How do I know what to Import?

[Triplog]

I've seen on here that when transferring routes from Basecamp to the XT2 it gives them random names. I'm beginning to realise how frustrating this is. I have some routes and tracks on my XT2 (on the memory card) and I'm importing one new route. The photo below shows some of the choices I have when I answer "Yes" to Importing the new file. How am I supposed to know from the list shown which one is my new Route (and which Waypoints are associated with it?).
Also, is there a correct way of deleting files off the unit? (from the unit itself or with File Explorer when connected to a pc?)
Apologies for the upside down photos, it's been a long day!

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[jfheath]

Apologies - I was getting dizzy looking at the upside down images, so I turned them round (moderator privilege).

I've seen on here that when transferring routes from Basecamp to the XT2 it gives them random names. I'm beginning to realise how frustrating this is. I have some routes and tracks on my XT2 (on the memory card) and I'm importing one new route. The photo below shows some of the choices I have when I answer "Yes" to Importing the new file. How am I supposed to know from the list shown which one is my new Route (and which Waypoints are associated with it?).

If you send files from Basecamp by drag and drop or by Send to Device and the files are being place in Internal Storage. A file called temp.gpx is used for this - everything gets placed in temp.gpx. Then then something very odd happens:

After Transfer - Before Import.png (32.15 KiB) Viewed 2215 times

Each track is individually taken from the transfer file and placed in its own separate gpx file. The name given to the file is identical to the name of the track as shown above. Don't get too excited by that though, these files disappear as soon as the track has been imported.

The Waypoints are all extracted and automatically placed in the Waypoints category.

The Routes remain in temp.gpx and can be imported from there. So you still do not know what the route is called until you inititate the import - and then the XT2 displays the route name and allows you to select which ones to import.

If you send the files to the SD Card, then behaviour is somewhat different. The Zumo have never tried to do anything with the contents of the SD card - so they can create a file and put a route in it - but they cannot alter the contents or alter the filename. Since they cannot find out the name of the route before the file has been created - they have to resort to calling the files by number. Route1.gpx (which is the 2nd route, not the first. The first is called Route.gpx

GPX Files sent to SD Card.png (36.19 KiB) Viewed 2215 times

This isn't an XT2 quirk. This has happened for a long time and is documented in my notes on Basecamp and Zumo 590/595 Pages 21 and 22

A way around this is to export separate GPX files and name them accordingly, and manually place them in the SD Card / GPX / folder.

Note that after import, there is a similar looking screen which asks you to say which collection you want to import the routes/tracks/waypoints to.
If you don't have any, then click 'New Collection' and call it 'All', or 'Everything'.

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Also, is there a correct way of deleting files off the unit? (from the unit itself or with File Explorer when connected to a pc?)

To remove the routes. track, waypoints, courses etc - completely. (XT2)

1. Main Screen -> Explore -> Green Bar -> Select All -> 3 dots top right -> Select and Edit - > Tick box on green banner to select all -> Bin

Then connect your USB cable and let the computer find the XT2.

2. In Internal Storage / GPX Delete temp.gpx and Current.gpx, plus any gpx files that you have palce there, or which have been sent by phone or by the tread app. The only ones that ought to stay are Position.gpx, CurrentTrackLog.gpx and the folder 'Archive'.

3. On your computer, Switch to the SD card. In SD Card / Garmin / GPX get rid of any gpx file that you don't wish to keep.

Note that this deletes everything you can be more selective if you know which file contains which data.

Then unplug the Zumo XT2, let it dsiconnect and then press the power button to let it restart.

[Triplog]

Thank you for the detailed reply! I always transfer my routes to the sd card so as to try and keep the internal memory free for map updates etc. So if I'm understanding you correctly, when transferring I should select the higher route/track numbers?
Eg if I'm transferring a single route and I see "Route 0, Route 1, Route 2" then Route 2 should be the correct one?
I'll go back and read your notes on Basecamp and Zumo 590/595 as I'm sure there'll be more useful info there!
Thank you

[Peobody]

My process is to select the route I want to transfer to the SD card, go to File > Export > Export selection, and save that file to my PC hard drive (the default filename will be the route name). I then copy that file to the SD card. An advantage to this is that when you look at the \GPX folder on the SD card with a file explorer you can identity what each .gpx file contains based on the filename. This makes for easier cleanup after a multi-day trip when you only wish to delete the files associated with that trip from the SD card.

[jfheath]

My process is to select the route I want to transfer to the SD card, go to File > Export > Export selection, and save that file to my PC hard drive (the default filename will be the route name). I then copy that file to the SD card. An advantage to this is that when you look at the \GPX folder on the SD card with a file explorer you can identity what each .gpx file contains based on the filename. This makes for easier cleanup after a multi-day trip when you only wish to delete the files associated with that trip from the SD card.

And putting files onto the SD card keeps them safe from the XT/XT2 from editing them. So the contents are always available to re-import.
So you can delete routes, tracks and waypoints from the Zumo if you wish - they remain on the SD card to re-import.

The method @Peobody Describes is necessary to avoid the file sorting and naming that I illustrated in my previous post. (Route1, Route2 etc).

You can export as much as you want into a single GPX files - routes, tracks, waypoints - all together with one name if you wish.

My Trip of a Lifetime.gpx

[jfheath]

I'm going to add a footnote to this.

I have already mentioned the advantages of putting gpx files on the SD card - as a way of stopping the Zumo changing the contents of the files (Deleting track files after importing, stripping out waypoints into separate files.

But here's another tip.

The XT2 makes pretty good use of collections - which makes it easy to turn off anything that you don't want displayed on a map.
It insists that a collection is selected when data is imported, and it gives the opportunity to create a new one.... or else your imports go into the 'unorganised' collection.

So use that fact. When you create routes, waypoints and tracks - you can usually bundle them all together in one gpx file. Create a single gpx file for all of the tracks, routes and waypoints for one day of a tour, and call it something sensible like Monday.gpx, Day 04.gpx, 09 Durness.gpx. Then import the gpx files one day at a time and create a collection with the same name as the file.

This makes it easy to get the right data into the right collection, and much easier to recognise the gpx file when it comes to deleting.

The Zumo XT2 will not touch the contents or the names of the files if they are on the SD card. Having preferred to put data into Internal Storage gpx folder for many years, this recent behaviour of altering the contents of the files makes the SD the preferred method for me.

All of which makes the question redundant - ie you will never have that problem.

The Explore collections work on the XT2 whether you allow synchronisation between the XT2 and the Tread App or not.