• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Intro to BaseCamp

Hail

0
Joined
Apr 23, 2012
Messages
2,170
Reaction score
617
Location
H-Town
First Name
Brad
I cannot find any threads dedicated to using Garmin BaseCamp here. One of my buddies (Lycan1 on ADVRider) on the FZ1 Forum created this simple tutorial to get a few of us started on BaseCamp. If you have ever gone to ADVRider to get some tracks for Canada you may have grabbed his files.

His hope was to eliminate a bit of the frustration for others that I was feeling personally. I bought a Montanan 650t and was having a **** of a time creating routes. I did not realize I still needed to buy some street maps. it only came with TOPO. It is really hard to make a route on streets when no roads are on the map. ;)

For may of you this may be an over simplification. For many more, like me, it will be incredibly helpful.

http://www.fz1-forum.com/forum/touring-traveling/19717-working-base-camp-garmin.html

PART I
Lycan1 said:
Garmin Base Camp Help For PC Users:

I will preface this by saying that I am a self-taught “expert” in Base-camp and still learning the ins and outs of the program. I have spent many hours using it, both “building” tracks and editing tracks saved from my Garmin GPS (Montana). I will attempt to help new users of the program with both written and pictorial notes, one step at a time. In order to get the full value from the Base-camp program you will need another map, other than the included “Global” map that downloads as part of the program. These can be purchased on DVD or downloaded to your computer directly from Garmin. Other Map programs like “Open Street Maps” are compatible with Base-camp, and some like(O.S.M.) are free to download on-line. I myself have several available to me, including O.S.M. and City Navigator North America 2012 from Garmin.

As pointed out by another user, the "Tool-Bar" does not in default mode look like mine (shown) which I customized to my liking. To do this ,just right click anywhere on the tool bar and select (and organize) what features / tools that you wish to have visible.

Choosing a Map from the menu in the Tool Bar:

If you have loaded an aftermarket map, other than “Global Maps” which comes free as part of the Base-camp download, you can choose to view a choice from the drop-down menu in Base-Camp. It is as easy as (left) clicking the mouse on the arrow on the right end of the map button in the tool-bar on the top of the map window.

Then choose the map from the drop-down menu by clicking on it.

mapexample1.jpg


Mapexample5.jpg


On that same tool bar at the far left is a “detail” drop-down menu. Using the same process, open the menu with the arrow and choose your level (from lowest to highest) by clicking on it. You can change the level at any time while using your Base-Camp program.

Mapexample2.jpg


Mapexample6.jpg


Zoom Level:

Detail in the Map Window of Base-camp changes in 2 ways; Using the “detail” tab as described above or by “Zoom Level”. Zooming in can be achieved by either rolling the scroll wheel on your mouse while the cursor is over the map window, or by using the Magnifying glass symbol on the “tool-Bar”. Click on it then click on the map as many times as needed to achieve the level you require.

Zoom Level is important since many trails (and other details) will not show up if you are not zoomed in far enough. Tray zooming in and out to see what I am talking about. If you are building a track (which we will talk about in another post) you will find it less accurate if you “build” it while zoomed out at all from maximum magnification. You can modify the track afterward to increase its accuracy if you have made it while zoomed out.

Remember one important thing: Anything you do in Base-camp will take time & patience to learn & create. Accepting this will make your GPS experience so much more enjoyable and will turn your GPS from a simple electronic “map” into a useful tool of exploration.
 
Last edited:
Building a Track

PART II

Lycan1 said:
Building a Track:

To “build” a track from scratch you must first sort out your Map issues. Once that is done I recommend zooming in as far as practical with the detail setting on “highest”.

Start by creating a file folder in your menu on the top far left by; “right” clicking on the “My collection” folder, then “left” clicking on the “new folder” at the bottom of the drop box menu that appears.

newfolder.jpg


Name your new folder and return to the map section of the screen. In the “tool-bar” at the top of the map screen look for the symbol that looks like 2 shoes. Click on it then move the cursor to where you want your track to begin. As soon as you click on that spot a pop-up window will ask you where you want the track to be saved? Click on the “new file option and give the section (sub-folder) a name. Then click “okay”.

Trackbuild1.jpg


The box will disappear and you can continue clicking “track points” along the route (path) you are creating.

trackbuild2.jpg


trackbuild5.jpg


When you get to the edge of the map an “Arrow”(instead of the pencil icon) will appear, to move the map in that direction. You can use this to “scroll” the map in the desired direction, or you can move the cursor over to the blue arrow in the top left corner of the map screen. When the cursor is over that arrow a “compass” will appear and you can click on the inner circle(4 blue direction arrows) in the direction you want the map to scroll.

trackbuild7.jpg


Once it (the map) is in the correct position, return to the track and continue clicking track points. Do not worry if you make a mistake, as you can “move” or “erase” points later.

