Upload raster or vector property maps? - Page 2 - TomTomForums.com

sparky672 · 12-08-2007, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boyd

OK, I see - sorry. I think road-lock is a separate issue and is related to the maps. For example, on Garmin products you can load both topo and street maps. Road-lock and routing are only supported on the street maps. If you use the topo maps the GPS will just show your position wherever it really is and will ignore the roads. Since TomTom doesn't have topo maps I don't know what happens, but I'm pretty sure that if you disable the map, or if you load a map for another area, the GPS will not snap to anything.

But you're right in noting that my basic point was that the TomTom units are not well suited for this person's application.

I'm sure that depends on the map, but who knows?

Once I get far enough off the road, it stops "snapping". But it's worth noting if people think this type of device will help them easily track random off-road locations. My point was simply "Maybe NOT if you're stationary or wander too close to a 'mapped' road"

Precision accuracy is not built-in no matter what maps or images you use, 'snapping' or not.

Boyd · 12-08-2007, 05:34 PM

Getting back to the questions I posted earlier about using satellite images instead of maps.... I just figured out how to do this tonight and wow!... it really works. I have just put a high resolution google map image of an area several miles around my house and it looks very cool. You can zoom way in if you set the files up correctly.

And the built-in map roads are overlaid on top of the satellite image and can still be used for routing. I'm beginning to think there's nothing that a TomTom can't do!

A Goggle search took me here, and this is most of the information you need to know. A little trial and error answered my other questions. It's a bit tedious to set this up, but the results are very impressive!

See: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.s...eb1632d4e3f1fd

Boyd · 12-08-2007, 10:13 PM

Here's an example map showing my home with the property boundaries in pink;
basically I've done exactly what deedledee originally wanted to do.

I created a map in Google Earth by setting a placemark at top left and bottom right corners of the screen, then saved it as a jpeg. Next I went into photoshop and cropped the image to the placemarks. Then I manually created the .sat file as described in the link I posted above. Since you can choose at which zoom levels the image is displayed, you can have multiple files showing progressively more detail and the GPS will figure out when to use them.

It all works really well on my 920T, but I'm pretty sure any of the TomTom units also support this feature. However there's a slight lag when you go into browse mode while the image is loaded. Scrolling and zooming is pretty fast, but slower than displaying the map without the image. I suspect the less expensive TomToms will be a little slower at all this since the 720/920 have a 400mhz CPU and the One XL is 266mhz.

Nevertheless, this is a really cool feature of the TomTom, and I will now be busy making JPEG maps of all my favorite places!

**digital-flex** · 12-09-2007, 11:33 AM

Wow, thanks for sharing that. That is certainly very cool.

deedledee · 12-09-2007, 08:44 PM

Wow, I didn't expect such a great response. I've been playing with my TomTom on the roads and that has been enjoyment enough, but I'm really looking forward to mapping my property next.

Thanks everyone for your feedback!

Boyd · 12-09-2007, 11:35 PM

Well I went out walking around my property line today, and it seems like my TomTom isn't so great for this kind of thing. It acted like it didn't want to register movement below driving speed.

I went to the corner of my property where's there's a stake. But my screen position was maybe 30 feet off. So I waited awhile to see if it drifted but it didn't. Then I walked all around in maybe a 50 or 60 foot radius for a minute or two and the pointed never moved. I was thinking this was very strange when all of a sudden the pointer snapped right to the property corner as I had drafted it.

But walking around slowly may cause the GPS to think it's getting bad data and not move the pointed. I was nowhere near a road so I doubt it was a snapping issue.

Althought next time I should test it while turning off all the maps, maybe that would help? Or maybe it won't work at all with all the maps disabled?

The Garmin Nuvi's have a setting for pedestrian mode where road-lock is turned off. Too bad TomTom doesn't have this. Never theless, the Google map images are very cool when you're driving around in the car, and they line up very accurately if you do everything the right way. It's cool to zoom all the way in and watch your car go down your driveway

martinp13 · 12-12-2007, 02:54 PM

I have tried to use my TomTom for geocaching, and the road-lock is a killer. You have to be 25+ feet from the road to "unhook it" from the road. And then the movement issues as you described come into play. On older TomTom versions the zoom level always returned to a default value, so even if you zoomed in all the way to get more resolution, in seconds the map would start zooming back out. So many "negatives" that I just use the TomTom for its intended purpose of vehicle navigation.

Loading in your own image maps is cool!

sparky672 · 12-12-2007, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boyd

But walking around slowly may cause the GPS to think it's getting bad data and not move the pointed. I was nowhere near a road so I doubt it was a snapping issue.

That's the other thing, when you're not moving around quickly enough, there are the issues as you've seen.

Walking briskly seems to work OK. Around 3 mph seems to be the minimum. I have not seen it register 1 or 2 mph.

Somehow though "snapping" and "moving" have an unknown relationship to each other. When off-road and moving, you're less likely to snap onto a road. When off-road and come to a stop, you're more likely to "snap" to a road. My guess is that's because motion gives the arrow a definite direction. Both scenarios at similar distances from the road.

Boyd · 12-12-2007, 04:37 PM

The 720 and 920 at least have an option to disable autozoom. I thought maybe I could just turn off all the maps and make it work, but that doesn't seem possible unfortunately.

Really too bad, because the Google Maps images are amazing on a handheld unit (another screenshot is attached). But it's still good for driving around and exploring. Are there other TomTom models which have options for pedestrian use (like their PDA software maybe)? The Garmin units let you choose "pedestrian" as a user. TomTom offers that as a routing option, but not as a mode of operation.

So I guess it's a misnomer to call the TomToms "All in one (AIO)" units since they don't properly support handheld use...

tonys · 01-23-2008, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boyd

Here's an example map showing my home with the property boundaries in pink;
basically I've done exactly what deedledee originally wanted to do.

I created a map in Google Earth by setting a placemark at top left and bottom right corners of the screen, then saved it as a jpeg. Next I went into photoshop and cropped the image to the placemarks. Then I manually created the .sat file as described in the link I posted above. Since you can choose at which zoom levels the image is displayed, you can have multiple files showing progressively more detail and the GPS will figure out when to use them.

It all works really well on my 920T, but I'm pretty sure any of the TomTom units also support this feature. However there's a slight lag when you go into browse mode while the image is loaded. Scrolling and zooming is pretty fast, but slower than displaying the map without the image. I suspect the less expensive TomToms will be a little slower at all this since the 720/920 have a 400mhz CPU and the One XL is 266mhz.

Nevertheless, this is a really cool feature of the TomTom, and I will now be busy making JPEG maps of all my favorite places!

I tried this on my 720 putting both the .jpg and.sat files in the raster folder on the device but it didn't show as an option to manage/change maps. I also ended up with North America as well as Australia but the NA maps don't show as a selection option for the maps page.

This is the .sat file with the same name as the .jpg file

–
149.51000
–35.49000
150.70000
–35.58000
5
65535
909
520

The frustrating thing is that I seem so close.

Any help would be appreciated