Creating GPI files
I finally got a test point working last night using gpx and mp3 files. Of course there is always more testing and developing to do. What program do you create GPI files in? My new copy of Mapsource does not save to that file format and none of the gps programs I have read it. The Nuvi I have came with a pre-loaded poi.gpi file but no way to edit it. I am sure I missing something simple.
I loaded some gpi files from here. Very cool but have a few things on my wish list.
+Markers on the screen to show an overview of where the points are (think this is currently possible just haven't worked out the details.)
+The ability to stop the tourguide.mp3 file that is playing.
+Turn the tourguide off.
Thanks,
Mike
Use the POI Loader from
Use the POI Loader from Garmin. You can download it off their site for free. Open a gpx in Mapsource and associate an mp3 in the options section.
I'm not sure about the markers, do you mean the icons that show on the screen?
When you make a GPI with poi loader you have to be careful on how it's created. Create it one way and it can't be shut off an example is the Asheville GPI, but the DC one's should allow you to shut them off. Which one did you test?
Hope this helps. Maybe someone with more experience can weigh in with some tips.
POI Loader
I did some more testing of this and found that it seemed to work best when I copy the gpx file to the Nuvi and do not use POI Loader. I now realize that the POI Loader creates the gpi file. I will continue testing as I have time.
As far as the speaker showing up and allowing the audio file to be stopped. I tried the historic_charleston.gpi file as I am familiar with the area. I will try some of the DC gpi files when I get a chance.
If I remember correctly that
If I remember correctly that one was actually just a GPI file with attached audio, which isn't really a TourGuide file. A "real" TourGuide file allows you to turn it off and on when you're listening to it. Try one of the DC ones and you can test it. There's test instructions on this site somewhere. Go to Tourguide help and there's a link to instructions on how to simulate a tourguide file. Just make sure you set your location near it or it can take a loooonnng time to get to your simulated destination (especially going from SC to DC).
There are also pictures embedded in the DC tourguide's so you can see what it is like to have an embedded photo.
Aren't these things cool!
Stopping Audio in Tourguide File
The genuine TourGuide files, as mentioned above, allow you to stop the audio but you can't pause the audio. The difference being of course that you can't start where you left off. I don't know why Garmin doesn't allow this feature, especially for some of the long TourGuide files. I know, for example, that the Dublin audio tour available on this site is over 4.5 hrs. long with 7 POIs. Having to start it over if you need to stop the audio could be very inconvenient. Seems like Garmin should release an update and allow you to pause, FF and REV, just like the regular MP3 player does.
BTW, you can attach regular audio to a .GPX file with the link tag, however, if it isn't done with the word "TourGuide" in the file name of the MP3 file, then not only can you not pause the audio, but the speaker doesn't appear and you can't stop the audio at all! Seems it's meant for very short audio snippets, not long tours. An example of this kind of file is the Asheville, NC file, also available in the download section on this site.
You can read a little more about it here
Consolidate multiple gpi files in one file
Hello,
I have started to experiment with the TourGuide feature of the nuvi 660 and some of the TourGuide files found on this site and am both impressed and very appreciative. Working on a Macintosh, I have not been able to figure out, though, how to combine several related gpi files into a single file with a generic name, so it will show up as a separate category in Extras/Custom POIs (e.g. "Versailles" for all the 10 available Versailles TourGuide POIs, or "France" for all the POIs from this country, with subcategories for "Paris", "Versailles", etc.). This would allow a well structured management of, and access to, the different files, without having to browse through an endless and quite disorderly list of individual Custom POIs. I can achieve this purpose when working with gpx files, as I can edit and combine them as I like and then convert the consolidated file with attachments to the gpi TourGuide format (using the excellent MacGarminTools application gpx2gpi), but I can't do this kind of editing with the already converted gpi files found on this site. I would be grateful if somebody could give me some advice on this.
Great idea! I agree, once
Great idea! I agree, once you have so many custom POIs it's hard to find something specific by browsing. I think one of the downsides is that a gpi for say all of France would be a large file to download. In order to make a large gpi you would need to have all the audio and create a gpx of waypoints with TourGuide audio referenced. I know this site has the audio and locations already set up (as you can see from the audio previews), I second the interest in a tool that would allow you to create your own gpi on the site. Then you could choose whatever you wanted. I've done this in POI loader but it's a pain.
How is it working with gpx's on macs? I know there's alot of free map software out there, does it run on macs too?
TourGuide categories
My point is to be able to create categories and subcategories for the Custom POIs I have. If these POIs are gpx files, it is fairly straightforward to organise them in a consolidated file and to specify the categories/subcategories in the gpx metadata and the individual attachments in the link references. Thus, if I could download the "source" of the TourGuide POIs posted on this site (gpx file plus audio file), I could edit, organize and then convert them to gpi just the way I prefer to have them on my nuvi. But alternatively, it would of course be still easier, if somebody could suggest a way to work directly on the ready gpi files to arrange them in categories/subcategories.