Base-camp will assign a “track name” to any new track (example Track 030) and you can rename this at any time by: moving the cursor over the track name in the window to the bottom left of the map window and “right” clicking on it. You will see a “rename” track in the pop-up window. Left click on that and type in what you want the track called.

trackrename.jpg


Another method of renaming is to double click on the track name balloon. When this box comes up, edit in here.

trackrenamealternate.jpg


trackrenamingalt.jpg


trackcolor.jpg


You can also make changes to the track color here as well. Once done just close the window and carry on in Base-camp.

Garmin BaseCamp for PC: Organizing Data - YouTube
 
Last edited:
PART III

Lycan1 said:
By the way it was Brad that inspired me to make this "Help" thread and I welcome constructive input or questions from other members that know their way around Base-Camp.

The point of the thread is to help others that are just getting into the GPS world and want to learn how to turn their unit into a useful tool.

Here are some places to check out as well.

http://www8.garmin.com/learningcenter/training/basecamp/

http://www.fz1-forum.com/forum/touring-traveling/16684-open-street-maps.html

http://gpstracklog.com/2012/02/garmin-basecamp-video-tutorials.html

Garmin BaseCamp for PC: Introduction - YouTube
 
PART IV

Lycan1 said:
Another member pointed out the "Routing" vs what I have been explaining which is "Tracks".

I NEVER use routing while creating a "route", instead I create a "TRACK" which will not give you any turn by turn prompts if you are used to that. Tracks simply show the line (in whatever color you choose) on the GPS device. They won't tell you when you have inadvertently missed a turn or wandered off course, but the Base-camp to Garmin device interface never alters it either and I have used this method for many 10's of thousands of road and trail adventures with excellent success.

You can create a "track" and then convert it to a route by right clicking on the track (in the left "track window").

Routes can also be converted to "Tracks" which I have done with success.

Using tracks is simpler because you do not have to play with any settings like"avoid toll roads" or the like. Once created it will not alter during transfers back and forth from Base-camp to your device, which routing sometimes will.

Garmin BaseCamp for PC: Tracks - YouTube
 
Erasing a Track Point(s)

PART V

Lycan1 said:
Erasing a Track Point or points:

If you have gone the wrong way while building your track you can easily erase points. Move the cursor to the eraser icon in the tool bar and left click it.

eraseing1.jpg


erase.jpg


Then scroll to the point on the track that you wish to remove. A red “X” will appear over the point your cursor is over, left click the “X” and the point is gone. You can also click and drag over numerous points and they will all be erased as you lift your finger off the right mouse button (after they first have Red “X”s appear over them). Very often the furthest point will still remain, leaving a straight line between them. Just click the mouse over each remaining incorrect point and they will be erased.
 
Last edited:
Moving A Track Point

PART VI

Lycan1 said:
Moving A Track Point:

As mentioned before, depending on zoom level that the track was initially built on, you may have to “move” track points afterward, once you zoom right in to check your work. It is as easy as clicking on the “Move track point” on the “tool–bar”. Then place the cursor over the point to be moved and “click-and-drag” it to the correct position.

movepoint.jpg


Move2.jpg


This will feel like pains-taking work, and it is, but the end result will be a better adventure, ensuring that you cover the correct trails on your adventure / trip.

More to come.
 
Last edited:
Inserting a Track Point

PART VII

Lycan1 said:
Inserting a Track point:

Sometimes you create a track then zoom in and find that it is not as accurate as you would like, so you want to move track points onto roads. Sometimes you need to insert more points between existing points to follow curves, or be in the correct lanes for divided highways, etc.

This is another easy process when you know how. The “insert points” icon in the tool-bar (once clicked) allows you to place more points between existing track points. Just click at the desired spot on the track and repeat as needed. When you are done click on the “move track point” icon to move the next point and repeat the whole process as needed until the track is as accurate as you wish.

insertpoint1.jpg


insertpoint2.jpg


insertpoint3.jpg


Remember not to go too crazy, as some GPS units have size limits to how much information they can handle. Newer units like the Montana have large limits, which I have yet to exceed.
 
Last edited:
I hope others find this as helpful as I did.

