TYP files, creating and editing with TYPWiz

**Smulan** · 6th February 2012, 09:59 PM

New version in post #5

The need for editing or creating TYP files is quite obvious if you are using some topo maps with different gps models. What can be clear in one gps can be more or less unreadable with another model.
The use and need of what should be clearly seen in the map is also diffrent depending on if you walk in the forest or are driving an offroad MC.
There are pre made TYP files created by entusiasts that can be found on the net. Theese can be used as a start for making a file of your own. Topo maps are often provided with a TYP file that can be used for editing.

The tool I have used most is the on-line editor [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. However it can be slow at some times and you are depending on that external site.

I recently found another editor :TYPWiz2, stand alone Garmin TYP Editor that seems to work fine and runs locally on your computer. (there are also some other useful tools to be found at the site)

The first editor is in the sticky INDEX at the top of this section but I could not find any reference to the second, maybe it should be added to the list.

**catymag** · 6th February 2012, 10:36 PM

When we created this section
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
all the Typ tools have been moved there
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
TYPWiz it's mentioned in sticky thread here
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
but no link
I'll move your post in that section and will add the soft name in your thread title
thanks

**Smulan** · 19th February 2012, 08:08 PM

When updating some gps units with new topo maps you usually need to do some "typ" work in order to have the maps to look good. Unfortunately the same typ file does not always work good for every gps unit even if you want the same parts of the maps visible, i.e. for cycling.
Updating a Garmin Edge605 with the topo map FriPro v3 (Swedish topo map) proved to be very difficult to get acceptable result until I found a possibilty in the TYPWiz2 tool that was not directly obvious so I would like to share my experiencies.
The best I could get at my first try was this where elevation curves and water streams became very broad even if they were set to 1 pixel wide. The view changed randomly when zoomin and paning also.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

The same part in Mapsource looks like this and this is also how it looks in my 60CSx and nuvi660.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Curves and streams are "polylines" in TYPWiz2 and you can set their width, colour and other attributes as well and all seems good in Mapsource.
However I found a button labelled "Convert to Bitmap" when selecting i.e. a elevation curve under "Polylines" and that made the trick for the map in the Edge605 !

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

That made the difference between an unusable map and a map with excellent visibility.
I have not noticed any noticable delays or slower rendering when using this "bitmap" setting so it seems to be a good solution in this case. I have not read all documentation (and have not understood all I read) but to me it seems a little strange that a Polyline could be bitmapped. Is not a polyline a vector with start, stop and attributes?
Anyhow. problem solved thanks t TYPWiz2.

**pinter123** · 19th February 2012, 11:52 PM

This is v interesting and I'm glad that solved the problem; polylines (and polygons) can have 2 colour bitmaps, and hence transparency, useful for creating say dotted contours,paths,cliffs/ one way streets,tree_rows; in theory they would take longer to render
For more information on such polylines see TYP format:
link removed by Mod

**Smulan** · 5th June 2012, 10:13 PM

There is a new version of this excellent tool avalible:

Link removed because of author's complaints

"At a glance you can see all your POIs,Polygons and Highways with their label colours,if any
Import Pictures of all sizes and number of colours
Copy and Paste pictures from the internet
Bitmap rotation & colour processing tools
POIs up to 48x48 , not just 32x32
POIs with as many colours as you like, not just 256
Truecolor POIs with degrees of opacity / transparency - a first!
Uses its own TYP compiler
All elements are compiled in line with Garmin's latest TYP file developments . For more information see my TYP file format.
Imports text files from major TYP editors
TYPWiz's extra features influenced mkgmap's txt to typ convertor
Fully supports POIs with zero colours ideal, for centralising text - xpm = '0 0 0 0' , see manual for details
Day and night POIs in colormodes 0,16 & 32
Includes a robust text importer
Preserves Headers
Shows POIs of latest GMP TYP files"

More infos here:
Link removed because of author's complaints

**kenta2** · 29th June 2012, 07:28 PM

Removed because of licence agreement

**kenta2** · 12th July 2012, 07:29 PM

Removed because of licence agreement

**GPSFranz** · 14th July 2012, 02:21 PM

I want to use an offline TYP editor to change the look of Garmin and OSM maps on my Oregon 450 (change what is displayed, and how it is displayed).
TYPViewer or TYPWiz (or is there another one)?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each editor?
Thanks for your help!

**Smulan** · 14th July 2012, 07:44 PM

You work with a couple of maps and also maybe a couple of gps devices and when you are satisfied with the result you are done. Theese tools are not something you work with every day in my opinion. Maybe that is why there are no comparisions made for the different typ handling tools like there are discussions on Mapsource/BaseCamp which are everyday tools?
Pick one, try to do the things you want to do and if you run into difficulties, try another tool. If you find any advantages/disadvantages or limitations, please let us know.
Good luck !