Using CanalPlan AC With a Garmin Personal Navigator

[Oliver1954]

I've searched the Forums, and looked on the Canalplan website but couldn't see any information relating to downloading a saved journey from my computer to my Garmin Vista HC.

 

Is this even possible to do? If so, I would be very grateful if someone could share with me.

[NB Willawaw]

Can you export routes or waypoints from Canalplan ?

 

If so, in what format ?

 

What formats does your Garmin accept through its PC interface ?

[NB Willawaw]

From my information, the Garmin eTrex Vista HC cannot import routes/waypoints unless they are generated by their proprietary MapSource

mapping software. It will export in NMEA format (e.g. GPRTE sentence) but that won't help you.

 

Looking at the MapSource software, I believe it is designed for you to create waypoints/routes on their mapping and then export them using the PC interface to your GPS. There doesn't seem to be any facility for importing from other sources.

 

Interestingly, you can export waypoints/routes made in MapSource to be a Google Earth overlay (again interesting but not overly useful to you).

 

I note that Canalplan is looking at providing their software to run on palmtops. This might be a better way to go if you have a GPS sensor to connect to the palmtop or it has one already built-in ??

[Oliver1954]

Can you export routes or waypoints from Canalplan ? I'm not sure.

 

If so, in what format ?

 

What formats does your Garmin accept through its PC interface ? USB ?

 

 

Here is the specification for the model I have (Etrex Venture HC) Clicky!

 

Sorry I can't be more specific, I'm not really that techie when it comes down to this sort of thing. I do appreciate any help or advice that can be offered.

 

"Looking at the MapSource software, I believe it is designed for you to create waypoints/routes on their mapping and then export them using the PC interface to your GPS. There doesn't seem to be any facility for importing from other sources".

 

Mark,

 

That does appear to be the case, for some reason, I was under the impression that files could be transferred via PC to device... I think I have got mixed up somewhere a long the line!!

But thanks for your input, it is appreciated.

[NB Willawaw]

Venture HC or Vista HC ??

 

Same story I'm afraid as I believe the only difference is that the more expensive Vista has a micro SC card slot

for a memory card whereas the Venture has an internal 24Mb memory.

 

If I understand the Garmin data correctly, the answer is no, there is no interface path between CanalPlan and the screen of your

GPS.

 

Perhaps somebody else knows different.

[Oliver1954]

Yes,

 

It's the Venture HC with a built in memory of 24MB, Oh well !

[andy3196]

It should be possible to get a route from Canalplan to your GPS. I've not actualy tried it but would expect that the following would work

 

1. Download the route from canalplan in GPX format.

2. Load the downloaded file into a program like GPS Utility www.gpsu.co.uk

3. Having configured GPSu to the correct GPS reciever, upload the route.

 

{edit} Scratch that, the unregistered version of GPSu will not load the full exported route file. (Should have tried before advising.)

 

EasyGPS http://www.easygps.com/ will load the full file but doesn't list the Venture in it's list of GPS units, but the venture could well use the same data formt as other Garmin units so it might be worth a try.

{another edit} Venture HC is listed as Etrex Venture HC so it should work

 

Hope this helps a bit.

Edited March 7, 2009 by andy3196

[Amicus]

There's something strange going on here. CanalPlan will export to a .csv file, Mapsourse used to be able to import a .csv and use it as a route. I recently updated Mapsource (to 6.15.3) now it wont open a .csv or a .gpx. I can't open a .csv with POI Loader either, or a .gpx, dammit.

Strange thing is I can still use the Speed-camera POI from http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/ which is a .csv??? ...........................help.

[NB Willawaw]

Andy

 

I can see from the web-based CanalPlan that it should be able to export in .GPX format.

 

So, as you rightly say, it should be possible to use the EasyGPS programme to convert it into

a format accepted by the Garmin. Certainly on paper, it would seem to work with my Magellan GPS320,

even though I don't use GPS for routes on the canals.

 

I presume EasyGPS converts the coordinates into a pseudo MapSource format ??

 

I'd be interested to know if it works in practice !!

 

Oliver ?

Edited March 7, 2009 by NB Willawaw

[The Toad in the Hole]

I haven't really got time to look at this at the mo, but if canalplan will export a .csv file, you should be able to import that into a Garmin etrex vista. I assume you've got a download cable? If so have a look at a shareware/free utility called GPSU (GPSUtility - original, eh?) it should work with all garmin models, certainly does with my etrex and with the C60s at work

 

http://www.gpsu.co.uk/

 

I might have a look at it at some point, but I haven't got canalplan on my PC

[NB Willawaw]

I've downloaded EasyGPS and successfully created a route file in CanalPlan and saved it as a .GPX file on my PC.

