Best route creation software - by far

[rbentnail]

Ed,
Once I've selected way points and routes for a trip, how can I email them to someone? I see you show how to share while on the road but I did a search on "email" and did not find how to share via email.

Got it. Export to a file and email the file.

Yep, that's how you do it. I did it this way recently and it work perfectly.

 

[Bugman]

I've had great luck using Basecamp, especially if I know the roads. Routes are easy to make. Recently however I have found myself on a disturbing number of unimproved dirt roads. Not just gravel, and Garmin is not avoiding this using the avoid unpaved roads. I found myself doing dirt recently on a farm road with no gravel and so rough the exhaust was grounding out. Settings were Fastest, Avoid Unpaved Roads. Any ride planning I do will continue to be with BaseCamp, but I really hope the map base gets more accurate with regard to paved roads.

There is a trick to basecamp. You need to set the settings in basecamp separately from the settings on the GPS. Otherwise basecamp sends you down the dirt roads and worse.

 

[N4HHE]

I don't like is how obviously the GPS has a speed limit database but BaseCamp working from the same map can not share this information? Just as you can't get it to tell you other things it supposedly knows about a road, such as whether it is paved or not.

In some ways we can't expect Garmin to send employees out to check on every road in their maps (the way Google does). No doubt they depend heavily on local governments to publish accurate positions and descriptions of their roads. I've never caught BaseCamp avoiding a road because its not paved but have been routed down a lot of unpaved roads both by BaseCamp and my Zumo 595 routing on the fly.

 

[TomInPA]

The dirt roads episode did not come from Basecamp, but from the GPS. I navigated from home to Ohiopyle State Park using fastest route. The results were amazing. Basecamp has been pretty good in terms of selecting routes, and I can preview on Google Earth if there are questions. I have still ended up on dirt in Lava Beds Nat'l Monument, but that was my fault.

I have several motorcycling profiles in Basecamp and one of the tasks has been to make them consistent. When you change the avoidences, it recalculates all the routes that are affected, but doesn't tell you which ones were modified.

One way to ensure your GPS will follow an exact route plotted in BaseCamp is to convert the route to a track. I'd like to hear some input from Ed on this approach as it seems to remove the waypoints and is difficult to reverse/ invert.

 

[Uncle Hud]

JamesW posted: I like my map collection. Copy the desired sections on my HP copier, use my hi-lighters on the routes and put the pages in order. Also carry maps on the trip for evening motel reading and possible plan B options.

I have paper maps, too, and they serve a purpose -- like planning a detour when I-70 was closed between Vail and Denver last week. This is what you describe as Plan B options. In no way do paper maps replace my GPS, because I can't remember directions for more than 5 minutes.

You probably carry a turn list (or maybe a paper map) on your tank bag like me, too. Redundancy in case Ms. Garmin starts talking nonsense.

 

[Nanahanman]

there is an option under the link "Advanced Options" that allows you to update both maps at the same time.

Options" select "Install to Computer". Then "Accept agreement" and finally "Continue"

Nope. Not in my case.

Contacted Garmin as well.

No go.

Installed latest update today and now there is an "install to computer" option.

Nice

 

[Fred W]

I loved MapSource but being able to have waypoints that do not announce themselves is a benefit.

I am still using Mapsource to create my routes most of the time. For me, the program is more intuitive to use, quicker than basecamp, and I am getting fewer crashes on the last few map-set versions than were happening a while ago. In fact, knock on wood, I haven't had a crash in a year or more now.

But I do appreciate the ability to mute a route's via points. So what I have started doing is to save the route from mapsource and then import it into basecamp (in a temp file folder) to view and tweak the via points to be silent. I then export the final version of the routes file from basecamp as a .gpx file with a meaningful name.

To load the routes onto a GPS I have stopped using basecamp or mapsource's built-in transfer utilities. Instead, I just connect the device via USB and then drag and drop / copy the .gpx file to either the device or SD card's /garmin/gpx folder. Since each routes file has its own unique filename you can have a multitude of gpx files in that directory and when you go to "User Data" app on the GPS it will list all of the routes and waypoints for import. With all of these routes and waypoints available for import, I can wait until the day before the ride to import a limited amount of information for that day's trip, and not clutter up the routes or waypoints lists too much.

Earlier this year I bought a NOS zumo 660LM (reduced closeout price) specifically for use on my Vstrom, which sees much more off pavement time than the FJR does. Unlike the zumo 550 I have on the FJR, the 660 can display imported track logs as "Off Road Tracks". These Off Road Tracks can be seen at all times on the displayed map, but do not generate turn by turn directions like a route. So I'll generally have a route running and the track displayed in the back ground as verification of the calculated route. I set the display color for the off road tracks to bright green for added visibility compared to blue current track lines, normal map colors, and the pink route line.

