OV2 file format

Omega · Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 6:41 pm Post subject: OV2 file format

Does anyone have any info on the OV2 POI file format. I need to write a PPC app that will allow me to extract a subset of postcode data and write it directly to a POI file for Navigator 2. I am unable to do this using CodeSearch since I frequently don't know the postcodes I need to visit until after commencing the journey, hence I can't do the extract on a PC and transfer it to the PPC before hand.

Searches to date have not turned up any pointers to the actual file format, only conversion programs which run on the PC.

Mark R Penn · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2003 2:25 pm Post subject:

Why not just put all the Codesearch OV2 files on your PPC? If you put the less frequently used ones in a sub-folder, you can copy them into the map folder when you find you need them.

lbendlin · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2003 8:21 pm Post subject:

The TomTom support pages have converters in both directions txt<=>ov2 for download.
_________________
Lutz

Report Map Errors here:
TomTom/TeleAtlas NAVTEQ

Mark R Penn · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2003 8:23 pm Post subject:

Omega · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2003 10:37 pm Post subject:

The post code database files I am using are the CodeSearch_XX_Region files, which are of course in OV2 format already. These files are the ones from the Pocket GPS site downloaded using POI Editor.

Whilst the idea of having all of the files on the PPC and copying the required ones to the TomTom map directory does work (it's what I do now), it is a bit of a kludge to use, and not very practical when you keep using different regions on a regular basis.

The approach taken by CodeSearch is ideal but would require carrying a laptop so I could do the extract and then download it to the PPC. Again possible but something of a sledgehammer for this particular nut. (And of course it adds even more kit to what I already have to carry to each different vehicle!)

What I have in mind is to examine the practicality of doing what CodeSearch does on the PC, but implemented directly on the PPC itself. This would then allow one to build an overlay of say 30 target addresses to visit which may or may not have come from the same post code overlay. Being able to do this on the road would be almost as good as having proper post code lookup in TomTom itself.

I am currently looking through the contents of the OV2 file using a hex editor but reverse engineering file formats tends not to be an exact science and can be quite time comsuming. If the structure of the files is already known then I do not have to waste time and effort re-inventing that particular wheel.

Mark R Penn · Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2003 8:43 am Post subject:

Mark R Penn · Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2003 8:55 am Post subject:

I've just checked, and I have 30 individual Postcode OV2's permanently in the map folder, plus a load more POI files, and TTN loads with no problem/delay at all. Searching is also very fast, much faster than searching for an address.

And I don't think I'm anywhere near the limit yet. TTN would not load when I tried to put ALL of the Postcode OV2's in the map folder, but I'm certain it would accept a lot more than I have now.

	PocketGPS
	Web