Garmin Mapsource question

[brianbmw]

I'm planing a route using garmin mapsource. So far i have the route planned from Mass. to the beginning of skyline drive. I want to continue down skyline drive but every time i try to make my route it routes me all the way down skyline drive and comes back up from the south. Even if i click a half mile at a time it wants to route me 50 miles out of the way and bring me back up from the south. I have the preferences set to accept minor roads, i don't know what i'm missing here.

 

Thanks,

 

Brian

[Ken H.]

MapSource is only so good at reading our minds. Click and drag the route to where you want it. Or create waypoints on the path you desire then manually add them into the route.

[Albert]

Hi Brian,

Try zooming in very close to your first waypoint (or all of them for that matter). It's possible you inadvertently clicked on a northbound section in which case the software is trying to bring you back up to it from the south. I generally zoom way in on all the waypoints (even if the route looks like it's OK), and often find I've clicked in the wrong spot when I'm zoomed out. If that's not it, someone smarter will be along to suggest the right fix. Good luck.

 

[brianbmw]

Even if i zoom in to 80 ft i still get the same results.

[Albert]

Even if i zoom in to 80 ft i still get the same results.

 

Hmm, you've indicated you checked "Edit > Preferences > Routing" and you're set to "Prefer Minor Roads" on the slider setting so I'm puzzeled. Check the "Try to Avoid" section on the left of that same dialog just to be sure nothing odd is checked. You may as well check the "Advanced" avoidance section to make sure there isn't some route avoidance that was inadvertently selected. After that I'm not sure.

[T__]

Brian, check your route for a errantly added way or via point.. If by chance you managed to add a way point in an odd location it could be trying to route your there.. Also go to preferences (in Map Source) the turn OFF –(avoid toll roads),, (ferries),, (U-Turns) & especially (Seasonal Road Closings) – In fact turn OFF ALL “try to avoid”.. MapSource might view something on the Skyline as an avoidance..

 

Actually you should probably just start a new route from the beginning of the Skyline drive instead of adding it on to your route getting there..

 

Too much on one route can cause problems if you don’t have enough shaping points & do a route reversal & get an unknown & unwanted route re-calculation..

 

Twisty

 

 

[johnlt]

I've also found that the map database can have a tiny section of road missing so small you can't see it but mapsource will not route you over the gap unless you select "direct point to point routing" for that section. I've used that work-around on several of my "problem routes".

[brianbmw]

thanks guys, it was the "Seasonal Road Closings"

 

Brian

[marcopolo]

It wasn't clear from your original post how you were doing this but, I'd strongly suggest you create multiple routes, i.e., one per day of travel as opposed to one long route. I number my routes sequentially, e.g., if I'm planning a long ride out west the first day's route is W1 Ottawa-Cleveland; the second day's route is W2 Cleveland-St. Louis and so on. For the return trip back east I start with E1 etc. For routes in the local area of my destination I number them beginning with L1. Similarly, if I have a few different options for the same day's travel, I'd number them W1, W1A, W1B etc. For your trip you could use N and S for north/south.

[Albert]

It wasn't clear from your original post how you were doing this but, I'd strongly suggest you create multiple routes, i.e., one per day of travel as opposed to one long route. I number my routes sequentially, e.g., if I'm planning a long ride out west the first day's route is W1 Ottawa-Cleveland; the second day's route is W2 Cleveland-St. Louis and so on. For the return trip back east I start with E1 etc. For routes in the local area of my destination I number them beginning with L1. Similarly, if I have a few different options for the same day's travel, I'd number them W1, W1A, W1B etc. For your trip you could use N and S for north/south.

 

+1. Keep the names simple so you can search through them in the parking lot in the morning. You won't have 21" monitor then.

[T__]

Mark, Al, that’s a good point,, I usually re-name the current routes I am using for a trip or weekend as AA to skyline,, BB skyline,,CC dinnerride,, etc..

 

The AA,, BB,, CC put those routes at the very top of the list & in the order used so I don’t have to scroll through 3 or 4 screens of routes to find the current trip routes I’m using.. When done I just rename (remove) the AA,, BB,, CC,, etc to go back to the routes stored under their names..

 

Twisty

 

[brianbmw]

This was my day one route, Boston, MA to Waynesboro, VA. I always have a seperate day for each route.

 

This brings up another question though. Is there a way to combine all the routes on to one file so i can view the entire trip in mapsource on a single screen?

 

I also have trouble when i'm making a route, if i save it and go back and add to it later it always starts a second route in that same file, i don't know how to continue with a route if i start one then want to ad to it at a later time.

 

Thanks,

 

Brian

[Albert]

This brings up another question though. Is there a way to combine all the routes on to one file so i can view the entire trip in mapsource on a single screen?

