Feature Request: Roadbook

Former Member over 14 years ago

For years many of us have asked the MapSource group to allow the user to edit the Route Directions in order to create our own digital (roll-chart) Roadbook.

We didn't get it. So, I'd like to ask the BaseCamp team, allow the user to create a Direct Route and then, using the Route properties Directions window, edit the Directions Symbol's and Text entry at each Via Point so that we in essence create our own Roadbook. The symbols could be the standard turn symbols used in auto-routing to make it easy (as a start;) ).

An interesting aspect of the digital Roadbook is that you could make the route invisible on the map so that only the navigation (roadbook) instructions would be of value:D

This could be applied to Tracks as well. Waypoints could be used along a track in the same way as Navigation directions are used for routes but they would show in the Nav Directions display: Symbol/Directions/Dist. to next/Total Dist. The routing symbols would need to be available for these "special" waypoints.

The Roadbook (roll-chart) is very useful when maps are lacking. It's also a heck of a lot of fun to navigate this way versus following a line on the map.

Let me know when you want a beta tester:D My Montana will arrive tomorrow.

Cheers,

0 steverodrigues over 14 years ago

Clarifying question (as a user, not an app developer, I have no influence):

Isn't this really more of a device-level issue? How is your suggestion different from:

a) Creating a direct route between waypoints but using turn arrows as the waypoint symbols (which I note aren't part of the basic symbol set); and

b) Putting turn directions in the 'comments' field of the waypoint and having those displayed as you approach the waypoint?

So we'd need to add directional arrows to the base waypoint symbol set and support displaying comments as we approach a waypoint. Both of these really matter more on the device rather than on BaseCamp which after all is just planning software.

It's not at all clear that supporting this in BaseCamp makes any sense at all without device-level support.

(Oh, and to clarify: I think this would be a really nice feature to have. I just think it's more of a device-level issue than a BaseCamp issue.)

0 Former Member over 14 years ago

STEVERODREGUES,

My focus here is BaseCamp. The reason I bring these type of requests to BaseCamp is because that team is open to dialog with [us] customers. If they think it has merit they can open the discussion with the appropriate device software group. If there were Garmin GPS On Trail (On Road???) brands represented on this Forum, I would be making the same suggestion to them.

To answer your points. There isn't that much that needs to be done but some changes would be needed on the device(s).

As you point out, the directional symbols would need to be added to the Standard Garmin Symbol set - most of the newer devices certainly have enough onboard memory for this.

And, so that we could use the Navigation Directions features of the devices which is most like a Roadbook view, we would need the devices to use the symbol's and Direction information edited in BaseCamp: i.e, the Waypoint Name field created in BaseCamp.

This is not like an on-screen announcement popup of an up coming Waypoint. You can only see them when you are within a Garmin defined 50ft. distance and those only stay on the screen until you pass them. What I'm requesting is a real Roadbook format. Where you can see the Symbol, next objective distance, total distance and objective directions in one window.

The CompeGPS Land software does this now. The TwoNav GPS software just uses the Direction's info in the Nav Directions display. They even let you draw your own symbols if you want. The real difference is that TwoNav does this with Tracks and Waypoints.

Garmin could do this on the On Trail mapping handheld's since most of the newer units support navigation of Tracks. For those units that don't support tracks [well], the above suggestion would work - in both cases Garmin could use the Nav Directions screen widget's.

Cheers,