POIs, Waypoints, Via-Points, Shaping Points 101

The concepts are quite simple. It's the method of distinguishing one from the other that is likely quite subtle in the code.

POI - A formal Point Of Interest. An entry in the internal POI database with a name, location and usually other information associated with it.

Waypoint - Any arbitrary point on the map that you have designated you want to keep track of. Usually stored in the "Favorites" or "My Locations" or whatever your personal navigation device calls its waypoint storage database. Your device will usually allow you to store such things as the location, any arbitrary name you want to supply and other information such as address, phone number, category(ies) and a symbol/icon to be used when displaying it.

Via Point - A point used to create a multipoint route, e.g. Go from Point A to Point B via some other arbitrary point(s) that you will designate. If your personal navigation device supports multipoint routing, the via point can be a POI, an existing waypoint/favorite or any other form of location that is searchable on your device, e.g. address, intersection/junction, custom POI, etc. In most cases, to use something as a via point it must already exist in one of the devices' searchable databases.

Shaping Point - In Mapsource, to "shape" a route to go exactly where you want there are a couple of methods. Just as with the personal navigation device, you can edit the route's properties to insert Via points (these are not shaping points although they do serve a similar purpose). You can also just use the route tool to click on spots on the map to force the shape of a route. When you do that, you are using a location that is not already in one of the searchable location databases. Mapsource does not force you to add these points to any of the formal databases. It simply inserts the actual coordinates invisibly into the route. These are shaping points.

Shaping points occur in another, automatic, fashion as well. Even when you only designate a two-point route, e.g. go from Point A to Point B, there will usually be multiple places, usually intersections, where a change in direction is required. When building the route, the personal navigation device (or Mapsource/Basecamp) will automatically include all of these points in the route.

To easily illustrate this, you can create a two-point route in Mapsource by clicking on a Point A and a Point B that will require a few turns to get from one to the other. Now export the route to a GPX file and take a look at it with Notepad or your favorite text editor. You will see that, in addition to the starting point and the ending point, there will be a bunch of other points <rtept> in the file to control all the turns.

I apologize if you already knew all that. Perhaps it will be helpful to others with inquiring minds. :)

...ken...
  • I'm using a Nuvi 2460LMT and have created several cross country routes, 100 - 400 miles in length, using waypoints and via points to force the route to use my preferred roads.

    Is there a way to reverse the route for my return trip home? So far I haven't seen any way to reverse the route other than just to create the same route in the opposite direction.

    Thanks for any help.


    Since this is the BaseCamp forum, I assume you want to achieve this with BaseCamp? Reverting (inverting) a route can be done by right-clicking the route > Advanced > Invert.

    Edit: Killtimer, you already said it, I just missed your post at first.
  • Route reversal

    Thanks everyone for the quick answers concerning reversing a predefined route with via points.
  • Reversing Direction of a Route

    Over in the left-hand column, right click on the name of the route you want to reverse, then click on ADVANCED, then INVERT ROUTE.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    Shaping Point - In Mapsource, to "shape" a route to go exactly where you want there are a couple of methods. Just as with the personal navigation device, you can edit the route's properties to insert Via points (these are not shaping points although they do serve a similar purpose). You can also just use the route tool to click on spots on the map to force the shape of a route. When you do that, you are using a location that is not already in one of the searchable location databases. Mapsource does not force you to add these points to any of the formal databases. It simply inserts the actual coordinates invisibly into the route. These are shaping points.

    Shaping points occur in another, automatic, fashion as well. Even when you only designate a two-point route, e.g. go from Point A to Point B, there will usually be multiple places, usually intersections, where a change in direction is required. When building the route, the personal navigation device (or Mapsource/Basecamp) will automatically include all of these points in the route.
    I may be missing something here and I have searched a bit for the answer to my question without finding an answer.

    If I have created a route in BaseCamp the "normal" way by dragging and dropping waypoints for start and finish of the route, I would like to add shaping points instead of additional waypoints so that my 755T does not tell me about the shaping points. My problem is that I cannot figure out how to add shaping points to the conventionally created route. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

    Thanks.
  • Way I do it is to add points as normal, then if I want any of them to be 'shaping points' I go to route properties, right click the relevant point and select 'Don't alert on arrival (shaping point)'.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    Way I do it is to add points as normal, then if I want any of them to be 'shaping points' I go to route properties, right click the relevant point and select 'Don't alert on arrival (shaping point)'.
    Thanks very much.
  • Adding Shaping Points in BaseCamp

    For those who are confused.

    It is very similar to the way you do it in MapSource. I have already blogged this on another forum but it is worth repeating.

    Create you basic route using File, New, Route and put in a start and end point. Alternatively click around a route using the Route Tool.

    Now get your route highlighted. You can do this by double clicking it in a List, or clicking somewhere on the route line on the map.

    Then select the "Insert" Tool from the Tool Bar (hover the mouse over each icon until you see the one named "Insert".

    With the Insert Tool active, as you move the mouse near the route a thick black line will appear between two points on the route. Now you can click on the route and a thin black line appears between the same two points. This is the same as the rubber band effect in MapSource.

    Drag the thin line to some new location and the route diverts via this "shaping point". You can keep clicking on additional points to get the route exactly where you want it to go. You can even zoom in and out as you do this (using the + and - keys on the keyboard and the arrow keys to move the map around) to get to the exact exit point from a roundabout, or a motorway exit, etc.

    When you press ESC, you can then move to another part of the route and add more shaping points until the route is exactly as you want it.

    You can Invert a route in MapSource and BaseCamp but for some reason you cannot Invert a route on the Zumo 550. If you think you might need to reverse a route, then create a copy of this original route in MapSource or BaseCamp and invert the copy. Then you can download both routes to your Zumo.

    I hope this helps.

    Roy
  • Shaping points on Montana 600

    Hi,

    I tried using shaping points in BaseCamp (won't alert, grayed out), but when I transfer the route to my Montana, while the route is as I created it, it is full of Via Points. I'm guessing this means the Montana does not support shaping points? If so, can anyone say if it will in the next firmware release?

    Thanks.
  • Hi,

    I tried using shaping points in BaseCamp (won't alert, grayed out), but when I transfer the route to my Montana, while the route is as I created it, it is full of Via Points. I'm guessing this means the Montana does not support shaping points? If so, can anyone say if it will in the next firmware release?

    Thanks.


    I don't think the Montana supports this. I probably won't be in the next firmware release. Please contact product support and request that feature. The more people ask, the higher the chances it might get implemented.
  • A little tidbit.. in the Zumo 660, you can invert (reverse) a route by hitting edit>reverse when you call up a custom route... depending on the number of shaping-points, via-points, waypoints (WHATEVER!!) in your route it may or may not be "exactly" the same.. but is usually quite close.

    Surprised that isn't in the Z550...