How to get turn by turn direction from imported .tcx / .gpx files

Former Member over 7 years ago

Hey,

I ride wtih groups that post the routes to ridewithgps.com
I am able to export the files into .tcx or .gpx files
I can import this route into garmin basecamp -> fenix 5 watch.
When I navigate this route, the watch will tell me when I am off course, but does not direct turns/waypoints the way it does if I generate a route in Garmin Connect.
What is the right way to do this so I can get turn by turn cues on the watch?

Thanks

Anthony

0 mcbadger over 7 years ago

You can convert the TCX file to a fit file using third party tools, then drop it into the newfiles folder on the watch.

One option is my program which I wrote to solve exactly this problem, see my blog post here, and works well with ridewithgps files.
Another option isjavawa rtw
Both are free

It's a pity that Garmin have stopped supporting TCX courses on recent watches, it would save a lot of hassle converting third-party courses.

0 WillNorthYork over 7 years ago

I think you can also use the new Course Import functionality in Garmin Connect to import a GCX/TCX file; if you send it to your watch using GC, it will have turn-by-turn directions. I tried this recently with a course I had exported from Strava as GPX (with no course points/turn by turn info). I sent it to my 935 (using GC), copied the resulting FIT file from my watch back to my computer, and verified that it had turn-by-turn directions.

(Note that the turn-by-turn directions only appear on the copy of the FIT file that gets sent to your watch; if you export as FIT from GC, it won't have TbT. I've also seen discussions where files sent to certain types of devices won't have TbT either.)

0 mcalista over 7 years ago

Yes, recent changes to Garmin Connect do (finally!!!) allow .gpx imports into the Course functionality. Just send the resulting Course to your watch through GC (no need to copy to the newfiles folder), and you should get TbT directions. I did this with a 200 km gpx route from ridewithgps.com over the weekend, and it worked fine.

Just one thing - be careful with TbT directions at roundabouts, as they can sometimes indicate a turn when the course proceeds straight through.

0 mcbadger over 7 years ago

Very true, which is one reason I'm still using RWGPS a lot of the time - I like being able to check and adjust the TBT messages that will be sent to the watch, which Connect doesn't allow.

(Note that the turn-by-turn directions only appear on the copy of the FIT file that gets sent to your watch; if you export as FIT from GC, it won't have TbT. I've also seen discussions where files sent to certain types of devices won't have TbT either.)

True. I think it only generates them if it is making a file which is to be sent straight to a device that is in its list of devices which can handle TBT, which may or may not be complete. It didn't work for the F3 for a long time, even though that handled coursepoints perfectly well.