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I heard that ArcMap 10.2 can import waypoint and track information directly from a GPS without bridging it from MapSource or BaseCamp software. Can someone give me tutorial or link to a video that I could watch? I use a Garmin 60CSx unit.

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  • I think it depends on your GPS, some models will be supported but don't count on it for older models. Can you export from your GPS to a file? like GPX, SHP... Mar 16, 2015 at 5:53
  • i havent tried it, but i will look frward to. fyi,i often use gps garmin 60csx model for my field work.
    – Azer Azram
    Mar 16, 2015 at 6:49

2 Answers 2

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Although not a tutorial or video, ArcMap GPS Support at ArcGIS 10.2 for Desktop seems to be well documented:

A roadmap to the ArcMap GPS Support toolbar

ArcMap GPS Support takes in a feed from a GPS receiver and displays the current location on the screen. You can also store locations from the GPS receiver in a log for archival or real-time digitizing purposes. You can answer the question “Where am I?” by accessing ArcMap GPS Support through the GPS toolbar in ArcMap or by writing a custom application using ArcObjects.

The location is displayed as a user-defined marker symbol. You can have the angle of the marker symbol reflect the direction of motion (bearing), the size based upon the current speed of travel, and the color based upon the altitude. Previous locations can be displayed as a trail of markers or as a line that you can also customize. The trail of previous positions can reflect changes in bearing, speed, and altitude.

You can keep the location visible on the screen by panning as needed or have the display pan automatically. For applications like in-car navigation and routing systems, you can snap the location to specified features, such as a street centerline. You can write GPS locations to a log either in streaming mode (at a specified rate or distance apart) or one at a time. When a log file is specified, you have the option of choosing which columns are added to the output feature class.

If, after exploring the information and links on that page, you are still stuck, then you will be in a much better position to ask a new, and more focussed, question.

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Are you talking about live data or stuff that's already saved on the GPS? PolyGeo's answer addresses the real-time/live aspect of things (note that getting it connected via USB is tricky and may require some additional, no longer supported software from Garmin), but if you simply want to import data already collected directly into ArcMap from the GPS unit, I don't think that's possible without a particular setup. Esri would have to have a driver for and support accessing every GPS unit's native storage scheme, as is written in to (or along with) MapSource or BaseCamp for Garmin units.

The 60CSx is an older unit (what I use as well). You cannot directly access stored data on it in the format of files. You basically have to query the unit via communication protocol, ask for tracks/points/whatever that are stored, and then it goes to its internal storage and pulls out the data you want. Garmin's software that you mention does this, and there are other third party applications that can, but I'm not aware of anything by Esri.

There is one exception to this. If you have an SD card in the unit and have it configured to write tracks to that rather than internal storage (Main Menu > Tracks > Setup), then it stores the recorded tracks as gpx files on the root of the SD card. Since they're already gpx files you can just copy them off in USB Mass Storage mode without the need to save via another program. However, note that it only stores tracks there - any waypoints (and I believe routes) are still stored internally and can only be accessed via software.

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