As for the Macintosh side of this issue, check out Simon Slavin's excellent Mac Garmin Tools website. Garmin's POI Loader for Macintosh is still a beta version that apparently does not even have all the features included in the PC version.
Audiofiles for consolidated Tourguides
Alternatively, could you make the audio files from the audio previews downloadable in mp3 format? That would allow to rebuild consolidated TourGuide files with all the POIs for a given location, e.g. "Versailles", or reorganize them in any other way that best suits the user's needs.
We just launched our GPI
We just launched our GPI generator that allows you to make a custom tour, choosing the audio you want and even allows you to upload you're own audio. This will create one gpi file, which could be useful in creating a GPI for France or Versailles. This way it makes it easier to organize your TourGuide POIs. Basically you may the GPI file on the fly.
It's a free tool, although it does require registration. Go HERE to try it out.
Admin
Organizing TourGuide POIs
Excellent - thanks for this great new feature!
May I just draw your attention to some problems with the links provided on the Multi-point AudioTour page. I have only checked it out for Versailles/France but my observations may well apply also to other TourGuide files.
In fact, there are some inconsistencies between the TourGuide files found in the General Directory and those in the Download Tool. I found the following:
- The total number of POIs available for France is 28, of which 6 are for Paris and 10 for Versailles. The Multipoint Contentfilter page only references 21 POIs for France (1 for Paris and 8 for Versailles), and the "Paris" POI actually links to a quite different TourGuide file, i.e. Beville le Comte, a farm somewhere out on the countryside.
- As for the 8 Versailles POIs (missing are the Introduction to the Versailles Palace and the Gardens/Orangerie), the audio files correspond to the respective POIs in Versailles, but their coordinates are all off by some 156 km westwards.
It would be great if you could check and correct the links between the general TourGuide Download Directory and the Multi-point Tool. Thank you very much for all your efforts, and particularly for having taken into account my suggestion for an utility to organize multiple POIs.
P.S. Could you please add a feature to receive an e-mail notification for replies posted on a Forum? This would be most helpful. Thank you.
Thanks for the comments! We
Thanks for the comments! We appreciate this feedback. Actually the reason for the difference in number of POIs is due to a migration from our older offering to download a pre-made GPI to the new approach where you can basically make the custom GPI as needed. We are still working to convert all of the older GPI only entries to those with an audio preview. We will also review the Versailles files as this seems like a different issue.
The new method has a number of benefits:
1) Audio previews - you can listen to the audio before you download the GPI to make sure it is of interest. This also protects the audio so it can't be downloaded directly - only as included in a GPI.
2) Organize POIs - Garmin makes it somewhat difficult to organize a large number of custom POIs. As you add TourGuide's as single GPI's they fall into a single folder on the device and it can be difficult to scroll through a large number. By creating a custom GPI you can organize GPI's (i.e. by Country or Genre) and name them what ever you want. This way if you create a GPI for France when you navigate to Custom POIs, Extras, or Favorites (depending on your device model) you will see France and can select it and then see all the POI's you included in that GPI. This makes organizing your Tours much easier.
We'll look into the e-mail notification as well, however I'm not sure where it will fall on the priority list. Please keep your suggestions coming as they are much appreciated.
Custom Tours
Thank you for further developing the features offered on this site!
I am looking forward to the updated and corrected customizable French POI files and I will be happy to share with you any other comments I might have..
OTHER COUNTRIES
Is there NO way we can create gpi files for other applications such as lists of clients, stores etc?
If you do this through POI Loader, you have to send all gpx-files you have, every time as every "send" replaces the previous one! - It would be nice to just "update" the POI files with newly added files rather than having all residing in the "current" file!!
Will it be possible to create Tourguides for South Africa as well?
We are always adding new
We are always adding new locations and many of our users contribute as well. If you have audio on a particular location that is all that is needed to create a custom TourGuide. Simply upload to the "Upload Audio Tour" link on the main menu.
I'm not sure I completely understand the question on GPI files. If you want to protect the poi.gpi that shows up from POI Loader, just rename it to something else. POI Loader automatically creates a "new" one when you send new files to your device. You can also create a custom gpi on this site to help organize your audio tours better.
Cheers!
Creating a test Tourguide file
Does anyone have a simple step by step instruction set for creating a test tourguide (gpi ?) file?
From what I gather. one could make 1 (or several) waypoint(s) with the mapsource program and "save as a gpx" (Similarly, make a cvs file of the same waypoint(s) .
Then with an available MP3 file use the POI loader program and attach the MP3 file to eventually create a tourguide (GPI) file and upload it to your GPS.
Am I close ?
No need to use POI Loader.
No need to use POI Loader. Here are two steps to make a TourGuide file:
1 - Upload Audio that you want included HERE
(Include Latitude and Longitude of location and proximity alert)
2 - Go to Create Custom Tour HERE, sort by your username and create the GPI File for download.
Then you save it to your GPS Device as convenient. If you use POI Loader it will will replace your existing poi.gpi with another a new one which makes it hard to remove the test TourGuide. You have to name the MP3 correctly or it won't work, your GPS has to be connected to your computer when you create it.