Routes from US Topo 2008 to 60CSx

[+Grinch & Gremlin]

I recently bought the new US Topo 2008 and one thing it does nicely in MapSource is that it follows trails like they were roads when you create a new route. That is, if I click the beginning of a trail with the route tool, then click the end of the trail, the route follows the lines of the trail rather than drawing a single straight line between the two points. This is really helpful since it saves me clicking on 20 or 30 points along a trail to create a route.

 

That all sounds great, however, when I download such a route into my 60CSx, the route that shows up on the GPSr is no longer the route following the trail. It reverts to a straight line between the beginning and ending points. Since I don't carry my computer with me when I hike, that's a real disappointment... even so that I really can't believe they designed it that way on purpose and I'm wonder if I'm doing something wrong.

 

Has anyone ever successfully used such a route on their Garmin handheld GPSr and, if so, does anyone have any idea what I'm doing wrong so that it doesn't maintain the route that shows in Mapsource? Thanks!

[+fratermus]

I recently bought the new US Topo 2008 and one thing it does nicely in MapSource is that it follows trails like they were roads when you create a new route. That is, if I click the beginning of a trail with the route tool, then click the end of the trail, the route follows the lines of the trail rather than drawing a single straight line between the two points. This is really helpful since it saves me clicking on 20 or 30 points along a trail to create a route.

 

So how many points are in the route after TOPO makes it follow the trail? Just the two, or are there points in between?

[breaks911]

I recently bought the new US Topo 2008 and one thing it does nicely in MapSource is that it follows trails like they were roads when you create a new route. That is, if I click the beginning of a trail with the route tool, then click the end of the trail, the route follows the lines of the trail rather than drawing a single straight line between the two points. This is really helpful since it saves me clicking on 20 or 30 points along a trail to create a route.

 

Alright, I haven't used Topo08 yet, but I'll explain what I did in prior versions to workaround my disappointment with mapsource and the gps60csx. Obviously the trail routing sucks in the prior version of 2008, and if I understand what you're saying, it sounds like it works similarly to the delorme software.

 

To the point of the prior responder, I'm curious to understand if when you create one of those "trail routes", how many waypoints is it calculating, b/c a route is just a collection of waypoints. Anyway, it's probably neither here nor there based on the solution I'm proposing you attempt.

 

What I have done in the past is simply create the route, then leverage GPS Babel to convert the route to a track. The beautiful part about this (to me) is that I don't have to look at the stupid waypoints on my gps screen and I can just follow a colored track line instead. I was never intelligent enough to get the gps to totally not show waypoint labels or anything on the map. All I ever wanted was a line to follow to ensure I was going in the correct general direction.

 

I would assume this method would also work with the new trail route rig in 2008. Hopefully it will make your point to point line go away. Like I said, I haven't seen the new product yet, but you should consider trying this out.

 

Best of luck!

 

breaks

[CenTexDodger]

I recently bought the new US Topo 2008 and one thing it does nicely in MapSource is that it follows trails like they were roads when you create a new route. That is, if I click the beginning of a trail with the route tool, then click the end of the trail, the route follows the lines of the trail rather than drawing a single straight line between the two points. This is really helpful since it saves me clicking on 20 or 30 points along a trail to create a route.

 

Seriously? Is there some secret setting to make this work? When I do routes in Topo 2008 in MapSource it just draws straight line routes. I little more info would be appreciated.

[+Hynr]

The straight lines are what Mapsouce calls "Direct Routes". On the main menu: Edit, Preferences, Routing tab you can select alternatives that might help.

[CenTexDodger]

The straight lines are what Mapsouce calls "Direct Routes". On the main menu: Edit, Preferences, Routing tab you can select alternatives that might help.

 

Yeah I have it set to auto-route.

[+frankfoto]

I recently bought the new US Topo 2008 and one thing it does nicely in MapSource is that it follows trails like they were roads when you create a new route. That is, if I click the beginning of a trail with the route tool, then click the end of the trail, the route follows the lines of the trail rather than drawing a single straight line between the two points. This is really helpful since it saves me clicking on 20 or 30 points along a trail to create a route.

 

That all sounds great, however, when I download such a route into my 60CSx, the route that shows up on the GPSr is no longer the route following the trail. It reverts to a straight line between the beginning and ending points. Since I don't carry my computer with me when I hike, that's a real disappointment... even so that I really can't believe they designed it that way on purpose and I'm wonder if I'm doing something wrong.

 

Has anyone ever successfully used such a route on their Garmin handheld GPSr and, if so, does anyone have any idea what I'm doing wrong so that it doesn't maintain the route that shows in Mapsource? Thanks!

 

I've got Topo 2008 and I cannot get it to autoroute trails... all I get is straight lines.

[+Great Scott!]

Maybe the OP has the US TOPO 24K Garmin maps. They are road and trail routable.

[CenTexDodger]

Maybe the OP has the US TOPO 24K Garmin maps. They are road and trail routable.

 

That is what I am thinking, although they are routeable on the GPS as well, unless the OP did not check the "include route calculation checkbox when uploading the maps.

[+Grinch & Gremlin]

Wow, great things to think about. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll answer some of the questions different people have asked, though not in the order asked because it makes sense to clear up some of my own confusion.

 

1) My apologies to those with Topo 2008, it turns out that it is indeed the National Parks maps that are doing that. I bought both at the same time and was confused about which one I was in when this happened. I just tried it in Topo 2008 and got a straight line, but when I flip over to the National Parks map, it gives my a route that follows the trail.

