POI in front ot ther POI

[ajvbento]

Hello,

I'm new around here

I like to know if anyone knows how TomTom organizes the POI's in the map.
Here is my problem, I use both of my TomTom devices for Geocaching, i create my own POI with GSAK (program for Geocaching), doing this i create several POI's that the location is basically the same (differs 50m). When i zoom out the POI (image) that stands in "front" is not the one that i what. I already tried to see if it organizes by the size of the .bmp, by the size of the .ov2, by the name... Nothing, it just doesn't make sence. Anyone knows?

Thanks

 

[canderson]

I have been unable to determine which POI stands on which. It seems a bit random. Among other distinctions, I break mine down into "Found" (smiley face) and "Found but Archived" (smiley face with red slash through it). If an archived cache has been replaced on the same site by a new cache, I never know which one will appear, and given that the coordinates are sometimes not just close, but exactly the same ... well, who knows? When it could actually cause me a problem, I deselect all but the POI that I really need to see.

 

[canderson]

BTW, you might find posts 7, 10 and 11 of this thread of some interest:

https://www.tomtomforums.com/t24407-geocaching-my-tomtom-unit.html

 

[ajvbento]

Well the problem is that the POIs at 50m are the Hints... So... I have one on every single cache...

I make macros in GSAK to export every kind, if they are 24/7 or not, caches that are top favourites... the all deal... including hints, they are generated automatic 50m north so i have immediately the hint at my disposal.

This and some extra stuff for the folks in Portugal.

http://www.geopt.org/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=53&jfile=viewtopic.php&f=61&t=2831&start=10

And to select and deselect 84 categories... not very friendly ... So do you see my problem?

 

[canderson]

Personal opinion - you're trying to do FAR too much with an automotive nav unit. Time to use the automotive unit for gross navigation, and pick up a reasonably priced purpose-built handheld for use at the cache site. The POI system was never designed for mere 50m separation; the assumption is that you'll only have a few categories displayed at once (too many POI categories will actually tax the CPU and can cause strange 'lags' in positioning) that won't be so tightly spaced. This kind of use was not anticipated, and you aren't going to be able to control it apart from shutting down enough categories to expose the ones you want immediately.

What's a Garmin Oregon 450 going for in Portugal these days? We see them on sale for the equivalent of 190 Euros or so a couple of times a year here. Or even a Dakota 20?

 

[Andy_P]

I've never managed to sort out what "stacking order" the POI icons go in either. Seems random.

About all you can do is keep switching one or the other set on and off in preferences.

Once trick I've used for my PGPSW speed camera verification role (where a camera "REMOVE" submission is likely to be right on top of a camera icon) is to make the "REMOVE" icons transparent, except for a black cross. You do that by making the background of the icon "full" red (222,0,0)

That worked well until Navcore v9.400 came out and then (of course) TomTom broke it.

 

[ajvbento]

Personal opinion - you're trying to do FAR too much with an automotive nav unit. Time to use the automotive unit for gross navigation, and pick up a reasonably priced purpose-built handheld for use at the cache site. The POI system was never designed for mere 50m separation; the assumption is that you'll only have a few categories displayed at once (too many POI categories will actually tax the CPU and can cause strange 'lags' in positioning) that won't be so tightly spaced. This kind of use was not anticipated, and you aren't going to be able to control it apart from shutting down enough categories to expose the ones you want immediately.

What's a Garmin Oregon 450 going for in Portugal these days? We see them on sale for the equivalent of 190 Euros or so a couple of times a year here. Or even a Dakota 20?

Its not necessary, using GSAK and TomTom I have more options and a better view of the caches in the map. I've found 2400 caches, lots of events and each time I prefer more the TomTom. With the TomTom I have the caches HTML, the possibility (as seen in the link above) of creating special caches types, like best caches in Portugal, the not 24/7... The better thing still is, having a very good idea when looking at the map, other great thing is that the TomTom as not limit of POI, Garmin has 5000 gpx limit.

There was the battery life time issue, even that already overcomed with an portable usb recharger

 

[ajvbento]

Is there any way of contacting TomTom staff and asking for this technical question about the images?

 

[canderson]

Its not necessary, using GSAK and TomTom I have more options and a better view of the caches in the map.

That may be because you have not tried using a combination of POI and Geocache entries on a Garmin. Like a TomTom, the Garmin has no limit on POI entries. Unless you are using paperless caching on the Garmin, it has the same capabilities as the TomTom. Even if you wish to go 'paperless' (a nice feature), you can load up to 5000 caches on the Oregon, and relegate hints and found caches and the like to POI categories.

I've found 2400 caches, lots of events and each time I prefer more the TomTom. With the TomTom I have the caches HTML

Which is where I would be putting the hints. If your TomTom supports the little document reader, you can put the full HTML for caches into your TomTom as well using GSAK. It creates a rather massive bunch of text in the "caches" subdirectory in GSAK which can then be transferred to the TomTom's "text" folder for viewing (includes an index) with the mini-browser. Your 910 will support this function. But that depends upon the TomTom model. Only the previous models (not any using 11.XXX firmware) support that, unfortunately.

...other great thing is that the TomTom as not limit of POI, Garmin has 5000 gpx limit.

Again, there is some confusion there. The Garmin does NOT have a POI limit of 5000. The limit is the memory capacity of the device, whatever side uSD card you install. Only caches which will be managed 'paperlessly' have a 5000 limit.

I have had access to TomTom products since before I started caching, and have used them to good effect when caching (stats: http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=65ad97af-7136-4459-96f4-f917a716573e), so it's not as though I haven't tried to do what you are doing. Even found my first couple with my GO720. However, the difficulties were too many and the device simply not well suited to the task of locating the 'finals'. I keep far more than 5000 total on my TomTom (more like 10000 found and unfound) for navigating to the site by vehicle, but then pick up the handheld for the final trek to the find. Especially with the paperless feature and ability to add field notes on site and upload those directly to gc.com, I would never consider the less convenient method of holding a TomTom 'in the field' again.

As to your original question, the problem is a combination of both the order in which a POI is discovered to be within the current map view (all enabled POI types must be constantly scanned to see if one or more entries fits within the current map window) and the rendering order of what is discovered. While 'random' would be the wrong word for the result, the fact is that the result cannot be controlled by how the POI file is created or stored on the unit.