BaseCamp v4.2.1

No chatter so far on v4.2.1...everybody just underwhelmed or ambivalent or didn't have a clue it was released?

List of changes to Windows BaseCamp:

• Added Trip Planner
  • Adds an easy way to plan multi-day trips
  • Round trip support
  • Can print a trip itinerary
  • Can add destinations along a route
• Flying support (airport and flight number look-up)
• Supports traveling between different time zones
• Can add Adventures that you'd like to take as part of your trip
• Routing Improvements
• Added support for different route profiles for different legs of a route aka Mixed-routes.
• Added RV and Truck routing profiles with special route options
• Find Improvements
• Added support for UK postal code search
• Added support for Yelp search
• Added support for named POI search (far away POIs should be found if it's an exact name match)
• Added support for POI category search (you can type 'Hotels, Las Vegas, NV')
• Added quick search (hover over the map to invoke it)
• Added ability to display more search results
• Fixed various find issues
• Basestation Improvements
• Added support for displaying BirdsEye while in Basestation mode
• Added support for displaying and saving the track of the Basestation itself
• Added support for displaying the most recent update time for Basestation contacts
• Added support to have different folders and lists with the same name (as long as they have a different parent in the folder hierarchy)
• Added support for changing the location of BaseCamp's database
• Added Irish Transverse Mercator grid
• Fixed an issue where roads from the base map were displaying along with roads from the detailed map
• Fixed an issue where BaseCamp was not displaying properly localized map labels
• Fixed issue with Garmap Southern Africa Topo & Rec 2012.3 NT not being displayed in BaseCamp
• Fixed an issue with certain file names for Adventures and Garmin Cloud

The Mac-BaseCamp v4.2.1 has not been release yet but it has all of the same new features and the usual list of "fixes". This is the time you should switch to BaseCamp if you have a late model GPS or even some of the discontinued units - the benefits are starting to outweigh the learning curve of a new application.

I installed it the other day. Haven't played with any of the new features yet.

• Adds an easy way to plan multi-day trips
• Round trip support

Both of those are very interesting to me.

Downloaded 4.2.1 and poking around. The only way to combine auto & direct is to download to the GPS?

When you create your route you have the option of changing the routing profile between any of the profiles (e.g, Direct, Driving).

If you're using Win-BC the workflow is very bad in my opinion but it works - you just have to jump around from segment property to segment property after you set your point(s). Result below is one route and that route will exist in BC until you delete it. If you transfer it to a GPS that will not recalculate it you're good to go...



In Mac-BC the workflow is very simple and changing profile from point to point is within the same properties window - just select the point and change it's profile right there. All points after that one will be the selected profile until you change it.

Been playing around with this off and on this afternoon.

So far I like the search seems a little better.
And inside the "Find" menu the Caches, Adventures and Yelp all seem to be nice additions to Basecamp.

So far I like it but I just started to get into it.

Fred

OMG! Haven't used Win BC in forever. Now I remember why. It SUX!!!! I'll stick to the Mac version thank you.

Don't have a mac so can't really compare.
That big of difference huh?

Not sure I will change my os for basecamp though.

Fred

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Yeah, I still don't know what the Win-BC team is trying to accomplish by making workflow's so obtuse that it's hard for even a seasoned user to figure it out without a bit of trial and error.

I try to stay up on both Mac and Windows BaseCamp but man if I had to use Win-BC all of the time I'd be a lot less enthusiastic about BaseCamp.

Since I bought the Montana I've been using BC exclusively. And pretty much I've just done it all on my Mac aside from the initial map loading on my PC which I just use Mapinstall for. I didn't feel like messing with transferring maps over to my Mac since I can access them directly on the GPS's. I've got 4 so it becomes a bit of a chore.

Anyway, I played around with Win BC 4.2.1 Yesterday and I was a bit shocked at how different it is from the Mac version. It's almost like having to learn a completely new program.

Dan, as a Win-BC user, I cannot agree with you more. Here is another example—the new BaseCamp 4.2.1 "feature" that allows you to switch to another database. I have been experimenting with this new feature, but it does not work like I would expect. Some of my experiments almost caused me to experience a coronary when BaseCamp began to unexpectedly crash during the restarts, and without an obvious way to fix the problem (I stumbled upon one), while another experiment failure almost resulted in the loss of my entire working database (yes, I had a backup, but BaseCamp kept failing during the restoration – I stumbled upon another fix). Anyway, if anyone decides to experiment with this feature, proceed with caution.

As you know, the default location for Win-BC to store it's database is C:\Users\%USER%\AppData\Roaming\GARMIN\BaseCamp (where %USER% is the user's user name).

I decided to have BaseCamp create an alternate database (Edit -> Options -> General -> Database Options). I selected the Plus icon, typed a new database name (in my case, Tracks Archive), typed in the default path for BaseCamp's databases (C:\Users\%USER%\AppData\Roaming\GARMIN\BaseCamp, with my actual username), and created the database (supposedly). Switching to that database (the arrow icon) and restarting as instructed yielded nothing – BaseCamp restarted and displayed my default database, but thought it was the "Tracks Archive" when I rechecked the setting under Edit -> Options -> General. Changing back to the default database and restarting returned me to the default database. A search of all folders within the default database location did not locate any newly created folders or files.

