GPX 1.1, 1.2 and MRA exported routes

Steve Jarrell

I have a Garmin 590 and XT. I am very comfortable with exporting the 1.1 .gpx track file (track , poi) file to my local hard drive, then uploading it directly to my Garmin's memory and creating a trip (route) from the .gpx / track file. I use a lot of shaping points, and this works well. Below I'm using the terms Trip and Route interchangeably as MRA calls them route and Garmin calls them trips. Questions:

If I do include a via point in a route in MRA I obviously have to export it as a route for the via point to be included. The MRA connector uses the 1.1 format to create the route. Do the same shaping points remain in the route file that is sent to the GPS using the connector just as they are when I export a track file and create the trip on the GPS?
Let's say I have a route with 10 shaping points and 1 via point (not including the start and finish via points) and I have recalculate turned off. The route looks like this:

Start >s1>s2>s3>s4>s5>V>s6>s7>s8>s9>s10>Finish.

If I send this to the Garmin as a route using the MRA connector and I start on the route and I decide that I don't want to go the the Via point while I'm between S1 and S2 and I select Skip, will the Garmin skip S3 or the Via point and continue on through all of the shaping points?

Is there any disadvantage in transferring routes through the connector even if the route only has shaping points and doesn't have any via points vs. exporting a 1.1 gpx file and sending it to the GPS and letting the GPS create the trip from the track?
By default on the Garmins if I have auto-recalculate turned off and I get back on the route after getting off, it will automatically sense that I'm back on the route and take me to the next shaping point. Does the GPS do the same thing if I have exported the route from MRA via the connector (this really ties in with the first question).
What is the advantage of the 1.2 gpx file vs. the 1.2 if both export both shaping points and via points?

I will try some of these scenarios tomorrow but I'd appreciate any input that you guys may have!

Thanks,

Steve

Hans van de Ven MR.MRA

@Steve-Jarrell

Hi Steve,
It doesn't matter if you save your route and then transfer it to your zumo or transfer it directly through the connector.
Both the route and Track are placed on your zumo via the connector.
Advantage, you can drive the route and make the track visible.

Difference between gpx 1.1 and gpx 1.2
In the gpx 1.2 the formation points are not visible, only the via points.
When using the gpx 1.2, turn off the recalculation. If you deviate from the route, you can drive back to the route by sight, once back on the route, the directions will follow again.

I myself only use the gpx 1.2 in my XT and in my wife's zumo 346

Steve Jarrell

@Hans-van-de-Ven-MRA-Master Thanks! After doing a lot of testing I'm also finding that the GPX 1.2 Route format is the best option for me for the following reasons:

It seems to work equally as well on both my XT and 590, whereas there are some quirks importing 1.1 tracks into the XT and converting them to trips.
The route can contain waypoints as well as shaping points, whereas the track file only has the beginning and ending waypoints and the shaping points. While I normally don't include intermediate waypoints for my own reasons, it's nice to have the option if I want to.
The 1.2 routes can be automatically imported when the Garmin starts up, whereas the track-poi only file must be imported manually. This is a minor advantage as I normally skip the auto-import and import each route individually from the Trip Planner screen.
The 1.1 GPX route export seems to have a bug in it that I reported in a separate post earlier today, so for me currently it's unusable.

Thanks very much for your input. I'm going to use the GPX 1.2 route format going forward like you're doing!

Steve

Arjan de Vries

If I am correct there is one disadvantage of the 1.2
You have to be ON the route to start it.
1.1 navigates you to the starting point.
Correct?

Hans van de Ven MR.MRA

@Arjan-de-Vries
Hello Arjan,
Only start the route after you have a complete fix (= at least 3 green lines), so only when the Zumo has found enough satellites and is ready for navigation. If you start the route earlier, you will be sent directly to the 2nd route point via a different route. You will then miss the first part of the route. For example, if you are in a garage, first drive outside and wait until you have a fix and then start the route.

Arjan de Vries

@Hans-van-de-Ven-MRA-Master And if I put the first point somewhere a street further from my house , start the route at my house (outside) and choose "go to the beginning"? Then it will go to the first pint and after that go to the second? (I am not able to test this now)

Hans van de Ven MR.MRA

@Arjan-de-Vries

Then you go to the starting point

Drabslab

@Arjan-de-Vries i have two favorites, both 100 m from my house, one is called "home start" ,the other one home end.

For each jotel along the route, my endpoint is the exact address of the hotel or the most convenient parking spot. The next days route has a beginning up to 1km from the hotel

Steve Jarrell

@Drabslab I do exactly the same way. As many others have done, I had to learn the hard way why it's a bad idea to put your starting point exactly where you are!

Steve

Jay Potter 0

This topic is interesting to me as a Novice creating GPX files using a number of free apps & now MyRouteApp. How can I tell if the resulting GPX file is in format 1.1 or 1.2?

Hans van de Ven MR.MRA

@Jay-Potter-0

Hello Jay, gpx 1.1 is a file with shaping- and viapoints
Gpx 1.2 is a file with only viapoints

Steve Jarrell

@Hans-van-de-Ven-MRA-Master said in GPX 1.1, 1.2 and MRA exported routes:

@Jay-Potter-0

Hello Jay, gpx 1.1 is a file with shaping- and viapoints
Gpx 1.2 is a file with only viapoints

Do you possibly have this backwards? I believe that 1.1 only has the beginning and ending viapoints and the rest are shaping points, whereas 1.2 can have multiple viapoints and shaping points.

Best regards,

Steve

Steve Lynch

@Steve-Jarrell

I won’t mention the 590 as I have no experience with that device.

On the XT, both GPX 1.1 and GPX1.2 can contain Via Points and Shaping Points.

The difference is that GPX 1.1 will show the Via Points and the Shaping Points visibly on the XT Map and the Via Points will announce themselves visibly on the XT Screen as you approach them.
Shaping Points never announce themselves.

GPX 1.2 will only visibly show Via Points on the XT Map and they will announce themselves visibly on the XT Screen as you approach them.
With GPX 1.2 Shaping points are hidden on the XT Map but they are still used to Shape the Route.

Hans van de Ven MR.MRA

@Steve-Jarrell

Steve
gpx 1.1 Route with shaping points (balls) and viapoints (Flags)
You can leave the recalculation on on the Zumo XT, if you deviate from the route you will be brought back to the route (to the nearest ball or flag)
gpx1.1_Zumo.jpg

gpx 1.2 Route-Track via viapoints (Flags)
You must turn off the recalculation on the Zumo XT, if you deviate from the route you will have to drive back to the route on sight. If you leave recalculation on you will be directed to the next flag according to the settings on the Zumo.