The peculiar case of the disappearing tracks. XT & 595

[jfheath]

Following on from that - no flack received at the presentation. I just pointed out that many routing programs use the term to mean any point, but Garmin uses it more precisely. No one batted an eyelid.

The more I think about it, the more I think that it is likely that the GPX markup language codes was used by GArmin to define its terms.

<trk>
<rte>
<wpt>
<rtept>
<trp:ViaPoint>
<trp:ShapingPoint>

These are the global standard terms set out for gpx file format - ( for Track, route, waypoint, RoutePoint, Trip Via Point, Trip Shaping Point )


<wpt> is used only to define the saved locations name, location and all other details associated with a saved location.
<rtept> is used for all route point that form part of the route. If a waypoint was placed at that location it duplicates all of the Waypoint info including the cooridinates. But it is still a route point. It just so happens to be in the identical location with the same name and details as a saved Waypoint.
All route points are then modified with the <trp:ViaPoint> or the <trp:ShapingPoint> assignment.

So according to the gpxx file format (which all mapping programs use) - Garmin uses the term Waypoint absolutely correctly. The term Waypoint never actually appears in a gpx route. (ie between the start of the route <rte> and the end of the route </rte>. Only Via Point, Shaping Points and the gpxx route point extenion - 'Ghost Points' are shown as plotted points.

And every Waypoint is declared twice in a gpx file - once when it is first declared as a Waypoint, before the route. And again when the identical information appears in the route itself, but as a Via or as a Shaping point.

Garmin continue to stick with the use of their Waypoint - in Explore and in Tread. But the Waypoints are just places drawn on a map. The same map may have a track or a route drawn on it. But the two things are not linked in any way. Which when you think about it, is exactly how it is in a gpx file.