basecamp are in the fenix along with the NW Trails. (*Key point* = those are not GPS tracks, those are the network of trails from the .img file&#8230; aka the Background Map.








An arbitrary trail crossing seen in the map mode of the fenix. Note the crosshairs.








In the Orange menu you can "Select Pt"








And depending on what your crosshairs are pointing to&#8230; you get the underlying information (e.g. could be trail name, or POI details. In this case the Pacific Crest Trail.








(p.s. I like Demo Mode.)

Running
And I did go for an hour run with both the fenix and ambit. Both on 1sec tracks. Verdict = No verdict yet.

The HR graphs are identical. 
Tracks on map are very similar. No wildly phubar points. SportTacks-computed distances are within 0.01miles. Ambit "in-watch"/summary distance is 1% shorter. And the truth is out there somewhere. 
The elevation graphs match. (baro-based I presume)
However the Ascent/Descent in Details seems quite (2x) wrong in the fenix&#8230; maybe GPS-based? 

"In-watch" real-time Paces matched pretty close, by GPS standards: e.g. +/- 10 seconds.
Fenix Current Pace is not really instantaneous, it's doing some default smoothing I guess. It lags the Ambit by a few seconds when coming to an abrupt stop. Like the jump stop my basketball coach taught me in high school. 

Can't review the HR and speed summary in the fenix. Huh? 
Trending to give a slight nod to the Ambit for Training, for me. But also have no doubt that the fenix + Garmin Connect will be more than fine for the 97%. 

Oh, and one more thing:
No fenix Automatic mode switching between Altimeter ("Variable") and Barometer ("Fixed")? If true that'll be a bummer.


----------



## Ahg

or_watching
Nice thread! 
I am still with doubts about Ambit or Fenix, and your answers to the three questions can help a lot.
This map issue is one point in favor of the Fenix, same way as possibility to handle gpx files and be able to manage it as a hard drive without any associated program. From what I red, it fits also better to smail wrist like mine
I find th Ambit looking better, but that's very personal, and I am afraid that the Suunto will have many more features upgrades than the Fenix, if we beleive on past behaviour of both brands, and this is what really keeps me doubting.
Any additional thoughts on this comparison will be very much appreciated

Thanks


----------



## cobrapa

Very cool! Nice loading of the maps, I think that is great. Do you notice any speed issues with the fenix? I notice when placing a very large Ambit track on to the fenix that it takes a while to load it up, but seems to work fine. Does loading the large base map show any slowness at various places? Does the pan and zoom of the map seem usable?


----------



## as4tik

or_watching, you are a grate man! your experiment is a first in the world with a map of Garmin fenix. And thank you for your experience.


----------



## or_watching

Ahg said:


> or_watching
> Nice thread!
> I am still with doubts about Ambit or Fenix, and your answers to the three questions can help a lot.
> This map issue is one point in favor of the Fenix, same way as possibility to handle gpx files and be able to manage it as a hard drive without any associated program. From what I red, it fits also better to smail wrist like mine
> I find th Ambit looking better, but that's very personal, and I am afraid that the Suunto will have many more features upgrades than the Fenix, if we beleive on past behaviour of both brands, and this is what really keeps me doubting.
> Any additional thoughts on this comparison will be very much appreciated
> 
> Thanks


Hi. Thanks.
There are many ways to slice/dice a recommendation. From the 20,000 meter viewpoint, they both seem great.
Here's my attempt at helping with a decision...

Reasons to have/buy...

*Ambit**fenix**Both**Neither*You want a simpler in-watch "menu experience"
You want ~every conceivable GPS/HR/Nav menu item and option in the watch, and you want it now.
You have $900
You want to see what Sunnto delivers in Sept/Nov, and promises for 2013.
You are willing to pay $100 premium - IMHO for the higher-touch post-sales support
Basecamp Route Planning and Review: You don't mind paying for Garmin maps and/or installing the free/donation-request maps.
You have a credit card and no self control
You want to see the 'final' verdicts on track quality, distance accuracy, ABC sensor data accuracy for both watches
You don't mind being tethered to an online PC for synching and Profile creation
You think Clouds should be where the rain is kept, not your data.
You are just a runnerYou want the Training and Review features in the watch (HR/Speed/RecovTime)
You are mostly interested in Hiking/Climbing/Geocaching
You are just a bikerYou'd rather have Recovery & Training Effect vs. Flashlight & Sight 'N Go
You'd rather have MOB and Anchor drag than Automatic Alti-Baro option and 