 

2) Fratermus. You're right, it's only the two waypoints. I just assumed if it was going to create a route, it would create however many points it needed to actually make the route. It MUST do that internally to even draw the route. But at least I understand what's happening. When I transfer the route, it's only transfering the two waypoints and the GPSr apparently lacks the ability to route along the trail. It makes me wonder what the point of that feature is then, since few of us plan to carry our computers out on the hike with us. If a route we've created in Mapsource won't transfer into the GPSr, then what good is it?

 

3) Breaks911. Great idea, that's all I want too... just a line to follow to be sure that I'm staying on the trail that I planned. I don't want or need the waypoints or the beeps tellings me I've just reached a new one. I'll try your suggestion and see if I can get that route converted into a track.

 

4) CenTexDodger. When I transfer the routes to the GPSr, I don't get any sort of option to 'include route calculation '. I just hit the 'Send to Device' icon and it has four options... maps, waypoints, routes and tracks. I also looked in the preferences to see if I could find what you mentioned, but didn't see anything like that. Can you give me a little more information on where that checkbox is? It sure sounds like it's the answer to my problem if I can find it. Thanks!

Edited September 30, 2007 by Grinch & Gremlin

[CenTexDodger]

 

4) CenTexDodger. When I transfer the routes to the GPSr, I don't get any sort of option to 'include route calculation '. I just hit the 'Send to Device' icon and it has four options... maps, waypoints, routes and tracks. I also looked in the preferences to see if I could find what you mentioned, but didn't see anything like that. Can you give me a little more information on where that checkbox is? It sure sounds like it's the answer to my problem if I can find it. Thanks!

 

This issue came up quite a bit when discussing road data, but it might be your answer. When you are ready to load maps from MapSource to your GPS, click the maps tab. It should have a listing of all the maps you are planning to send. Down at the bottom there is a checkbox "include route calculation data". That way the routing data in the maps is included in your upload.

 

Also a couple of other things. 1. Routes are only 2 waypoints. The GPS uses the routing data in the maps that you uploaded to build the route. 2. Make sure that the routing preference (in the GPS) is set to "Follow Road" I know that sound counter-intuitive, but Off-Road is a straight line, whereas follow road forces it to build a route along routeable roads or trails.

 

ETA: These units are designed to route, and this sort of topic comes up a lot, people assume that they build a route in MapSource that the exact route will be uploaded, but that is not how the system was designed. The brains in the GPS are supposed to do that. It was designed that way because Garmin does not know what type of map you are going to use, and the routing data is imbedded in the maps. Topo 24K is designed to Route on the trails in MapSource and on Routeable GPS units (such as the 60CSx) so it will work, just keep playing with it, and I'm sure you will find a solution!

Edited October 1, 2007 by CenTexDodger

[+Grinch & Gremlin]

Thanks, CenTexDodger! It turned out to be easier than all that, but it was your suggestion that got me back on the right path. I did redownload all the maps I had peviously installed to the 60CSx and made sure that check box was checked. I'm pretty sure it was before too , but I wanted to be sure. Then I tried viewing the route again and again it was a straight line. But since I knew it should work and that it wasn't the maps, that gave me some options for finding the problem.

 

In the end, it turned to that I was just assuming something that wasn't true. I assumed that, if I downloaded a route and asked the GPSr to show me the route on the map, that it would. It doesn't; it just shows me the straight line between the start and finish waypoints. However, if I actually tell it to navigate the route, then it renders it and displays it correctly. I wish it did both, but I can work with this. Anyway, problem solved. Thanks for all the help!

[CenTexDodger]

Thanks, CenTexDodger! It turned out to be easier than all that, but it was your suggestion that got me back on the right path. I did redownload all the maps I had peviously installed to the 60CSx and made sure that check box was checked. I'm pretty sure it was before too , but I wanted to be sure. Then I tried viewing the route again and again it was a straight line. But since I knew it should work and that it wasn't the maps, that gave me some options for finding the problem.

 

In the end, it turned to that I was just assuming something that wasn't true. I assumed that, if I downloaded a route and asked the GPSr to show me the route on the map, that it would. It doesn't; it just shows me the straight line between the start and finish waypoints. However, if I actually tell it to navigate the route, then it renders it and displays it correctly. I wish it did both, but I can work with this. Anyway, problem solved. Thanks for all the help!

 

GOOD!!!

 

I am glad it worked for you!

[Hiker2008]

This is normal. Navigate or Recalculate is required on all the (handheld) units after downloading route from MS.

[+imajeep]

I recently bought the new US Topo 2008 and one thing it does nicely in MapSource is that it follows trails like they were roads when you create a new route. That is, if I click the beginning of a trail with the route tool, then click the end of the trail, the route follows the lines of the trail rather than drawing a single straight line between the two points. This is really helpful since it saves me clicking on 20 or 30 points along a trail to create a route.

 

That all sounds great, however, when I download such a route into my 60CSx, the route that shows up on the GPSr is no longer the route following the trail. It reverts to a straight line between the beginning and ending points. Since I don't carry my computer with me when I hike, that's a real disappointment... even so that I really can't believe they designed it that way on purpose and I'm wonder if I'm doing something wrong.

 

Has anyone ever successfully used such a route on their Garmin handheld GPSr and, if so, does anyone have any idea what I'm doing wrong so that it doesn't maintain the route that shows in Mapsource? Thanks!

 

I don't think you are doing anything wrong--it's just a limitation of the software. The 60CSx doesn't have the same trail-finding ability that Topo 2008 has. So, routes that follow a trail nicely in Topo 2008 revert to straight lines when downloaded to the unit. That means laying out a route still requires that you put a waypoint at every significant change in heading.

 

Hope that helps!