Redoing this process, but using the C:\Users\%USER%\AppData\Roaming\GARMIN\BaseCamp\Database pathname yielded a different result. This time BaseCamp successfully created a new series of folders within the C:\Users\%USER%\AppData\Roaming\GARMIN\BaseCamp\Database folder. Within the Database folder was a new folder called "Database," which contained a "4.2" folder, which in turn contained all the normal folders and files associated with a BaseCamp database. The new "alternate" database file was still called "AllData.gdb" and was, of course, empty (no data). Swapping back to the default database was successful.

At this point, I decided to try creating a new, alternate database on another drive. I went through the same process, but for a new drive and folder location. BaseCamp failed during the database creation process and crashed. Repeated restarts of BaseCamp resulted in further crashes. Examination of the new drive/folder location found that the "Database" folder had been created, but none of the subfolders and files. I was able to resolve the BaseCamp crashing problem by copying a set of the subfolders and files to the new location, which then allowed BaseCamp to restart.

I am continuing to experiment with the new Alternate Database feature, but thus far, it does not appear to be ready for mainstream use and certainly does not behave as I would have expected. A bit of documentation from Garmin, on how this is supposed to function, would be very helpful.

I lost the hard drive on my computer about three weeks ago. After I loaded everything into the new drive, I found that Mapsource crashed constantly. I tried everything, including calling a Garmin tech, and there were no solutions. I'm very late to the Base Camp party and began hacking around in the electronic quagmire about 10 days ago.

With some help from the Zumo Forum, I'm getting along fairly well with BC but find it cumbersome. When this new update came out with the trip planner tool, I thought this might be just what I was looking for. So far, though, it has been a dud.

Mapsource used to be a good program and was very easy to use after a little, and I mean a little, practice. Base Camp reminds me of the Atlanta executive who developed the "New Coke" when the old Coke wasn't broken. Do you think the good folks in Olathe, KS gave him a job?

Mike

Bill, If you would like to help out your fellow Win-BC users, please post this over in the Garmin Forum for Windows BaseCamp so the Dev Team gets to see it. I know they are working on a maintenance update now (v4.2.2).

The Mac version of BaseCamp does multiple databases and switching very well and I have had no problems with it since Beta v4.2.0.4. I like this feature a lot and it allows me to use the same database between my Win-BC and Mac-BC (not simultaneously of course).

My usual BaseCamp Class these days is to show how easy a workflow is Mac-BC and then do the same task in Win-BC - at which point I hear a lot of groans.

I do hope the Windows BC Team will spend a little more time working on better workflows. To be fair, both products still need work but they are getting better in my opinion and at least Garmin is still investing in the software.

Excellent suggestion, Dan. I have made the post to the Garmin Forum for Windows BaseCamp.

It's good to know that the BaseCamp Dev Team has established good workflows for the Mac product. Hopefully some of those will eventually find their way into the Windows BC product.

I agree with your assessment that Garmin continues to improve the BaseCamp software (although not as quickly as I would like to see).

It would wonderful to see one of your BaseCamp classes sometime. I have tried teaching BaseCamp to a few of my BMW motorcycle club members. I always struggle with the what to present, and how. Perhaps one day...

Bill,

Have I got a deal for you - just ride out to Salem, OR, for the BMW MOA Rally. On Saturday morning at 9AM I'm giving my GPS Basics class and at 10AM I'm giving a brief (45min) BaseCamp Class that is targeted to folks that have used BC but need some assistance to get to the "next level" with v4.2.x.

I should mention that I'm going to predominately use Mac-BC but I'll show Win-BC in contrast on "some" features - the ones that work. As I have mentioned before the workflows at a high level are similar but the tools are completely different.

Wish I could be there...

I would like to ask a question please.

I have been looking for the location of the Basecamp data base.
Here's what my tree looks like... C:\Users\Fred\ -------- there is no "AppData" folder.

How can I find this on my computer?
Maybe a search for the file?
If so what would be the file name or ext. ?

Thanks
Fred

Fred, try this. Assuming you are using a Windows 7 machine, press the Windows key (or click on the start button if your keyboard lacks the Windows key). In the "search" text box just about the Windows start button, type %appdata% and press Enter. A File Explorer window should open and display the AppData folder. Within that folder you will find the GARMIN folder, and within that you will find a BaseCamp folder, and within that you will find a Database folder.

I wish that I could, Dan, but this year's BMW MOA Rally is not in the cards. I took vacation time last week to play in the NC mountains (attend the Un Rally) and play around the house this week. I have some friends who may be attending the MOA Rally and may ask them to attend your session and take notes (or grab me a handout if you have one). Perhaps next year.

Thanks Bill that did it.

Fred

Mike,
I'm on your team.
MapSource works very well for me.

I downloaded basecamp into my computer, a couple of versions, more than once, and the thing crashes before I can see any screen of this software. So I have no idea what basecamp looks like. Basecamp can not be better than Mapsource, because Basecamp does not even run. Anbd Mapsource does.

Lion

Lion, since getting Garmin's latest update, BC has crashed twice in as many days. I've also notice is slower. If yours is crashing at start-up, I think I'd give Garmin a buzz.

I had some uninterrupted time yesterday and made strides understanding BC. It does have some good tools and I'm learning all about the new search feature. Actually, I think that feature is better, too. It's a learning curve so, if you decide to use it, make sure you don't have to plan a trip where you're leaving the next day!

Mike