Zumo XT Route Organization Question...

[jfheath]

One method is to email your GPX files to yourself (ie your phone). As a backup.
No need to have them on an SD card, but they are available if you want them.

If you do need them, then open up the attached gpx using Drive. That imports the files for you and you could (If you were so inclined) rest the XT completely and still have the attached available in your email.

@BradB

I've still not fully understood how you are navigating a track. I think that you mean that you just display it on the screen in a colour of your choosing.
That is an excellent, no fuss, simple, and cannot go wrong method for navigating. It is the electronic equivalent of buying a paper map and a highlighter pen - and let the XT keep its finger on your current location.

But then you mentioned that you follow it 'Start to Finish' - which is an option if you decide to convert the track to a trip. This draw a magenta line rather than the colour that you may have chosen for your track.

So - which one of those methods are you using please ?

[BradB.]

One method is to email your GPX files to yourself (ie your phone). As a backup.
No need to have them on an SD card, but they are available if you want them.

If you do need them, then open up the attached gpx using Drive. That imports the files for you and you could (If you were so inclined) rest the XT completely and still have the attached available in your email.

That's essentially how I am getting each track to my XT now. But I didn't think of just mailing them all ahead of time to just have them waiting for when I need them. Good idea. I suppose, if out in the country side, I just need to be sure I can access wifi for the transfer to the XT. (I do need wifi, right?)

I've still not fully understood how you are navigating a track. I think that you mean that you just display it on the screen in a colour of your choosing.
That is an excellent, no fuss, simple, and cannot go wrong method for navigating. It is the electronic equivalent of buying a paper map and a highlighter pen - and let the XT keep its finger on your current location.

Yes, this is exactly what I am doing. Just following a line. Just like the example pdf you linked earlier.

But then you mentioned that you follow it 'Start to Finish' - which is an option if you decide to convert the track to a trip. This draw a magenta line rather than the colour that you may have chosen for your track.

So - which one of those methods are you using please ?

I can see where that caused confusion. I'm just following a track. (Apps>Tracks>(choose a track)>GO!>(Start to Finish or Finish to Start))

But oddly enough, when I go through the XT to choose a Track it asks the "Start to Finish or Finish to Start" question. I can't see how it would make a difference since I'm just following a line, but the choice is there.

It does create a magenta line as a default color, but I can change it under the wrench icon. But I'm pretty certain it's still just a Track and not a Trip. (??) I only ever use the Apps>Tracks part of XT.

[jfheath]

One method is to email your GPX files to yourself (ie your phone). As a backup.

That's essentially how I am getting each track to my XT now. But I didn't think of just mailing them all ahead of time to just have them waiting for when I need them. Good idea. I suppose, if out in the country side, I just need to be sure I can access wifi for the transfer to the XT. (I do need wifi, right?)

No wifi needed when on the move. Once it has been sent to your phone, it is there, stored. In fact it doesn't need to be an email, it can be stored anywhere on your phone. Email seems to be a convenient way to get it there, and of course it works to share between friends too.

All that is needed to get it from your phone to the XT is the Garmin Drive App and Bluetooth. Just select the attached file, or the file if it is stored anywhere else on your phone, and the phone will ask how you want to open it. Choose Garmin Drive.

GPX files can be quite large - a single file containing many routes, tracks and Saved Waypoints / Favourites, so it can take a little longer than you might expect, but nothing serious.

But I was thinking of doing this before you set off, and keeping them on your phone as a backup.

[jfheath]

I can see where that caused confusion. I'm just following a track. (Apps>Tracks>(choose a track)>GO!>(Start to Finish or Finish to Start))

But oddly enough, when I go through the XT to choose a Track it asks the "Start to Finish or Finish to Start" question. I can't see how it would make a difference since I'm just following a line, but the choice is there.

It does create a magenta line as a default color, but I can change it under the wrench icon. But I'm pretty certain it's still just a Track and not a Trip. (??) I only ever use the Apps>Tracks part of XT.

Ok - that is clear enough. Thank you. I also confused myself - I had forgotten that when selecting a track and then Go!, it also gives you the option of "start to finish" or "finish to start". There is a good reason for this - Tracks do not necessarily consider the direction of travel. They are just lines on the map, and don't care much about which side of the dual carriageway you are on, which direction to take on a slip road; which way round a roundabout you go.

