mkgmap styles

General talk
1

Where can I read more about mkgmap styles or style files? I currently use version 590 with a customised map-features.csv file, but this page:

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mkgmap/help/usage

says that these are now “depreceated” (sic) and recommends style-files instead. It also says that “There is a script called newstyle to convert your old map-features to style-file format”, but unhelpfully doesn’t give a link. I’ve googled the site for this script but can’t find it.

What is this “script” anyway? I run Windows XP - would it be any use to me?

The customisation help page:

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mkgmap/help/custom

only talks about .csv files, not style files.

I’m aware that 590 is not the latest version of mkgmap, and would like to upgrade, but I’m put off by the warning that map features may cause errors in builds later than 590. I would be happy to convert to style files if only I could find out how.

2

As far as I am concerned the old map features files are still supported and will be for a long time.
There might be a bug or two there but if I knew what they were then I would fix them. I think the
only problem is when there is an error in the map-features.csv file, you get an error that you wouldn’t do
in the earlier version of mkgmap.

new_style.py in the scripts directory of the source tree. It is in python if that is any use to you. If you contact me via the forum email, I can send you the file
or if you send me your map-features.csv I will convert it for you.

The page for styles is http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mkgmap/help/Custom_styles along with http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mkgmap/help/style_rules

3

I use the latest Mkgmap together with the old bicycle style, it works fine for me.

4

Talking about styles: what exactly does a mkgmap style file? Is it possible to include drawing styles as well like in a TYP-file?

5

It says how to convert OSM tags into a Garmin types. It isn’t a way of designing a TYP file, but of course use any TYP file with the the produced files.

6

So it’s more like a poor man’s TYP file?, where I can assign each map object type to one of the default drawing styles?

Is there a list of all the objects that a Garmin knows along with a rendering example?

7

Thanks to everyone who has replied and commented. There should be enough pointers for me in the links above… though I’ll probably stick with .csv files for the time being. My map-features.csv file is still very much a work in progress, so while the offer to convert it is appreciated, it would be better to wait until I’ve settled on something I like - if I ever do.

(I apologise for the delay in responding… I had to go away at short notice, then as soon as I got back I fell ill. Some nasty foreign bug I assume. By the time I recovered from all that I had forgotten about this thread.)

8

Once you get used to them, the style files are a bit cleaner than the CSV to edit. :slight_smile:

Weolvi, the style decides what objects are rendered and what Garmin style code to give them (eg, “main highway”, trail", “industrial complex”, “pub”); the TYP file assigns visual styles to those objects, and the online typ editor’s great for building those.