You want your watch battery to last 1 year, not matter what.You like the Suunto 'aesthetic' (looks, screen sharpness, and simpler menu system)
You are already in the Garmin world for maps, Basecamp, Garmin Connect, and you want the commonality between the fenix and your handheld.
You are a hiker happy with an ABC and a map.Foot pod (Nov), FusedspeedVibration, Tempe, Bluetooth future, 1000 waypoints, Infinite Alarms





You like Suunto, and don't like GarminYou like Garmin, and don't like Suunto.
You like Suunto and Garmin
You don't like Suunto and don't like Garmin

So, maybe in short:

Ambit: a bit simpler + leans toward training 
fenix: menu-palooza + as many features as a hiker's handheld with a 1-inch screen 
Accuracy, bugs, data quality: needs a month or two for a real verdict 

And loads of folks will just need to try them on and see how they feel. The watches aren't monstrous, but they aren't small.


----------



## or_watching

cobrapa said:


> Very cool! Nice loading of the maps, I think that is great. Do you notice any speed issues with the fenix? I notice when placing a very large Ambit track on to the fenix that it takes a while to load it up, but seems to work fine. Does loading the large base map show any slowness at various places? Does the pan and zoom of the map seem usable?


Hi.
Well, I did my first run as-bought. I got the Saving Track message which took a minute+, it seemed. Kinda of surprised me. I have GPS/FIT selected so maybe that adds time.
Since I put the Trail map on next, I don't really have much before/after comparison to make. 
I do get the 'pending' icon (circle arrows) for a split-second pretty often - upon Orange button press. No idea if that's normal.

Pan/Zoom usable? Sure, it works... but the trails/tracks are just a pile of squiggles on top of more squiggles... so adding Trails is not for the general user, like a nice color topo map with an overlay is. In the woods, the basemap would present a nice clean (empty) background so you can see just your GPS tracks.

-edit -> After unplugging from the PC, the fenix 1st displays a screen saying "Loading Tracks, Waypoints, Routes" (or similar)... that can take several moments to a minute-ish. then it displays "Loading Maps". With my 5MB Trails loaded, that splash screen takes about 1-2 seconds.


----------



## cobrapa

I see that 'pending' graphic as well when pressing the orange button. So, we'll call that normal, although I find it odd for displaying a menu...

How long was your run (time wise) and was it 1 sec sample data? The route I loaded from an Ambit track was over an hour at 1 sec, so loading it taking a while didn't surprise me. The xml file was over 700k, so maybe I should be impressed the fenix didn't explode on that. 30 sec to a minute of load time isn't so bad.


----------



## Lexel

or_watching said:


> ************ WARNING: Do At Your Own Risk of turning your fenix into a paperweight ********************
> 
> 
> I copied the original gmapbmap.img from the fenix/Garmin folder to another folder on my PC for safe keeping.
> I used Garmin Map Install
> Selected the fenix.
> Message: "all my maps won't fit"
> So I chose just Washington and Oregon from Northwest Trails
> Installed it. Took about 2 minutes.
> It placed a second .img file in the Garmin directory of the fenix, called Northwest Trails.img
> I deleted the original gmapbmap.img
> I renamed the Northwest Trails.img to gmapbmap.img


Thanks for the tip, 
I do the same on my fenix but 
not the same way


I copied the original gmapbmap.img from the fenix/Garmin folder to another folder on my PC for safe keeping. 
I used *Garmin MapSource* 
Selected an *usb key*. 
no message 
So I chose 3 map around my house 
Installed it. *Took about 20 secondes*. 
It placed a second .img file in the Garmin directory of the fenix, i kept the original name *gmapsupp.img* 
*I kept both files the original gmapbmap.img and the new* 
I reboot the fenix 

At low zoom level it is the original map file wich is displayed, 
and at high zoom level it is the new map with all details.


----------



## pjc3

All the above does seem like good fun but, really, trying to squeeze this all on a low res screen that small is a bit...well....pointless?


----------



## or_watching

Hi.
Guilty re: the fun part. 

But I'll stick to my 'mod' since a background of every known hiking trail squiggle within 200 miles of my house is less useless to me than the pre-installed Garmin basemap.


