OpenStreetMap can be used to create free maps for your Garmin. You could download those maps from services like OpenStreetMap.nl. Those maps contain a lot of unnecessary features (houses, woods) that make it hard to follow your route (see the screenshots). So if you want a map that makes it easy for you to keep on track, follow this guide.
You could use XAPI Query Builder to draw a bounding box and download your maps, but that frequently fails because servers are overloaded.
It's better to download a recent map from Geofabrik.
Download the files with ".osm.pbf"-extension.
If you only want a subpart of the download map, you'll have to define a bounding box. The most easy way is to draw a bounding box on HarryWood. Then copy the "--bounding-box" and following parameters in the Osmosis command text box.
- Download Osmosis
- Run the command line
C:\Garmin\osmosis\bin\osmosis.bat --read-pbf file=europe-latest.osm.pbf --bounding-box top=51.63166 left=2.18628 bottom=49.35376 right=6.69067 --used-node --tf accept-ways highway=* --tf reject-relations --write-pbf file=BeluxBox.pbf
- Download the map splitter here.
- Run the command line
java -Xmx1500m -jar splitter-r305\splitter.jar --max-nodes=1100000 BeluxBox.pbf
- Download the mkgmap tool
- In the following command line, the map number "5001" can be replaced by any unique number not used already by another Garmin map on your system. You could check the website.
- Run the command line
java -ea -Xmx1500m -jar mkgmap-r2651\mkgmap.jar --route --gmapsupp -c template.args --tdbfile --family-id=5001 --family-name="5001" --series-name="5001" --area-name="5001" --description="5001" --nsis
If you want to use the map with Garmin Mapsource, you can create an installer for your map in this step.
- Download NSIS
- Run the command line
"C:\Program Files\NSIS\makensis.exe" osmmap.nsi
Make sure to run the installer with administrative rights.