Zumo User Forums

This is a post that I created for a specific response to a question. It has been buried in the middle of a thread, so I said that I'd make it into a thread of its own to make it easy to find. Here it is. (I've left the previous copy intact for now).



In order to make the track wider than a route, you need to modify a theme file. Any theme file you fancy.
But don't modify a working theme file - take a copy of it and modify that.

Here's How......

To modify a theme you need to be able to access your XT using a USB cable and a computer. ie plug the cable into the XT and accept the message that is displayed on the screen to enter File Transfer Mode.

The computer should eventually repsond and show the Zumo XT as a device in a File Explorer. On a Windows machine, Zumo XT is listed as one of the entries under 'This PC'. In there is an entry called 'Internal Storage'. There may be another entry called 'Memory Card' if you have an SD card inserted in the XT. Select Internal Storage.

This shows a whole list of folders - one of which is called 'Themes'.






If you select that, and then select 'Map', then that shows a list of all of the themes that are available to the XT2. These all have the extension .kmtf . You can choose the theme that you wish to use from the XT screen. The file names are recognisable from the theme name - but they are not identical.




The above screen shot shows my list of themes. The ones beginning with JFH are ones that I have modified from existing themes.


To do this, find a theme that you like and copy the original theme file to your computer. Immediately name it as something else.
So for example - I took United Kingdom.kmtf copied it to my disk drive and immediately renamed it JFH-UK-XT-2.kmtf
I then made another copy and called renamed that copy JFH-UK-XT-3.kmtf

Both files at this point are identical to the original. So I then loaded a plain text editor (Notepad on my Windows computer) and set about changing the contents. This is quite easy.

At the top of the file is a section which looks like this

<GARMIN_MAP_THEME>
<METADATA>
<TITLE>United Kingdom</TITLE>
<DESCRIPTION>Theme for United Kingdom.</DESCRIPTION>
<LOCALELIST>
<locale>United Kingdom</locale>
</LOCALELIST>
<Version><Major>1</Major><Minor>00</Minor></Version>
</METADATA>

I altered this slightly:

<GARMIN_MAP_THEME>
<METADATA>
<TITLE>JFH-UK-XT-2</TITLE>
<DESCRIPTION>JFH-UK-XT-2</DESCRIPTION>
<LOCALELIST>
<locale>United Kingdom</locale>
</LOCALELIST>
<Version><Major>1</Major><Minor>00</Minor></Version>
</METADATA>

Two changes - that is all. What you place here is what the XT displays when you are choosing the theme.


-------------------

Near to the bottom of the file is a section that looks like this

<STYLE field = "MAP_TRK_CLR" scale = "1.00" >
<COLOR >
<PRIMARY day = "#06EEEE" night = "#06EEEE" />
<SECONDARY day = "#0A92E2" night = "#0A92E2" />
</COLOR>
</STYLE>

<STYLE field = "MAP_TRK_SAVED_CLR" scale = "1.00" border = "1.00" >
<COLOR >
<PRIMARY day = "#06EEEE" night = "#06EEEE" />
<SECONDARY day = "#0A92E2" night = "#0A92E2" />
</COLOR>
</STYLE>

I changed just two values from 1.00 to 2.00

<STYLE field = "MAP_TRK_CLR" scale = "2.00" >
<COLOR >
<PRIMARY day = "#06EEEE" night = "#06EEEE" />
<SECONDARY day = "#0A92E2" night = "#0A92E2" />
</COLOR>
</STYLE>

<STYLE field = "MAP_TRK_SAVED_CLR" scale = "2.00" border = "1.00" >
<COLOR >
<PRIMARY day = "#06EEEE" night = "#06EEEE" />
<SECONDARY day = "#0A92E2" night = "#0A92E2" />
</COLOR>
</STYLE>

Two more changes. So 4 changes in total

Then resave the kmtf file - which if you remember, you have already called something else. The name that I used ie JFH-UK-XT-2.kmtf represents the number 2 that I used in the scale in that last section.

I repeated the exercise with the other file JFH-UK-XT-3.kmtf except, I used a scale of 3.00 instead of 2.00. To see what the difference was. That way it was easy to experiment to find out which I liked best, just using the XT screen.

All you have to do then is to copy your new kmtf files into the Internal Storage/Themes/Map folder. You haven't changed the original files - you have just created one or more new ones to experiment with.

So when you restart your XT, head to Settings -> Map & Vehicle -> Map Theme If your new ones don't appear, just wait for the list to populate.

Note that the width that you set for the track using the tracks screen is then multiplied by the new scale factor. I find that keeping that to Medium is the best way.

When zooming in and zooming out, the scale factor seems to be a little slow in responding - but it rapidly settles down. Some times it is hard to see - but mostly the black outline shows up clearly around the edge of the magenta route.

MAP design is an interesting topic.

