Greenleaf

OK, I have read the threads, and spent countless hours researching this and I'm only making baby steps, if that. I figure it is now time to come to the mountain for help.

What I want to do on my Nuvi 760 is a) track a route on my GPS, b)export it to my pc so I can figure out the specific directions to give someone and then c) push the route back to my GPS to follow.

I figured out the "breadcrumbs" secret of tapping the location in the "where am I" to get the Nuvi to record the route. I can even pull that off onto Mapsource and see it on Mapsource but once there, I can't seem to do anything with it.

I created a route in Mapquest, and was able to push it to the GPS, however once I loaded it, the GPS automatically recalculated the routing from the beginning point to the end point and took me a different way than what I wanted.

None of this seems intuitive and I feel like I am failing at what should be basic operations... but... I'm at a loss and hoping someone might take me under their wing and teach.

Lisa

HumVee

Greenleaf, I've learned to my dismay that MapSource is not nearly as intuitive as I would like either. I hope that they continue to improve it, and maybe do a complete rewrite.

Being an avid motocyclist who's always looking for the twistiest road to get from point A to point B, I keenly feel your pain about the Garmin GPS devices not simply following the track that was laid down in MapSource. The reason that the route transfer behaves the way it does (if I understand it correctly) is that MapSource doesn't know what version road map might be on your device, so rather than just laying down a vector plot, it just announces way points to the device and lets the device calculate the fastest or most direct path to your destination (depending on how you have it set in your GPS unit).

The work around is to be hyper-detailed with adding waypoints to your route. This isn't too painful in MapSource - simply create additional waypoints along your route, then add them to the route. I'd be happy to give you detailed instructions on how to do this, but I'm at work right now, so I'll have to wait until I get home (unless one of the other forum members has the time to detail it out for you before I do)!

Greenleaf

Thanks for the pointers HumVee... I will anxiously await the details.
I launched Mapsource and was not able to figure out how to create a route and add Waypoints to the route, so... any help is very welcomed, believe me ; )

Lisa

Andy

Unfortunately pretty much all the current Garmins that support routes, recalculate them when you begin navigation. Some times that means it's just like you planned in Mapsource, but many times it picks a different route.

Like HumVee mentioned, the trick is to use vias and waypoints to force it to take the route you want.

If you can find an old 2610 or a routing Garmin from that era, they would just give you guidance on your route without recalculating it first.

Greenleaf

The problem I'm having is with the actual specific steps in creating a route in Mapsource, and then again, the specific steps involved to add waypoints to the routing. I'm drawing lines ... but am clearly not on the right tab, and not doing any of it correctly because I can't get anything to actually show up on the GPS itself. The only way I was able to get something to show up on the gps was to push it from Mapquest but then, as I said, it recalculated the actual route taken.

What would be ideal would be to be able to create a route in Mapquest, pull it into Mapsource to add Waypoints to force the route mapping to remain what I planned and then to push it to the GPS so I could follow the route for a bike ride. Just ... can't.. figure out how though

Lisa

HumVee

Lisa, I will post step by step instructions complete with screen captures tonight, when I get home from work. I don't have the time to do it right now - but I did struggle with the interface myself, and will be happy to share what I learned!

If you would like to give me an example route that you're having difficulty getting your Garmin nüvi 760 to follow, then I'll use it for my screenshots, and even post the file!

HumVee

Lisa, I started working with MapSource and creating screen captures for the tutorial last night, but it was close to Midnight when I started. I had worked on custom mounting my new Garmin zūmo 660 onto my VFR800 beforehand, and it took longer than anticipated - but I'm very pleased with the results! Sadly, with the temperature over 100 degrees well into the evening, I was just too sapped of energy to stay up as late as I usually do. I will work on it tonight, though!

HumVee

Okay, Lisa...I finally had the time to put into this tutorial request. See attached. If you have any questions, need clarification, etc - just shout out! I'd appreciate anyone's corrections or suggestions as well.

Attached Files

MapSource waypoint & routing tutorial.pdf (1.64 MB, 100 views)

Greenleaf

Hi Humvee

Thanks SO much! I've been travelling for work, and don't have mapsource on my work laptop so I'll play with this as soon as I'm home and able to give it a shot. Thank you so much for investing the time to put this together for me, I'll let you know how it goes.

Lisa

Greenleaf

So, now I'm, having problems with the software, let alone making the route. I can't get the map to unlock correctly in spite of unlocking it over and over and over again. In your first screen shot, you show a drop down with City Navigator North America NT 2010.1 showing. When I went to run Mapsource last night to try this out, I got an message saying there was a newer version of Mapsource available so I foolishly "upgraded". Now, there's no drop down menu showing the City Navigator North America NT 2008 map... and I see a message saying the maps are not unlocked, so I unlock them... and nothing changes.

I've written to Garmin, but am not seeing much help yet.

Stay tuned...

Lisa

ps - This is making me feel like I'm going blonde. Frustrating to no end, particularly where we are driving the bikes to the Harley Rally on Thursday and I was hoping to plot a route and push it to the GPS.

UGH!!

Andy

Are you using the Manage Map Products menu option under Utilities to unlock the map data? You click on the map product, then on the Unlock Online button.

HumVee

Thanks for giving Lisa the pointer, Andy! I've been out of touch due to my own motorcycle trip down to Humbolt State Park and Eureka in California, and have been scrambling to catch up with family and work since. Lisa, I hope you iron out your map unlocking issue. I had no problems with my MapSource install and updating to City Navigator North America NT 2010.1 (thankfully)!

