Zumo User Forums

Learned lots here, only get to really use my ZUMO XT on trips a few times each year, so I tend to forget much of what I learn!

This question is about "passing or missing" a shaping point.

When I use a route with multiple via points and shaping points (transferred from BaseCamp with fastest routing) and have then set on the XT Adventurous routing -- if I go past but not through (think) a shaping point then ZUMO appears to change the rest of the route by recalculating in fastest mode. Fastest mode is my default.

This also seems to happen if I use the "Skip next point" button {to bypass a ? Via? point}.

Any insights or advice or pointers to something to read on how to keep the Adventurous route?

Thanks in advance.

This is a known and really frustrating issue. When you skip a point, the XT recalculates the entire remainder of the route based on the default setting in the XT. Workarounds include:

• Setting a lot of waypoints with the mindset of forcing the XT to generate the desired route in the event of a recalc. This is a mind game that can't be won since we can't predict how the XT will route but it sure can help to minimize recalcs that result in a route that is significantly different that your original intention.

• Displaying the track on the map in addition to the route. This makes it obvious when a recalc changes the intended route and allows you to manually follow the track instead of the new route.

• Stopping then restarting the trip.

The fact that you see a recalc after bypassing a shaping point may be the result of the XT being configured to automatically recalc routes. I have mine set to "Prompted" which allows me tell the XT not to recalc when I miss a shaping point. I have been tempted to set it to "Off" but I like knowing when the XT thinks it should be doing a recalc. That said, nothing good seems to result from recalcs so it may be foolish of me not to set it to "Off".

@jfheath has posted his ingenious approach to optional trip points, like a coffee stop. The coffee shop waypoint is set as a shaping point and then another waypoint is set on the main road near where you would be diverting to the coffee shop. That way, if you choose not to stop for coffee, you don't have to do a skip. The XT will allow you to ride through that waypoint and continue along the route instead of routing you back to the coffee shop shaping point like it would if the coffee shop was a waypoint. I haven't tried this yet but I really like the idea.
@jfheath, I hope I have explained this correctly and am not stealing your thunder.

Thanks.

That's almost correct @Peobody - and no, the more people that pass on good advice, the better.

Waypoints - be careful here. Waypoint are the points that you create in BAsecamp using the Waypoint Flag tool. They are saved in the collection of Zumo 'Favourites (UK) or in Zumo 'Saved' locations. Waypoints can be put into a route once they have been created and they can be made as either Shaping Points or Via Points.

It is easy to confuse the term Waypoint with the term Via Point, becasue when you place them into a route in Basecamp, it places them as a Via Point.

Via Points alert on arrrival and show up on the Zumo screen as an ornage flag. Shaping points do not alert on arrival, and show up on the Zumo screen as a blue disc.

If you miss a Via point, the satnav will always try to get you to go back to it. Always. The only way to escape from this is to press 'Skip', it will then calculate a route from where you are to the next route point (via or shaping). (BUT as @Peobody said, it will also calculate the entire route - it will still visit every route point, but it may choose different roads fromt he ones that were plotted originally.

If you miss a Shaping Point - exactly the same thing happens. The satnav calculates a new route from where you are now, to the same shaping point that it was trying to get you to. But unlike a Via Point, if you eventually rejoin the plotted route AFTER the missed point, the satnav will stop trying to navigate you back to the missed point, and will simply continue navigating ahead.

Lesson - Use Via Points for places that are key landmarks - places that you know that you will defintitely pass through - and make sure that they are placed accurately. Use shaping points for the rest of the route. I just use Via points to mark the road that I want to be on after a coffee stop - a point that I will pass through whether I stop for coffee or not.

You say that the XT recalculates the entire route if you miss a shaping point. I don't think that it does, but now that you have said it, I will double check as it was one of the first things that I tested 2 years ago - so it may have changed (or I may have made a mistake).

If you go off route - yes, the satnav recalculates a route, but I think that it is only up to the next route point. Not beyond that.

Here's an example:


I have a route plotted on the Magenta Line. There is a shaping point called Coffee Stop. There is a Via Point at Point D. The yellow road from a to B to C is a bypass that avoids the village in which the coffee stop is situated. B is a point somehwere about mid-way between A and C. C is not a route point at all, it is the place where the original route meets the bypass. I am assuming that the satnav allows me to perform a U turn.

I am approaching from the left of the image. At A, I decide that I don't want to stop for coffee, so I head down the bypass towards B.

As soon as I do this, the satnav will recalculate the route, trying to get me to visit the next route point in its list - the shaping point at Coffee Stop.

Perform a U turn, I ignore it and continue
Perform a U turn ... ditto
Perform a U turn ... ditto

At around point B, the satnav stops asking me to perform a U turn and instead draws a magenta line on the road ahead towards point C

As I approach C the satnav springs into life again and tells me
In 1/4 of a mile, turn left at junction It is still trying to get me to the coffee stop shaping point (I haven't visited that point yet, and it is the next point in the satnav's list).

As I reach C, I do not turn left, and continue ahead. I am now on the magenta line which is plotted from the Coffee Stop Shaping point to the 'After Coffee Stop' Via Point at D. Because I am on the route and I have not missed out any Via points, the satnav continues navigating me to the next route point. The Via Point at D.

Arriving at After Coffee Stop on the left.

Had the Coffee stop been a Via Point, it would have kept insisting that I go back to it. Even though I am on the magenta line going towards D, and would still continue trying to get me to go to the Coffee Stop even after passing D.

Thanks, hopefully I will remember some of these concepts (almost said remember key points but geez too many kind of "points" already!).

Now will have to try and figure how to do the above if out riding and setting up just using the XT. Sigh, will have to go review route vs trip now.
[Edit found this thread helpful viewtopic.php?t=1883

I am working on a new trip and am trying to incorporate the 'coffee shops as a shaping point' trick described by @jfheath. I have encountered one that I know will trip me up if I can't fine a creative solution so I'm here hoping for one. The problem is that the coffee stop (Lou's Diner) is off of an interstate exit to the left with the route off that same exit but to the right. This will be on day three of the trip so I am hoping for something that will remind me to take that exit even if I decide to skip coffee.

Place a viapoint just before named something like Turn right if no coffee

Exactly what @sussamb said. Make sure your coffee stop is set to not alert (Shaping Point).

In the diagram above, the satnav will speak out - "Approaching turn right for no coffee". Once you pass the via point and the satnav may give instructions to get to the coffee stop (depending in the nature of the junction), but if you turn right and the coffee stop is a shaping point, it will continue navigating on the rest of the magenta route.

Thanks guys. I don't know how well that will work with spoken navigation turned off though. I should have mentioned that in my original post. Next week I am going to try to create & ride a test scenario on roads close to home.

How do you turn off spoken navigation ? The only way that I know is to turn down the volume in the mixer or to mute the XT altogether.

In both cases you will still get three tell tale signs.

1 The orange flag on the map of the approaching via point
2 Possibly the white marker on the plotted magenta line indicating a direction change
3 The top bar of the XT screen will show the same message as text.