Frequently Asked Questions

Navitel vs. Garmin Que

Some useful hints for using the program

Autorouting and Garmin IMG files

Trial version limitation

Using two different nav systems on one device

Navitel questions

Navitel vs. Garmin Que

Advantages of Navitel over Garmin Que:

-- Navitel works with any GPS receiver, i.e. without any proxy/gate addons, which are not quite legal;
-- Navitel has a "big buttons" mode, i.e. quite easy operable without a stylus pen;
-- Autorouting works a lot faster than in Que;
-- Navitel supports skins, i.e. you can edit the appearance of the map - colors/thickness/fonts of the roads, lakes etc. - everything! Navitel offers a nice and easy free WYSIWYG Skin Editor where you can make your own map colors etc. So, you can easily get rid of the Que's yellow background with those brown roads...
-- maps can be easily created using a free editor/converter/compiler working in WYSIWYG mode, so there's no need to pay for cgpsmapper, globalmapper etc.
-- Navitel has an easy (and free) way of full localization, i.e. setting up an interface in another language, together with the voice commands.
-- Navitel has its own proprietary locked maps functionality, accompanied by proper licensing (unlock codes) etc. Available for map developers too at an affordable price. 

New Navitel features implemented in the version 3 (which are not present in Que):
-- proximity alerts;
-- the angled view (3-D);
-- user customizable lock-on-road;
-- and others... + more to come!

Some useful hints for using the program

Here are a few handy shortcuts:

For a better program usability - pressing PDA's central button/joystick-like (the one with arrows up/down/right/left) will deliver the following functions:
- up-down is for map zoom in-out;
- right-left -- will scroll through the main menu pages (satellites/trip computer/map, and also routing when it's active).

Also, under settings in the "map" section, make sure you have "show position on map" and "track up" checked. Then, in the "GPS" settings section make sure you have the right port checked (usually it's COM2 for PDAs with built-in GPS), otherwise it won't connect. Protocol setting: NMEA.

Finally, once connected the black dot in the center of the screen will show your current position. Afterwards you can browse through the map by simply dragging the map back and forth (but in order to return to the current position press the little curved arrow in the left/lower part of the screen).

To play with routing - simply click on any area on the screen and hold it there, so that the context menu comes out, and then choose "begin route". Then you can choose other points and choose "add to route".
Navitel will automatically calculate the route, and in order to start
the automatic navigation, and you should right click on the pink route and choose "activate route". It will become yellow, and the navigation mode will be switched on with voice prompts and everything. To cancel the navigation, go to the menu (first icon to the right if you use the "big buttons" mode) and choose "stop route guidance".

As a general comment - tapping and holding the stylus in various places (i.e. "right-click") will bring you to various needed functions.

Autorouting and Garmin IMG files

Although Navitel Navigator can open Garmin IMG files (which are not locked), the autorouting feature in Navitel does not work with routable IMG files. As a result, there's no autorouting - just straight lines between route points (aka off-road mode).

But the autorouting feature in Navitel Navigator works for routable NM2 (Navitel format) files ONLY. However, if you are a map developer familiar with Polish (MP) format, then any routable map in MP format can be easily converted into Navitel's NM2 format and the autorouting will work fine. Also, you can open an IMG file in MapEdit (download it for free from www.geopainting.com) and then re-save it in NM2 format. This is possible.

Please note that MapEdit can not extract routing info from Garmin IMG files, only map detail data. Hence, the routing information from IMG file will NOT be available and cannot be recovered.
But you can try to generate the routing nodes manually (using Map Edit's menu Tools > Generate routing nodes) then after saving the map in Navitel format, it will be accepted by Navitel and the routing will be enabled.

The unregistered MapEdit version downloaded from www.geopainting.com is quite functional - you can open/import maps from Polish (MP) format, or Garmin's IMG format, or SHP (shape) files, and even from MapInfo MIF format (but the latter is possible with registered version of MapEdit only).

Map Edit has a WYSIWYG interface, real time editing, it is in English - and it's packed with lot's of map editing features! On top of that, Map Edit can be used to make and edit routable maps (all nodes are shown in different color, and are editable etc).

> Tried the Navitel software and part of the map in img format
> converted to NTM. The routing actually worked after generating the
> routing nodes in Mapedit. However, there was no difference
> in routing when the slider was set to fastest or shortest.

You see, to simply generate the routing nodes in Mapedit is only 10%  
of the job (although it's already a big deal that it has such a
functionality now!), and there is a lot more to be for making a good
routable map!

