This is the page with the free software to download
1) Open Maps for Garmin navigators
2) Free Nautical Raster Maps
3) Free New Zealand Nautical Charts
Open Maps for Garmin navigators
If you want to compile a map for Garmin navigators (gmapsupp.img) with source data from OpenStreetMap (OSM), that's what you need. Download the file CreateIMG-beta09.zip and unzip it maintaining the directory structure. You will end up with a folder CreateIMG with within a batch CreateIMG.bat, a Readme.txt and a bin folder. If you want to compile the map of Italy, you just have to double-click the file CreateIMG.bat. For other european country, well, read the readme. - Beware of prerequisites and notes contained in the ReadMe.txt that I suggest you read.
Prerequisites:
- Having Windows (with XP it works for me ...)
- Having a fast Internet connection (e.g. the script have to download about 600MByte data for Italy)
- Have a PC with enough RAM (at least 1.5 GByte)
- Have installed Java (version> = 1.6.0.0). If you are not sure which version you have installed, open a shell and type 'java -version'. In case you need it, go to SUN site, download and install the Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE)
If you connect your Garmin to your PC via USB and you see it as a USB Mass Storage (i.e. as a removable disk) then:
- Connect the navigator to the USB
- Open the removable disk and go into the /Garmin folder
- Save on your PC the gmapsupp.img present in the garmin (to be able to reinstall it later.) Saved also if there are any file which name start with "gmapsupp..." (those are the keys for the locked maps)
- Copy the gmapsupp.img created by CreateIMG script in the Garmin replacing the old map
Enjoy.
History:
2013-03-23 - Nineth Beta Release (09): include the new Verion of MkGmap (2534) and splitter (299). MapSource Install (.reg) generation works on 64 bit OS too. The script now points to new files (latest) on the Geofabrik server.
2012-09-16 - Eigthth Beta Release (08): include the new Verion of MkGmap (2328). The script now points to the new ODbL licensed OpenStreetMap files on the Geofabrik server.
2012-04-04 - Seventh Beta Release (07): include the new Verion MkGmap (2263) and Splitter (200). Style file is improved. Sea is now rendered. "pbf" file support. Other small fixes and improvements to the script.
2010-05-02 - Fifth Beta Release (05): include the new Verion MkGmap (1637) and Splitter (106). Style file is improved. The DRIVEMAP.TYP file has an English translation too. Other small fixes to the script.
2010-02-21 - Fourth Beta Release (04): include the new Verion MkGmap (1581) and splitter (105). This new mkgmap includes patch solving Routing Tables (A/B) too small, that caused since last October routing problems. Style file is improved. Other small fixes to the script.
2009-09-13 - Third beta release (03): include the new Verion MkGmap (1187) and splitter (91). Style file is improved. Change Auto-FID in the TYP file. Other small fixes to the script.
2009-06-07 - Second beta release (02): include the new Verione MkGmap (1064) with bug-fix of the short arcs. Other small fixes to the script.
2009-05-30 - First Beta release (01): include the new Verione MkGmap (1049) Managed maxspeed and short arcs routing.
KapGen - Free Nautical Raster Maps
You can find out there some nice Chart Plotters based on PC and released as free software. The two most interesting, in my opinion, are OpenCPN (Open Source) and SeaClear (Freeware). OpenCPN is very promising and it's development is growing very fast. It handles both Raster maps (BSB) and Vector maps (ENC and CM93). SeaClear is more mature, more bug-free, but handles only Raster Maps (WCI and BSB). Seaclear has also a nice tool called MapCal that helps in Calibrating images (like scans of nautical maps) and in converting in WCI format.
KapGen is a tool I've developed running on Windows (so far) that aims to help Sailors in generating Nautical Raster Maps (.kap) starting from an image (jpg, tif, etc.) plus the right Calibration data. In practice there are some Hydrographic Services, like the Land Information New Zealand, that provides free access to non-calibrated scans of their official maps (even if not regurarly updated with latest Notice To Mariners - NTM). So why not preparing a Tool and sharing a database with all the calibration data to help people that use OpenCPN and/or SeaClear in preparing their own calibrated raster maps?