----------



## Ahg

I was quite surprised looking at this table, since actually in the first column I would have selected only the "you like suunto aesthetic" case. All the rest would be in the second column.
I liked a lot the "cloud" comment!!
Any way, since the Fenix is not yet in Spain, I bought the Ambit with the commitment that I could give it back after a try............and I will give it back (which does not prevent me from buying it again in a couple of months!)
First impressions that you might confirm/correct:
Can't modify the three screens in the time mode (time, barometer, compass)
Can't delete history tracks in the device (and even if you delete them in Movescount they remain in the device)
Waypoints have no altitude !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I did not find a data field "time of an exercise" (certainly my mistake!!) I found time of the day and time of a lap.
I don't like at all Movescount, starting by the detail that you have to type your email address to start, which in my case is long, very long!
You have to open the Moves one by one to delete them (I had a few ones some seconds long while playing with the Ambit), and don't like the graphs presenting the data (compared with what I know from Mapsource or Trainer software from the FR305, don't remember the exact name)
When synchronizing the Ambit with Moveslink it took about 2 minutes for a 1h30m excercise and three waypoints!! If it is linear you can kill yourself in longer exercises!
Can't create waypoints with Movescount, unless they are part of a route
.....Any way, those might seem details, but they bother me a lot.

I red Suunto could open the source code to allow users to develop their own features in November . Any news on that? Do you know what it exactly means?

On the contrary, the watch is very, very nice. The screen is perfect, the buttons feel great, and it fits quite good despite the GPS antenna.

I will keep reading you guys for a couple of months, and after November release, and with your additional comments on Fenix, I will take a decision
thanks



or_watching said:


> Hi. Thanks.
> There are many ways to slice/dice a recommendation. From the 20,000 meter viewpoint, they both seem great.
> Here's my attempt at helping with a decision...
> 
> Reasons to have/buy...
> 
> So, maybe in short:
> 
> Ambit: a bit simpler + leans toward training
> fenix: menu-palooza + as many features as a hiker's handheld with a 1-inch screen
> Accuracy, bugs, data quality: needs a month or two for a real verdict
> 
> And loads of folks will just need to try them on and see how they feel. The watches aren't monstrous, but they aren't small.


----------



## format

great job or_watching. This is really useful! I can hardly wait to use something like that.

Regarding my quest for a tail run watch that can follow a track and alert me if I go off track, how does the fenix go?

Also on the FR 305 I guess you can see a graph with the altimetry of the recorded (or loaded, not sure) track. Can the fenix represent that also?


----------



## or_watching

format said:


> great job or_watching. This is really useful! I can hardly wait to use something like that.
> 
> Regarding my quest for a tail run watch that can follow a track and alert me if I go off track, how does the fenix go?
> 
> Also on the FR 305 I guess you can see a graph with the altimetry of the recorded (or loaded, not sure) track. Can the fenix represent that also?


Hi.
Well, I haven't done a trail run or even a real hike yet. But here's an armchair assessment.
1. You can get your planned route and your track to show on the screen. (a Trail map background as I describe above is not Standard)





​
2. There are several useful Nav menu items. This picture shows Distance to next waypoint, Distance "off course" (232 ft), and direction "to course" (23degrees_right).
(look at gaijin's menu spreadsheet for the full list)





​
3. There are "Nav Arrival" Alerts (Vibration/tone) called "Tracks" "Routes" Waypoints" which I haven't used yet.
4. You can see a graph of your Elevation profile vs Time or Distance. Some of the elevation/ascent data seems whacked out right now by several reports... not sure about the in-watch graph.

For sure this watch's intent is to meet your trail runner needs. As for raw feature/menu list, I'm pretty sure it specs out the best on paper. But at $400, and with a few apparent hiccups right now, everyone has their own threshold if it actually does. And you might want to look closely at fredx's ultra run trail for some real-world 60-sec GPS-interval track performance.


----------



## Joakim Agren

or_watching said:


> Hi.
> Well, I haven't done a trail run or even a real hike yet. But here's an armchair assessment.
> 1. You can get your planned route and your track to show on the screen. (a Trail map background as I describe above is not Standard)View attachment 827794
> ​
> 2. There are several useful Nav menu items. This picture shows Distance to next waypoint, Distance "off course" (232 ft), and direction "to course" (23degrees_right).
> (look at gaijin's menu spreadsheet for the full list)View attachment 827792
> ​
> 3. There are "Nav Arrival" Alerts (Vibration/tone) called "Tracks" "Routes" Waypoints" which I haven't used yet.
> 4. You can see a graph of your Elevation profile vs Time or Distance. Some of the elevation/ascent data seems whacked out right now by several reports... not sure about the in-watch graph.
> 
> For sure this watch's intent is to meet your trail runner needs. As for raw feature/menu list, I'm pretty sure it specs out the best on paper. But at $400, and with a few apparent hiccups right now, everyone has their own threshold if it actually does. And you might want to look closely at fredx's ultra run trail for some real-world 60-sec GPS-interval track performance.


