Mapwel

There is no doubt that GPS devices are extremely useful, in many situations, regardless if you travel by car, bike or if you go hiking. If you need new maps on your GPS, you can use Mapwel to create them. It allows you to import or download maps, in various formats, create and edit routes and much more. When you are done, you can send your new map, along with its associated information, to your GPS device.

Mapwel is not free, but a fully functional demo is available. The installation package weighs in at 20 MB and it does not take long to install the software's components. It is compatible with all popular Windows versions, but it works only with Garmin GPS units.

The program supports a wide range of input data, including OpenStreetMap OSM files, ESRI shapefiles, Google Earth KML and KMZ files, GPS exchange files and others. You can load a map, in one of these formats, import images or load OziExplorer map files. Loaded maps and waypoints are displayed in the central region of the interface and you can use various tools, to edit routes, transform and convert them, create points of interest and much more.

Mapwel's integration with OpenStreetMap is definitely worth mentioning because it enables you to find and download any maps faster and easier. You can load a map of the world, on a separate window and zoom in until you can see a streets map. The software allows you to draw and split tile bounds over the map and download the selected area. You can also draw a polygon, using a lasso tool and generate tiles.

The downloaded map fragments can be merged into a single file and loaded on the main interface or uploaded on a GPS device. It is possible to select, move and transform individual elements on a downloaded map or create new ones. You can also import waypoints and tracks from a GPS.