Custom Waypoint Symbols

• Wanting more than the available Waypoint and POI symbols pre-installed on your GPSMAP 66?
• Find a particular symbol is not to your taste, or does not work for your map, and wish you could modify it somehow?
• Wish you could remove all those irritating blue pushpins displayed at every waypoint along each route?
• Maybe you just want to create your own custom waypoint symbols and impress your friends?

With the GPSMAP 66, you can do all this, and more! Read the Garmin Custom Waypoint Symbols press release.

Required Software

Not much more than your favorite image editing software is needed to get you started! If you're using a PC, Paint.net is an outstanding choice!

Existing Symbols

• The GPSMAP 66 is preloaded with several dozen waypoint symbols grouped into nine categories.
• Additinoal waypoint symbols were introduced with firmware version 3.10.
• Some waypoint symbols may appear in more than one category.
• All unique user installed custom symbols will be displayed in an additional category titled 'Custom.'
  
  

Civil	Transportation	Signs	POI
Outdoors	Outdoors	Hunting	Marine
Navaids	Markers	Markers

Guidelines

• Symbols MUST be saved to the GPSr (not the microSD) in the \Garmin\CustomSymbols\ directory.
• Waypoint symbols should be saved in a 24-bit Windows-style bitmap format (*.bmp).
• POI symbols should be saved in an 8-bit (paint.net LowColor plug-in) Windows-style bitmap format (*.bmp).
• Symbols should not exceed 32 pixels in width and height.
• Replacement symbols should be named using the <sym> element in the waypoint’s GPX file (i.e. “Flag, Blue.bmp”).
• New symbols can be given any other file name (i.e. “New Symbol.bmp”).
• Custom Symbols should be limited to 56 per device.
• To make a pixel transparent, set its color to magenta (RGB = 255, 0, 255).
• By default, a symbol drawn on the map will be centered on a waypoint. To adjust this “hot spot”, include the new center position offset from the upper-left corner in the file name (i.e. "Anchor.10x20.bmp" will be centered 10 pixels to the right and 20 pixels down from the top left corner).

Example

We found the geocache symbols Garmin included with the GPSMAP 66 were unnecessarily large, cluttering the map screen and obstructing other map information from view, so we created our own custom geocache symbols.

• Below is an example of our custom 'Traditional Cache' geocache symbol.
• Download our complete set of custom geocaching symbols.

Traditional Cache Symbol Actual Size	Traditional Cache Symbol Zoomed 10x	Traditional Cache Symbol Displayed on Map screen

 

BaseCamp Synchronization

Configure BaseCamp and your GPSr to recognize and use the same custom symbols:

• Make two copies of each 24-bit *.bmp custom symbol, one for BaseCamp, and one for the GPSr.
• Name the BaseCamp symbols 001.bmp, 002.bmp, 003.bmp, 004.bmp, etc.
• Only symbol names from 000.bmp - 063.bmp are recognized.
• All BaseCamp symbol names are three digits, with leading zeros added when necessary.
• Name the corresponding GPSr symbols Custom 1.bmp, Custom 2.bmp, Custom 3.bmp, Custom 4.bmp, etc.
• All corresponding GPSr symbol names are prefixed with "Custom " and do not include any leading zeros.

Place the BaseCamp symbols in the specified directory on your computer:

• [PC] \My Documents\My Garmin\Custom Waypoint Symbols\
• [Mac] {user}\Library\Application Support\Garmin\Custom Waypoint Symbols\

 

Place the GPSr symbols in the [GPSMAP 66]\Garmin\CustomSymbols\ directory:



 

Create a waypoint in BaseCamp and choose a custom symbol to display:

OPTION: Use your favorite text editor to manually configure custom symbol selections in existing {waypoint}.gpx files:



 

Waypoints sent from BaseCamp to your GPSr will be presented with the corresponding custom symbol:

Waypoint Symbol Names

• Custom waypoint symbols saved with the following names will be replaced globally with the new custom waypoint symbol.
• All waypoint symbols that are intended to replace default GPSr symbols must be named precisely as displayed in the list below.
• For example "pin, blue.bmp" will not replace the Blue Pin symbol, while "Pin, Blue.bmp" will.
• Not all Garmin GPSr share identical waypoint symbol sets, which can result in some waypoints being displayed with a different symbol on some devices.
• * New waypoint symbols introduced with firmware version 3.10 to maintain compatibility with inReach models.
   

Existing Geocache Symbol Names Cache In Trash Out Event Earthcache Event Cache Geocache Geocache Course Geocache Found Letterbox Hybrid Locationless (Reverse) Cache Mega-Event Cache Multi-cache Project APE Cache Traditional Cache Unknown Cache Virtual Cache Webcam Cache Wherigo Cache Existing Waypoint Symbol Names Airport Alert * Amusement Park Anchor Animal Tracks ATV Ball Park Bank Bar Beach Bell Big Game Bike Trail Binoculars * Blind Block, Blue Block, Green Block, Red Blood Trail Boat Ramp Bowling Bridge Building Buoy, White

Campground Camp Fire * Canoe * Car Car Rental Car Repair Cemetery Church Circle with X * Circle, Blue * Circle, Green * Circle, Red * Circle, Yellow * City (Large) City (Medium) City (Small) Civil Controlled Area Convenience Store Cover Covey Crossing Dam Danger Area Department Store Diver Down Flag 1 Diver Down Flag 2 Drinking Water Fast Food Fishing Area Fishing Hot Spot Facility Fitness Center Flag, Blue Flag, Green Flag, Red Flag, Yellow * Food Source Forest Furbearer Gas Station Glider Area Golf Course Horse Trail * Hunting *

Kayak * Letter A, Red * Letter B, Red * Letter C, Red * Letter D, Red * Lighthouse * Marina * Man Overboard Medical Facility Mine Movie Theater Museum Navaid, Amber Navaid, Black Navaid, Blue Navaid, Green Navaid, Orange Navaid, Red Navaid, Violet Navaid, White Number 1, Blue * Number 2, Blue * Number 3, Blue * Number 4, Blue * Oil Field Parachute Area Park Parking Area Pharmacy Picnic Area Pin, Blue Pin, Green Pin, Red Pin, Yellow * Pizza Police Station Post Office Private Field * Radio Beacon Residence Restaurant Restricted Area Restroom RV Park

Scales Scenic Area School Shelter * Shipwreck Shopping Center Short Tower Shower Ski Resort Skiing Area Skull and Crossbones Small Game Snowmobile * Square, Yellow * Stadium Stop Sign * Street Intersection * Summit Swimming Area Tall Tower Telephone Toll Booth Trail Head Tree * Tree Stand Treed Quarry Triangle, Blue * Triangle, Green * Triangle, Red * Triangle, Yellow * Truck Truck Stop Tunnel Ultralight Area Upland Game Water Source Waterfowl Wind Turbine * Wrecker XSki * Zoo

 

 

Waypoint Symbol Sources

• GPSrChive Custom Symbol Repository
• POI Factory