converting Tracks to Routes

Former Member
Former Member
I a new user. I have a Dakota 20 for a couple of weeks now and am having great fun using it on the cycle trails through the woods where I live.
My issue is that some of the trails - including, most surprisingly, the local cycle track - are not on the local topo map that I have purchased from Garmin.

So no problem. I ride them,record them as tracks and they appear as such in Base Camp.

Now I want to incorporate parts of these tracks into the routes that I am planning. Unfortunately the "Auto-Routing" does not appear to consider tracks ans so does not produce routes along these recorded tracks. As I am new, I will not say if this is correct or not, but it does seem to me that if I have been along a track, I might want to go along it again and so the auto-route should pick it up

But still no problem. I divide my tracks into the segments that I need and convert them to routes (occasionally with a surprisingly large number of waypoints). I then create routes from map features for the segments that the map knows and have a series of routes which I can join as I wish. I use Auto-Routing for these Routes as I want them to follow the trails in the map - which they doi very succesfully

And now the problem begins. Joining routes is interesting. I know that the direction of the routes and the order in which they are selected is important (one of the other threads here has discussed this). What I am getting is very strange:

I have narrowed it down to an example of joining 2 routes
route A - converted from recorded track where no map feature was available
route B - selected from map features
Route A stops where route B begins (is there a way of ensuring this?).
Both routes are in the same direction

What appears to be happening is
Auto-Routing selected: Joins with the route A portion changed so that it follows trails on the map and route B portion unchanged
Direct: Joins with route B portion redcued to a series of sraight lines not following the trails

Neither is what I want

Specific Questions
Is there a way to force Auto-Routing to use tracks?
What must I do to get to routes to merge without the route changing in at least one of them?
Should I try the process of joining in tracks rather than routes? If I follow a track rather than a route will I still get directions as I cycle (beep)?

I know the workaround is to stop every so often to load the next route - which is not what I want as I cycle along.

Any suggestions - thanks for the patience.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 14 years ago
    To get to the answer first I'm afraid you've gotten the best workaround identified in your post, to switch routes as you leave the map details for the trail.

    The way that auto-routing works is that it only can follow roads and trails that are defined in the map data. There isn't a way to add to it via a track so that it can use a user created segment beyond what you've already described converting from a track to a direct route.

    One option we've talked about in BaseCamp to address road->trail mixed routes is to specify only a portion of the route as auto-routed. Its a feature we've talked about but don't have any firm plans to include it yet.

    Hope that helps.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 14 years ago
    It does indeed help - and I am impressed with the rapid reply - thanks

    You did not comment about the behaviour obeserved when joining tracks - is this as per spec? Sorry to put you on the spot.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 14 years ago
    Joining tracks will work just fine to produce a continuous series of points.

    I'm not familiar enough with the Dakota 20 to know if using a track to navigate will give you the experience you'd like on the trail.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 14 years ago
    Yes - joining tracks works just fine. I will try this out outside as soon as it stops raining. Also converting the resulting joint track to a route works, but with a very high number of waypoints

    I actually asked the wrong question last time - I meant to question the behaviour of joing routes that I observed, with the initial routes being modified. Why should this happen if the 2nd route starts when the 1st route ends; surely there should be no need to recalculate the routes? Do I need to ensure that the respective start and end waypoints are the same, and if so how do I do this?

    Basically this should be a concatonate function with no intelligent routing taking place.

    Or am I misunderstanding something?

    Thanks again
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 14 years ago
    Right now a route can only be auto or direct. If the route is direct all of the user created waypoints are joined with straight lines. If the route is auto the route has additional points added based on map data to guide you along the roads or trails (and still uses straight lines, but we don't show you every single point that's added).

    There isn't a way to "promote" these guidance points to be user created so they stick around when you do the route join.

    If I remember correctly we take the settings from the first of the routes you join so depending on if you have an auto or direct route as your first segment you either get all straight lines or you get the app to try to route on the trail.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 14 years ago
    That's very clear - thanks indeed
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 14 years ago
    same problem

    Hello,

    I'm also a Dakota 20 owner.
    I've the same problem than what was described above except that auto routing does not want to go through certain parts of roads that really exist on the map... and I have no problem with traces on the same road.
    So, when I use auto routing, I make sometimes long detours because auto routing doesn't want to go from point A to point B on a single road.
    Is there a solution to this problem ?

    I attach a screen copy.

    Thanks a lot

    (sorry for my poor English)