New discovery: Prevent route points from being renamed when loaded on to the XT

[FrankB]

First of all. What are route points? Refer to this page for the definition: app.php/ZXT-P04

• What is the problem?

When you create a route in Basecamp and change the names of the route points to something meaningful and subsequently transfer the route to the XT, it will happen that the names are changed on the XT.
John @jfheath had already found a way to prevent this renaming. Refer to this page for more info: app.php/ZXT-P09

I had also found a way to prevent this renaming, but that involved executing a separate external program.

Both ways worked well, but required some extra steps.

By sheer luck I discovered yet an alternate method that requires little extra work, and seems to be just as effective. John did some more testing and his results confirmed my findings.
I hope he will post his results to this thread.

• What do you need to do?

First of all, you need another routeable map in Basecamp besides your current version. So lets assume your current map is City Navigator Europe NTU 2024.2 in Basecamp and in the XT, then you can use an older version like 2023.10 or an OpenstreetMap map covering the same area. No the Global Map will not do!

- Create your route and assign names to your route point as you like. Using your current version of the map
- Switch to the other map product.
- Recalculate the route.
- Switch back to the current map version of the map.
- Recalculate the route.

Thats it!

This method should work with your preferred transfer method to the XT. For example:
- Export to GPX, Copy to internal storage, or SD Card
- Export to GPX, Send to your mobile phone and use the Garmin Drive App
- Using the Basecamp function 'Send to'.
- ????

It may even work on other models like the 595 or the XT2. Testing needed.

• What is the difference in the GPX?

The subclass of the rtept is reset to '00ff'. See the line marked <<====

Before:

Code: Select all

    <rtept lat="54.072501752525568" lon="-2.280646534636617">
      <time>2024-02-16T11:10:19Z</time>
      <name>10 Settle Exit</name>
      <sym>City (Small)</sym>
      <extensions>
        <trp:ViaPoint>
          <trp:CalculationMode>FasterTime</trp:CalculationMode>
          <trp:ElevationMode>Standard</trp:ElevationMode>
        </trp:ViaPoint>
        <gpxx:RoutePointExtension>
          <gpxx:Subclass>1461A7E9D8011480FF000500000000000000</gpxx:Subclass>  <<====
          <gpxx:rpt lat="54.072503009811044" lon="-2.280648965388537">

After:

Code: Select all

    <rtept lat="54.072501752525568" lon="-2.280646534636617">
      <time>2024-02-16T11:10:19Z</time>
      <name>10 Settle Exit</name>
      <sym>City (Small)</sym>
      <extensions>
        <trp:ViaPoint>
          <trp:CalculationMode>FasterTime</trp:CalculationMode>
          <trp:ElevationMode>Standard</trp:ElevationMode>
        </trp:ViaPoint>
        <gpxx:RoutePointExtension>
          <gpxx:Subclass>000000000000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF</gpxx:Subclass> <<====
          <gpxx:rpt lat="54.072503009811044" lon="-2.280648965388537">

[jfheath]

Many thanks for this Frank.

The issue is simply described in the three diagrams below. Click the image for a larger version

Altered Names.png (252.72 KiB) Viewed 898 times

Image 1 shows part of the trip plan of a route that has been created in Basecamp. The route points have a name that starts with a 2 digit sequence number.

Image 2 shows the route after it has been transferred to the XT, imported and loaded from trip planner. Some of the route points shown in the screen shot have not been altered - the top 3. The bottom 3 in the screenshot have been altered. Out of 23 route points, 10 had their name changed.

Image 3 shows the same route - but this time, Basecamp map was switched to an earlier version and the route recalculated.
Then the map was changed back to the current version of map and it was recalculated again.
The image shows the route displayed on an XT screen after transfer and import. None of the route point names were altered.

The testing showed that only previously saved waypoints were guaranteed to keep their name. Whether a route point was set as a Via Point or as a Shaping Point made no difference to whether or not the name was changed.

