Continuing Routes and toolbar behavior

Let’s start with continuing a route from the end point. You need to move the pencil cursor close to the end point until a large gray circle appears on the end point. Let go of the mouse and click the left mouse button. A single rubber from the endpoint to the pencil cursor should appear. Now move the cursor to where you want to add the new point and click the left mouse button. Move the cursor to the next new point and click again. When you’re done adding points to the end, either press the esc key or click the right mouse button. If you ever lose that single rubber band, you will have to reestablish it with from the large gray circle.

It isn’t possible to start a new route with the editing tools, so I’m not sure what other things you have clicked on to cause this to happen. If the editing tools gray out, it is because you have lost focus on a waypoint (only move tool is active), track or route. You can tell this has happened, because there will be nothing highlighted in the lower left pane.

BaseCamp indicates focus by highlighting and color. When you click on a list in the upper left pane, it will highlight the list blue. Now click on an object in the lower left pane and it will turn blue. The list name in the upper left pane changes colors (tan?), but remains highlighted. The object will be highlighted in the map pane, but the map pane is not active. Look carefully at any edge of the map pane. Now click in the map pane. You should see a narrow blue border around the map. Blue will tell you the active window (map, upper left pane or lower left pane). If you’re ever not sure if the map window is active, just do a right button mouse click. If a menu pops up, press the esc button.

OK, that's a big help.

I was able to get the large grey circle before, but the left click on the mouse is the step I must have been missing.

I've since found out why the program would lose track on my route planning progress. For some reason, if I want to remove the last point I made to make an adjustment in my route, when I select "undo" from the drop-down menu at the top, the routing procees stops and I have to re-establish it using the steps you mentioned.

It would be nice to be able to select undo from the mouse while hovering over the point.

I found earlier that the same thing happens when I select the "grab" too. Too bad...It would be nice to "fly" the map or move it in larger increments rather than the current death by a thousand clicks method. :rolleyes: Maybe I haven't discovered how yet.

I'm still at it, but I have to say that Basecamp is one of the most arcane programs I've ever tackled. :p

Luckily the weather sucks right now and I have some time on my hands this long weekend. Back again into the fray.

Thanks again.

Rather than undo, you could switch to the move tool next to the pencil and move the last point to a new location. Move works by holding down the left mouse button, moving the cursor to a new location and releasing the mouse button. The point that will be moved will have a smaller gray circle over it. When the desired point gets this gray circle, it is ready to move – you won’t have to hover directly over the point. For first/last points you will see a single rubber band extending to the next/previous point. An intermediate point will have two rubber bands, one to each point ahead and behind.

Alternatively, you could try continuing your route and then make changes by moving/adding points after you have reached your destination.

You are correct that you don’t want to change tools in the middle of a task (either editing or creating). The map can also be moved using the arrow keys on your keyboard. Holding down the ctrl key when you press an arrow will move the map almost one screen length/height.

There is also the overview map. This can be toggled on an off from the view toolbar. The view toolbar is the one with a square on the left and a 3d cube next to it. The overview map toggle is the one with a small dark square inside a larger square. When it is toggled on a smaller window will appear on the map page. When you move the cursor over this window it will change to a hand. It will work the same way as the hand tool on the larger map and cause the larger map to echo the movement in the overview map window. You can also move the window by moving the cursor over the large blue bar on the top – it should change to an arrow. Hold down the left mouse button, drag to a new location and release the mouse button.

Neither of these methods will cause you to loose focus from you current task (i.e. you shouldn’t lose the rubber band(s)).

Rather than undo, you could switch to the move tool next to the pencil and move the last point to a new location. ....etc.

Hey thanks BTLAAKE, I had missed some of this too even after 6 months with BC!:)

If you want to undo with out loosing tool focus use the ctrl-z option. This works 99% of the time, sometimes BC will get confused, but mostly it works just fine.