BaseCamp Wishlist

You can sort by date if you use the "Swap map and data views" option (on the view menu), then choose one of the filters for waypoints/tracks. Then you can click on the "date created" or "date modified" column to sort by that.

Well, not completely true because "roundtrip transfers" from and back to the GPS are somehow stripping all the date info (and the altitude data) from my tracks.... After restoring the data for the third time, all of the waypoints were somehow stripped, again. ~ AARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

Currently I assign a separate Icon to things that I add when I am away with my GPS, then when I get it connected back to Basecamp, they are at least easy to find and I copy them to a scratch directory, get the Icons correct and the naming convention right, then I can copy them across to the correct folders in Basecamp and back to the GPS.

That would work if I was willing to use the keypad to edit, but it's too frustrating to use with gloves on. Especially without an insert/overwrite toggle. (Because of this, I must assign "meaningful" icons in the field.)

One other "far from perfect" option (because there is no sync) is:
If you have a unit that takes a microSD, you can move all the existing data to the chip, so that there is nothing on the internal memory except new recorded data. The big caveat with this is archiving and restoring tracks. If either you (or the unit on "auto-archive") archives a track and then you restore it: It always ends up (as a "favorite") back on the internal memory. If the firmware was coded properly, this would not be an issue. The other problem (for some) is new features (like Adventures) don't work properly unless the data kept on the internal memory. Also, if you create routes on the unit and then relocate waypoints (used by the routes) to the external chip, there may be a few issues too.....
LONGSTANDING UNIT FIRMWARE ISSUES (5.40):
1.) No insert/overwrite (onscreen keypad). 2.) No display of track color on track lists. 3.) No way to sort/filter tracks. 4.) Improper handling of data on external chip are my gripes with the Montana650. 5.) No "Archive All" and "Hide All" option for organizing tracks. (Each one must be processed individually.) ~ After 3 years and a 5.40 firmware revision, one would think these things would have been addressed/resolved.....

I'd also like to see the "directional indicators" (the mini arrow) displayed with each item on all lists, even when not moving. Currently, this directional indicators only appears with waypoints (in the lists), when moving at speed in a vehicle. They won't show while walking / standing still. (Apparently, they haven't been coded to work with data from the built-in compass.) ~ While trying to select the correct waypoint, this would be incredibly helpful when using GPS in the woods!
[/INDENT]
BASECAMP WISHLIST:
1.) Basecamp should differentiate between, and allow archived data to remain archived when transferred to and from the unit. 2.) Basecamp needs a "One-Click multi-directional SYNC" with the GPS unit.) 3.) Regardless of which tool is chosen in Basecamp (with the exception of drawing), "Click & Drag" should move the map. (like Google Earth) 4.) In Basecamp, you should be able to display multiple maps simultaneously. (like on the GPS units.)

~The list isn't too long, and I can live with the (now infrequent) unexpected shutdowns on the GPS unit... Even so, running into the same UI issues on a regular basis "gets old."

Garmin makes some great products, but unfortunately their firmware and software seems to be "too far" behind the hardware. Back when Garmin first brought GPS units to the market, their firmware (on the units themselves due to their superior UI) was considered to be way ahead of their competitors. I wonder how "things stand" today?

re: Sync (there is none) and the problem with data management....

Got to thinking about the "SYNC PROBLEM", and IMO it lies with the design of the data itself.....

What Garmin could have (should have?) done is assigned a HIDDEN (by default) UNIQUE, non editable, non changeable MASTER data field to all data created regardless of the source (created on unit, on basecamp, or imported.) And only if a waypoint/track/route etc. was "duplicated" would a completely new "UNIQUE" waypoint be created. If such schema had been used, sync would be simple to implement. There would be no duplicates (unless you wanted them) and all the naming/renaming of data would propagate to and from the unit during the sync process.

PS: The UNIQUE field should be something like: YYYYMMDDHHMMSS-unitID (Where unitID was either the SN of the unit, or a GUID/unique number assigned to every active database in Basecamp created on any computer). This methodology would provide support for multiple devices, multiple databases, and insure imported data (from anywhere) would never overwrite existing data. ~ Implementation of sync would be simple, and you'd never ever loose the "Start Date" either.....

Why no ORANGE selection in list for color coding tracks?

Here's a simple one: I've always wondered why you could not select the color ORANGE when assigning colors to tracks? ~ Orange is missing from the list.

WOW: This post marks the first time I've ever been able to read the first Captcha presented, & get it right!

The GPX format works with named colors; 17 different ones are available: Black, DarkRed, DarkGreen, DarkYellow, DarkBlue, DarkMagenta, DarkCyan, LightGray, DarkGray, Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Magenta, Cyan, White and Transparent.
Adding more colors to BaseCamp wouldn't be that difficult, but it breaks compatibility with (older) devices.

I don't see the problem with the captcha's? I didn't encounter one that I couldn't read yet (and the spammers don't have trouble with it either...)

The GPX format works with named colors; 17 different ones are available: Black, DarkRed, DarkGreen, DarkYellow, DarkBlue, DarkMagenta, DarkCyan, LightGray, DarkGray, Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Magenta, Cyan, White and Transparent.
Adding more colors to BaseCamp wouldn't be that difficult, but it breaks compatibility with (older) devices.

I don't see the problem with the captcha's? I didn't encounter one that I couldn't read yet (and the spammers don't have trouble with it either...)

Orange would be a good color for tracks, particularly over BirdsEye imagery. Besides, it's not like there aren't a lot of preexisting "compatibility issues" already..... :rolleyes:
Also, I sincerely hope someone at Garmin took a look at post #43!

As for the Captcha's: You must be getting the "easy ones!" :)

Another Basecamp 4.2.4 BUG.....

This BUG affects all preexisting tracks, both on the GPS unit, and in the CLOUD:
If you ADD/EDIT notes on TRACKS saved in Basecamp, and then drag the data back to the cloud, or to the gps (to overwrite it, where the same named data already exists): The new/updated notes are not transferred.

This most likely also affects waypoints and other "data types" too.

Oddly enough, if you change a track's color and then transfer it, you get a second instance of the track stored on the device, and the cloud.....
(Why would/should a track color change result in this behavior, but not a notes edit? ~ Different "behaviors" as a result of different property changes like this is not a good thing.)

Apparently, the only "safe" way to edit data is to perform the edits on the GPS unit, before "capturing" the data for "off unit storage." This is a bit disconcerting IMHO.....

Notes Fields Suggestion!

Given all the problems with data transfers etc....
It would be an "intelligent decision" to append the original filename (of all objects) into the notes field whenever an object is duplicated! ~ While this won't fix the problems, it would certainly help circumvent some of them while providing a sort of "audit trail."

Also, as to why the notes field header displays on waypoints but not tracks (when map and data views are swapped) is beyond me! (Headers are missing for this field when filtering on tracks.)

Allow choice of Headers in Directions

When printing (viewing instructions) of a custom route there is no option (ala Mapsource) to CHOOSE HEADERS DISPLAYED...

I had to cut/paste the instructions into EXCEL and through a"simple" 19 step process get the directions to be (somewhat) the way I'd like them to display! :p

Phil