GPX editor / route planner wish lists?

[Toady]

OK. You can reroute a segment of a track now. Right click on the segment you want to reroute, choose 'Reroute segment' and then move the mouse around gently and it will reroute through the point where the mouse is.

Oh, by the way, segment re-routing:  It's grrrreat!

One thing I haven't figured out is how the editor splits the original track into segments.  When I want to do some re-routing I split the track before/after the bit I want to re-route, and then have to merge the segments between my two points if there are breaks in there  - which there normally are.  While I'm doing this I have time to ponder why the editor chose the initial segment breakdown.

[Euan Uzami]

One suggestion Ben.  When in route mode and naming the waypoints, would it be possible to have the "OK" button highlighted by default, so after entering your text you can confirm and close the window by a return keystroke rather than having to navigate the cursor into the "OK" box and click.  May seem a small thing but if entering hundreds of waypoints (as I do) this would save a lot of time.

I'd have thought 99% of the time people will want to just confirm their entry.  The cancel option would obviously still be there by using the cursor.

BTW I'm really beginning to like GPX Editor - Marengo will soon be a distant memory

yep, probably.

[Euan Uzami]

OK. You can reroute a segment of a track now. Right click on the segment you want to reroute, choose 'Reroute segment' and then move the mouse around gently and it will reroute through the point where the mouse is.

Oh, by the way, segment re-routing:  It's grrrreat!

One thing I haven't figured out is how the editor splits the original track into segments.

It's where you clicked. When you left click to continue the route to a certain point, it just adds a new segment from where you last clicked, to where you've just clicked.

When I want to do some re-routing I split the track before/after the bit I want to re-route, and then have to merge the segments between my two points if there are breaks in there  - which there normally are. 

yes, that's exactly the way you should do it.

While I'm doing this I have time to ponder why the editor chose the initial segment breakdown.

You chose it, not it

If I could think of an easy way of avoiding the extra step of joining segments, then I'd do it - but I haven't yet... if you think of a way, let me know...

I have thought of one way but it's a bit stateful and thus a bit messy to implement - I could have 'reroute between x and y', the only thing is it then has to be put into the mode of being ready to select x, then go into the mode of being ready to select y. Might be worth it however.

[Toady]

I have thought of one way but it's a bit stateful and thus a bit messy to implement - I could have 'reroute between x and y', the only thing is it then has to be put into the mode of being ready to select x, then go into the mode of being ready to select y. Might be worth it however.

OK Thanks for the explanation.  Makes perfect sense now (it was obvious really now I think).  I would put an alternate solution to this down the priority list because it works fine as is - I think the extra interface complexity may be a regression.  I've managed to do quite extensive re-jigging of routes using this method. 

Straightforward re routing, along with abliity to flip into OS mode to have a peek at "proper" (=familiar to me, lots of lovely contours) maps are the best points about this editor imo.

What did you think about my suggestion for a pure terrain view? 

[Euan Uzami]

It depends on whether it's accessible to a google map as an image provider. If it is, then yes. If there's no tile server already set up then it's probably out of the question. I'll have a look.

[Euan Uzami]

have added two more options called 'define segment' and 'reroute between'.
'define segment' basically lets you choose two points on a track and then makes everything between those two points one segment.

'reroute between' basically just does 'define segment' and then reroutes the defined segment.

These features do seem a little bit temperamental but i'll be keeping my eye on it and using it quite a bit myself and if I can put my finger on exactly what it's doing wrong i'll correct it but thought it usable enough to put it out there for other people to try.

[Russell]

I have just found GPXeditor having been a confirmed BikeHike man for some years.  I was just playing with it trying to understand how it works.  Drawing a track from new I understand.  Drawing a route from new looked like 'as the crow flies' but I thought I saw a 'create route' command which converted the straight lines into a 'track' that followed the road.  I cannot see it now - did I imagine it?

R

[Somnolent]

You can change between the "as crow flies" and "follow the road" mode using the icons along the bottom.

"Create route" takes a "track" that you've recorded, downloaded, or drawn on the map, and produces a set of "routepoints" more or less at the road junctions you go through (not 100% accurate but not half bad), with straight lines in between them.  If you load that "route" (or another straight line route you've drawn) into Mapsource or your GPS you have a choice between "as crow flies" and "follow road" navigation between those "routepoints". 

