Course Navigation breaking bug

The problem is that when you add a course point to a section where the course leads in both directions, you can't really tell Garmin Connect on which direction to add the point. This has been a problem for years. Some workarounds were discussed here for example, but I don't know if they are still valid: https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-6-series/262126/set-course-point-for-both-out-and-back

Thanks. After a while I eventually figured out that this was the problem. Still I am surprised that the "up ahead" screen doesn't work if you revert the course. I wonder if anyone at Garmin actually ever tried to create a course in Garmin Connect and to navigate it in a real life situation...

It’s because custom and turns course points “list(up ahead)” are created in the file and are fixed and not every time on the devices.

My guess is that the device uses and compares current position to the table (the list) in order to show it and calculate remaining distance.

Imagine you are in a group ride and someone gets  behind just after a given course point  and you turn back to help and pass the course point again and maybe again and again switching directions. The device would get crazy recalculating it. Not enough processings power to the desired energy consumption among other questions.

if you open a fit or a tcx you can clearly see that list at the end of the file and it’s fixed. 
the watch would have to create such list again.

Thanks for replying. Since a course can be navigated in only 2 direction, why not save in the file 2 waypoint lists, in the 2 directions? Before buying a Garmin I had an old Suunto: create courses, adding waypoints and showing all kind of navigation related stats on the watch was never a problem and I don't remember having any troubles over the years...

You will double all your courses …

I use it a lot mainly where there are nothing on any map and I can tell you that most of time custom waypoints on the way back are different.

i.g. Let’s say you are heading a “T” on your way out. I usually don’t create a custom waypoint in there but in the way in you my miss the entry …

4863353 said:

Since a course can be navigated in only 2 direction, why not save in the file 2 waypoint lists, in the 2 directions?

That would mean a change to the file format, to tell the device which points to use and which to ignore, probably as an extra data field in the course point itself, as they are not actually presented as a list, but as individual points, which can legally be in the file at the point you encounter them, or together at the end. As marcossaad_ says, it's not trivial to alter them on the fly.

The set of points in both fit and tcx is fixed, but tcx course points can have a distance field, and fit course points have either a time stamp or distance field, to match them to a particular point on the course, either on the out or the back. The file supports correct ordering just fine, it's just the interface for adding them in Connect that leaves a bit to be desired.

Other sites do it better. plotaroute lets you move the point with a distance slider for coarse adjustments like from the out to the back leg, then drag the point itself on the map for finer adjustments. (Be careful not to put a custom point exactly on a turn; plotaroute merges the turn and the point, and the watch will alert you for the point, but won't show it in Up Ahead because it's a turn).

I had a Suunto Ambit 2, great watch in many ways, can't say I remember it being able to reverse a course & still give you waypoints, but perhaps I never tried that.