This Track-Go method calculates a magenta line which takes all of these things into account and plots the line to go the correct way round a roundabout etc. I remember checking this soon after getting the XT.

(I have yet to find a way to change the colour of a single magenta line, although I think I have seen the option in one of the theme files for ALL magenta lines).

So this 'Track-Go' line does know where you are going, and it can find a straight line direction to get you back on course if you deviate. TIt should display an 'Off-Course' button in the bottom right hand corner. But of course (sic) you can edit that. Medium press that button in the bottom right, while the Track-Go line is active and you can selectone of many different options. If the Track-Go is active, then 'Off Course' wil be one of those options.

So - back to the plot. Now we know exactly what type of track you are using, I can go out and find out whether or not it displays any info. I actually know that answer (partly), becasue when I tested it a long time back, I got screen shots - one of which I linked to in a different reply to you and the banner at the top says Marfield Quarry Ahead. Link

But I don't recall what else that banner showed.
I'm off for a ride on the pushbike now (in the garage on a machine), but I'll go out on the Mbike later - we have a bit of sun ! - see what happens.

[BradB.]

All that is needed to get it from your phone to the XT is the Garmin Drive App and Bluetooth. Just select the attached file, or the file if it is stored anywhere else on your phone, and the phone will ask how you want to open it. Choose Garmin Drive.

Duh! Bluetooth from the phone to the XT. I didn't think of that. The workflow with Garmin Drive is so seamless I forgot how it gets set up. I was thinking it was wifi.

[BradB.]

This Track-Go method calculates a magenta line which takes all of these things into account and plots the line to go the correct way round a roundabout etc. I remember checking this soon after getting the XT.

(I have yet to find a way to change the colour of a single magenta line, although I think I have seen the option in one of the theme files for ALL magenta lines).

So this 'Track-Go' line does know where you are going, and it can find a straight line direction to get you back on course if you deviate. TIt should display an 'Off-Course' button in the bottom right hand corner. But of course (sic) you can edit that. Medium press that button in the bottom right, while the Track-Go line is active and you can selectone of many different options. If the Track-Go is active, then 'Off Course' wil be one of those options.

So - back to the plot. Now we know exactly what type of track you are using, I can go out and find out whether or not it displays any info. I actually know that answer (partly), becasue when I tested it a long time back, I got screen shots - one of which I linked to in a different reply to you and the banner at the top says Marfield Quarry Ahead. Link

But I don't recall what else that banner showed.
I'm off for a ride on the pushbike now (in the garage on a machine), but I'll go out on the Mbike later - we have a bit of sun ! - see what happens.

I can change the color of a track line by Apps>Tracks>(select track)>(click wrench it top left corner)>Set Color

So Track-Go is what you think I have on the XT. Currently, when I am off-the-line, there is dashed line pointing back to my track. That's the same thing you noted. (Note: the dashed line doesn't route me back to the intended track, it's just a direct as-the-bird-flies line.) I haven't run a track Finish to Start to see if it chooses the correct side of a highway going back home. That's great if it does that. I must say, though, I haven't noticed any 'Off Course' button. I'll look more closely next time. Thats easy, I get lost a lot!

If I recall, the banner only states 'Whatever Road ahead'. Nothing else that I've ever seen.

Glad you have sun, I don't. Was riding in the rain testing the XT and my phone GPS. My wife just rolled her eyes and didn't ask a thing. Smart girl.

[jfheath]

OK - So I went out today, but ran out of time - it had to be the car !

I loaded a track created in Basecamp from a route - using roads that I had no intention of taking. And then transferred the track to the XT.
Loaded the track and selected Go!

TrackGo1.png (94.15 KiB) Viewed 1046 times

The above is typical of the entire 6 mile test. Deliberately off route int he shot above, the dotted line heads for the point closest on the original track. The blue flags are the 'Up Ahead' places which I normally have turned off, but thought I'd turn them on for this test. It also shows favourites as greenhearts - but not in this shot.

Nevertheless the banner remained empty for the entire trip. Note the Off-Course button, bottom right. Easily put in place if it is not there.

TrackGo2.png (122.77 KiB) Viewed 1046 times

This was the screenshot when I fell off the end of the magenta 'Track-Go' - note that the Banner is now telling me what is up ahead !

This is different from my previous observations - which unfortunately I do not have documented (at least I can't find anything).

