Creating custom marine maps for use with G2 Vision

[Valkyrie]

Hi,
I have a GPSMAP556S (marine) and run a G2 vision card in it.
Due to my eyesight not being what it used to be I have difficulty at times determining where the local Green Zones (no fishing) boundaries are as they are only shown with an outline.
I have managed to create a custom map with shaded areas for Green Zones which I joined with a copy of GMAPSUPP.IMG using GmapTool.
The resulting file displays perfectly in Homeport, but when I insert the card into the GPS it says that it "can't unlock maps" and that "the map format is not supported" (Two separate messages).
Any ideas on how I can get this to display in the GPS?

[Valkyrie]

Further to my earlier post I decided to first see if I could clone the existing G2 card onto another SD card of the same size.
I figure they use the CID or volume label as a security check, so I tried these steps.
I formatted the card using the same Volume label number as the G2 card.
Then I re-wrote the CID of teh copy card to be the same as the G2 card.
Then I copied all files over.

The result was that it still says it can't unlock the map although it does show the supplemental map info in the information screen.
It also doesn't give the option to use image overlays.

Still missing something

[Tiny]

When you say you joined it to a copy of gmapsupp.img. What map is in gmapsupp? I'll assume the Locked G2 off the SD card?
Is it locked?
If the G2 map is a commercial SD card with locked map, it is most likely locked to the Card ID. You can muck around with JetMouse Garmin Keygen which will generate a new unlock code for the card ID, If you know how to get the ID# of an SD Card.

To use the map on another card or to join it with another map or layer I suggest to copy the G2.img to your PC & unlock it using .
This may also work on the combined .img you have created.

"the map format is not supported"
Hmm, how did you create the custom map?
What format is it in?

[Valkyrie]

G'day Tiny.
I'll answer each in turn..

When you say you joined it to a copy of gmapsupp.img. What map is in gmapsupp? I'll assume the Locked G2 off the SD card?

Yes, the G2 vision data is in gmapsupp.img. It contains additional features.

Is it locked?

According to homeport the chart is not lockable. However there is a text file on the G2 card called gmapsupp.unl which contains a 25 character string. Presumeably an unlock code.
There is also a file called gmappsup.gma which is a binary file.

If the G2 map is a commercial SD card with locked map, it is most likely locked to the Card ID. You can muck around with JetMouse Garmin Keygen which will generate a new unlock code for the card ID, If you know how to get the ID# of an SD Card.

I have written some software to read/write the serial # on the SD card. I tried generating an unlock using the unit ID and placed that in gmapsupp.unl without success.

To use the map on another card or to join it with another map or layer I suggest to copy the G2.img to your PC & unlock it using .
This may also work on the combined .img you have created.

I'll have a look at it, thanks.

"the map format is not supported"
Hmm, how did you create the custom map?
What format is it in?

I created the custom map in GpsMapedit and joined it to gmapsupp.img using GMaptool.
It doesn't appear that I can add a second set of supplementary maps to the card and I don't want to lose the G2 vision capabilities.

Thanks for your comments.

[Tiny]

gmapsupp.gma is a digital license file, this will be your problem.
It's Garmin's way of adding an extra way on top of the unlock file to prevent you from using the .img file on another card.

I don't know how to unlock .gma protected maps.

Suggest you do some research into that.

Good place to start is,

[Valkyrie]

I've done a bit more mucking around.

I can "clone" the original garmin G2 vision card onto another SD card successfully. (no errors, all features available).
But that's not what I'm after - I already have a card (now I suppose I have a backup).

The unsupported format error comes from not setting the headers in the polish file to Marine=Y
If I do that I get no error in the GPS unit.
BUT
If I do that, the overlay no longer shows in homeport and it still doesn't show in the GPS unit.
Tried all sorts of types for the polygons with no success.

[Tiny]

sounds like you're getting closer.

When you get it sorted maybe you could write a tutorial on how to do it.