Just out of curiosity, why is there a piece of tape on the right side of the bezel?

Is it already broken somehow?:think:


----------



## gaijin

Joakim Agren said:


> Just out of curiosity, why is there a piece of tape on the right side of the bezel?
> 
> Is it already broken somehow?:think:


Looks like that tape is covering the Baro/Temp sensors ... that can't be good. :-s


----------



## or_watching

OK, where's the embarrassed smiley?

Not covering the sensor holes. 
Just two little pieces there to keep the Ambit's buttons from 'scratching' this new $400 contraption when I had them side by side on my wrist while running the first day. 
Kinda forgotten it's still there.

I didn't really think it'd do much... but I have this thing about tape.


----------



## cobrapa

Haha, nice or_watching. Never underestimate other forum members speculating minds!

I experimented with the OpenStreetMap maps on the fenix this morning. There is a web site where you can grab tiles in .img format, with each tile being about 5M. If they are renamed they seem to be used, but all I am presently seeing is river detail. I'm not sure if this is because I am using the sailing profile or because the OSM maps aren't showing roads on the device (or for some other reason I haven't figured out yet.)

I just copied the .img file on to the device, without using garmin mapsource or basecamp to install them. It sounds like this ought to work, so I think I will try some other map files to see why roads don't display.


----------



## or_watching

cobrapa said:


> Haha, nice or_watching. Never underestimate other forum members speculating minds!
> 
> I experimented with the OpenStreetMap maps on the fenix this morning. There is a web site where you can grab tiles in .img format, with each tile being about 5M. If they are renamed they seem to be used, but all I am presently seeing is river detail. I'm not sure if this is because I am using the sailing profile or because the OSM maps aren't showing roads on the device (or for some other reason I haven't figured out yet.)


Hi. 
(this comment isn't about installing OSM maps on the fenix itself, but is a tidbit about the maps generally in BaseCamp when used for route planning for the fenix.)
I have Routeable OSM street maps maps in Basecamp. When a route is created in Basecamp and transferred to the fenix the waypoint names created by BC/OSM are the street/intersection. 
Those waypoint names then show up on the fenix route.

Kind of basic stuff, but thought I'd show it in action.








And here's examples of the waypoint names in BC when a Topo map is used to create the route.


----------



## cobrapa

I experimented some more with maps install on the fenix. It looks like the fenix only supports the extra map in gmapsupp.img. The way I found out was using MapInstall on a Mac. I downloaded some topo maps for Pennsylvania from GPSFileDepot and installed them. Then picked some small tiles to install to the fenix. MapInstall did the install, but installed a file called patopo11.img. The fenix did not seem to use it, showing no new map data as far as I could tell. However, when I renamed the new file to gmapsupp.img, the map would show up when I zoomed in on the fenix. Very neat.


----------



## leonh

thanks for sharing all that quite inspiring, I'm an old bushwalker and now i have a fenix and its my first gps and so i don't know much about gps maps, image files, etc either for the fenix or for basecamp and garmin connect. when i go to garmin and try to load maps for the fenix for australia it tells me there are none available. It does not have an option to download maps for basecamp either only other gps devices. Could you suggest a way to learn about maps both garmin and other maps/images and up and downloading them?. I am hoping to use the fenix with my iphone and so was hoping to download maps into basecamp mobile and team them up with the fenix periodically.
i am fairly computer literate.
thanks again for your very interesting post
leon


----------



## Ahg

Great finding. It works very well. I have a question though: my maps from Garmin are pretty heavy in details, and the Fenix has a hard time to zoom in and out. Mapsource has the possibility to show a different level of details. Is there a way to save the maps or generate the .img with more or less level of detail?
Thanks in advance


----------



## as4tik

Ahg said:


> Great finding. It works very well. I have a question though: my maps from Garmin are pretty heavy in details, and the Fenix has a hard time to zoom in and out. Mapsource has the possibility to show a different level of details. Is there a way to save the maps or generate the .img with more or less level of detail?
> Thanks in advance


My Fenix has a hard time to zoom in and out to. It seems normal with map. But to chose different level of details you must change map in Base Camp. Not level but map. Decreasing detail of map impossible on the watch. I use the maps from the server openstreetmap.org. In our country not too many detail it seems.

Support of maps didn't promised and didn't announced. I guess we should say thanks to Garmin for the fact that we're able to download the map in to the watch.


----------



## Falconeye75

I don't understand, is it possible to have different level of information when zooming out / in with a custom map on the watch ? For example, I would like to have a general map when zooming out and have a detailled map when zooming in. 

