Guide to VW POI Collections loader site

[Yearofthegoat]

Just in case anyone wants the latest link to the VW site, it's:

 

http://www.volkswagen.de/de/navigation/rns-510/poi-listen-sammlung.html

 

Cheers

[biglad65]

hi what poi format did you use  ASC , CSV OR GPX   what is the best or do they all show the same picture poi at the end of it

[Gti Jazz Blue]

Thanks for this guide I have managed to import successfully what Personal POIs I wanted onto my Columbus (Shell garages, hotels and Skoda Dealers).

[Madafwo]

Cheers for that.

 

Just created a database using the speed camera database from POIGenie. It gave an error when I first tried using the Garmin database it offered, used the Navman one and it worked a treat.

[Stuboyz]

For anyone who gets stuck on this with the latest version of Columbus (the one with the optical disk in the glovebox) you need to following the instructions from the "Discover Pro" section, rather than the RNS510.  This can be found at:

 

http://www.volkswagen.de/de/navigation/discover-pro/poi-listen-sammlung.html

 

Not going to translate the great work by "YearOfTheGoat" - but the main difference is that the latest version provides a "self-extracting" exe file with all the needed files on it, rather than the "DB3" file.  The DB3 will not be recognised in the latest Columbus SatNav   - I found this out after countless tries.

 

The self-extracting one, however, works a treat

 

Another point to note - if you put this on an SD card together with music, pictures, etc. it will render the SD card unusable - it sees it as "update only".  Just rezip when done, and the media is back!

 

Hope this helps someone else

[SweScout]

For anyone who gets stuck on this with the latest version of Columbus (the one with the optical disk in the glovebox) you need to following the instructions from the "Discover Pro" section, rather than the RNS510.  This can be found at:

 

http://www.volkswagen.de/de/navigation/discover-pro/poi-listen-sammlung.html

 

Not going to translate the great work by "YearOfTheGoat" - but the main difference is that the latest version provides a "self-extracting" exe file with all the needed files on it, rather than the "DB3" file.  The DB3 will not be recognised in the latest Columbus SatNav   - I found this out after countless tries.

 

The self-extracting one, however, works a treat

 

Another point to note - if you put this on an SD card together with music, pictures, etc. it will render the SD card unusable - it sees it as "update only".  Just rezip when done, and the media is back!

 

Hope this helps someone else

 

It sure did!! I've been stuck trying to get my Columbus to recognize the single db3-file folowing this topic.

 

The only diffrence from your description was that it was delivered by http://www.volkswagen.de/de/navigation/discover-pro/poi-listen-sammlung.html as a zip file, not a"self-extracting" exe . Not that it makes any diffrence in functionality... just unzip the file to a SD card ... and SMILE!

 

Thankyou for sharing!

[Madafwo]

Due to the "Unique" way VAG call different things the same name it caused a bit of confusion for me when trying to upload POI's to my Columbus.

 

If you have the older Columbus that looks like this

 

  

 

then you need to use this link;

 

http://www.volkswagen.de/de/navigation/rns-510/poi-listen-sammlung.html

 

If you have the newer "MIB" Columbus and it looks like this 

 

then you need to use this link;

 

http://www.volkswagen.de/de/navigation/discover-pro/poi-listen-sammlung.html

[WaveyDavey]

Just an update or bit of info that may help users...... The front page does indeed say that units need to be newer than week 22 of 2011 but the site works fine with my Columbus that was fitted in a car built in October 2010. I think the issue is more the firmware rather than the build date of the unit itself. If you have a slightly older than 2011 Columbus but have updated the firmware and can now add your own POIs then this site will work for you.

[vap]

I am looking into this item for a friend.

 

YearOfTheGoat mentions (as does the German site) that existing POIs will be overwritten.

Does this include POIs that would have been entered manually (like friends and family)?

 

Is there a way to export all the stuff that would be overwritten, so that I can merge it with the new data I have prepared?

 

Thanks anyway for the clear and detailed instructions

[WaveyDavey]

The only POIs that are overwritten are any existing POIs that have been installed in the PersonalPOI folder. So for example I use this to install my speed camera POIs from pocketgpsworld and the old ones get deleted and overwritten each time. None of my favourites etc are affected.

[vap]

Thanks WaveyDavey

 

Since I don't have the system to check for myself, does this mean that any POIs created "by hand" are not in that PersonalPOI folder?

That would be great

 

As a TomTom user myself (and probably a VW one in a not too far future), I would miss the ability to create various categories (say shop, food, friends) where I put POIs that are not favourites (like the place where I get sausage once a year)

[Ferdinand01]

Thanks! I imported POI because you described every step. Thanks.

[MattL]

Hi,

 

I feel I'm missing something here.  I've tried a few times but when I try to import into the sat nav, it keeps looking for a vCard file, not the db3 file i've created.   

 

I've tried countless times to "import poi" with no joi.  I've tried to update the system and it says an update cannot be found.

 

Can someone advise please as I'm clearly missing something or doing the wrong thing.

 

Cheers

[WaveyDavey]

Hi,

 

I feel I'm missing something here.  I've tried a few times but when I try to import into the sat nav, it keeps looking for a vCard file, not the db3 file i've created.   

 

I've tried countless times to "import poi" with no joi.  I've tried to update the system and it says an update cannot be found.

