AutoRoute to Garmin track

[nashd]

Is it possible to export a route created in AutoRoute 2010 to a GPX file which can be imported into a Garmin GPS as a track I can follow? 

I tried the ‘Export to GPX’ option in AutoRoute but it only seems to export the ‘push-pins’ and the start/stop points as waypoints.  I’d like to export the complete trail so that I can follow it as a Garmin track and not a Garmin route.

I did wonder about doing a conversion of the AutoRoute (.axe) file, and saw mention of a utility called st2gpx on the gpsbabel website, but couldn’t see a download link, plus I’m not even sure if that will do what I want.

[nashd]

I managed to find st2gpx (dated 2004) but it tripped up on the AutoRoute 2010 file.  It seemed to cope with the one PushPin I’d placed on the route, but the start/stop points were a few thousand kilometres off. 

I’m not even sure a .axe file contains trail information – it might just have routepoints, and perhaps AutoRoute re-calculates the track each time the file is opened.

[frankly frankie]

Youre right in that supposition - that's why if you send someone else an .axe file it's no guarantee that they'll see what you see.

This is one possibility:
1.  Save axe file.
2. Convert it to a Garmin Route gdb file using GPSBabel with appropriate options (may only support older versions of .axe).
2a. Convert it to .gdb (Mapsource) or .gpx format using ITN Converter
2b. Use GBSBabel to convert Waypoints to a Route, save as gdb
3. Open the .gdb in Mapsource, recalculate the route with autorouting turned on, save the file.
4. Convert autorouted route to a Track using WinGDB3.

[nashd]

Thanks for that, Frankie.  I used gpsbabel with the ‘msroute’ input file option to convert the .axe file to a gpx one, but it only contained the start/stop routepoints.  I don’t have Mapsource, so can’t test the final part of your suggestion.  However, I was hoping to be able to use the track I’d tweaked and finalised in AutoRoute without having to re-do parts of it in another application.

As a matter of interest, which track-plotting software works well?  I’ve used some of the free Google-based ones (Marengo for planning ‘direct’ routes, and Bikely for road-following tracks).  Bikely would be fine, but it’s extremely slow, and if it takes a wrong turn then deleting all the track points is a job and a half!

[frankly frankie]

(Have modified the procedure I outlined above, not that it will help much)

Yes I find Bikely pretty slow. 
I've been avoiding Bikehike because its just so bandwidth/graphics card intensive, and I'm usually on an old computer - but had a play with it yesterday on a faster machine and its does do some good tricks - Google Maps, OSM and OS all at your fingertips - and like Bikely you can mix auto- and direct routing to get across river footbridges etc.

But personally I find plain old Google Maps best of all - its so quick'n'easy to drag the route around, very like Autoroute in some ways.  You then have to use GMaptoGPX which gives options to download as either Route or Track, the 'Full Track' option works very well.  Easy to share the track too, as a URL.
A Google Maps Workflow

[nashd]

That’s great, Frankie.  Because Marengo is a wrapper around Google Maps I’d never thought to try Google Maps on its own.  We’re spoilt for choice!

[sbseven]

(Have modified the procedure I outlined above, not that it will help much)

Yes I find Bikely pretty slow. 
I've been avoiding Bikehike because its just so bandwidth/graphics card intensive, and I'm usually on an old computer - but had a play with it yesterday on a faster machine and its does do some good tricks - Google Maps, OSM and OS all at your fingertips - and like Bikely you can mix auto- and direct routing to get across river footbridges etc.

But personally I find plain old Google Maps best of all - its so quick'n'easy to drag the route around, very like Autoroute in some ways.  You then have to use GMaptoGPX which gives options to download as either Route or Track, the 'Full Track' option works very well.  Easy to share the track too, as a URL.
A Google Maps Workflow

Just a point to add about your Google Maps workflow, FF. (http://www.aukadia.net/gps/lwg_72.htm). You mention about GMAPtoGPX being a bit flaky for complex routes...

A possible solution:
If you create the map under MyMaps you then get access to the KML file via the "View in Google Earth" link. (You don't need GE installed). Convert this to a GPX using GPSVisualizer (or equivalent)...

You can run GMAPtoGPX on that same MyMaps map and it offers you the KML file for download as well.

Shaun