In addition to track width, the width of the active route line also plays a role, of course.
You might want to try the following combination of route line and track width.
<STYLE field = “MAP_RTE_ACTV_LEG_CLR” scale = “1.25” border = “0.00” >
<STYLE field = “MAP_TRK_CLR” scale = “2.25” >
Then, MAP_TRK_SAVED_CLR can't hurt, but I think it's not necessary or not supported.
<STYLE field = "MAP_TRK_SAVED_CLR" scale = "2.25" border = "0.00" >

PS
The design is “normally” found/saved in the following folder on the XT2.
Internal Storage\Themes\Map

PPS
It's a It's a minus point that the Tread 2 no longer seems to support changeable/replaceable designs

I've always used the Javawa tool, even with the XT2, and it's worked well for me. You can try it with the Tread 2 @proofresistant

https://www.javawa.nl/zumokleuren.html


It's easy to change the thicknesses and colors as we wish and create a new .kmtf

English version also available

https://www.javawa.nl/zumocolors.html

turbo19 wrote: Mon Oct 06, 2025 4:26 pm ... You can try it with the Tread 2 @proofresistant

@turbo19, may i probably should have expressed myself more clearly, but I can't find no significant better words than the ones I wrote: "... Tread 2 no longer seems to support changeable/replaceable designs ..."
On my Tread 2 Device I couldn't find a menu for Map Theme setting and no *.kmtf files on the device also. https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp ... C9666.html

proofresistant wrote: Mon Oct 06, 2025 5:20 pm On my Tread 2 Device I couldn't find a menu for Map Theme setting and no *.kmtf files on the device also.

However, I was hoping that it would still be possible to customize the map design (theme) for Tread 2 also, even without a settings configuration menu

Alternatively, I have now discovered two things

Firstly, I once managed to save a “current_map_theme.kmtf” file in the root directory of Tread 2, but unfortunately I can't remember how. I am currently using this as a template for my customized map design.

Second, more or less by chance, I found records in settings.db with [group_name] = “Pnd.Map.Settings”, [name] = “Theme Path” and [context] = ‘Motorcycle’ or “Automotive” etc. and the field [Value].

My workaround, albeit quite experimental, is now as follows:

• In thread 2, save your own theme based on the debug theme you found. (Who knows, maybe a theme that can be used for zumo XT2, for example, would also work.)

• Then enter this custom theme in the aforementioned DB set.

Result:
It worked, and now I have my own map design (theme) back in my Tread 2 also
At first glance, it seems to be working, but detailed testing is still pending, of course


PS
I don't want to consider providing detailed step-by-step instructions at this point, because if you're doing this, you should already know what you're doing.
However, if you have any further questions, I will certainly respond with a tip or two if necessary.


PPS
Thanks @FrankB for the tips regarding the SQLite tools
I think this was here the first attempt with write access to the device databases

I don't know whether this is relevant to your issue.

I don't have Tread or Tread2, but you cannot normally edit files on Internal Storage on the later Zumos. The device is connected for Media Transfer Protocol - which allows the user to disconnect the cable without first making sure that the cache is written to disk. If you allowed a program to open a file for editing, you can be half way through the edit when the cable is pulled - so the changes will not have been made.

What you can do is to copy, edit, save back and over-write. My technique was to copy a ktmf file to my hard disk and rename it. Then edit it including the name in the file and then save it back. So it is easy enough to create a file on the (say) XT2, you cannot modify a file.

On the XT2 The kmtf files are on Internal Storage/Themes/Map

If this issue is purely a Tread device issue - perhaps I need to relocate it. Unfortunately I cannot create a new Forum Category for the Tread devices, but I'm sure that @Stu wouldn't mind creating one.


Also - completely off topic - but on the XT2, gpx files can be stored anywhere in the GPX folder of internal storage - or indeed in a newly created GPX folder on the SD card - not necessarly in the Garmin/GPX folder. Perhaps if you simply create the folder where they were found on the XT2 ??
I've seen evidence that theprogrammers seem to leave remnants of older systems in their software. They may have put them somewhere else, it doen't mean that it will not look for the same folder name. Worth a shot.

jfheath wrote: Fri Oct 17, 2025 8:47 am My technique was to copy a ktmf file to my hard disk and rename it. Then edit it including the name in the file and then save it back. So it is easy enough to create a file on the (say) XT2, you cannot modify a file.

That's right, editing files directly doesn't work, so I also copied them from the device to the PC, edited them there, and then copied them back or copied the news to the device. But now, in thread 2, the change in the database was added.

jfheath wrote: Fri Oct 17, 2025 8:47 am If this issue is purely a Tread device issue - perhaps I need to relocate it. Unfortunately I cannot create a new Forum Category for the Tread devices, but I'm sure that @Stu wouldn't mind creating one.

There were a few specific notes here “only” for Thread 2, but creating a new forum category for that doesn't really make much sense.
The zumo XT2 and Tread 2 are more than 90% identical. The Tread 2 has a few additional features, such as vehicle profiles, but lacks a few special maps.
And since they are essentially the same, I don't think a new category is necessary.
99% of the information about the zumo XT2 is also interesting for Tread 2 users, although there is very little information specifically for the Tread 2. That's why Tread 2 users will want to get most of their knowledge from this zumo XT2 category.

Yes, ok. Thanks.