The same behaviour happens on the Zumo 590, the Zumo 595 and the Zumo XT. I can only assume that it also occurs on the 34x series and the 39x models. The XT2, I do not know about - but I can guess !

I'll post the test results when I have made them look more respectable in the next post.

[jfheath]

Here are the results of the tests that I carried out.

I was thinking that maybe it didn't need to have the route recalculated twice but it seems that it does. Only one of the tests succeeded.

Click the image to see a clearer version.

RoutePoint Name Change Tests.png (98.41 KiB) Viewed 807 times

The "Always Check Map" refers to the option in Basecamp : Edit -> Options -> Device Transfer - where the you can set an instruction for the Zumo to check whether the map used in Basecamp is the same as the one that is in use on the Zumo. I thought that this might make a difference. It doesn't !

Practical Information.

In Basecamp it is easy to recalculate all of your routes at once.

Click the image to see a clearer version.

Recalc Lots of Routes.png (103.24 KiB) Viewed 807 times

1. Select the list folder in the LIbrary window. - I have "XT Tests" selected. Outlined in Green.
2. Select the Route Filter at the bottom - Outlined in Red. This will then show only the routes, nothing else.
3. Select all of the route in the list I have "Dup Route" to "Dup Route 8" selected. To do this, click on the first entry (Dup Route). Hold down the SHIFT key. Click on the last Entry (Dup Route 8). All of the routes will be selected and will be highlighted in light blue.
4. Right click on one of the entries (I right clicked on the top one), and a pop-up menu appears. Select 'Recalculate Selected Route(s).

Dont forget to reset your filter, The icon at the very left of the route icon that you selected earlier.

[danham]

Once again, the brains in this group come through for the rest of us. Many thanks! When are you guys going to market your own brand of GPS?

-dan

[FrankB]

When are you guys going to market your own brand of GPS?

I can only speak for myself. One of the things I like about not working anymore (As in: not getting payed for things you do) is that I dont have to deal with upset customers. So for me, that will never happen!

[Peobody]

John & Frank, please clarify something for me. I have rarely experienced the problem of route point names being changed. Is there something unique about how those route points are created, perhaps with the Insert tool or rubber-band method?

[FrankB]

I hardly ever use the insert tool. And I did see route points change their names. But I dont think using the insert tool or rubber-band is the key factor.

If I remember well you like to reuse routes from previous years, that could be a reason. Because once a route is created in Basecamp, and the map is updated, and the route recalculated it will not happen anymore.

I suspect John did extensive testing in the past, and tried all different combinations. So he can tell you more probably.

[Peobody]

If I remember well you like to reuse routes from previous years, that could be a reason. Because once a route is created in Basecamp, and the map is updated, and the route recalculated it will not happen anymore.

I routinely create new routes as well as modify old ones. It makes sense that modifying an old one may not introduce the problem if the old one was originally created with an old map but I just don't see renames occurring in new routes. That is not to say that I have never seen it, but it has been rare with one memorable one also moving the route point from the road to an adjacent visitor center/trailhead parking area.
When does the rename occur, on import, on calc or recalc?
Does it make a difference how the route point name is modified in Basecamp (eg: renamed via My Collection right-click > Rename, or renamed in the route point properties box)?

[FrankB]

When does the rename occur, on import, on calc or recalc?

It happens when you import it into the XT. When the trip file is created. The trip file has, sometimes, different route point names, from the GPX file it was created from.
And if the subclass value for the RTEPT is '00ff' as shown in the sample, it will never get renamed in the trip file.

Does it make a difference how the route point name is modified in Basecamp (eg: renamed via My Collection right-click > Rename, or renamed in the route point properties box)?

Not in my experience.

[Peobody]

It happens when you import it into the XT. When the trip file is created. The trip file has, sometimes, different route point names,

Well, I just created a test route with each route point prefixed with sequential numbers (eg: 01_, 02_, ...). I drag-n-dropped onto internal storage. The names were not changed on import. The route points were all Via points created with the New Waypoint tool. I guess the "sometimes" remains a mystery.