Definition Changes - Trip vs Route ??

[jfheath]

I am confused.

Trip, Route - This is what I thought.

Trip - the sequence of points and the calculation mode to use when calculating a route. (as created, viewed and edited in the Trip Planner App).
Route - the magenta line that is calculated / recalculated by the XT in order to visit each of the points specified in the trip.

Then came 'Convert a Track to a Trip' Which confused me - because what you get doesn't look like anything that you create using the Trip Planner. I have always referred to this as a 'Track-Trip'. Even though the result ends up in the Trip Planner

I could find no logic to the way that Garmin were using its own terms - Except the term 'Trip Planner' is clearly used to describe the sequence of points.

It seems to me that Garmin are now wanting to use the term 'Trip' to refer to the type of magenta line which has no route points, but which stays in place on the map. The sort of Magenta line which - when you deviate, will calculate a new section of magenta line to take you to the closest point of the original. The sort of magenta line that a route becomes when the XT has recalculated it, and you then deviate - the RUT scenario.
(Incidentally - the RUT scenario also occurs when following a Track-Trip.).

I don't have an XT2.

But - I've been looking at XT2 screen shots, and I notice something rather revealing. There is no longer a Trip Planner App.
In its place is something called a 'Route Planner App'. Which looks (from screen shots) like a renaming of the Trip Planner App.

So the sequence of points are now called a Route.
and the magenta line that joins them together, and which will change if you deviate, skip or choose closest entry is also called a route.
Or is this what Garmin are now calling a 'Course' (as observed on the Explore app on iOS and Adndroid devices).

That would free up the word 'Trip' for the type of route that doesn't have any route points. That might have come from plotting a route on Explore - which doesn't have any route points at all; which consists of a series of straight lines; which when synchronised with the XT forms a perfectly good looking route - which stays in place unless you deviate and which has no via or shaping points - or rules about how to recalculate.


I wondered if I had got it wrong all these years, so I went back to definitions. Basecamp seems to agree with my definition of Trip. But the Route is also the sequence of points. There is no name given to the magenta line.
Different variations of this crop up for different Zumos.

Oh TISH. If that is the case, I have to go through thos 100+ web pages and reword/rephrase my definitions.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on what these vital components should be called. I am quite happy with route being something that I plan as well as something that the XT recalculates. Its what I think, say, and write if I am not concentrating anyway. And it makes sense to be putting route points into a route using the route planner app, rather than into a Trip with the Trip Planner App.

Any thoughts ??

[Peobody]

I disagree with @jfheath . My thinking is along the lines of how the BaseCampTrip Planner feature works. When you use it to create a three day "trip", the result is daily "routes". So to me, a "trip" is a single travel event that can contain one or many "routes".

Here is a question: Can the Trip Planner app on the XT create daily routes for a trip long enough to require multiple days? If not, then Garmin appropriately renamed "Trip Planner" to "Route Planner" on the XT2.

[danham]

Allow me to toss in this potentially unhelpful suggestion: don't over-think Garmin terminology definitions. Example: for as many years as I have been using Garmin devices (anyone remember the GPS III+?), the terms Via, Waypoint, Stop, and Favorite have been used confusingly, interchangeably, and inconsistently. So any attempt to come up with a solid definition is doomed. Perhaps the same fate awaits Trips and Routes?

-dan

[Rofor]

@jfheath

But - I've been looking at XT2 screen shots, and I notice something rather revealing. There is no longer a Trip Planner App.
In its place is something called a 'Route Planner App'. Which looks (from screen shots) like a renaming of the Trip Planner App.

In german, the app on the Zumo XT was always called 'Routenplanung', which i would translate to 'Route Planning'...

[FrankB]

Any thoughts ??

Yes I do have thoughts. I'm afraid they will not help though.
I've worked for large companies and in my experience large companies consist of a lot of 'smaller companies' that all have their own goals. Sometimes a Development team comes up with a perfect name, but then Sales think they have to change it into something 'more sexy'. (Better selling)
Garmin is a large company, and no exception for that matter.
Maybe someone at Garmin figured that a 'Route planner' would sell better than a 'Trip Planner'?

Allow me to toss in this potentially unhelpful suggestion: don't over-think Garmin terminology definitions.

I agree with Dan.
I think we have overrated 'Garmin terminology definitions'.

Some examples:

- In Basecamp you ONLY have Via points in a route, they can either by 'Alerting' or 'Non-Alerting'. In a GPX file you find the terms 'ViaPoint' and 'ShapingPoint'

If you look at some Dutch translations things get only worse.
'Closest entry point' = 'Dichtsbijzijnde invoerpunt'. Now 'invoer' is a perfect Dutch word, but we associate with 'Data-Entry', not with a point where you start a trip. (Or route?)

[jfheath]

My theory about leaving the word Trip available for the Track - Trips goes out the window. Ive been browsing the manual, and it is now described as 'Convert to a Route' and it ends up in the Route Planner App.

So no logical thinking here. They are calling them all routes. And the thing that defines the route before it is plotted is also a route.

And here was I thinking that there was a master plan.

Re Via Points. The word was used in Mapsource for the only route points it recognised. The software was used (seemingly) as the basis for Basecamp, and it (still) retains the words Via Point as the heading for the route points in the trip list - sorry, route list.

But in the days of the 550 there were two distinct points that could be added to a route using the screen. One was a Via Point. The other I cannot remember - but I know that it behaved differently. I never sorted that out - all points on my routes had to be visited. I was just realising that didn't have to be the case, and it died. So I paid my £99 to have it 'repaired'. In fact they just send out a different refurbished one. Except they had run out, so I got a brand new, mint, 660Lm by return of post. I loved that 660. But it was slow compared to the present batch.

[FrankB]

Maybe the wrong forum, but what I would like to know. How are the trip files in the XT2 named? And can the fix that works for the XT still be used?

(I'm referring to the files that are stored in the XT under .System\Trips with an extension of .trip)

[jfheath]

Pass. I've yet to get my hands on an XT2.

[BMurray99]

First, I have to agree with @danham. We need to not overthink Garmin's use of terminology.

Garmin has never been consistent with their terminology. I suspect their use of terms has evolved as they modified (or added, or decided not to add) functions to their devices.

If you look at the menu bar in Basecamp, the Trip Planer menu (which I never use) initiates planning for a (possibly) multi-day trip with one or more routes. Yet, no multi-day "trip" planner function exists on Garmin's current generation devices (aside from the ability to assign a start date and time to a route).

When I purchased my BMW Navigator 5, I did not understand why routes were found under "Trip Planner." This was carried forward to the BMW Navigator 6 (which I still own) and the Zumo XT (which is my primary satnav, these days).

@jfheath I have always found you to be very attentive to (and consistent with) the terminology you have used to explain navigation topics. I would not recommend changing your current practices (or re-write your previous posts).

Going forward, all of us may need to clarify for less technical-oriented users that Garmin has chosen, for whatever (legacy?) reasons, to refer to a "Trip Planner" function on some of their devices for interacting with routes on their devices.

[Fxwheels]

don't over-think Garmin terminology definitions.
-dan

Agree. One name today can be replaced with another "tomorrow". It is what is it.