As to the tutorial, I wrote it very late at night, in a rush before my trip - so if something doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll elaborate (& update the documentation). I wrote it to be a tutorial to help anyone who is trying to learn how to use MapSource. I used MapSource to actually create routes and send them to my GPS units (& my friend's as well) each night as we planned the next leg of our adventure. We actually used Google Maps to visualize different routes to finalize our plans - because the ability to drag the route to replot is just so handy in Google Maps. I could have used TakItWithMe to import the final route over to my device (or we could have used MapQuest), but I wanted to make sure that I fully understood MapSources functions in this area so that I could help with discussion forum questions. While I hope a complete rewrite of MapSource is in the works, to improve its interface and make it more intuitive to use - I did find myself adapting to MapSource okay.

One thing that completely threw me a bit is when I tried to plot a route to a location that was completely off the beaten path. I wanted to go check out the Treehouse Resort in Takilma, Oregon (near Cave Junction). I had seen them online, and thought it would be a fun experience for the family (which was confirmed when I actually saw the place)! Well, MapSource completely freaked out and was plotting incredibly out of the way and intricate routes to my destination - even when I was inputing waypoints only a block way from each other! I finally realized that the routing options I normally roll with were the culprit (Try to Avoid: unpaved roads, toll roads, etc.). I unchecked unpaved roads & seasonal road closures and then I was able to plot my route. It turns out the final segment of road was less than a quarter mile of gravel road. Google Maps had no problem...but that presents it's own problems for the travel planner on two wheels - you can end up plotting roads that are completely unsuitable for road bike travel and not even know it! So in an odd way I'm greatful that MapSource freaked out, as it warned me of what to expect at the end of that little jaunt. Still, I'm sure there's a much more intuitive way to deal with this situation!

Max

Hey Humvee - nice job with that routing tutorial

__________________
Nothing free is good, nothing good is free.

HumVee

Thanks!

I was learning as I went anyway, using MapSource to create routes for my motorcycle trips. I figured why not share what I learned, so others don't have to beat their heads against the keyboard?

I'm very open to suggestions for improving the tutorial, and additional MapSource questions - so speak out if you see a need!

Greenleaf

Hi again,

I FINALLY got my Mapsource issues sorted out with Garmin (after uninstall and reinstall and them shipping me a new disk...) and was able to play with the tutorial this weekend, and created a route with no problem - THANKS!!

Now a question.. between steps 34 & 35 in the tutorial... in order to see the route on my GPS, I had to first go into "My Data" on the GPS and select "import file to route" (or maybe it said "create route from file", I don't hve it in front of me) Only once I did that was the route visable on the GPS. You might want to toss something into the tutorial about that step?

I plugged in a bunch of waypoints, so now I need to try and go drive the route to make sure it follows the routing that I want.

Next, I am going to try and figure out how to pull the tracks off of my garmin, make a route out of it and then push the route back to the GPS. Is that hard to do? (Feel up to a second tutorial?!).
This would be particularly helpful when we create a poker run route. We do a pre-ride of the route and I have it on the GPS in my log file. In past, I have relied on later "following the blue line" to re-visit a previous route - however I had my memory reset on my Garmin once and lost the whole log file

Thanks again!

Lisa

Andy

Mapsource doesn't have a "track log to route converter." Some devices do this (I think the Zumo does) but not all. I didn't see any mention of it in the 760 manual.

The Mac version of Basecamp can convert a track to a route, although that's not really helpful information.

WinGBD3 has a track log to route conversion that would work though.
http://www.sackman.info/

With the device in mass storage mode hooked up to your computer, check for any .gpx files. You'll have to confirm if this works or not, but in some Nuvi's, like the 500/550, when you import your trip log (track log) into Mapsource, it only imports the current.gpx file. Older track points are in sequentiually numbered x.gpx files in the Archive folder.

HumVee

Hello, Lisa - sorry for the delay getting back to you. The family & I just got back from a 4 day trip to the coast. I'm still unloading the truck, but wanted to give you a quick hello! Andy is correct that MapSource doesn't have a tracklog to Route converter. What I did with the GDB file you sent me in private e-mail was load the GDB file that had the track log on it, click on the Route tool icon, then click along the track that you created from your pre-ride. I messed up at first, since I didn't know which point was your starting point and which was your end point - and only realized it when I saw that MapSource was having difficulties with one-way roads.

Anyway, that's the simplest solution I know - just load your track log into MapSource, and use the Route tool to follow the track and create your route. I had no problems at all with it, though it can be a bit time consuming, depending ont he complexity of your ride....

Andy

Brilliant solution HumVee! Tracing a route with the root tool is pretty easy.

HumVee

Thanks, Andy! Sometimes the simple solution is the best solution....

Greenleaf

So, just so I'm clear... I think what you're basically saying is pull the gdb file into mapsource, and using the route tool, trace the path and create the route that way?

You can record the track you take using the hidden feature...
then pull that track off the gps later, this was how I captured the route for the GC Poker Run that I sent you.

Lisa

HumVee

Lisa, that is basically correct (it's just a matter of connecting your Garmin GPS unit to your computer via USB cable, and then selecting "Receive from Device" in MapSource to pull the data from your device). Once you see your Track, click on the Route Tool and click away. You can toggle between the Route Tool and the Hand Tool as needed to drag the map around and see more of your track. You can zoom in and out...I like to zoom in a bit, to make sure my waypoints are right where I want them to be. That's how I created the file I sent you. Once your Route is complete, you can save your new route by following the instructions in my tutorial. Give it a try, and let me know if you have any questions....

HumVee

Lisa, did you ever make progress with this? Have you been using your MapSource and your nuvi 760?