How to select the area on the map and its level of detail we want to put into the watch ?


----------



## as4tik

Falconeye75 said:


> I don't understand, is it possible to have different level of information when zooming out / in with a custom map on the watch ? For example, I would like to have a general map when zooming out and have a detailled map when zooming in.
> 
> How to select the area on the map and its level of detail we want to put into the watch ?


Yes, it is possible to have different level of information when zooming out / in with a custom map on the watch. That is true now. But to choose the level, when a detailed map begins to appear, as in hiking device (like on Montana, Oregon, Dakota, eTrex) - imposible.



Falconeye75 said:


> How to select the area on the map and its level of detail we want to put into the watch ?


 Unfortunately, we can not to select level of detail, which should appear into the watch.


----------



## or_watching

Reading through gpstracklog I saw someone else installed some maps on the fenix.
That motivated me some more.

I dug around in my basement and found my Oct 1999 version 3.0 of Garmin MapSource Topo maps - 3 CDs with the whole US. Since it's back from the era of handhelds with the same memory as the fenix, I thought they might fit well.











​
And I decided also try the free/donation Garmin-compatible "Northwest Topo" maps. These are what I have installed in my 60CSX. I did this as a separate install, not in addition to the Garmin topos.

Outcome:


Both installed just fine on the fenix using either MapInstall or Mapsource. And yes, I used Windows7 and I didn't have to find my old copy of Windows 95. 
I installed just a couple tiles of each and, just like in the old days, after the turn of the century, if you install just what you need for a hike, walk/outing, you can get a decent size area into the 20MB memory 
Garmin Topos - I put in ~1MB of tiles, easily dozens of square miles. More than enough for days of hiking. 
Northwest Topos - I put in 14MB of tiles, maybe 150miles x 30miles. 
(+): Roads show up, Road names/numbers show up, topo lines show up, there is some amount of auto-adjustment of detail level with Zooming 
(-): Couldn't point ot a topo line and get the value, topo line values didn't show, gets cluttered quickly if you have your own POIs/WPs,Geocatches etc. 
(-): map redraw was definitely sluggish while Pan'ing. e.g. a few seconds delay. 
I felt the overall the Northwest Topos gave a slightly better topo experience. 
I haven't figured out how to get the Trails and the Topo to install at the same time 
No brainer that I'll still want my color handheld. 
But, gee, this sure is fun, and any of it beats the original basemap. 

*Garmin Mapsource 3.0 Topo* --> get on to ebay and Craigslist and finds your copy today!
A suburban area, and zoomed into a street-level with an Active route




















Panning around to a random area - these are the maps existing icons for a hiking trail. Not my POIs.








An area with lakes, and zoomed out to an area of many unidentifiable squggles.














Working with a specific hill, zooming in, and view map info on a feature.




















* Northwest Topos* --> Get the maps and make your donation today!
I went to beautiful Mt Jefferson (in Demo mode, not for real), since it is pointy with lots of topo interest
Notes:

The fenix doesn't seem to to allow detail adjustment. So it's as-drawn 
Basecamp does have detail adjustment. 

Starting at the peak and zooming out. Not that blue is glacier, and that does show on the fenix









































Happy trails!


----------



## cobrapa

Nice. How long did it take to render those last two screens with all the detail?


----------



## Ahg

I just realized that in the garmindevice.xml file there are three datatypes named BaseMaps, PreProgrammedMaps and SupplementaryMaps, each one with its corresponding name with the .img extension. I tried to load both the basemap and another one named gmapsupp and it works fine, although I don't know if the gmapbmap.img file is considered, as I only see the gmapsupp. 
Does anyone know if both can be seen or what is the creterion used by Fenix to show one or the other?
does anyone know what is the PreProgrammedMaps thing?
can anyone tell me how can I see on the PC how the gmapbmap looks like? i tried to upload it to mapsource without success, and I have never seen it in the Fenix screen (it might be because I live in Spain and bought the Fenix in the US)
thanks in advance


----------



## or_watching

cobrapa said:


> Nice. How long did it take to render those last two screens with all the detail?


Hi.
Hmm, not sure exactly how long. I'd guess most of the time when I was panning it was a 1-2 seconds to fully redraw a screen. That's what it felt like, but I didn't count it out. Maybe some were more and some were less.
Responsiveness to the Pan command buttons was fine - the stuff shifted promptly, but then left a blank area which then fills in after the delay.

