Using Google Maps with Garmin Nav
Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2017 10:18 pm
I use Google maps quite a lot but up until now have resorted to using Basecamp to plan routes. I found this video on using Google maps to plan a route and then use this in Basecamp to convert the file and send it to your Nav. Been playing with it and it seems to work rather well. In the video he is using Windows OS but the principle works the same on Mac OS, just the menus are a little different.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMv0yK7XCrY
The basic principles:
1. Need to create a Google Account
2. Log in and use My Maps to create a route
3. Save route as a KML/KMZ file to your hard drive
4. Open Basecamp and import the KML/KMZ file
5. In Basecamp convert KML/KMZ file to GPX file and send to your device.
Like all software programs it takes a little playing with to get to grips with creating routes using Google My Maps but it has some very neat features. It uses layers which can be turned on/off. This means you can have lots of different routes in one Map all on different layers. Turn the layer on reveals the route. Each route can be saved as a separate KMZ file. I believe a KMZ file is a compressed version of KML.
There are ways of converting KMZ files to GPX files without using Basecamp but using Basecamp as a converter and transfer to device is very easy.
If you like Google maps and hate Basecamp this is certainly an option for creating your routes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMv0yK7XCrY
The basic principles:
1. Need to create a Google Account
2. Log in and use My Maps to create a route
3. Save route as a KML/KMZ file to your hard drive
4. Open Basecamp and import the KML/KMZ file
5. In Basecamp convert KML/KMZ file to GPX file and send to your device.
Like all software programs it takes a little playing with to get to grips with creating routes using Google My Maps but it has some very neat features. It uses layers which can be turned on/off. This means you can have lots of different routes in one Map all on different layers. Turn the layer on reveals the route. Each route can be saved as a separate KMZ file. I believe a KMZ file is a compressed version of KML.
There are ways of converting KMZ files to GPX files without using Basecamp but using Basecamp as a converter and transfer to device is very easy.
If you like Google maps and hate Basecamp this is certainly an option for creating your routes.