This is a list of GPS software freely downloadable for recreational (and in some cases) professional use.
This list will be kept brief: the name of the software, a short description of the software, and a link where it can be downloaded from. This thread will be kept locked in the interests of brevity - discussion of software, how to use it, pros and cons, etc can take place within specific topics in this forum.
This is a list of GPS software freely downloadable for recreational (and in some cases) professional use.
This list will be kept brief: the name of the software, a short description of the software, and a link where it can be downloaded from. This thread will be kept locked in the interests of brevity - discussion of software, how to use it, pros and cons, etc can take place within specific topics in this forum.
Garmin BaseCamp
Garmin BaseCamp home page
Garmin BaseCamp allows users the ability to manage all their waypoints, tracks, and routes out at one time out of a multiple-pan, Explorer-type interface. It offers enhanced useability to owners of the latest Garmin GPS units i.e. the Oregon series, but its base tools are useable by anyone. One nice capability is the ability to easily edit the location of waypoints, whether standalone or as part of routes and tracks. MapSource does not have a similar click & drag functionality for editing, so this is a nice touch.
WinGDB3
WinGDB3 File converter for MapSource files
The primary function of WinGDB3 is the conversion of waypoints, routes and tracks, e.g. via points to waypoints, routes to tracks and tracks to routes. A route or track manipulated by WinGDB3 is often more useful than the standard MapSource files for many GPS applications.
Some GPS units have no or a limited TracBack function (like e.g. the Quest and Nüvi) and then it can be useful to convert a track to a route. Other receivers (like the GPSMAP 60) will always recalculate routes and then a conversion of a route to a track makes sense. Sometimes it may be useful to make via points invisible to avoid an excess of flags and spoken texts at the receiver (Zumo, Nüvi). Apart from the conversion functions WinGDB3 also has a number of possibilities to adjust the size of the obtained routes and/or tracks to the characteristics of the GPS receiver. If you specify the maximum number of routes and/or track points your GPS receiver supports, WinGDB3 will assure that the route or track always fits. For very big routes there is a possibility to split routes into smaller segments.
DNR Garmin
DNR Garmin home page
This software was created for professional GIS analysts supporting field personnel using Garmin recreational units instead of spendy professional GPS units like Trimbles, Topcons, Leicas, etc. It is of value to the recreational user because of the access it gives recreational users to GIS data. While what it is intended for is a bit beyond what most recreational GPS users will get into, the access it gives users to high quality professional topographic spatial data makes it well worth learning to use.
It provides users the ability to directly transfer data between Garmin GPS handheld receivers and various GIS software packages - and file formats not usually accessed by recreational users such as shapefiles, comma or semi-colon delimited text files, and table based data (.dbf). High quality map data can often be found in these formats, particularly shapefiles. Using this program a user can translate this data into .gpx and .kml files. It will also allow the user to directly load these features (graphics or shapefile) to a GPS as Waypoints. The other ability this software has is to take data in a foreign projection and convert it to the projection of the user's choice.
G-Raster
G-Raster map utility
This software gives the user the capability to create and view raster imagery (like scanned paper maps, and aerial/satellite photography) on most of the more recent models of Garmin handhelds. These can be anything from Google Earth imagery to actual orthophotos and scanned photos, as used by professionals. I don't have a use for that capability myself, but some people consider that to be well worthwhile.
More software to follow as I get time...
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