Invert Route question

I notice in Basecamp if I create a custom shape pts route that I prefer (23 miles). And if I duplicate it (or copy it to a new List which ever). And then Invert the route, it ignores the previous route and recalculates. Now I can understand from a programming view point why the calculation is doing this since switching direction of travel with same location of shaping pts can cause different route turn selections.

But it seems if a person wants to invert a route that they'd want to take the same route home. So on that premise why doesn't the Invert option disregard re-calculating the route it's inverting? Just seems like there should be a way to do this without creating two custom routes in basecamp, one to go and another the same way back home.

The same premise applies if you're doing it on a Garmin Device, if you switch the destination pts (in the trip planner) to go back home the device also re-calculates the route and only if you're lucky will you go home the same way you came. Seems so dysfunctional.

0 SUSSAMB over 3 years ago

May seem that way to you but that's not how it works. It won't ignore any shaping or via points but even that can lead to issues. It's a computer that works with what you've input.

0 BTLAAKE over 3 years ago

If the route used the Direct profile, the list of points could be reversed. Other profiles include the path between the supplied points. Simply reversing the list of points could have you traveling the wrong way down a one-way street or the wrong side of a divided highway. A recalculation cannot be avoided.

Once a recalculation is required changes in the route shouldn't be too much of surprise. The algorithms that search for the optimal path do a very good job, but they are not perfect. They cannot examine every possible path from point A to point B, they must use some logic to eliminate paths as quickly as is reasonable, otherwise the calculation would take far to long.

0 RW_G over 3 years ago in reply to BTLAAKE

Thanks for the reply. Well yes that's what I figured, just wondered why there couldn't be some sort way in the Garmin code to record the exact route one way and apply that to the invert. Instead of recalculating the route again as you explained. Possibly something of a different algorithm similar to matching the original Route directions in reverse. Anyhow just wondered, guess I have to either two separate routes go and return or just live with the device calculation.