P.S. I have found that the toolbar icons for detail and map selection are not visible by default after installing basecamp. To get them to show up just right click in an open area of that toolbar and a complete list of available toolbar menus will be displayed. Select Detail Level and Map Tools from that drop down list. You can then arrange them anywhere on that tool bar you want.
 
Combine Tracks

PART VIII
Lycan1 said:
Sometimes you have two tracks in Base-camp that you want to combine. I have accidentally stopped a track that I was making and had to start a new one just past it to continue a run. This is not a problem and you can join as many tracks as you want. Base-camp can sometimes get confused by this and will draw a straight line from the last point back to the first point on the first track. If it does this DON"T PANIC, just hit "cancel" and try inverting all the tracks before trying to join them again. You can (once joined) invert the new track back to the correct direction. I have found this usually works when the glitch happens.

To Join 2 or more tracks;

In the left lower window, Left click each track (while holding down the "Ctrl" key) until they are all highlighted. Do this in the order that the tracks should be joined (this is important).

Join1.jpg


Then RIGHT click on the last highlighted track to open the pop-up window.

left click on "Advanced" to open the next pop-up window and click on "join tracks".

A Window will pop-up in the map window listing the joined tracks. Make sure the tracks look correctly joined and if so click "OK" to close that window and join the tracks.

Join2.jpg


The program will assign a new name to the track.

Join3.jpg


Right click on the "track name" in the left window and choose "rename track" or double click the "track balloon" in the map window to open the track information screen and edit it there.

Join4.jpg


Your done!

Join5.jpg
 
Last edited:
Reverse a Track

PART IX

Lycan1 said:
Invert (Reverse) a track;

You can reverse the direction of a track any time you want. I have used tracks from other people but wanted to do it in the opposite direction, or have used pieces of other tracks to fill in a trip, but needed them reversed. This is very Easy!

Choose the rack that you want to reverse (Invert) in the lower left window.

Invert1.jpg


RIGHT click it to open the pop-up window, then left click on "Advanced"

In the next pop-up window click on "invert track".

Invert2.jpg


You are done!
 
Last edited:
Divide A Track

PART X

Lycan1 said:
Sometimes after you have made a complete route you want to divide the tracks into daily sections. Sometimes you want to remove a section to use in another trip. Either way you need to know how to do this. It is one of the easier functions in Base-camp.

Using the icon that looks like a scissors cutting a ribbon, click on the icon.

Divide.jpg


then move the cursor over the track, it will look like a small arrow with a scissors beside it.

Divide2.jpg


When you are over the correct spot, left click. The track is split.

You can then rename, delete, copy, or move that section by right clicking on the new track section in the lower left window.

Divide3.jpg


Experiment and enjoy your new found knowledge and POWER! :sinister:
 
Last edited:
Hail,

Thanks for sharing this good introduction. As a self taught Basecamp user this would have saved me hours of experimentation and discovery.

One thing for new users to keep in mind is that some of the motorcycle specific Garmin GPS units like the old Zumo 550 are not track friendly. When converting tracks to routes or sharing across several devices, expect the receiving unit to change the results based on recalculation settings, profile, and installed maps.

One of the most difficult issues with Basecamp is the amount of default features it includes. Plan on spending the better part of a day learning how profiles work and how to toggle on and off all of the features, maps and detail levels. Or better yet just set up a blank profile and turn off everything in routing and points under displayed features.

I still use Basecamp for reading tracks from my GPS and device communication, etc., but most of my routing is now done online using Google maps for street riding) or Rally Navigator for off road. Programs like GPS Visualizer will convert files so they can be shared between these programs.
 
Excellent tutorial!

Did you know you can also install free OSM or Open Source maps on BaseCamp and your Garmin unit as well? OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable Satellite navigation device. The maps are created using data from portable SAT NAV devices, aerial photography, other free sources or simply from local knowledge.

Free Open Source Map for Garmin and BaseCamp.

:clap:
 
Excellent tutorial!

Did you know you can also install free OSM or Open Source maps on BaseCamp and your Garmin unit as well? OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable Satellite navigation device. The maps are created using data from portable SAT NAV devices, aerial photography, other free sources or simply from local knowledge.

Free Open Source Map for Garmin and BaseCamp.

:clap:

Excellent. Thank you!
 
:tab I agree with Meriden. I HATED Basecamp when I first started using it. Mapsource seemed far easier and more intuitive to use for me. I am still not wild about how Basecamp manages data but I can deal with it. I find a great deal of the features to be useless for my needs, but I guess other folks like them. My biggest gripe is the incredibly low limit on the number of points you can have on a route. If you exceed that number, the auto-routing explodes and defaults back to straight lines between points... if you are lucky. It might also just start sending lines in random directions, routing you all over the country side!