[Euan Uzami]

I have just found GPXeditor having been a confirmed BikeHike man for some years.  I was just playing with it trying to understand how it works.  Drawing a track from new I understand.  Drawing a route from new looked like 'as the crow flies' but I thought I saw a 'create route' command which converted the straight lines into a 'track' that followed the road.  I cannot see it now - did I imagine it?

R

You have to right click ON the actual track to get the Create Route option.

Any examples of tracks that don't work with create route please let me know. I can't make it happen during a cursory play with it, but if you notice it producing wacky routes from a track, could you please right click on the track, 'save just this', and email me that gpx to admin@gpxeditor.co.uk.
Thanks.

[ran doner]

I'm also a confirmed BikeHike user who has looked at gpxeditor and liked what i saw 

As i primarily use an Edge 500 with no routing i create tracks in BikeHike with added "coursepoints" to aid navigation prompts and save as a tcx track.

Will the addition of coursepoints be added ? Or are they already there and i've missed em ?

[Euan Uzami]

I'm also a confirmed BikeHike user who has looked at gpxeditor and liked what i saw 

As i primarily use an Edge 500 with no routing i create tracks in BikeHike with added "coursepoints" to aid navigation prompts and save as a tcx track.

Will the addition of coursepoints be added ? Or are they already there and i've missed em ?

I'm not sure I know exactly what 'coursepoints' are (I'm guessing they are tcx-equivalent of 'routepoints'), but if you send me an example gpx /tcx with them in to admin@gpxeditor.co.uk, then I'll put this on the to-do list, can't promise when it'll happen though.
You can create a route - with routepoints, which can have name and comment - but whether that's the same thing as what you're describing I don't know.

I am thinking of providing a separate page with a set of 'down 'n' dirty' utilities, just a set of buttons to do simple jobs, like convert from one format to another, reduce points to 500, etc etc. So that might cover it.

[ran doner]

I'll do a couple of short tracks tomorrow and email them in.

You basically create a track as per gpxeditor then there is an option to add a coursepoint(s) along the route. There is an option to do this automatically.

The coursepoint types are:

Left Turn
Bear Left
Right Turn
Bear Right
Straight
Generic
Danger

The coursepoint name will be the same as the type except for Generic and Danger which are input by the user each time you add one.

When you save the tcx track you have the option of offsetting the coursepoints by a user defined number of metres/feet earlier in the track.
So if you added a left turn on an actual left turn in a road when you save it with a 50m offset the coursepoint is shifted 50m before that in the downloaded track. If you reopen the track you can see the coursepoints in their "new" position. Generic and Danger coursepoints are static and don't move.

The beauty of all this is that in the Edge 500 (and I presume 510 and 200), when you "Do" a course the next of our coursepoints is shown with an icon based on the coursepoint type and the distance along the track to it. i.e. it is the next waypoint in routing speak. When you reach the coursepoint the Edge beeps and displays the coursepoint name. So you are warned that you need to turn or are at an info etc...


I did a quick google and there are links to the TCX schemas here. A quick search in there and I found a more extensive list of coursepoint types.

While we are on wishlists  there one was other thing I like in bikeike that I also think is in maymyride (or maybe ridewitgps) which is the ability to left-click and drag/select over a section of the elevation chart to zoom in to that section for a more detailed view of the profile. And also allow it to switch the display between elevation and gradient.

Hope all that makes sense.

[Euan Uzami]

While we are on wishlists  there one was other thing I like in bikeike that I also think is in maymyride (or maybe ridewitgps) which is the ability to left-click and drag/select over a section of the elevation chart to zoom in to that section for a more detailed view of the profile. And also allow it to switch the display between elevation and gradient.

Hope all that makes sense.

Hmm, yes, interesting, you might be able to do that I think.
You could do it by defining a segment on the actual track on the map, rather than on the elevation chart, now:
- Right click on the track, choose 'Define segment'
- Choose the start and end points (of where you think a hill might be, for instance)
 (you've now defined a segment, it should flash as one contigious segment)
- Right click on that segment, and choose 'Show Elevation' -> 'for selected segment'

I know with long rides the elevation chart looks a bit like an ECG screen squashed up, so yes it would be nice to zoom into it on there.

[ran doner]

Ben

I've just emailed you 2 tcx tracks. 1 with coursepoints and 1 without.

The coursepoints are tagged on at the bottom of the xml file.

