Coming Soon: New POI Editor!
 

It's not quite ready yet (still documenting and testing), but here's a sneak preview of the next generation Nav POI editor.

This Wizard takes only a few seconds from start to finish to add and save a new POI category, excluding writing the new DVD. No more text editors or commandline tools. All the most common POI file formats (.asc, .csv, .ov2, .gpx, .kml) are supported, and the icons are automatically imported and resized too. Simple drag 'n drop to add POI or change the menu structure.

Probably about 2 weeks to go to before it's unleashed, so watch this space...

WOW. Stunning :thumbup:

Look forward to it's release. Will it cope with the changing map DVD structures that keep happening at each new map release?

looks good mate :)

We will always be one step behind Navteq. However I don't expect any issues in keeping up to date with incremental changes unless they COMPLETELY redesign the structure.

This looks very nice:thumbup:

Looking forward to see it in a near future.


Tobmag

Looks very promising !

What is the price for this software?!

Very nice :)

Looks pretty intuitive. Thanks for sharing the info.

BabyMakingWeather,

As I wrote before i'm really looking forward to see this software:thumbup: but for what versions of DVD's will it be compatible with?


Tobmag

Thanks for the interest. So far, have successfully tested the following:

EUR 2006-1 HIGH
EUR 2006-2 HIGH
EUR 2007-1 HIGH
NA 2007-1 HIGH

Have I missed anything important?

Inbetween the day job, am still working on documentation, support for the PROFESSIONAL DVD's, and integration with UltraISO and ImgBurn.

What are the costs for your POI Editor?

Thorsten

Haven't decided yet, but shouldn't break anyone's bank. Definitely less than $30, possibly less than $20.

Any update on Your program? I'll definately buy a copy when ready!

Regards

It's basically ready, but the documentation still needs some work. I don't want to release it without good documentation as this will generate too many queries/problems.

A few people have been testing it with various map DVD's - it's working well so far with all the European and NA maps for 2006 and 2007 (HIGH and PROFESSIONAL editions).

Have also added integration with UltraIso and ImgBurn so that the whole end-to-end process of adding POI (especially those with frequent updates like speed cameras) is now even more trivial.

As a developer myself, I can tell you that NO ONE READS THE DOCUMENTATION. :rant:Thus, it won't help... You'll still get bombarded with silly question.:loser2:

Sounds/looks like a great piece of software. :thumbup:

That may be true for commercial software, but a lot of people have read my manual for my free PhatVoice software. It even won an award for documentation.

PDF: http://www.tmk.com/PhatVoice/PhatVoice.pdf
Web: http://www.tmk.com/PhatVoice/htmldoc/phatvoice.html

Any updates?

Sorry folks, due to other committments, this won't be available now until the end of Jan.

Help
 

Let me know if you need help testing/documenting. :)

any updates on this?

Nearly there, sorry for the delay...

Would this program work with maps from other countries? Us Aussies would love to add speed camera POI to our Australian maps (CD not DVD based maps)

Funnily enough, this one is quite high on the agenda as I'm moving Down Under myself very soon;)

All the CD's I've seen so far do not contain the necessary file structures to support POI. I don't have access to an Oz CD at the moment, however if you send me a directory listing of the CD, I should be able to tell you if there's chance...

It seems there are only a few files on the CD from what I can see, alll of which are in the one directory (root directory):
-Abstract (2KB)
-Bibliogr (2KB)
-Carindb (145.7MB)
-Carinet (680KB)
-Copyrigh (2KB)

That's it! I'm using a Mac to look at the DVD and as far as I can see there aren't any hidden files.

Afraid it's not looking good for you. The DVD's that are successfully being edited look something like this (Europe 2006-2):

\
+---config
+---db
+---dbal
| +---V001_008
| +---V002_006
| +---V003_000
| \---V004_002
+---telemat
| \---tmc
| +---lan
| \---loc
\---tpd
\---ntcBeu_eu_20060207
+---ENG
+---FRE
+---GER
+---ICONS
+---IMAGES
+---ITA
+---SPA
+---TABLES
| \---0
\---USA

Hi all, I have a German road map CD that does have POI info in a separate TPD directory. This works on my MkIII nav, and the POI info (in HTML files) appears correctly.