:tab I REALLY want to like my Montana 600, but I REALLY miss my old 276C, especially when it comes to dealing with tracks. The Montana can't store tracks that are very long and breaks them up into pieces. This means I have to go back and stitch them all together after a trip. My 276 could easily store each day's riding as a single track. In some ways, the Montana 600 is a huge leap forward. In others, a BIG leap back. I think the same can be said for the jump from Mapsource to Basecamp. I think the people at Garmin are still thinking in terms of street riders when they decide how/what features to implement. As a dual sport rider, I can think of a LOT of things they could change to make the units, maps, and Basecamp work better.
 
What is the difference between Base Camp and Road Trip? I use road trip for my routing. Never done tracks.
 
Excellent tutorial!

Did you know you can also install free OSM or Open Source maps on BaseCamp and your Garmin unit as well? OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable Satellite navigation device. The maps are created using data from portable SAT NAV devices, aerial photography, other free sources or simply from local knowledge.

Free Open Source Map for Garmin and BaseCamp.

:clap:

Oh, now that I just recently subscribed to lifetime maps from Garmin, you tell me this. :D
 
What is the difference between Base Camp and Road Trip? I use road trip for my routing. Never done tracks.

Road trip was the Mac product when Mapsource was the only PC product from Garmin. They added a bunch of features to Road Trip and it morphed into Basecamp as a Mac only product. Then they ported/rewrote Basecamp to run on windows. At that point Road Trip and Mapsource reached end of life and neither have been updated for years.

I find the Mac version of Basecamp to be better than the PC version.
 
Thanks for the tutorial. I need to study it. Basecamp has been very frustrating for me.
 
I just made my first tracks using almost everything Lycan1 goes over in this tutorial. It was so much easier this time. The attached is my normal run through the forest, 3090 & on to Yankee's and back to Tomball. Now I just need to go over doing the same with routes.
 

Attachments

  • Forest Run from Tomball to Yankees.gpx
    102.8 KB · Views: 402
Thanks Hail! I got a Montana for Christmas and am trying to figure out Basecamp now. This should help a lot!
 
Road trip was the Mac product when Mapsource was the only PC product from Garmin. They added a bunch of features to Road Trip and it morphed into Basecamp as a Mac only product. Then they ported/rewrote Basecamp to run on windows. At that point Road Trip and Mapsource reached end of life and neither have been updated for years.

I find the Mac version of Basecamp to be better than the PC version.

Thanks Rusty. Tells you how long it's been since I upgraded. :doh: Guess I'll download Basecamp soon. :wary:
 
I just took my first ride with the new Montana, I think I'm going to like it just fine once I get the display dialed in. It was jumpng back and forth between portrait and landscape, sometimes even going upside down, but I stopped and figured out how to turn off the auto-orientation feature and solved that annoying problem.

I ran an experimental 60-mile loop that I put together in Basecamp. I discovered that Basceamp doesn't distinguish between public and private roads--my route took me to a locked gate and I had to turn around and double back. The GPS recalculated the route for me, but it was confusing. I'm going to try to download my track and figure out where I got lost.
 
Thanks, Brad. I'll take some time to dig through it. I've tried Basecamp and, frankly, it drives me to distraction and beyond; I'd given up and was simply building my routes directly to the GPS.
 
I just took my first ride with the new Montana, I think I'm going to like it just fine once I get the display dialed in. It was jumpng back and forth between portrait and landscape, sometimes even going upside down, but I stopped and figured out how to turn off the auto-orientation feature and solved that annoying problem.

I ran an experimental 60-mile loop that I put together in Basecamp. I discovered that Basceamp doesn't distinguish between public and private roads--my route took me to a locked gate and I had to turn around and double back. The GPS recalculated the route for me, but it was confusing. I'm going to try to download my track and figure out where I got lost.

You may want to set the recalculate feature to PROMPT to keep it from constantly shuffling the route with every missed turn.

Both Garmin's maps and Google maps can't tell the difference between a private and public road. One uncertain way to tell when routing on Basecamp is that private roads are often labeled simply "road" with no road name or number. Having the TXDot Grid Maps available will give you a way to check. Finally, if everyone will elect me Undisputed Benevolent Despot I'll declare that roads must either have a number or a name but not both. It's a pain to be looking for Baker Lane only to learn that it's actually Highway 3 or something.
 
Back
Top