Code: [Select]

-<CoursePoint>
  <Name>Straight</Name>
  <Time>2013-06-06T11:00:49Z</Time>
  -<Position>
    <LatitudeDegrees>51.112150</LatitudeDegrees>
    <LongitudeDegrees>-1.577890</LongitudeDegrees>
  </Position>
  <AltitudeMeters>0</AltitudeMeters>
  <PointType>Straight</PointType>
  <Notes/>
</CoursePoint>


Cheers

[Toady]

I know with long rides the elevation chart looks a bit like an ECG screen squashed up, so yes it would be nice to zoom into it on there.

The comparison with an ECG isn't entirely inapt.  You will have heart failure just ... here.

[bikey-mikey]

Just found this Ben. Well done. I'll look later.

[Phil W]

If you want gpx to tcx you just need to do a xsl transformation. A sample xsl can be found at https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?13452-Data-Converter-Plugin-Development

[Phil W]

Used your editor today, overall looks good.

Be good if I could change the default sequence of waypoints if I introduce an extra waypoint when min distance not satisfied in original route / track.

If I generate a walking, biking, driving track then all three tracks are the same colour and not easy to see which is which. Colour coding tracks if more than one would be a great addition. Adding an icon to the track boxes top right so I know which routing algo was used would also be good.

Cheers

Phil

[Toady]

Problem with trying to associate an icon showing the algorithm is that you may use different algorithms for different segments in the same track, eg switching to crow flies and back again

[Euan Uzami]

Problem with trying to associate an icon showing the algorithm is that you may use different algorithms for different segments in the same track, eg switching to crow flies and back again

not sure what you mean, can you describe the steps you're taking?

[Toady]

Problem with trying to associate an icon showing the algorithm is that you may use different algorithms for different segments in the same track, eg switching to crow flies and back again

not sure what you mean, can you describe the steps you're taking?

I start a new track and click the bike icon to use the bike algorithm.  Make a few segments.  Get a nice route along some lanes.  Come to a river.  I actually propose to wade across this river holding my bike above my head (let's say ).  Now, the nearest bridge is a mile away, so I can't use any of the routing options as these will force me to go via the bridge, and I want to try out my new rubber cycling waders from Wiggle, so I click on the crow flies algorithm and put my next route point on the other side of the river.  I get a straight line across the river.  Now I revert to bike algorithm and create some more segments and finish my track.

(More sensible scenarios may involve me sneaking down a ginnel that's not marked on the map)

Thus the track I have created contains a mix of algorithms:  bike for most of the way, and crow flies to cross the river.  Therefore it doesn't make sense in this instance to associate a single algorithm icon with the track, as suggested above.


I've just realised that I should have quoted "Adding an icon to the track boxes top right so I know which routing algo was used would also be good."  from Phil W's post, to give my post above a bit more context.  I was responding to that.

[Ningishzidda]

You finish one track on one side of the river and start the next track on the other side of the river.
It'll be up to you to get the riverbanks correct.

In the olde days, Garmin didn't have maps which featured a footbridge over the A452. From the final control back to HQ was split into two routes.
The same scenario is where the route takes a gap in the hedge.

[Toady]

You finish one track on one side of the river and start the next track on the other side of the river.
It'll be up to you to get the riverbanks correct.

In the olde days, Garmin didn't have maps which featured a footbridge over the A452. From the final control back to HQ was split into two routes.
The same scenario is where the route takes a gap in the hedge.

I don't want to have two tracks, and I don't need two tracks.  I just temporarily switch to crow flies routing in gpxeditor for the river crossing (or sneaking through the hedge or down a ginnel) and it works fine and dandy.  (I'm using a track not a route btw).

The only point I'm making is that during the route I have utilised two different routing algorithms.  And therefore it is not possible to associate a single algorithm icon with a track  because a track may have utilised many algorithms.

[Somnolent]

it is not possible to associate a single algorithm icon with a track  because a track may have utilised many algorithms

quite so.
however the ability to colour code tracks at will (as suggested by Phil W) could be rather useful.
In planning a DIY for example one might do a track in "walking" mode to check the distance, then have another version (which actually planning to ride) using car mode to ensure not routed down any muddy farm tracks.  Both might have some small portion of "direct routing" to deal with any special areas, but some means of distinguishing the two tracks might be a "nice to have" 

[Toady]

Oh, yes please to pretty coloured tracks, on the nice to have list!