Creating Routes - how is best?

[+Aggrajag]

Hi all,

 

Short version:

 

I have a routing query that I cannot find an answer for because it's a bit vague; what's the best way of creating a route ready to upload for a day out?

 

Long version:

 

Here's my setup and what I currently do:

 

I have a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx which I am very happy with and as a bonus I can upload waypoints, caches and routes pretty easily. I have also installed a memory card and uploaded the complete Routable Ordnance Survey maps for the UK.

 

On my PC I have installed MapPoint and EasyGPS. MapPoint also has full Routable UK O/S Maps installed.

 

I am a premium Groundspeak member and I have created a Pocket Query for my local area, plus a couple of areas I'm interested in. I've downloaded all 6 GPX files (3 x Geocaches + 3 x waypoints) and I've merged them with EasyGPS and imported them into MapPoint.

 

However now I'm presented with a absolute maze of caches, of which the numbers bear no relation to the GC code or the GC name.

 

I can change individual or multiple waypoints to display either name, name+code or name+comment - none of which are that useful, the best being name+comment as that gives me the traditional name but blots half the screen out, including covering up other GCs.

 

When I try to manually add a GC waypoint to a route it only shows me the waypoint number (001-999) so I struggle to find the one I fancy doing next. This is making the process very tedious.

 

I've searched the web for a guide, I've read 5 or so and skipped another 20 that weren't right, but haven't found one that focuses on this part of geocaching. Of course I've also searched these forums; I'm sure it's there but it's eluding me.

 

Can anyone recommend a good guide or good practice for creating routes?

 

Thanks in advance.

[+StarBrand]

Just to be clear....

 

Are you trying to create a route between some preselected caches you have already downloaded??

 

or

 

Are you trying to create a route - along which you would like to see what caches are available and download those?

[+Aggrajag]

The first one. I've downloaded all caches & waypoints in the area and I want to choose my own route up/down/around the landscape but also need to consider that some caches need to be done in a specific order (the main reason I'd like the cache name.)

 

Thanks again.

[+StarBrand]

The first one. I've downloaded all caches & waypoints in the area and I want to choose my own route up/down/around the landscape but also need to consider that some caches need to be done in a specific order (the main reason I'd like the cache name.)

 

Thanks again.

 

Thats a tough problem (Google travelling salesman problem).

 

Some folks have had success with Microsoft Streets and Trips.

[+Markwell]

Streets and Trips will do this, but it's a little convoluted. It sounds like you can skip several of these steps, down to #5 - but here's the whole process:

 

1. Start off with all of the caches imported into Streets and Trips

Click to Enlarge

 

2. Enter a start and end point for your trip

Click to Enlarge

 

3. Have it calculate the route, making sure it's where YOU want to go.

Click to Enlarge

 

4. I then right click the Route and "Find Nearby Places" - which gives me a "How far from the Route" cloud

Click to Enlarge

 

HERE'S THE KEY POINT

5. Within that cloud I double click the caches that look interesting to me so the name shows up, and don't double click

the ones that don't interest me (too far). Then CLEAR the route. From there, add new a route, starting at the start

point, and click each highlighted caches as a point along the route. Don't worry if they're in order,

except for the starting and ending point.

Click to Enlarge

 

6. Once you have the route points added, before clicking calculate route, click "Optimize Stops". This will closely

approximate a "good enough" solution for the Traveling Salesman problem.

Click to Enlarge

 

The results are not perfect. You can see from my trial that one particular area has the route backtracking on itself,

which doesn't make sense. I would have done the steps below in point 10, 12, 13, 11, 14 and then on, but as I said,

it's a close approximation.

Click to Enlarge

 

 

So it can be done in Streets and Trips. I'm not sure it's worth planning THAT much ahead. The time it would take to plan it would probably be MORE than the time I would save if I just eyeballed it and guessed.

[+Aggrajag]

Perhaps I've overcomplicated it with my description. I'll try again.

 

I'm especially talking about walking and not driving. There's a lake with 12 GC around it, all of which exist on already my Garmin. I want to make a route that goes to about 6 of them as some are hard to get to and I also want to eliminate ones that are part of a series I haven't started or whatever other reason - but I don't know which these are because I don't know which are which because the icons in MapSource are labelled 001-999 and mean nothing to me.

 

I would like to be able to see the GC code and the GC name and then manually select the ones I want to visit myself (after researching each one on geocaching.com, or preferably having the description in MapSource) and upload this route to my Garmin.

 

No route calculation or route optimization. I just want to be able to choose *easily* which ones I visit. If you read my post again it does make sense.

 

I'm guessing MapSource just isn't up to this - if so, is there anything that is?

 

How do you do your daily routing plan?

[+Panther&Pine]

Perhaps I've overcomplicated it with my description. I'll try again.

 

I'm especially talking about walking and not driving. There's a lake with 12 GC around it, all of which exist on already my Garmin. I want to make a route that goes to about 6 of them as some are hard to get to and I also want to eliminate ones that are part of a series I haven't started or whatever other reason - but I don't know which these are because I don't know which are which because the icons in MapSource are labelled 001-999 and mean nothing to me.

 

I would like to be able to see the GC code and the GC name and then manually select the ones I want to visit myself (after researching each one on geocaching.com, or preferably having the description in MapSource) and upload this route to my Garmin.

 

No route calculation or route optimization. I just want to be able to choose *easily* which ones I visit. If you read my post again it does make sense.

 

I'm guessing MapSource just isn't up to this - if so, is there anything that is?

 

How do you do your daily routing plan?

I use GSAK to get all the points how I like and to download what I'd like into the GPS.

[+Markwell]

Well then - there's a couple of ways:

 

GSAK will do that specifically. It's an offline version of your pocket queries. There's a User Flag that you can click to select a certain set of caches and then have GSAK just load those.

 

OR

 

You can use Bookmark lists. Create a list of "Caches I want to do on June 20th". Add those caches to the bookmark list. When June 19th evening rolls around, run a pocket query off of the bookmark list. Then load the pocket query directly.

[+StarBrand]

...ok - I think if you just drop all of your area GPX files into Google Earth it will allow you to do just what you want. Then having visually selected the one's you want - do as Markwell suggested and create a bookmark list for just those.

[+Aggrajag]

Great stuff, I'll have a play at it ASAP. Thanks all.

 

BTW Markwell an extra thank you for the effort you put into your first post. I really appreciate the time involved.

[+anakerose]

I do it the manual way...takes a little longer, but I make a list on excel and use our GPS road maps to find how to get there.