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[edit] Web Applications

Web applications work within a web site, so you do not need to install anything.

[edit] Map & Waypoint creation

GoogleMaps 2 TrekBuddy allows to create map and waypoint files with ease. Search the desired address, select zoom level, click "download map" for a tar containing the map (no waypoints!) and follow instructions in Maps. For waypoint lists, search all desired addresses (they appear right of the map), click "download waypoints" and download the file to your DataDir\wpts directory.

Bandnet browser can create maps from the OpenStreetMap initiative. Just find the area you want, zoom to the size you want, click "Create" in the "Create TrekBuddy map" area in the lower right. Download the tar containing the map and follow instructions in Maps.

GMapToGPX exports search results of Google Maps to GPX files (the file format for waypoints), e.g. driving directions, addresses or local search. Explanation in German in TB forum post (TODO: translate and move to wiki).

Comfortably create tracks online, see their current length etc., and when ready, download them as GPX that can be used for routing in TrekBuddy.
- GPSies.com offering many map sources, several helpers (altitude information, panoramio pictures etc), and all export formats GPS Babel supports.
- PathtoXML is a maplet for google maps. You can add markers with names to the map and export them afterwards to a gpx file. Installation: Goto Google Maps and install the maplet by "My Maps" -> "Add Content" -> "Add by URL" with the following URL: [1]
- GPS Online Routen Planer is as simple as possible. It's a German page, but that does not matter due to it's simplicity.

[edit] File converters and viewers

At GPS Viewer, you upload a GPX file (e.g. a tracklog) and view it on Google Maps and get some basic statistics and an altitude profile view.
GPSies.com converts between different file formats (e.g. KML, GPX and NMEA) and allows to reduce the number of waypoints in an "intelligent" manner (so first deleting the least relevant information)

GPSvisualizer shows your tracks in Google Maps, Google Earth, as elevation maps etc. No track manipulation possible; for that see RouteConverter

uTrack shows GPX track reports online (e.g. elevation and speed graphs) with several options

mostwantedracer.com displays GPX tracks online using Google maps and provides several graphs (speed, acceleration, elevation, incline rates) and stats for any chosen zoom level. You have to register (main features are free of charge). It lets you manage all your tracks under an account and even compare similar tracks simultaneously.

[edit] Desktop Applications

[edit] Track- and Waypoint files

RouteConverter is a UI for GPSbabel, converts and displays many formats (among them GPX and NMEA), supports semi-automated removal of waste (doubles, "jumps", etc.), re-sorting of points, is easy to use, GPL2, a standalone EXE / Java-JAR (=no installation needed). If you're looking for more functionality, have a look at GPS-Track-Analyse.NET.

GPSbabel converts formats like NMEA. See also RouteConverter.

GPS-Track-Analyse.NET offers many track analytics and editing functions, including statistics, geotagged photo integration, and 3d altitude profile. Only in German, but possible to manage. If you're looking for a simpler tool, have a look at RouteConverter.

The free version of GPS TrackMaker offers no map image support, but to convert several file formats, send files to Google Earth, and to visually manipulate GPX files with tracks and waypoints (e.g. to remove "jumps" originating in poor GPS coverage while creating a tracklog). Moreover, you can connect to bluetooth GPS receivers and watch live data with you PC/Notebook. As TrackMaker has a lot of features, the handling is not that easy.

Geotoad downloads caches from geocaching.com website and saves them as GPX file ready to place in DataDir\wpts directory.
- GeoGPX cleaner processes the GPX files to be suitable for TrekBuddy. Faster loading time, cache types in name, logs in cache details. Works both online or as a batch (desktop) php script.

[edit] Atlas and Map creators

[edit] Googleak / Googleak.NET

googleak can create TrekBuddy and Ozi format files by downloading mostly all map types (terrain, street map, satellite photos,...) from many sources (Google, Yahoo!,...) and supports captchas of providers so your IP will not be temporarily banned. Even non-rectangular regions can be selected for download. Requires a little time to get along with; also try hovering over icons and right clicking icons. For an introduction to this functionality in DE,PL,CZ see Googleak. Also, you can load, view and simulate existing tracks and waypoints. Editing them is not possible, but creating and saving new tracks and waypoints - although other tools are much more comfortable for tracks/waypoints.

Note: There is a new VB.NET based application called Googleak.Net which replaces Googleak.

[edit] Mobile Atlas Creator (formerly TrekBuddy Atlas Creator)

Mobile Atlas Creator (MOBAC) is a open source java application to create atlases from various map sources: Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Terrain, Microsoft Maps & Virtual Earth, Yahoo Maps, OpenStreetMaps and others. MOBAC is easy to use, has a very fast download engine and displays detailed status information while downloading. Handles only rectangular selections. Supports saved profiles. All releases can be found in the download section at SourceForge. There is also a discussion thread here in the forum of trekbuddy.net.