Practically speaking with such a small screen and no color, to see your icon and your breadcrumb, you'll want to be a zoom with only a few contour lines to see what's going on. But also while you are moving, only a small increment of the screen will need to be newly drawn... I need to check this out more in the field... so far it's been an armchair demo exercise.

Where I'm at on this is right now:


I still really like having just the Trail network as the basic uncluttered background. Very practical. I'm lucky to be in a multi-state region (Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, BC) so comprehensively covered.
I don't think I'll use the Topos too often, because of the responsiveness and clutter factor.
Streets are also in the topos, and perhaps there might be a rare occasion where that's handy on the wrist, but not often I suspect.


----------



## or_watching

Ahg said:


> I just realized that in the garmindevice.xml file there are three datatypes named BaseMaps, PreProgrammedMaps and SupplementaryMaps, each one with its corresponding name with the .img extension. I tried to load both the basemap and another one named gmapsupp and it works fine, although I don't know if the gmapbmap.img file is considered, as I only see the gmapsupp.
> Does anyone know if both can be seen or what is the creterion used by Fenix to show one or the other?
> does anyone know what is the PreProgrammedMaps thing?
> can anyone tell me how can I see on the PC how the gmapbmap looks like? i tried to upload it to mapsource without success, and I have never seen it in the Fenix screen (it might be because I live in Spain and bought the Fenix in the US)
> thanks in advance


Hi.
I have installed from two different mapsets using MapInstall in one loading: Northwest Topos, and Northwest Trails. (I don't know if the specifics matter though).
This put two .img files on the fenix, named after the original mapsets.
I had already deleted the original gmapbmap.img to make space.

I renamed the two new .img file to gmapbmap.img and gmapsupp.img.

that seemed to work well in that it now shows both the topo information and the trail information superimposed.

You can always see what the original basemap (or any map) by using GPSemoMode and zooming way out and panning around.

There is a file on the fenix called gmaptz.img. I don't know what it is, and I haven't intentionally modified it.

That's about all I know... I've just tried these few things.


----------



## maxgraves

or_watching said:


> There is a file on the fenix called gmaptz.img. I don't know what it is, and I haven't intentionally modified it.


This file keeps the Time Zone Map
where the Time Zone changes etc..

In general on Garmin handheld devices you can add more maps with those specific filenames:

gmapbmap.img
gmapprom.img
gmapsupp.img 
gmapsup2.img

it may apply to Fenix as well...


----------



## Ahg

Thak you or_watching and maxgraves
I tried the Demo thing (which I had never done before) and I saw that the original gmapbmap has the information on the spanish border line, which is of little interest knowing that in Spain you realize when you are leaving the country because your feet get wet!
If a gmapsup2.img is possible, do you think this can be extrapolated to 3,4,5,6,,,? It should be better to put smaller files to accelerate the zoom delays (I will try it this evening)
No one knows what the gmapprom.img is for? or just another way of naming a map with no difference with the others?
No one knows neither if it is possible to generate .img files with the different levels of detail that mapsource or basemap allow to show on the screen?

Thanks


----------



## maxgraves

no, the gmapsup3,4 etc wont work

usually the gmapprom.img was the map stored in the builtin memory of the device
and the gmapsupp.img the map stored on the SD memory of the device
so its the same thing

when you add many maps on the device
you should know the Draw Order of the maps

the Draw order is what defines which map will show first then second etc
the levels

ofcourse on the Garmin handheld devices you can enable/disable maps through the Menu
in Fenix you dont have that..
cause it was not built for that purpose I guess..

the other thing you can try
is to Join maps in one IMG, if you want to add many
using GMapTool
Pliki/Download: GMapTool, Nutrak

anyway
if you try search the internet about Garmin maps etc
you will find MANY stuff
one thing that made Garmin a GPS navi giant is the "flexibility" that provides to the users that need more!! 
officially or unofficially


----------



## Falconeye75

Do you know where wa can find a step by step document or a youtube video describing how to iport maps on the Garmin Fenix ? I have Garmin topo Map V3 and I would like to select a small area and to have this area sent to the watch. If possible, to have different level of zoom for this area.

Thanks.


----------



## or_watching

maxgraves said:


> This file keeps the Time Zone Map.


That makes sense. Thanks.


----------



## mvyrmnd

I'm hoping to load the Australia OSM maps into mine when I get it. Thanks to those who've posted instructions!


----------



## jipe

The problem with recent maps, Garmin, local topo, OSM, velomaps... is that they contain a lot of additional information on top of the mapping information that makes then very big, too big to fit into the small memory of the Fenix, that's why old maps from a time when devices had little built in memory are nice for the Fenix. The problem with these old maps is that the mapping information is obsolete.