 

Can someone advise please as I'm clearly missing something or doing the wrong thing.

 

Cheers

 

I believe this VW POI site is for the old Columbus / Amundsen units not the new current units.

 

They have the same name but are totally different.

Edited 21 January, 2017 by WaveyDavey

[MattL]

I believe this VW POI site is for the old Columbus / Amundsen units not the new current units.

 

They have the same name but are totally different.

 

Ah, ok, cheers.  In that case I'm wasting my time.

 

Does anyone know how (or have a link explaining) to get speed camera poi on an Octavia MkIII(2015) nav?  I thought I'd identified the correct unit but possibly/probably not.

[WaveyDavey]

Ah, ok, cheers.  In that case I'm wasting my time.

 

Does anyone know how (or have a link explaining) to get speed camera poi on an Octavia MkIII(2015) nav?  I thought I'd identified the correct unit but possibly/probably not.

 

Have you tried the second link in post 32 above? ;)

[MattL]

I think I have!!   I've tried so many combinations, often more than once I admit to losing track a bit.   Its too cold out for me to go and try now so I'll try tonight and see if it loads when I'm driving to work tomorrow.   Cheers.

[CaptainHaddock70]

Does anyone know if there are any quirks to this process using a Mac?

I've followed the steps to the letter but I'm not getting anywhere. I get a PersonalPOI output file but there are three different files within it;MIB2DE, MIB2HIGH, MIB2TSD which my Columbus unit recognises but it won't import anything. 

I've managed to do this before as I have Speed Cameras on the unit but I'm not sure if that was a fluke or if a Mac update means something else is going on.

What am I doing wrong?

Skoda Octavia L&K 2015

 

[WaveyDavey]

4 hours ago, CaptainHaddock70 said:

Does anyone know if there are any quirks to this process using a Mac?

I've followed the steps to the letter but I'm not getting anywhere. I get a PersonalPOI output file but there are three different files within it;MIB2DE, MIB2HIGH, MIB2TSD which my Columbus unit recognises but it won't import anything. 

I've managed to do this before as I have Speed Cameras on the unit but I'm not sure if that was a fluke or if a Mac update means something else is going on.

What am I doing wrong?

Skoda Octavia L&K 2015

 

As per above...... This tutorial and topic is for the older Columbus not the newer unit you have. There are some links to the VAG guides for your unit posted earlier in the thread. 

[Rustynuts]

1 hour ago, WaveyDavey said:

As per above...... This tutorial and topic is for the older Columbus not the newer unit you have. There are some links to the VAG guides for your unit posted earlier in the thread. 

If the output file has MIB2DE, MIB2HIGH, MIB2TSD files in it then it's been produced with the Discover Pro site. I have the same problem insofar as I can't get the POI to load onto my MIB1, but looking at the output files it may be that they're only suitable for MIB2 units?

[bobbie009]

The link for the older Columbus models no longer works.  Does anyone have an updated site as I can only ind the discover version?

[DrCorbyLee]

Thought it best to get an answer from the horse's mouth so to speak so contacted VW customer service centres both in UK and Germany and just received the following email response from the UK:

 

"Thank you for you recent contact to Volkswagen UK.  Please accept my apologies for the delayed response.

I have discussed your enquiry with our Technical Support Team, who confirmed that the companion service is no longer available for the RNS-510 infotainment system.  For future updates I would recommend visiting an Approved Volkswagen Retailer, where one of our highly trained Service Advisors will be happy to assist you."

 

Looking forward to blank stare from the "highly trained Service Advisors" when I ask my local dealer to do the data conversion for me

 

So unfortunately it looks like VW have withdrawn the ability to add personal POI to the RNS-510 and hence the Columbus as well :-(

 

[langers2k]

1 hour ago, DrCorbyLee said:

So unfortunately it looks like VW have withdrawn the ability to add personal POI to the RNS-510 and hence the Columbus as well :-(

 

They may have withdrawn the ability to do the conversion for you but it's still entirely possible to add personal POI to the RNS-510 or Columbus.

 

For example, 3rd party tools such as poinspect0r can do the conversion for you.

 

I use a python script to convert a bunch of CSV files from PocketGPS world to create a DB3 POI file for my Columbus

[WaveyDavey]

On ‎03‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 15:23, langers2k said:

 

They may have withdrawn the ability to do the conversion for you but it's still entirely possible to add personal POI to the RNS-510 or Columbus.

 

For example, 3rd party tools such as poinspect0r can do the conversion for you.

 

I use a python script to convert a bunch of CSV files from PocketGPS world to create a DB3 POI file for my Columbus

 

Are any of these tools free or are they all at a cost?

 

Might sound tight but obviously going from a free service that was provided by VAG and not knowing how much longer i'll have the car (Already had it three years) I'm not wanting to pay a lot for something I might only use a handful of times etc.....

[langers2k]

I thought poinspect0r was free if you kept below a certain number of POI/categories? Assuming that is the case it's possible to merge DB3 files easily enough using this: https://www.gps-data-team.com/convert/merge-db3.php

 

The DB3 file is just an SQLite database, the schema is easy to extract and understand, the only trick is to convert lat/long into a a value the RNS-510 can use. I'm sure if someone knows a ilttle PHP they could create an online conversion tool easily enough