 

This is what I always do. You can create as many routes as you like in a single Garmin file. For example, several years ago I took a trip out to (and through) Utah. My Garmin file had 28 routes contained in it. If you don't do it that way you'll have to have a laptop or some other computer handy to download the day's routes into the gps? Maybe I'm misunderstanding.

[johnlt]

Yes, there can be many routes, tracks, waypoints etc in a single file. When you open the file, it will show all the routes. If you "highlight" one of the routes, it shows that particular route in a different color (yellow on mine). That tell you which route is active for any mods you may wish to make. When you download to your unit, you can select "routes, tracks and/or waypoints" and it downloads them. It does NOT download the file, it only downloads selected items. If you have routes in different files already, I believe you can just copy/paste or drag the route over to a different file that you've opened in a different window and you should have all of them in one file.

[T__]

Brian, yes you can use any Map Source route then copy & paste any or all the routes from other MapSource sessions onto that first route..

 

Added:

To Copy routes from any MapSource map session just hold down the shift key then left click on any or all the routes you want to copy,, then in the upper L/H corner click (File),, then (New)-that will bring up a new session of MapSource,, then Left Click in the L/H pane of the MapSource & (paste will appear),, just Left click Paste & it will add the copied routes to that MapSource session..

 

You can then open any other MapSource sessions & copy routes from there also the re-open the MapSource you added the others to & past them there (so easy even Cave Man can do it!)

 

 

This will also work to allow multiple routes to be added to a Zumo at one time (basically a workaround to the single route addition limit)

 

Try it for yourself then come back & ask any questions if you can’t figure it out..

 

Twisty

 

[brianbmw]

Ok, i got the copy and paste thing. I should have tried that, it makes perfect sense.

What about continuing and existing route. I start a route and then come back to it another day and i don't know how to continue it, always creates a new route in the same file.

 

Thanks for the help guys.

 

Brian

[Albert]

Ok, i got the copy and paste thing. I should have tried that, it makes perfect sense.

What about continuing and existing route. I start a route and then come back to it another day and i don't know how to continue it, always creates a new route in the same file.

 

Thanks for the help guys.

 

Brian

 

There are several ways (that I know of) to do this. First, if you're working with waypoints you can open the route properties (just right click on the route name under the "Route" tab and go to "Route Properties". Here you can insert more waypoints (or move the order of the ones that are already there if you like). In this way you can add to the route, or insert waypoints onto the beginning of the route.

 

If you are working directly on the map (this is a little tricky), first highlight the route so it displays in yellow. Make sure the route tool is active and right click on final waypoint on the route. If all the planets align you will see "Extend route" in the pop up menu. From here you can proceed to click new points that will be added to the existing route.

[johnlt]

Yep, right click on the last point and you can extend.

[brianbmw]

Couldn't get the "extend route" to work.

[Albert]

Couldn't get the "extend route" to work.

 

As I said it's tricky. You need to highlight the route first (it should display yellow on the map). With the route tool active, right click on the last waypoint in the route. You should see the "extend route" option then. It's not particularly user friendly but it can be done.

[johnlt]

Brian, I just tried it on an old route of mine and it worked perfect. As Albert says, you must "select" the route first and when it turns yellow, right click with the "route tool" on the end point such that the end waypoint "highlights" and select "extend route" from the right click menu. I've never had a problem with it; it has always worked fine for me.

[brianbmw]

Thanks guys i think i got it to work. Not consistently yet, but i'll figure it out.

 

Brian

[Ken H.]

Earlier versions of MapSource had issues with extend, but later ones were better. Be sure you are using a current version.

[T__]

Clip~ Be sure you are using a current version.

 

Only download & use the latest version (6.15.7) if you have a fast or very modern computer.. The latest couple of MapSource versions are real resource hogs & will run very slowly on an older or slower computer..

 

 

Twisty

 

[brianbmw]

Wow i just checked, i'm running 6.12.4. Maybe i should upgrade.

[Albert]

Wow i just checked, i'm running 6.12.4. Maybe i should upgrade.

 

Just keep in mind what Twisty said. I'm not sure if Garmin gives you a choice of versions when you upgrade or if they just pick the latest for you. These later versions are slow memory hogs.

[T__]

Wow i just checked, i'm running 6.12.4. Maybe i should upgrade.

 

brianbmw, lot of changes in the later versions of MapSource..

 

If you have an older or slower puter use the version 6.13.7 (I personally like that better than the later versions except for a few unique options on the later version)..

 

If you search the web (or search http://www.zumoforums.com) there is someone that has archived all the MapSource versions.. I have saved ALL the MapSource versions myself but at 60+ meg each those would difficult to transfer to you..

 

Twisty