 

I just need to transfer it to my Magellan to see if it works on there.

[andy3196]

I've downloaded EasyGPS and successfully created a route file in CanalPlan and saved it as a .GPX file on my PC.

 

I just need to transfer it to my Magellan to see if it works on there.

EasyGPS *should* upload the route to your GPS, I have just tried it on my Garmin GPS III+ and it works fine (except I had to remove some waypoints to get down to the III+ limit of 30 waypoints per route)

 

So the process is to open the GPX file in EasyGPS and use the send icon to load it to your GPS.

 

If you haven't configured your GPS yet you need to click on "edit" then "preferences" then the "add GPS" button.

[Oliver1954]

I've downloaded EasyGPS and successfully created a route file in CanalPlan and saved it as a .GPX file on my PC.

 

I just need to transfer it to my Magellan to see if it works on there.

 

 

Thanks Mark & Andy for your help with this, I'm sure that there are others who will also find it useful.

 

Having created a route and exported it (GPX Format) ... it appears as a web page? how do I actually save it to my computer as a file?

 

I have downloaded EasyGPS but couldn't see how to save file to computer ready to import to EasyGPS.

 

[NB Willawaw]

When you export it from Canalplan (for example to your desktop) it should then appear as an Icon on your desktop.

I've noticed that since I've downloaded EasyGPS, its icon appearance has changed to a smiley face icon which is the EasyGPS icon. If you click on properties, its termed a GPS Exchange File.

 

If you double click it, it should open up in the EasyGPS programme and show a little map of the route and a list of the waypoints generated by CanalPlan.

 

If you've set your EasyGPS settings up for your particular GPS (in your case the Garmin eTrex), you should then just click SEND (assuming your GPS is connected to the PC with the data cord) and the route file should be transferred. Thats the theory anyway.

 

I will try it later with my Magellan and see if it works.

Edited March 7, 2009 by NB Willawaw

[andy3196]

Thanks Mark & Andy for your help with this, I'm sure that there are others who will also find it useful.

 

Having created a route and exported it (GPX Format) ... it appears as a web page? how do I actually save it to my computer as a file?

 

I have downloaded EasyGPS but couldn't see how to save file to computer ready to import to EasyGPS.

 

 

I'll try a pictoral guide, hopefully the steps will be a lot clearer than with me just trying to explain it. I've been playing with GPS and mapping software etc for years so have probably missed out some bits but hopefully it will be clear.

 

Step1 - Canalplan

Having prepared your route in Canalplan, click on the "Export this route as a file" button

On the next page, choose "GPX" in the drop down box and click on "Generate export file"

On the next page click on the "click here" link and in the options box that appears (Firefox, but IE etc should be similar) select "save to disk"

 

{Update} In Internet Explorer you need to right click on this link and select "Save Target As..." in order to download the GPX file.

 

 

Step 2 - EasyGPS

Start up EasyGPS and click on "open" icon, navigate to your downloaded GPX file and select it

With your GPS connected select the "send" icon and it should upload your route to your GPS

If the number of waypoints in the route is too large for your GPS it will tell you and you'll need to delete a few, this can be done by selecting waypoints in the list or by double clicking on a waypoint on the diagram and hitting delete. Using the diagram is probably better as it will be easier to see which are the less important waypoints. Once you've finished dleting extra waypoints select "send" again.

 

And then you should have the route on your GPS

 

Edited March 8, 2009 by andy3196

[Oliver1954]

UPDATE:

 

I can confirm that after taking Mark and Andy's advice it does indeed work!

 

Many thanks to all who helped me with this.

[StephenA]

I pointed Nick at this thread and I get the impression that he'll be tidying up the export method in the new version of Canalplan AC.

[NB Willawaw]

Just a note to say that I finally managed to get it working with my Magellan GPS320.

 

My ageing GPS has a 9-pin female serial connector rather than USB because of its age,

but I managed to get an interface and get it communicating with my USB-only PC.

 

I also had a little problem in exporting routes from CanalPlan using Opera, my internet browser, but managed

to overcome that with Firefox.

 

In the end, I was able to export up to 30 waypoints in a route and they displayed fine.

Edited March 9, 2009 by NB Willawaw