 

[Cosmin]

On a recent bike trip to Scotland I met at a gas station a guy who owns a website containing lots of bike routes (exportable) from Scotland. He was kind enough to take us to his place and show us the tool he uses for creating the routes - it's based on googlemaps API. The access is free - motogoloco.com - you only need an account and internet connection and after login you can create routes like in googlemaps and then export them in the mostly used formats (including gpx, itn or freshrout for Garmin, TomTom, Navigon).

I found it much easier to use than BaseCamp, already used it for several routes and I'm very satisfied with it

 

[HelzBelz]

I appreciate all of the educating Ed has done, but I sold my Zumo recently because I am sick and tired of trying to learn BaseCamp, or Tyre. I think I'd rather get lost at this point, and turn around about half way through my vacation days.

(that being said, I'll probably still cave and buy the 595 as soon as the prices come back to sea level.)

 

[Easy Ed]

I appreciate all of the educating Ed has done, but I sold my Zumo recently because I am sick and tired of trying to learn BaseCamp, or Tyre. I think I'd rather get lost at this point, and turn around about half way through my vacation days.
(that being said, I'll probably still cave and buy the 595 as soon as the prices come back to sea level.)

Did you do the agenda?

 

[1911]

As long as we're talking Basecamp, why can't I get the airport POIs off the map? I keep trying to deselect "air transportation" from options>activity profile>select features to be displayed............

but it keeps coming back.

 

[Old Guy]

I like my map collection. Copy the desired sections on my HP copier, use my hi-lighters on the routes and put the pages in order. Also carry maps on the trip for evening motel reading and possible plan B options.

I still carry maps and a big road atlas to study in the hotel room. But when I arrive in a strange city, I can put the address in my GPS, and it'll take me directly to where I'm trying to go. Prior to using the GPS, I'd have to stop and ask directions, maybe buy a local map, or use the phone book. The GPS sure works a lot easier. And I don't have to carry my HP copier with me

Seriously, I do like my maps, but the GPS sure has made life easier.

Ed, thanks for the video. I'm using a copy of Tyre that came with my GPS, and it ... gets ... frustrating.

 

[Joel S.]

https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/info

from the makers of tyre

i have used tyre for 8 years or more, never tried basecamp.

 

[Fred W]

As long as we're talking Basecamp, why can't I get the airport POIs off the map? I keep trying to deselect "air transportation" from options>activity profile>select features to be displayed............
but it keeps coming back.

Just double checked mine. I was able to just turn off all Transportation Points and the airport icons went away.

Make sure that the activity profile you edit is the same one you are actually using (Motorcycling for me).

 

[Easy Ed]

As long as we're talking Basecamp, why can't I get the airport POIs off the map? I keep trying to deselect "air transportation" from options>activity profile>select features to be displayed............
but it keeps coming back.

Just double checked mine. I was able to just turn off all Transportation Points and the airport icons went away.

Make sure that the activity profile you edit is the same one you are actually using (Motorcycling for me).

That is usually the problem.

 

[Easy Ed]

https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/infofrom the makers of tyre

i have used tyre for 8 years or more, never tried basecamp.

BaseCamp is more powerful and a better bet if you are following complicated routes.

 

[1911]

As long as we're talking Basecamp, why can't I get the airport POIs off the map? I keep trying to deselect "air transportation" from options>activity profile>select features to be displayed............
but it keeps coming back.

Just double checked mine. I was able to just turn off all Transportation Points and the airport icons went away.

Make sure that the activity profile you edit is the same one you are actually using (Motorcycling for me).

That is usually the problem.

Thanks for the replies. I was working within the same profile. I just went back in and added ALL the trans points back in, closed out the options window, opened options back up, and then removed them ALL at the same time and it stuck. Go figure.

 

[1911]

Another Basecamp glitch

Suddenly, Basecamp can't see Google Earth. When I select "view in Google Earth' I get a "Google Earth not running' message even though GE is running. Anybody else run into this?

 

[Easy Ed]

Another Basecamp glitch
Suddenly, Basecamp can't see Google Earth. When I select "view in Google Earth' I get a "Google Earth not running' message even though GE is running. Anybody else run into this?

That happens with newer versions of Google Earth. The fix is to open Google Earth first and then use it in BaseCamp.

 

[1911]

Another Basecamp glitch
Suddenly, Basecamp can't see Google Earth. When I select "view in Google Earth' I get a "Google Earth not running' message even though GE is running. Anybody else run into this?

That happens with newer versions of Google Earth. The fix is to open Google Earth first and then use it in BaseCamp.

I've tried that (saw it on the Garmin forum), didn't work. The only other solutions I've found over there are over my head.