POI File Format (Both Address and Functional Phone)

[Briago]

I have built a fully functioning website to select a zip code and a store category, and generate a POI file with the data. My only last problem is that I can't get the format to work the way I want.

I must create a csv file and then convert to tt (ov2) with an editor. It seems that most editors only support 1 field of data, but the ov2 supports multiple fields of data.

Currently I use this csv format so that the phone number is functional:
lat, long, "Name of Store>+14075551212"

If I attach the address to the end of the name (before '>') it just gets chopped and doesn't go under the "details" option in the tt unit. I've tried creating a 4th field with the address, and I've tried moving the name/phone to the 4th field, and putting the address in the third. Nothing works.

I've been using POIedit to convert my csv to ov2. The format of csv I am importing as is Garmin csv. But I think my main problem is that POIedit only supports one data field... In otherwords, it only reads the data from the last field of each line, and ignores the field between the coordinates and the last field.

Does anyone know how to format a POI file to load to a tt where the phone number is funtional ('Name>Phone' field) and the address will appear under the details option in the TT?

If I can make this work, then I can make custom POI files for any category for anywhere in the US...

 

[The Spook]

The new .ov2 format that TomTom now use on their devices is not the same as the old .ov2 format which tools such as POIEdit are able to create. AFAIK, there are no tools which are able to create the new 'extended' format, so there is no way for you to create this type of .ov2.

I think the problem you are seeing is because you are running into the limit on the number of characters that are allowed in the 'description' field. This means you simply cannot have name, address and number. Make a choice.

You can still create POI's for whatever you want, you just cannot have the additional features that TomTom have somehow managed to add in their new .ov2 format. That is a TomTom-only trick at the moment.

Personally, I never understood why people want to see the address. It is a complete mystery to me. You have a coordinate, you don't need an address (unless you want to send them a letter!). Coordinate+telephone number means you can navigate to them, see the position on a map, and call them. What more could you possibly need (letter writing excluded of course)?

 

[SShadow]

Because the POIs are sometimes WAY off where they're actually supposed to be. And this could be an issue, especially in a densely populated area. At least with a an address, if the POI appears "off-road" in the middle of 4 different streets, having the address will at least give you a clue which street you should be on to get to the POI.
I hope that makes sense (it does to me, but I've only had one coffee so far this morning - so I am still a little be-fuddled...)

 

[The Spook]

OK, that's a fair point. I didn't consider that, I guess because I have never found a POI that was not correctly positioned. I think they are better quality here in Europe for some reason.

Still, I think I am right in saying that the OP can't do what he wants to do.

 

[F22]

I may not be using the McDonald's POI file correctly - I brought it up since after reading this thread I tried finding a ov2 file that contained address AND PHONE number. This is NOT an official Tomtom poi file.

But when I searched for one of the ones in the file on my 920 last night, it showed a message "no phone number available" so maybe my poi file is not correct???

Looking at the file with a hex editor, I see some obviously arcane hex characters between fields. I was wondering it the file could be "force-created!"

The poi-editor program is not being kept current or he has not figured out the format???

 

[SShadow]

OK, that's a fair point. I didn't consider that, I guess because I have never found a POI that was not correctly positioned. I think they are better quality here in Europe for some reason.

Still, I think I am right in saying that the OP can't do what he wants to do.

Definitely not arguing with you about it working or not working... I do not know enough about POIs to even form a question about them. As far as I have gone so far is dropping thumbtacks in Google Earth and copying them into Tyre and making a POI file. I've not messed around with addresses or telephone numbers at all.

With that being said though, what I have done so far is to add my created POI to my XL-S and then gone into the XL-S to the POI, click on it and then manage the maps and add a missing POI - which then DOES offer a chance to put a phone number in. Of course, this then adds the POI to the internal database and uses the default icon... But then you can delete your original POI, and all your newly added POIs get sent up to MapShare...

When I have time, I will be looking more indepth to playing around with the POIs... Maybe by that time, there will be a way to add the information as Briago wants, and this thread will become a moot point.

 

[Pedro2NR]

Like Spook said, you can't add anything to the details section but you can add the phone numbers.

 

[baggss]

You could try uploading the .csv file to POI Friend and then download it as an .ov2 file. I've done this a few times with mixed results.