


I think it'll be useful for those still preferring conventional from-top-to-down learning approach.Ī Garmin map distribution package for desktop application is a collection of multiple files (a map set).
#Garmin map manager download how to#
Also it helps to realize how to remove a map when it's no more needed.Īctually it's a digest of information collected from known web sites such as and from a lot of other great places (like that forum, btw).
#Garmin map manager download free#
That is, how to install, to register, to stage, to import (the right word depends on street and town) a free map package. So this is my attempt to create something that provides a user with a general idea about how to start using a free map of the Garmin format on a Windows machine (I'm not a Mac user, sorry). Anyway I'm not aware of a document discussing the installation of such maps with more-less enough coverage level. No theory of operation is provided, so if something went wrong (not a rare event) a user have to waste a lot of time surfing over a spreadings of faqs, wikis, forums, etc., etc., just to figure out how it supposed to work and what to do with that "free" package. Therefore, a drops from them can be difficult to use because of long learning curve. A well known common feature of the open source guys is that they'd learned from each other to hate documentation. Usually it's non a problem to start using a commercial map for BaseCamp because it comes with some kind of user's manual.īut the Garmin format is quite popular now and a lot of free maps are available thanks to the open initiatives like OSM and SASGIS. So the installation procedure for that maps also can be different. Beside of that, Garmin provides free desktop applications such as BaseCamp and a maps intended for use with that applications can be packaged differently. Typically, that maps are packaged in a single file, gmapsupp.img. For instance, there are a maps, which are ready to use on a Garmin GPS device. A maps in the Garmin proprietary formats are available in a wide variaty of the distribution forms.