[edit] TBMapper

TBMapper is a windows application able to import/export TrekBuddy atlases and maps. It can integrate existing maps into an atlas. Easy to use: Load a map or atlas. Menu - Layout - New creates a layer. Add files and drag&drop them to the correct layer. Export finished atlas.

Hint: For big atlases and atlases containing JPEG tiles, manual edition of existing atlases is recommended, see Howtos#Atlas for details.

Download from TrekBuddy Forum (requires forum login).

[edit] Ozi Explorer (commercial)

OziExplorer - highly recommended tool for map calibration (commercial USD 95)

[edit] Map Tuner (commercial)

Map Tuner, PC application supporting mobile GPS tuner application. ADD USE CASE HERE - may allow to calibrate maps?! Not running on my computer.

[edit] TB Cutter

TB Cutter thread in the forum (or direct download) cuts a calibrated, big OziExplorer map into ready-to-use map tiles for TB and creates the corresponding .set file.

[edit] jTBtar

jTBtar is a multi-platform GUI tool to convert atlases and maps into tar format

[edit] Mobile Device Applications

[edit] Mobile Trail Explorer

This software can import GPX files created by TrekBuddy and show the trail on OpenStreetMap (online) and some useful graphs and info. It runs J2ME - on every phone. download / projectsite

[edit] TrekBuddyService (Symbian application)

For S60 devices, the native Symbian application TrekBuddyService is available that helps TrekBuddy "bypass" limitations of Java implementation - at present, it enables backlight control and improves speed of tar-ed maps (some are even completely unreadable without this tool).

Last but not least: It is vital that you use tmi files together with tar-ed maps on S60 for best performance !!! According to this post, to create .tmi file from .tar file, you need to run the command

 tar -R -tf map.tar > map.tmi

where map.tar is filename of your tar-ed map and map.tmi will be the resulting .tmi file. Under Windows, you will need to download tar separately (possibly from here).

2009-07-24: Owners of S60 3rd FP2 and newer (eg. S60 5th) do not need this service. In fact, TrekBuddy (since 0.9.87) will not even try to use the service when it detects it runs in S60 3rd FP2 or S60 5th device! Not true, backlight control still does not work properly without the service. And tar-ed maps performance will likely be much better with the service as well, despite changes that Nokia made in FP2+ java runtime.

[edit] Installation

Here are the steps to make use of it:

Download SIS file for your device from [2].
S60 3rd (TrekBuddyService3rd is for 3rd and higher) and UIQ phone owners need to sign the SIS
1. Go to Symbian Signed Online.
2. Type in your device IMEI (use *#06# to find it out), email address (disposable address at 10minutemail works) and browse to your downloaded copy of TrekBuddyService3rd.SIS or TrekBuddyServiceUiq.SIS.
3. Select the following capabilities: LocalServices, NetworkServices, ReadUserData, UserEnvironment, WriteUserData, ReadDeviceData and WriteDeviceData
4. Fill in captcha, accept legal agreement and send SIS for signing
5. Almost instantly, you should get a request confirmation email. Open the contained link. This confirms your request and starts creating of a download.
6. Shortly, you'll get another email with link for downloading TrekBuddyService.SIS, signed for your device.
Copy the (signed if necessary) SIS to your phone and install it.
Go to Applications / Installations and run TrekBuddyService - YOU WILL SEE NOTHING, it runs in background. You may click on it multiple times - it won't hurt.

!! Please verify that Settings->Misc->use native service is checked.

-> use native service (since 0.9.96, Symbian only) - enables TrekBuddy to use TrekBuddyService for faster tar maps/atlases access. Default: ON (on UIQ3 and S60 3rd until FP2+) Note: TB always tries to use the service for backlight control.

 If you have got a S60 2nd, you have not an icon to start it, so you may need a tool like 
 FExplorer to run the trekbuddyservice.exe (which should be installed to system\programs).

OR: One could install FreeSigner on the phone, and use that to sign any .sis file you like.

[edit] Features and change log

The service has built-in logging, so using File Manager you may access the folder Others on your memory card and see the file tbsvc.log. Only errors and important events are logged, so the file should not grow too much.

That's it! As of now, the service does not automatically start on boot. This will be fixed in next versions.

[edit] FAQ

When the native service is used?

When you open a tar-ed map
When you use backlight control (key 3)

TrekBuddy connects to the service using phone-local network (IP 127.0.0.1, port 20175), so it may prompt you to allow it to. But it definitely should not try to establish GPRS/WIFI/... connection.

[edit] GPSPort (for Windows Mobile devices with internal GPS)

With common java runtimes installed on Windows Mobile devices (Esmertec Jbed, Jblend or TAO Intent) midlets do not have access to internal GPS. GPSport is a simple pocketpc/smartphone application that provides access to serial port (through which the GPS is accessible) over TCP socket.

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