For the Fenix, the best would be to have some stripped down maps with only the basic mapping information.


----------



## as4tik

jipe said:


> The problem with recent maps, Garmin, local topo, OSM, velomaps... is that they contain a lot of additional information on top of the mapping information that makes then very big, too big to fit into the small memory of the Fenix, that's why old maps from a time when devices had little built in memory are nice for the Fenix. The problem with these old maps is that the mapping information is obsolete.
> 
> For the Fenix, the best would be to have some stripped down maps with only the basic mapping information.


For this reason, useful maps OSM. They are fresh, the most accurate and part divided into 5 MB, which is convenient for loading into Fenix


----------



## jipe

as4tik said:


> For this reason, useful maps OSM. They are fresh, the most accurate and part divided into 5 MB, which is convenient for loading into Fenix


Y

Yes, but 5MB is still big for the small memory of the Fenix and they contain too much information for the limited display possibilities of the Fenix.


----------



## Falconeye75

Do you know if there is a simple way to use online maps and convert it to IMG maps without purchasing Garmin MAPS ? 

For exemple, it would be great to be able to catch maps from websites like openrunner and to convert maps into img files. 

Any idea about it ?


----------



## as4tik

Convert map in to img format is very difficult. There are no simple way for this.

without purchasing Garmin MAPS you may use maps from http://www.openstreetmap.org/


----------



## Falconeye75

as4tik said:


> Convert map in to img format is very difficult. There are no simple way for this.
> 
> without purchasing Garmin MAPS you may use maps from OpenStreetMap


Hi As4tik,

I was on openstreetmap. I saw that we can export map in xml. What is the format to choose ? When i Will have the export file, what i have to do ? (Where to put the file). Can the Fenix use other maps than img maps ?
Thanks


----------



## as4tik

Falconeye75 said:


> Hi As4tik,
> 
> I was on openstreetmap. I saw that we can export map in xml. What is the format to choose ? When i Will have the export file, what i have to do ? (Where to put the file). Can the Fenix use other maps than img maps ?
> Thanks


You do not need to use the export to their main website. Maps directly from there can not be picked up for Fenix.
But you can use a different server, which is able to convert maps from OSM to "img"-format for Fenix.
For example here is the server: Free worldwide Garmin maps from OpenStreetMap

Choose no more than one sector. Then the map will not much about 5MB. After converting the wait for you will receive an email with a choice that can be used. From there you have to download "osm_generic_gmapsupp.zip" This is your map in the format of "img" to easily copy the memory Fenix.


----------



## Falconeye75

as4tik said:


> You do not need to use the export to their main website. Card directly from there can not be picked up for Fenix.
> But you can use a different server, which is able to convert maps from OSM to "img"-format for Fenix.
> For example here is the server: Free worldwide Garmin maps from OpenStreetMap
> 
> Choose no more than one sector. Then the map will not much about 5MB. After converting the wait for you will receive an email with a choice that can be used. From there you have to download "osm_generic_gmapsupp.zip" This is your card in the format of "img" to easily copy the memory Fenix.


As4tik, you solution is the easiest way to have img maps on a garmin device !!! Thank you very much.

Do you know if I can rename the map gmapsupp.img to another one, for exemple Paris.img or must the file have the oringinal name : gmapsupp ?

Do I need to remove the original map on Fenix (gmapbmap.img) ?

Thanks


----------



## as4tik

I may be mistaken, but it seems other names will not be seen.

Remove the original basemap is not necessary.


----------



## Ahg

I tried gmapsup2.img and did not recognize it.
I have not tried gmapprom.img, but I imagine it will work, since it appeared as a flag in the device.xml file when I looked to it, together with the gmapbmap and the gmapsupp



maxgraves said:


> This file keeps the Time Zone Map
> where the Time Zone changes etc..
> 
> In general on Garmin handheld devices you can add more maps with those specific filenames:
> 
> gmapbmap.img
> gmapprom.img
> gmapsupp.img
> gmapsup2.img
> 
> it may apply to Fenix as well...


----------



## mvyrmnd

as4tik said:


> You do not need to use the export to their main website. Card directly from there can not be picked up for Fenix.
> But you can use a different server, which is able to convert maps from OSM to "img"-format for Fenix.
> For example here is the server: Free worldwide Garmin maps from OpenStreetMap
> 
> Choose no more than one sector. Then the map will not much about 5MB. After converting the wait for you will receive an email with a choice that can be used. From there you have to download "osm_generic_gmapsupp.zip" This is your card in the format of "img" to easily copy the memory Fenix.


