My custom Garmin maps install into Mapsource where you then can select it for upload to your Garmin GPSr. All my maps are created with a transparent background so your basemap or any Garmin detailed maps (Topo, City Navigator etc) you upload along with the trail maps will show through. The trail maps can be toggled on/off in your GPSr just like any other Garmin map. A READ_ME_FIRST.txt file is included with installation/use instructions.

Screenshot from a Garmin GPS showing how trails will appear when uploaded along with Topo


Michigan State-wide Snowmobile Trail Map with floating trail numbers

New York State-wide Snowmobile Trail Map with trail numbers

Minnesota State-wide Snowmobile Trail Map

Quebec Province-wide Snowmobile Trail Map color coded trails with floating trail numbers

Lake of the Woods Area Snowmobile Trail Map MN, Ontario and Manitoba

North Dakota State-wide Snowmobile Trail Map
PM me for this map


Custom Map Making Tutorial
I have created a video tutorial that uses Cypherman's Mapset Toolkit and genTYP...very nice front ends for cGPSMapper...making it real easy to make and install maps with custom color trails into Mapsource. The zip file contains a video that plays in Windows Media Player showing how to make a transparent map from Garmin track files using GPSMapEdit, cGPSMapper, MapsetToolkit and genTYP. Included in the zip file is a READ_ME_FIRST.txt file that has step by step text instructions to follow along with the video.

Creating Custom Garmin Maps from Google Earth Maps
Here's a video tutorial that plays in Windows Media player to get you started making basic maps by tracing map features in Google Earth and then making and installing the map into your Garmin GPS. Uses the same software as in the Map Making Tutorial above.

Creating Custom Garmin Maps from Google Earth Maps II
Tutorial 2....adding more detail to the previous Tutorial map....roads, airstrip, resort and parking lots. Once you learn the basics you can add all the detail you want to your maps. Uses the same software as in the Map Making Tutorial above.

What a great sevice you have provided us. I can a test that the MI and NY maps are spot on. It sure has made my riding more enjoyable.

Thank you so much !!

Have you tried GPSMapEdit? What's your opinion on the various products? Pros and cons for each?

How can I download your map tutorials???

click the link...the MediaFire file hosting site will open...wait a second for file request to be processed...click the "Click here to start download" in the yellow box on left side of screen.

Wow... during the short time I have been into mapping and doing and reading everything I can to learn more about the subject and trying to learn how to improve my maps which are in China... having many errors that need to be corrected and roads, places, intersection and POIs that need to be added... this is the very best tutorial I have found so far.

Exceptionally easy to follow... what an ingenious idea... making a clip of the actual work... So cool! Thank You.

I do have three issues I need a little help with if you have time...

1.) Following the sequence of changing the two types to "Highway" and "Parking" then extending the appropriate elements to level 1 and level 2 my trail and the parking POI both read "Parking". In your tutorial they are correct with the parking POI reading "Parking" and the trails reading "Trail". I have re-done this from the beginning three times now and still get the same "error" results with both the parking area and trails being marked "Parking".

2.) In the "Map Properties" > "Levels" page there is a statement that says, "The Last Level Should Be Empty"... I notice it is not. What does that mean exactly? Could this have something to do with my next problem?

3.) In the "Map Properties" > "cGPSMapper" page your system has a "Map is transparent" box which you show needing to be checked during the video clip. However in my GPSMapEdit 1.0.43.2 I do not have the option of the checkable box but rather a three menu drop down box with the choices "N-Not a transparent map", "Y-Transparent Map without background object" and "S-Transparent Map with transparent background". I have used both the "Y" option and the "S" option with no success as you will see below.

At the very end of the process (and I have done this over ten times with no success) when the CGPSmapper is working with MapSource I receive the error message that the 123.typ file cannot be found. I have done complete searches in my system for *.typ in hopes that I made a folder/directory error of some type but there is nothing there... at this point the process just stops and it's over with failure.

I hope you have run into this before and can lend some assist in what I am doing incorrectly. I have a lot of work to do using your system if I can just get it fined tuned to work for me.

Thank you for your efforts in making this tutorial. Like I said, it is great for sure.

The Oowf

My System....

iPAQ 2975 with Garmin Que and MapKing installed
BT-Q818 (Chinese made) GPSr

Problem 1
The text doesn't specify but the video shows unchecking Roads-Major Highway when you go to select Auto-Parking when making the label name change. You must un-check Roads-Major Highway or it will also be renamed Parking.

Problem 2
the last level (5) is empty and nothing can be added to it.

Problem 3
whichever option you choose should not create an error. Can you tell me at what point or step in the written instructions the 123.typ file can not be found error occurs?

Great! It's helpful.