Newbie Looking for help/tutorial

[Hubert]

If you just want a better backgrounhd map, you simply could create your own map by downloading your area from Open Street Map and create with IMC.

This video is also available with english subtitles ...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhEgUv87zXc[/youtube]

In IMC you have to use at5 Version 10 for your unit.

On this link you can create an OSM map from your desired area, even from your own selectable area. As export-Format for your OSM-map you should select the *.pbf format.

If I have discovered the right area (North of Toronto - southeast of Parry Sound), you can download the desired map from this link. This link only will work for 48 hours.

B.t.w. ... in the area of Parry Sound - Killbear park I already have been for recreation and also for fishing.

[cozz3]

Thanks again for your help.  I've learned a lot through this process and trying keep this simple for my first go around.  Yeah, I navigated to the coordinates on the screen shot but then the screen attempts to skip over a section in both the emulator and my unit.  Also, set the chart to Lowrance.  I can try both files again this evening.  On the Elite 5 emulator, I put the files in a folder I created called maps0 and when I go to system>settting>browse files I can see the file as listed on the emulated SD card.   

Back in the day I used MapSource 6.3 and when I created maps they would display with an outline box then I could zoom into to the specific region.  The test files with IMC also display similar to MapSource.  I tested my old MapSource at5 files and they worked in the maps0 folder.   

[gregory]

I really appreciate the detailed write up!  Your map looks perfect and  I'm glad to see its possible.  I went through the steps as described except change the U_Limit to 19 since I think my Lowrance elite 5 Chirp will only handle one .at5 file.  I tested the file I created in the elite simulator with no luck.  Then tried in again in my actual unit.  It beeps like it recognizes the map but nothing is displayed on the screen nor do I see a border of the map.  Also, tried  your at5 file but no luck. 

I think I may have messed up when using qGIS and didn't convert the files correctly.  I will give it another go

 

One at5 file is not a limitation of the Elite unit.  Setting the U_LIMIT to 19, your maps are only going to be visible when zoomed in...you're probably not zoomed in far enough to see them.

[Hubert]

@cozz3 / Greg:

For test usages: download the zipfile in the link below and extract the complete content to a sd-card. It contains OSM-maps from your area and a folders to use 'as is' on your plotter. at5 are V10.
http://www.coreboat.com/downloads/Ontario.zip

[fjordfischer]

AT5 v10

[cozz3]

Hey Fjordfischer - the file worked perfectly!  Absolutely amazing to see this actually work.   I checked some of the island coordinate on the map against google earth.  They were pretty close but maybe a little off when I was checking points of the island.  Is that common? I assume the map is only as good  as the data that was used to generate it.  Moving forward, I should follow your previous instructions but create the file under atlas 10?   

 
All – thanks for the much needed support!    I’m hoping my schedule permit to make a few maps in the next couple of days and play around using OSM files. 
   

[fjordfischer]

Yes v10.

The 2 following pics show the original island file (as WGS84) in my GIS application over aerial photo and the same aerial photo without the shape.

[cozz3]

Just a quick update.   I was able to build a map covering most of ontario and works perfectly on my Lowrance.  Thanks again for everyone's help. 

[ncfatboy]

When I load a shp file, I cannot use the attribute mode (it's greyed out). What attributes are required? I built an at5 map using QGIS 4 years ago, when IMC was beta, but I cannot remember which attributes were required for an HDS lake map. L_LIMIT, U_LIMIT are the only attributes that the documentation says are required. I also have a gpx shoreline that I converted to shp file with QGIS by saving as a .shp, but IMC says "Read size does not match expected read size".

[gregory]

The Attribute Mode (View->Processing Modes) never gets grayed out.  The Attribute Advanced Options (Advanced Options->Attribute Options) are grayed out if the current mode or window does not use it.

Read through the documentation on area attributes and look at defaulted values.  COLOR, for example, would also be required if you're trying to render an opaque polygon since it defaults to transparent.

"Read size does not match expected read size" is a low level assertion which means that it tried to read X bytes from a file but there was less than X bytes available to read from that file.  Make sure you're running with the latest public release (IMC V0.7.4.0) and if you are, it's likely something with your shapefile.