Hello to all,

I recently took the plunge and purchased an in-dash Nav system. Got (I think!) a great deal on the Pioneer AVIC-D3. Wanted an indash for reasons not important here. New to car Nav systems but using handhelds for years.

As most probably know here, This system uses TeleAtlas map system with a DVD that must be in system to utilize full capability.(Not a problem due to Ipod)Also no HDD,Card slot or USB. Right away, I started asking myself how to upload POI's and premade routes into system. Roadblocks all the way! I have been haunting the web for days hoping I could find the answer and have been squashed. UNCLE!!!

Here it is in a nutshell....How do I take POI's from this and other websites convert them to the correct format for my system to recognize and accept them? I've tried all the standard formats using various programs with no joy!

Can Anyone help?

Thanks in advance

Simple, you can't upload anything of that nature. the only thing that can be "uploaded" to the d3 is custom pictures.

^^Yup, just pictures.

I'm not sure I'm ready to give up! Lets think about it just a moment.....

On Pg. 56 of manual it explains how load Adr. book data(POI's) into device from other Pioneer systems(specifically AVIC88DVD). So both units use the same Operating sys and data. The only differance is that the -88 has a pc slot. If we can find out what kind of file format is used then it would be a piece of cake.

So the solution seems to hinge on finding someone who has used the AVIC88.

comments???

That doesn't have anything to do with POI's, though. That's just for migrating the address book to the D3 from another nav unit.

I may be wrong since I haven't used the unit much yet, but according to the manual on pages53-56, the Adr. book is a storage area for 300 registered locations that the user can define. Home Location, favorite location, previous destinations, etc. Aren't those POI's? Instead of being preloaded points from the database, you are copying them from the TeleAtlas disk to your own personalized POI's storage area. So the logical conclusion is that if the unit is capable of storing waypoints(poi's), and transfering them to a disk on your PC, then there has got to be a way to convert a generic poi file(like a .csv format) to be accepted an loaded into the system using the procedure on Pg. 56.

Here's where the theory falls down....If TeleAtlas/pioneer use a unique format, then there is probably not a converter out there. If this is so then, we would have to convince TeleAtlas/Pioneer to release it. I know for a fact that European TeleAtlas users of other brand Nav. units are doing converts,so I'm convinced it's a Pioneer issue.

I certain this would be a powerful addition to the AvicD3. The ability to input waypoints that the user can define. Example; There is a POI file you can get off the net showing every Aviation VOR facility in the country. I'd like to have that info on my Automobile Nav. system.

Long winded so I'll leave it there for now.......

No, POI's are places you can search for in your vicinity, like gas stations, restaurants, shops, parks, etc. They are stored as part of the map database and are only updated with the update nav disks.

The address book that you can transfer (as mentioned above) is for transferring addresses/destinations you have previously entered and stored in another nav unit to the D3 instead of having to manually enter them all in again. It has nothing to do with the POI system.

Your understanding of Pioneer's terminology is what is making this more difficult to understand.

*POI=Point of interest. Like the previous poster said, a restaurant, gas station, rest stop, etc. There are like 11 million of them in the database.

*Address Book=A way for you to store important locations you have visited or plan on visiting. That is what the earlier AVIC allowed you to store on a PCMIA card

*Waypoint=When you plan a route with more than one stop, additional stops before your final destination are called waypoints. So while sitting in your driveway in the morning, you choose the dry cleaners->the babysitter->work->to a lunch meeting at a restaurant->home. Pioneer's will do five waypoints by the way

So the shortwinded answer to your question is still no, you can't transfer POI information. There are portables that will let you do that if it is a feature you desperately need

I may be wrong since I haven't used the unit much yet, but according to the manual on pages53-56, the Adr. book is a storage area for 300 registered locations that the user can define. Home Location, favorite location, previous destinations, etc. Aren't those POI's? Instead of being preloaded points from the database, you are copying them from the TeleAtlas disk to your own personalized POI's storage area. So the logical conclusion is that if the unit is capable of storing waypoints(poi's), and transfering them to a disk on your PC, then there has got to be a way to convert a generic poi file(like a .csv format) to be accepted an loaded into the system using the procedure on Pg. 56.

Here's where the theory falls down....If TeleAtlas/pioneer use a unique format, then there is probably not a converter out there. If this is so then, we would have to convince TeleAtlas/Pioneer to release it. I know for a fact that European TeleAtlas users of other brand Nav. units are doing converts,so I'm convinced it's a Pioneer issue.

I certain this would be a powerful addition to the AvicD3. The ability to input waypoints that the user can define. Example; There is a POI file you can get off the net showing every Aviation VOR facility in the country. I'd like to have that info on my Automobile Nav. system.

Long winded so I'll leave it there for now.......

Well Folks.....I hate to say I told you so, but you are wrong, and I just proved it! I will admit that I maybe am using the term POI incorrectly in this context, but the problem of uploading other than JPEgs is solved I think.

