Garmin MapSource - gdb (gdb)
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## Garmin MapSource - gdb (gdb)

This format can...

- read and write waypoints

- read and write tracks

- read and write routes

This format has the following options: cat, bitscategory, ver, via, dropwpt, roadbook .

Support for the "Garmin GPS Database" format used by default in MapSource™ versions since release 6.0 of that product. By default GPSBabel creates gdb files of version 2. Version 2 is used in Mapsource 6.3 and 6.5. This format is also used by Garmin BaseCamp™ for Mac and Windows.

Garmin GPS database is an undocumented file format. The basic info for this module came from the existing MapSource conversion code.

### `cat` option

Default category on output (1..16).

This option specifies the default category for gdb output. It should be a number from 1 to 16.

### `bitscategory` option

Bitmap of categories.

This option is closely related to the 'category' option. While category allows you to choose a single category that waypoints should appear in, this options allows you to specify a bitmask to be used for the category. Options may be specified in either decimal or hex.

Example 3.4. Example for gdb bitcategory option to put all waypoints in categories 1 and 16.

The following two commands are equivalent. They place a the point in both the first and last of the sixteen available categories. `gpsbabel -i gpx -f PocketQuery.gpx -o gdb,bitscategory=32769 -F foo.gdb` `gpsbabel -i gpx -f PocketQuery.gpx -o gdb,bitscategory=0x8001 -F foo.gdb`

### `ver` option

Version of gdb file to generate (1..3).

This option specifies the data format version for the output file. Version 2 is the default. Currently, the only other valid values for this option are 1 and 3.

### `via` option

Drop route points that do not have an equivalent waypoint (hidden points).

This option instructs GPSBabel to drop hidden (calculated) points from routes. These points are not converted to waypoints or route points.

### `dropwpt` option

Don't create waypoints for non-user points.

This option instructs GPSBabel to drop hidden (calculated) points from routes when creating waypoints. These points are not converted to waypoints, but they are converted to route points.

### `roadbook` option

Include major turn points (with description) from calculated route.

If this option is specified, GPSBabel drops all calculated route points, with exception of points with a description (i.e. "Make U-turns until you know where you are."). The priority of this option is higher than of the `via` and `dropwpt` options. A value of 1 or y overwrites the `via` and `dropwpt` settings.

Example 3.5. Using gdb option `roadbook` to create simple html roadbook

`gpsbabel -i gdb,roadbook -f sample.gdb -x nuketypes,waypoints,tracks -x transform,wpt=rte -o html -F roadbook.html`

Because gdb internally creates a route AND a waypoint list, you have to drop all waypoints and transform the route into waypoints in order to get a well ordered html output. We suggest these steps for all waypoint-only formats as html.

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