Mate, I could kiss you! that site is awesome.

I got 3 tiles custom assembled as a single map - about 11MB worth. Installed it as gmapsupp.img. If I zoom to above 50KM, I see the basemap, closer than 50KM I get the OSM.

Awesome stuff.


----------



## as4tik

You are welcome!
For me it is the most useful source too.


----------



## kizer

I visited Switchbacks.com > GPS Maps

Downloaded his trail maps now and used BaseCamp to select Washington State. Now I have all of the hiking trails in my area in my watch and it took up I think 3Meg.

Heck I noticed I could even search for POI's and it brings up some in my area.


----------



## or_watching

kizer said:


> I visited Switchbacks.com > GPS Maps
> 
> Downloaded his trail maps now and used BaseCamp to select Washington State. Now I have all of the hiking trails in my area in my watch and it took up I think 3Meg.
> 
> Heck I noticed I could even search for POI's and it brings up some in my area.


Awesome. IMO for any hiker in our area with a fenix, this is THE way to go. Super duper uber practical. Can you tell I'm a fan too?


----------



## Falconeye75

kizer said:


> I visited Switchbacks.com > GPS Maps
> 
> Downloaded his trail maps now and used BaseCamp to select Washington State. Now I have all of the hiking trails in my area in my watch and it took up I think 3Meg.
> 
> Heck I noticed I could even search for POI's and it brings up some in my area.


I miss we don't have the same maps for France


----------



## as4tik

We don't have the same maps for Ukraine too


----------



## mvyrmnd

There are a few topo maps for Australia, but no good trail maps like those


----------



## Beanstock

Thanks for getting the ball rolling on this. I did find an easier way that seems to work great so far without the risk of turning the wach into a christmas tree decoration. Just use Garmin MapSource, (I am running V6.16.3) and was able to just select the maps that I wanted to upload and then transfered them to the Fenix like you would normally do for a standard Garmin GPS. Once I ejected it from the system and started the GPS, my new maps were there. (if not try resetting the watch) 

I have uploaded the Canada TOPO V2 maps, as well as the Canada Enhanced Basemap with good results on both map sets. (you may note that the road contrast is very low and will need to adjust watch settings to see streets)

FYI if you want to get into the diagnotics page, power the Fenix off, press and hold the orange button as you power it on. when finished just power down and reboot like normal. 

Hope this helps someone out there!


----------



## moneytoo

Here in Czech Republic Garmin sells Fenix with map of the country in additional to the basemap. I got TOPO Czech 2012 (for use in BaseCamp) which is like 200 MB and I also have an option to send 17 MB large map (gmapsupp) to the device for the whole country. It doesn't have any buildings or POIs (except for cities) but there are rivers, roads, streets etc. Real nice.


----------



## Falconeye75

moneytoo said:


> Here in Czech Republic Garmin sells Fenix with map of the country in additional to the basemap. I got TOPO Czech 2012 (for use in BaseCamp) which is like 200 MB and I also have an option to send 17 MB large map (gmapsupp) to the device for the whole country. It doesn't have any buildings or POIs (except for cities) but there are rivers, roads, streets etc. Real nice.


The whole country in 17 MB !! I am using openstreet maps and just PAris ant its suburbs is 10 MB (I removed all waypoints and buildings)

Garmin topo maps are too expensive for paying again some fees to Garmin. Installing GArmin topo maps are always very difficult !! I will stay on Openstreet mpas from NL evenif there are not topo information and maps are a little heavy.


----------



## Falconeye75

Do you know if putting a map on the Fenix (5MB or more) can have an impact on the battery draining ? 

Another question, I asked GArmin but thez couldn't answer me, do you know a way to switch off the MAP when you want to see clearly you navigation path ?


----------



## kizer

Falconeye75 said:


> Do you know if putting a map on the Fenix (5MB or more) can have an impact on the battery draining ?
> 
> Another question, I asked GArmin but thez couldn't answer me, do you know a way to switch off the MAP when you want to see clearly you navigation path ?


I haven't really noticed any battery drain with a 3meg file, but I have noticed my Fenix seems to operate a bit slower. As for turning off Maps I haven't seen a setting anywhere.


----------



## as4tik

kizer said:


> I haven't really noticed any battery drain with a 3meg file, but I have noticed my Fenix seems to operate a bit slower. As for turning off Maps I haven't seen a setting anywhere.


 There are no Settings. Since the maps is not officially supported.


----------