So the MkIII can show POIs and the CDs can support it.

I want to try to add POI info to my nav CD (which has only the usual -Abstract
-Bibliogr
-Carindb (the main map db)
-Carinet (the TMC msgs)
-Copyrigh

Care to work together?

The presence of the POI on the CD is not surprising, as the only limitation here really is space. Without the Falk guide (and all its images), it should certainly be possible to squeeze a few POI onto the CD.

The info about MKIII computers showing POI is more surprising, and will interest a lot of people if it proves to be true! However before anyone gets too excited, are you absolutely sure you have a MKIII Nav?

For Australia and New Zealand space is not an issue.
We don't have any Falk data (the local equivalent - the AA guide - never made it into BMW map data)

The carindb database for Australia is only 140MB, and here in NZ only 74MB

So we can add around 500MB POI data for these countries - so you see we won't be worrying about space for a while :-)

As we live in countries surrounded be ocean, our vehicles never leave the country, and so our map discs only have our own country on them.

I have the speed camera POI data for NZ and want to add it to my MkIII but it costs a CD-R each time I try. The MkIII won't read CD-RW.

Note that the TPD (third party data) directory structure in the MkIII is different from the MkIV, I have only just started analysing the German CD to understand it.

I also want to extract the existing POI data from my carindb file, and save in /TPD/ directory so that I can then add the individual HTM files for the POIs, and add my own POIs.

Here in NZ our carindb file has limited POIs and a lot of interesting places are missing

Yes, it is definitely a MkIII. CD-only drive, currently loaded with SW version 3/1-65 (which is 3/1-63 modified with custom splash screen and modified menu text.)
I know these systems quite well, I have retro-fitted a few MkIVs and my MkIII to ex-Japan BMWs (E38 and E39.
In Japan their nav system is different, doesn't read AUS or NZ map data, so nav comp + wiring needs to be changed.

If you want, I can send you a copy of the German MkIII CD so you can do your own analysis

Jochen

Hmmm, I don't see any POI file structures (or folders) on the 2007-1 German CD.

Here are the contents of the abtract file:

My German CD is v2003-1 and the Abstract file contents are:

Root directory contains
/TPD/
ABSTRACT
BIBLIOGR
carindb
CARINET
COPYRIGH

/TPD/ contains

/FAC_002/
/FAC_003/
/FAC_004/
/ICONS/
/IMAGES/
TPD.DIC

FAC_nnn (nnn = language code, 2=GB, 3=FR, 4=DE) contains directories from /000/ to /030/
/000/ contains a default 00000000.HTM POI file
/001/ onwards contain around 500 HTM files, one per POI.
Filename structure appears to be the unique POI ID in hex eg:
File 03022ECD.HTM is for POI 03022ECD

The 03022ECD.HTM displays as:

SCHLOSSTHEATER
SCHLOSSSTRASSE 5
36037 FULDA
Telephone: +(49)-611102326 The Schloßtheater Fulda hosts guest performances of operas, operettas, ballets, musicals and plays. Moreover, orchestral concerts and chamber music performances are staged here.

This text is what appears in the MkIII

The other directories are
ICONS contains icons for credit cards etc that are used with the HTM files
IMAGES contains POI images in 3 sub folders (/1/, /2/, /3/)
Images are identified by their unique POI file name (hex).
They are JPG files, varying in size from 5kB to 15kB
Images are 96dpi, 229pxl width, 179pxl height, 24 bit depth, single frame.
I have yet to see an image appear on the MkIII, not every POI has a image, so I have to do some more research and find a POI with an image


