@Steve-Jarrell Hi Steve so you have been testing using a Garmin Zumo XT3 and I have been using an XT though no longer for routing. I have no issue with using GPX 1.2 over GPX 1.1 BUT think it is essential with the XT, at least, to turn off auto recalculation, if you use GPX 1.2.
In operation GPX 1.1 in MRA works in a similar way to routes created in Basecamp on the XT. I have 5 old Garmin units a 2004 Streetpilot 2610, a 2011 BMW Nav IV (Zumo 660) and A Zumo 340 and 390, as well as a Zumo XT Purchased in 2022. And started using Garmin Mapsource, and later Basecamp route planning software. I still use Basecamp for handling tracks, and Basecamp/Garmin POI loader for dealing with POI’s and the information contained therein, as basecamp does this, and MRA either doesn’t do it at all (track joining/splitting editing) or does it in a more limited way (POI handling). MyRoute app USP for me was being able to create/edit routes on the fly while on tour without having to carry a Windows device for using Basecamp my phone or an I pad would suffice. As the navigation app has developed this has become my primary navigation tool as its less of a faff quite frankly than using a “modern” Zumo and works well with the AA screen of my Africa Twin Adventure Sport.
For old Garmin units up until the Zumo 340/90 and the 590. The routing logic of Basecamp and the units matched closely meaning that if you had set Basecamp to route “Faster Time”, and had the same settings and avoidances set on the Garmin unit, then what you planned on Basecamp was more or less WYSIWYG with what instructions the unit produced for navigation.
I retired in 2022 and my wife bought me a Zumo XT as an “upgrade” from my beloved Zumo 340 and 390. (I still use these on my 2002 R1150GS). The Zumo XT has a lovely screen but the attendant online software “Explore” is poor and the routing logic drove me nuts until I sussed what was going on. The XT has a number of issues that still might not be fully resolved with the XT2 or XT3?
Routing logic…..Faster time now means faster roads. So, routes that would have been followed if transferred from basecamp to a Zumo 390 aren’t. Yellow track, magenta route.
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In this case it can be fixed by placing a shaping point on the B128. If using Basecamp or MRA for that matter many more shaping points are required to pin the route to the desired roads compared to the older units. I find this particularly irksome as Ireland is cris crossed by loads of minor roads that are my preferred routes.
The problem above makes the Zumo XT pretty useless as an A-B navigation device as it will go out of its way several miles and lots of time to get onto main roads (and traffic) to take you to your destination rather than take a more sensible route that MyRoute app, Google maps or waze would take you on. I live on the outskirts of Belfast and did a comparison of routes of all five of my Garmin devices and Google maps to route from Florence Court House about 100 miles away from where I live to home and only the Zumo XT routed me through Enniskillen and Central Belfast. Even the Streetpilot 2610 produced a better route.
The Zumo XT (intermittently) produces repeated U turns in imported routes if you skip a Via point (Flagged waypoint). To ensure that this does not happen you have to make each route you import “Saved” to fix the issue. This can be achieved by saving current route in the unit editing the hex file for the route or using third party software that does it for you.
If you are doing a long out and back route with different but close together roads make sure that you have at least a Waypoint at the farthest end of the route. This will stop the unit shortcutting the route if you have to recalculate. In the old units they tried to get you to the next shaping point in the direction of travel...if another shaping point is closer to the XT it will just cut off a big lump of the route if you recalculate. For example, in this route if you recalculated just before where the 1 is on the map it would cut off the rest of the route and take you to Hillsborough if it was all shaping points and no way points which have to be gone through.
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Anyhow enough of the history how did the XT get on with GPX 1.2. I have tried this previously and it had for me one big advantage, I could be lazy with my route planning and the XT would still follow the desired path. It also had a disadvantage that I had to set my recalculation as off or as prompted as any deviation from the route would mean that the points that shaped the route would be missed and it would take me to the next flagged waypoint or the end if the route was composed of shaping points.
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I use this route a lot for testing it zig zags down lots of minor roads and across some more major ones hence the number of (shaping) waypoints. I think I may have used the route to test the expand function.
This is what it looked like as a GPX 1.2 on a Zumo XT. Track in yellow underneath.
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And what it would have looked like as a GPX1.1 with all the shaping points.
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Oddly the GPX 1.1 format is showing a shorter Journey time.
I used the GPX 1.2 format. The only avoidance was unpaved roads.
Setting up on the road. As you can see both are saying 84 miles and I’m about 2 miles from the start of the route.
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Passing the start point.
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After I missed the first turn off on the route.
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As you can see the route running on the AA screen is showing 82 miles and a left turn further up the road. The XT wants me to U turn and has recalculated the route at 205miles!! If I had loaded GPX1.1 I expect it would have behaved similarly to the routing app re-directing to the nearest shaping point.
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Inspecting the route at this point it had re-routed through the centre of Belfast and out west on the motorway then returning via the motorway through Saintfield and Downpatrick to the coffee stop at Ardglass then the rest of the GPX 1.2 route would nave been navigated as normal as long as you didn’t go off route and recalculate presumably.
I U turned as requested by the XT. Instead of following its directions I rejoined the Yellow Track line and the GPX 1.2 route on the XT then went down to 69 miles heading for the Flagged waypoint on the main roads while MRA rejoined the route and showed 79 miles. I thought I’d captured this but hadn’t
Anyhow I went off route again on a minor road as you might if it were blocked. Again 205 miles vs 74 with the reroute.
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I U-Turned back toward the yellow track.
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The correct route taken by MRA was the left turn. The GPX 1.2 file wanted to take me on a flight of fancy. Something I’ve always encountered with the Zumo XT and GPX 1.2. When I turned left the Zumo XT wanted to take me straight to the first waypoint via the fastest roads.
The conclusion for me is that a properly designed route downloaded as GPX 1.1 means that if you have to use auto recalculate you will get back to the planned route more easily than with GPX1.2. This was a bit of fun for me on roads I know. I wouldn’t have been so happy If I was on rural French or Spanish roads and had allowed the Zumo XT to recalculate with 5 or six riders relying on my navigation.
The other advantage of a carefully designed GPX1.1 route is of course that it is more easily shared with folks with a mix of navigation devices without the potential to create mayhem
It was interesting to revisit GPX 1.2
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