This format can...
read and write waypoints
Microsoft's PocketStreets 2002 Pushpin (.PSP) format is not yet completely documented. The .PSP module does not work with MS Streets & Trips 2002 .EST files To create .PSP files from Streets & Trips 2002, you will need to have PocketStreets support installed.
Please note that MS Streets & Trips only exports .PSP files. It does not import them. MS Streets & Trips 2002 only imports CSV files. To use .PSP files, simply copy them over to the same folder on the mobile device as the map (.MPS), and open PocketStreets. It should also be noted that in the case a pushpin is outside of the exported map area, the pin will be "grayed-out" and unused in PocketStreets. This is a good thing as it allows us to create one big .PSP file that covers multiple .MPS files. Unfortunately, you need one .PSP file for every .MPS file.
| 1. | Why should I use GPSBabel/psp to make pushpins when Streets & Trips (S&T) already does that for me? |
GPSBabel/psp has the advantage of being able to create pushpins without creating the associated map file and the need to "import" the waypoint data into S&T. Through a series of scripts, you can create a dozen or so PSP files in a few seconds as opposed to a few weeks using the S&T interface. The maps are not going to change between sessions, only the pins will. Why waste all that time creating maps when all you really want are updated pins? As an aside, GPSBabel/psp creates points with the proper coordinates where S&T does not in some areas of the U.S. (Nashville, TN for instance). | |
| 2. | I keep getting a blank (32 byte) PSP file. |
There are either no points to write, or you have botched the command line for GPSBabel. GPSBabel is sensitive to UPPER and lower case on the command line. A simple command line to create PSP files looks like this:
Note the use of "-f" for INPUT files and "-F" for OUTPUT files. | |
| 3. | I've created a PSP file, now what do I do with it? |
To use pushpins in Pocketstreets, you need to have both a map and a pushpin file. These two files must exist in the same folder and have exactly the same base name as the map. For example, the pins that correspond to the map "NewOrleans.mps" should be named "NewOrleans.psp". | |
| 4. | I don't have a map. What do I do now? |
Create one using the "Export map to Pocketstreets" option in S&T. You can also pick up some major city maps on the web from the MS Pocketstreets website if you are interested in seeing how it works. | |
| 5. | I have .EST files, not .PSP files. What's up with that? |
In order to make PSP files, you need to use the "Export map to Pocketstreets" function in S&T. .EST files are for use in S&T, not Pocketstreets. | |
| 6. | The .PSP files differ when I use GPSBabel/psp versus Pocketstreets to create them. What's up? |
Pocketstreets makes corrections to the S&T waypoint data upon initial loading. GPSBabel/psp writes PSP files with these corrections already made. Ask MS. | |
| 7. | Does GPSBabel/psp work with (Autoroute, Mappoint, etc..) .PSP files? |
As of this writing, I haven't seen any so I can't be sure. If they follow the same layout as S&T 2002, I'd imagine so. | |
| 8. | Does GPSBabel/psp work with (S&T 2001, S&T 2002, etc...) files? |
MS changed the file layout between S&T 2001 and S&T 2002. The GPSBabel psp module is known to work fine with S&T 2002 and 2003. | |
| 9. | Does GPSBabel/psp work with (insert your country/location here) maps? |
If it doesn't, feel free to inquire on the GPSBabel-Misc mailing list. | |
| 10. | What do you mean S&T writes points with the wrong coordinates? |
At some point in the "Export map to Pocketstreets" function in S&T, it goofs the lat/long data. Points in Nashville tended to shift 1.4 miles WEST of their original location. I'm not a geometry buff, but I'd imagine they have a reference point for generating coordinates that's wrong in (at least) that area. | |
| 11. | I have 800 waypoints that cover a dozen or so Pocketstreets maps. Do I need to to split my points up into smaller chunks to match the area covered by the maps? |
No. Pocketstreets will "ignore" points that are outside of the map area. Points that are not on the current map will be "grayed out" in pushpin explorer in Pocketsreets. This is the reason the PSP module was written for GPSBabel in the first place. | |
| 12. | Where can I find documentation for the layout of PSP files? |
Just about everything I know about the PSP file format is documented in the source. To the best of my knowledge, there is no documentation (and for good reason, I've come to discover). | |
| 13. | I have some other problem, what do I do? |
Ask your question on the GPSBabel-Misc mailing list. |