Think about the node connections, 1-way and turn restrictions, then about
roads' speed & class parameters (for this very reason, moving the
fastest/shortest slider did not produce any results!)...

There's a great tutorial on this route making process at
http://www.cgpsmapper.com/route.htm please check it out.

Trial version limitation

The demo version downloaded from the links on our website is fully functional (no time limits for testing, and no hidden features), with just one exception: unregistered Navitel Navigator can only open maps having less than 100kb in size (and the Atlas mode is also not available).

But if you think that you can't properly test the program because your map is larger, then here's an easy workaround for this issue, i.e. on the problem of properly assessing the program functionality:

Download MapEdit (WYSIWYG real-time mapping software) from www.geopainting.com -- it's quite functional in non-registered mode, and you'll be able to do all needed edits/conversion with the free version!
(FYI, the author of Map Edit is also a developer of Navitel).

Open in MapEdit any relevant map in MP (so called Polish) format, or a Garmin img (but be careful with map copyright, if any!), or even a shp (ESRI shape) file and then re-save it to the Navitel's NTM format.

If the map in Navitel format becomes >100k, then simply crop it (the desired region) in Mapedit and resave it, until it's under 100kb. Then you'll be able to open this smaller fragment in Navitel with all the functionality enabled, including autorouting etc.

In fact, Map Edit has full routing nodes support, i.e. you can create routable maps there and then save them in Navitel format, without a need for a third party compiler (e.g. cgpsmapper, etc.) -- see Map Edit's menu Tools > generate routing nodes.

If you still can't properly assess the routing features because of the map size limitation (i.e. the map <100kb has a too small area, while for assessing the autorouting you need at least a couple of kilometers of roads), then here's another trick we can suggest:

to save more space, make sure you either delete the other map data, except for roads with routing nodes respectively, or - which is easier - simply copy the roads only into a new clean (empty) map file, and the accompanying routing nodes will be also copied there. This way, you'll have a pretty large area covered in 100kb, because roads alone don't take so much space, as ordinary richer maps.

Using two different nav systems on one device

> May I use Navitel and Mobile Navigator on one device?
> I´s like to have the moldova nav map, but it´s not existing from Moobile Navigator/MioMap.
> So I think about buying Navitel with the Moldova map. But I am not sure if this might create problems
> on my MIO A701 GPS phone. Any idea?

Please stay assured that Navitel Navigator will peacefully coexist with all other software you have on your PDA. Indeed, you don't have to erase anything, so you'll keep your other program with maps etc., and you can install and use Navitel without any problem.

Besides, with Navitel you'll be able to use many other maps as well, that we'll gladly make available to you in case you need them (e.g. Ukraine, and other neighboring countries - all free of charge).

There are lots of websites with free maps in Garmin format, and probably the most famous is Mapcenter at http://mapcenter.cgpsmapper.com where people upload their maps.

Navitel questions

> I use navitel [1] on WindowsMobile5 since beginning this week.
> I have also Russa and maps in the rus-Format. I can not use these maps and Atlas with Navitel.
> Is Navitel not supporting these formats?

You should convert your Russa maps into Navitel first. Download the
Mapedit software from www.geopainting.com and open your rus file(s)
in it, then re-save them as nm2 files. Yes, it's so simple, and the
unregistered version of Mapedit will allow you to do that.

> Then I have a set of IMG-Files. For example 4 IMG-Files are displaying Berlin.
> How can I build an Atlas of this set? It seems as if the Atlas function doesn't work.

Same thing. You should convert them into Navitel first: open the img
files in Mapedit and in it, then re-save them as ntm files.
Note that you may be violating smb's copyright by doing so.
Also note that if that Mapedit will not be able to open locked IMG
files (e.g. from CitySelect, or CityNavigator etc.)

> With my IMG-Files on a GarminHandheld (VISTA) or with nRoute I can navigate on streets with turn left
> and turn right. If I use the same IMG-files with Navitel, I can not navigate on roads. The programm
> does only show me a direct line between waypoints. What have I to do to plan a route for
> Onroadnavigation with Navitel based on IMG-Files? Which steps?

The autorouting feature in Navitel works only for nm2 files.
This is why the img files will not have routing, i.e. there will be
a straight line between points (like the roads don't exist).
But you can view the img file alright, although the Atlas function
won't work with IMG files (see previous paragraph - you need to
convert the imgs to ntm first, and then atlas will be available for
ntm files).

On the other hand, if you have a routable img file and if you open it
in Mapedit (provided that it's not locked, as we mentioned earlier)
and then convert it in ntm format, the routing information will also
not be available, since Mapedit can not extract routing info from img
files, only map detail data.