Osmand for beginners

[Tim Hall]

I'm having a go with Osmand on my Android phone, but am having trouble with the routeing thing.

I created a route using bikehike, exported it as a track, then got Osmand to work out directions based on it. I then clicked the blue arrow to get turn by turn instructions in my earphones.  This sort of worked, but roundabouts weren't described correctly (turn slightly left, then turn slightly right rather than take 2nd exit).  I did a bit of reading and decided a route would be a better thing, so got bikehike to export as a route, which seemed better, although it seemed stuffed full of waypoints, like every 50m or so.  The route description in my ear was much better, but it the routing seemed to not follow the route I'd drawn using bikehike, if that makes sense.

Spurred on by this (limited) success, I tried it on the Mid Sussex Hilly with the gpx file supplied by Martin. OK-ish at the start, then again it moved away from the line on the map.

What am I doing wrong? (several things I suspect). At a first guess, bikehike is providing a route with too many waypoints in it.  All help greatfully received.

[Ian H]

Francis regularly warns that GPX routes from Bikehike are 'broken'.

[Tim Hall]

Francis regularly warns that GPX routes from Bikehike are 'broken'.

Now that is useful, thanks.  Richard Fairhurst's site only does tracks as far as I can see, which I understand aren't the best way to go.  (Open to correction on that).  What is the website of choice for unbroken routes?

[Ian H]

I have experimented briefly with Ben T's www.gpxeditor.co.uk .  It seems that you can create waypoints, assemble them in order and then create a route or a track from them. Choosing route just draws straight lines between the waypoints on his map, so presumably would rely on your app to actually route. I haven't tried any of the files on the road yet.

[Ningishzidda]

Tyre toTravel.
Its free.

Export as Garmin Global Position eXchange file, and see how that is.

[numbnuts]

Maybe something here to help you
https://code.google.com/p/osmand/wiki/HowToLimitInternetUsage

[fuaran]

Francis regularly warns that GPX routes from Bikehike are 'broken'.

Bikehike may be more useful for routes if you turn off "follow road". Then it will only add points where you click on the map, with straight lines between them.

[Ningishzidda]

Before building a GPX route on BikeHike like Fuaran suggests, you have to have a pretty good idea of how the target device is going to handle it.
This is of course a matter of experience after many GPS creations and observing how the Garmin ( et al ) builds the route between the Waypoints.
When practiced, it’s a splendid method.

[Tim Hall]

Thanks for the replies. I tried fuaran's idea and it seemed to work OK, although I haven't actually followed the route it set yet. I got a nice blue (purple?) line going down the appropriate roads based on a few strategic waypoints.

Next step is to try with an imported route from $Audax_Organiser and see how much extra fettling is required.

[frankly frankie]

Organisers usually provide Tracks though.  (Or at least, that is what they are advised to do - so actually they probably provide Routes  )

... Choosing route just draws straight lines between the waypoints on his map, so presumably would rely on your app to actually route.

Generally, that is what you want to happen.  Although it is possible for a GPX file to contain route instructions, almost all Garmins in common use ignore them, and generate their own using the map they have on board.  (Sorry, I know Garmins are off-topic, and I don't know what OSMand does.)

Fuaran's advice is good (as usual) and once you get a feel for it, you probably only need to mark every 3rd turn or so.  Routeing can't go far wrong in 3 turns.
Or, you can mark every turn and then just use OSMand in a straight-line mode, and not throw the routeing dice at all.

[Russell]

Tim

You need to speak to young Chris, your sometime stoker, as he was deonstrating OsmAnd to me a few rides ago.

R

[billplumtree]

I thought this thread was going to be about that bloke off Pointless, the clever one who isn't Alexander Armstrong 

[Ningishzidda]

I thought this thread was going to be about that bloke off Pointless, the clever one who isn't Alexander Armstrong 

Nope. It’s about a brother – sister singing act who had a hit with “Morning side of the mountain, twilight side of the hill.” Which is where you start and end on an Audax.

[Ningishzidda]

I thought this thread was going to be about that bloke off Pointless, the clever one who isn't Alexander Armstrong 

Nope. It’s about a brother – sister singing act who had a hit with “Morning side of the mountain, twilight side of the hill.” Which is where you start and end on an Audax.

That’s about as appropriate as another brother – sister singing act who had a hit with “Calling occupants of interplanetary craft.”
But for our purposes, will be re-titled as “Calling idiots on long distant cycling bikes.”

[freeflow]

Gpx routes from mapmyride work fine with osmand.