After exhaustive searching I solved it. Just got finished uploading to my Adr. book and verifying operation of a small poi file showing 28 street intersections in downtown Chicago. Admit that I could have sat in my truck and manually inputed all 28 into the unit but I did it in 30 sec. at my computer.

Heres the solution;

The Adr. book with your Home, Fav's,etc. is a *.v01 format. At your PC,You can take any list of POI's you would like(as long as you do not exceed 300 separate entries), convert it to a standard .asc file using any easily available converter. Once this is done, down load and run a utility call AVIC POI converter. Slight problem here...the program user interface is in spanish! I know a little of the lingo and it's pretty simple. This program converts .asc formatted files into .v01 files. Create a Point directory on a CD-R and burn your new .v01 file to it. Pop your new CD into the AVIC and follow instructions on Pg. 56 of Manual. Call up your adr. Book and you can take it from here......

As I said the limit is 300 entries, so some of the POI file out ther on the net will have to be split up(by Region, planned trip, etc).

So, now capable of using ANY PC based map software, defining waypoints to a CD and uploading to AVIC-D3.

Very Cool!

Nobody ever said you couldn't import addresses/destinations. We said you couldn't import POIs. YOU LOSE! WE WIN!

Gee, I didn't mean to turn this into a contest! Didn't think that was the point of forums. Since you feel like flaming folks, which as I can tell is your style from reading thru the past threads, I'll bow out and take my business elsewhere. Thought this might be of interest to folks.

And just a small point, you sure as heck did tell me it wasn't possible! Read the posts.

Sorry, bmg, but you're still wrong. No matter how you word it, a POI does not equal an Address Book entry. A POI is associated with a category, while an Address Book entry is not.

Here's a real world example: Let's say that a restaurant opens up down the street from my house. It opens after the release of the Nav discs, so it doesn't show up in my D3 when I search for restaurants. Sure, I can add it to my address book, using a variety of methods (including the one you describe above), but it still won't show up when I search for restaurants. Therefore, it's not a POI.

Let's use another example: Say I create a trip on a PC, similar to what you describe above. I load it with motels, gas stations, etc. Great - now I have a nice little itinerary of waypoints that I can import into my D3's address book. However, the D3 can't recognize the categories of the waypoints I import. "Chuck's" might be a gas station or a restaurant, but I can't tell from my screen. These waypoints are not POIs.

Maybe you think we're being too picky, but there ARE units that can do true POI importing. It would really suck if someone came across this thread, think that the D3 really can do true POI importing, and make an $800 mistake.

In summary:

YES, you CAN import Address Book entries

NO, you CANNOT import POIs

Oh, and in HiFi's defense, I can't see anywhere he says or even suggests that the D3 can't import address book entries.

Gee, I didn't mean to turn this into a contest! Didn't think that was the point of forums. Since you feel like flaming folks, which as I can tell is your style from reading thru the past threads, I'll bow out and take my business elsewhere. Thought this might be of interest to folks.

And just a small point, you sure as heck did tell me it wasn't possible! Read the posts.

Hey man. Mind PMing me all the programs/steps I might need to do this? These 'contacts' can be saved into the address book right?

I've got the iPhone, and as we all know, you cannot transfer your address book via bluetooth with the iphone. Why, I don't know? So rather than have just a phone number show up when my friends call, I'd like their name to show up on my Pioneer screen. If I enter all my friends' names and numbers on the pc, it would be a hell of a lot faster than doing it all manually on the avic. In theory, this should work. Creating a file with all of my contacts on the PC, then inserting it and loading it to the AVIC. Gimme a shout.

Dustin

The address book for the navi is completely different then your phone book in the bluetooth source

This method of importing entries into my GPS address book sounds very interesting, as I have a lot of entries that I would rather spend 1 minute compiling on my PC than however long it would take to manually enter them.

Anway, I'm trying to do what bmg12060 described, but I'm stuck. Here's what I've done so far:

1. Downloaded PoiEdit 2007 and Avic POI Convert V1.2

2. Created an ASCII (.asc) file in PoiEdit. All entries appear in their proper location on the Google Map, so I assume entries are OK.

3. Converted ASCII file to Pioneer format (.v01) For "Nombre boton" I put "IMPORTED", I un-checked Agrupar en ZZ**, for Icono I put "Punto rojo" and for Sonido I put "Alarma". Then I clicked Procesar. The progress bar filled up and the popup box said "Se han procesado 228 POIs" - so again I assume all is well.

4. Burned the file (inside the POINT directory) to a CDRW using Nero.

5. Put the CDRW into my AVIC-D3, went to Settings in the Navi Menu, System Options, Read from Disc". The AVIC-D3 reads all 228 of the entries, I click ALL and ADD. Again, everything seems OK.

6. Put Navi DVD back in to the AVIC-D3 and go to the Address Book to create a route to one of the new entries.

THIS IS WHERE IT SEEMS TO NOT BE WORKING.... I get a message that "Route Calculation is Not Possible." So I go in to edit one of the entries. Everything looks fine, the Name, Icon, and Sound all look right. I hit "Edit Location", and it just shows me my current location.

What the heck am I missing / doing wrong?