Aside. Something I said earlier now seems to be incorrect. I said that the calculation was working out which way around a roundabout the magenta line should be plotted. I know that this is what I observed ages back, but this is no longer the case. I plotted the originla route the wron way around on Basecamp. On the XT, no matter whether I selected 'Start to Finish' of 'Finish to Start', for the way I was traveling, it plotted the wrong way round the roundabout. So unless my observations from earlier were wrong, then this is changed behaviour. Not that it matters - the magenta line is close enough since it isn't issuing instructions.

Perhaps my earlier test was for a track converted to a trip, and my memory is confused ? WHatever, - it does not calculate the Track-Go magenta line taking into account the side of a dual carriageway or the direction round a roundabout.

[BradB.]

I appreciate you giving it a test. I didn't have a chance to get out today but likely will tomorrow.

I want to try a few variables and see if anything more that might help decipher my predicament. Or my reporting.

I don't believe I've ever had a blank banner. For a track or a route. Hmmm.

I'll look into the off-course button. What does it say if you are on-course? Does it revert to another pre-determined thing?

What precisely did you mean when you say you fell off the track entirely? I will try to emulate that just for grins.

I'll also try the Start to Finish, Finish to Start thing, too. Why would it even be there?

How does one create and gain access to those tidy screen shots you are using? I just can't seem to find it.

[jfheath]

I appreciate you giving it a test. I didn't have a chance to get out today but likely will tomorrow.

No problem at all - I wanted to know myself. When. i first tried out this method of navigating, I was surprised how much I liked it. Following the route that I plotted, no recalculating, no instructions, but
a vague finger point 'You need to be over there somewhere' if you go off route'. Really quite relaxing.

I don't believe I've ever had a blank banner. For a track or a route. Hmmm.

No - it looks odd to me too.

I'll look into the off-course button. What does it say if you are on-course? Does it revert to another pre-determined thing?

No, it remains there but shows dashes instead of digits for the distance. You will notice that in the second shot, the Off Course button has gone. I didn't do anything - except I had reached the end of the magenta line, so the trip data in those 4 locations on the right of the screen changes to what ut was before I selected Go!

What precisely did you mean when you say you fell off the track entirely? I will try to emulate that just for grins.

Sorry - Yesterday, I knew where I was going and I plotted a track which started after I had set off and finished before I reached the end. When I set off, I got a dotted straight line pointing to the beginning of the route. When I reached the end of the magenta line, I still had a but further to travel - So I had continued driving after I had reached the end. I 'fell off the end of the line'. That was when the second screen shot was taken which shows no magenta line and the banner had a caption.

I'll also try the Start to Finish, Finish to Start thing, too. Why would it even be there?

You can display the distance remaining until the end in the trip data in the right hand side if the screen. That distance reduces as you get closer to the finish. It would need to know which end of the line was the finish in order to be able to do that.

How does one create and gain access to those tidy screen shots you are using? I just can't seem to find it.

There is a screenshot tick box in the Settings / Display section.
That puts a small camera icon in the top right corner of the screen. When you press it, it takes a picture of the current screen, and gives a reassuring click sound of an SLR film camera.

The images are created as .png files (Portable Network Graphic). They are placed as a numbered file in internal storage on the Zumo in a folder called 'ScreenShot'. Goodness knows what the file number means - I've never tried to work it out. The date stamp gives you a clue as to how recently it was taken.

Generally, you cannot view them while they are still in the Zumo. Most graphic programs try to open the pictures to edit them, and on a device that uses MTP - Media Transfer Protocol - opening a file to edit it is not allowed. The XT uses MTP. Picture Viewers - eg Microsofts Photo - may be able to view them. I just transfer them to a temporary file on my PC. Usually I reduce them 50% if I intend to print. 33% is Ok for display on a screen, or 25% if you just want an impression. I use a very early version of PaintShop Pro to do this. I have better graphics programs, but PSP loads fast and is usually more convenient.

On this forum the pics have to be saved on your Pc first, then you can use the Add Files button to upload them. I usually choose the option to place inline. The inline images still show as a smaller version in this forum, which you can click to see the image in the size that was uploaded.

There is a way to get a full size image in your post. I haven't mastered this yet - I think that you have to store them externally and link to them. I must find out one day.

[BradB.]

^^^^^ Really great info. Thanks, jfheath. I'll get out soon to test drive a few things and report back later.