If you are interested give it a try: download KapGen-beta06.zip (this includes CHARTCAL-V20), unpack were you like keeping directory structure, open the CMD and try "KapGen -h" (or just double-click on KapGen.cmd). Very important: charts are for reference only and are NOT for NAVIGATION. Please read also the Readme. KapGen uses the tool mc2bsbh.exe which home page is a mine of info. Other info about Chart Plottering, Maps, etc. at the OpenCPN Forum and at the new OpenCPN web site
History:
2010-01-29 - Third release Beta (06). Wider compatibility of the KAP header. Released CHARTCAL-V20 with the whole New Zealand Chart portfolio (320 maps).
2009-11-23 - Second release Beta (05). More practical use of the interactive mode (loops without exiting). Displays copyright information. Bug fix. A new CHARTCAL-V12 included with 115 Maps data.
2009-11-13 - First release Beta (04), the first available here. It should work.
Free New Zealand Nautical Charts
The Data Base (CHARTCAL.DIR) covers the whole New Zealand Portfolio. The latest version V38 of the Data Base (15 July 2013) with data for building 336 maps can be downloaded here CHARTCAL-V38.zip: just replace the old CHARTCAL.DIR in KapGen Calibration folder with this one. Please read the Readme and the History file.
If you are just not interested in building the maps by yourself or if you use Linux, so KapGen doesn't help you, I uploaded to MEGA the whole chart set ready to be used. Please download the 7-zip compressed file (154.8 MByte) directly from the link below and install the charts in your navigation software:
- NewZealandNauticalCharts_V38.7z - MD5: dde0adc0a807428bf90f14f343deab84
All New Zealand charts are derived from images Sourced from Land Information New Zealand data. Crown Copyright Reserved. Not to be Sold & Not to be used for Navigation.
Short History:
2013-07-15: V38 - Updated 43 charts for LINZ reprint & NTM, including 10 new editions/ new tiff.
2013-03-15: V37 - Updated 78 charts for LINZ reprint & NTM. Added 1 new chart.
2012-09-15: V36 - Updated 75 charts for LINZ reprint & NTM, including 21 new editions. Added 1 new chart.
2012-03-31: V35 - Updated 51 charts for LINZ reprint & NTM, including 5 new editions.
2011-10-15: V34 - Updated 47 charts for LINZ reprint & NTM, including 2 new editions.
2011-05-31: V33 - Updated 51 charts for LINZ reprint & NTM, including 12 new editions.
2011-03-31: V32 - Updated 40 charts for LINZ reprint & NTM, 5 new maps, 3 withdrawn.
2011-01-31: V31 - Updated 19 charts for LINZ reprint & NTM.
2010-12-08: V30 - Updated 11 charts for LINZ reprint & NTM, 1 small alignment, 10 new maps, 2 withdrawn.
2010-10-31: V29 - Updated 14 charts after LINZ relese of newer versions of map images (reprinted & NTM).
2010-09-12: V28 - Updated 16 charts for LINZ reprint & NTM, Deleted 15 old charts and Added 18 new charts.
2010-06-30: V27 - Updated 8 charts for LINZ reprint & NTM, updated 1 chart for wrong ID. Added 1 new chart.
2010-05-31: V26 - Updated all charts (date format), spelling corrections, 9 updated for LINZ reprint & NTM.
2010-04-30: V25 - Updated 20 charts after LINZ relese of newer versions of map images (reprinted & NTM).
2010-03-31: V24 - Updated 10 charts after LINZ relese of newer versions of map images (reprinted & NTM).
2010-02-27: V23 - Updated 12 charts after LINZ relese of newer versions of map images (reprinted & NTM).
2010-02-06: V22 - Updated 13 charts. Mainly a better calibration (changes are only at pixel level).
2010-01-31: V21 - Updated 7 charts. Mainly for wider compatibility.
2010-01-27: V20 - First release of the whole New Zealand Chart Portfolio
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