Here's an 03001C29.HTM file with image:
PARKHOTEL STADER HOF
SCHIFFERTORSSTRASSE 8
21682 STADE
Telephone: +(49)-41414990 [IMG]file:///E:/TPD/ICONS/KREDITKA.GIF[/IMG] [IMG]file:///E:/TPD/ICONS/PARKING.GIF[/IMG] [IMG]file:///E:/TPD/ICONS/HANDICAP.GIF[/IMG] [IMG]file:///E:/TPD/ICONS/RESTRANT.GIF[/IMG] [IMG]file:///E:/TPD/ICONS/KONFEREN.GIF[/IMG] [IMG]file:///E:/TPD/ICONS/CHILDREN.GIF[/IMG]
First class 3 star hotel with sauna 34 sg (120-140 DM/60-70 Euro), 60 db (170 DM/85 Euro) Location: Very quiet on the outskirts

[IMG]file:///E:/TPD/IMAGES/1/182899.JPG[/IMG]

Care to explore further?

I just inserted the German CD and set destination to Stade, called up Info on destination and viewed the HTM file for Parkhotel Stader Hof

All images appeared correctly on the MkIII - the icons, the hotel JPG, everything. The main hotel JPG did appear to get re-sized (squashed) but that will be because I have a 4:3 display, not a 16:9, so the aspect ration for the JPG will be incorrect.
The HTM file becomes scrollable, the image appears below the text and you scroll down to it.

So there we go - let's start making TPD data :-)

Hi Guys,

I thought I would add this to the melting pot. This is the dir of an Australian CD Version 10. There are POI's included and visible when using NAV but they must be embedded in the carindb file??

Thats right, the POIs are in the carindb file, same here in NZ
Only if Third Party Data exists does a TPD directory get created

I'm not sure I'm following correctly here but if finding Aussie POI that can be used as additions to our discs is the problem I wonder if we can use the ones freely available at http://www.ozpoi.com/ . They exist in a number of formats, some of which are compatible wth the POI Editor available on this forum. But Im suspecting the problem is finding a way to add them to the file structure of our CDs.

If you have MkIV nav then adding POIs should be easy, but you may need to replicate all existing POIs which are embedded in the carindb file

For MkIII nav the carindb file may need to be modified - a harder job

is there new info for the poi-editor?

Hi KiwiJochen,

it seems to me that you are the man which can give profound answers regarding Nav data structure.

I have a MKIV and added several new POI categories to my 2007-01 DVD.
So far so good. :thumbup:

I was wondering and testing whether it is possible to replace the default POI Citycenter by one personally determined. To have one more POI to display.

I deleted all POI data files (url and idx) contained in the serveral language folders in the TPD folder but the POI Citycenter is still displayed.

Thatswhy I'm assuming that this POI Citycenter data is already embedded in the original map data.
Can you confirm this assumption?

Is there any possibility you see to replace the Citycenter data by another POI category?

I'm very exitedd about your answer.
Matt

In 2007-01 (Western Europe) city center and parkings tables (0024.URL and 0054.URL) are not inside specific language directories, but under \TPD\nccBeu_eu_20060803\tables\0. Surprisingly enough the corresponding .IDX files are under the language folders.

Languages folders are under nccBeu_eu_20060803, at the same level as the "external" tables folder.

Have you also deleted these two "external" POI tables?

Hi Malaspina,

I did two trys before I just deleted all url and idx-files. All means really all, also those two contained directly in Tables\0. :thumbup:

Firstly I just modified the GER.LSC that the category number Citycenter was linked to other url and idx-files but nothing changed.

Secondly I replaced the specific url and idx-files of the POI Citycenter with my url and idx-file but nothing changed.

After this I deleted all url and idx-files to just verify, whether there is any linkage between the POI Citycenter shown in the map and the files contained in the folder TPD.
But obviously there isn't.

Hope you understand what I've done.

regards,
Matt.

Any progress on this software?

See also here........

http://www.xoutpost.com/navigation-sy...d=1#post359143

Thanks for your patience - testing is nearly complete
http://www.pimp-my-nav.com/