The Locus gpx (rte)route export.
Can it be offered in a more valuable way ?
Optimise by exporting as standard compact route.
Contains only start & shaping & Via and Finish as route points.
Picture. Locus navtrack. The coloured sections exported as the routepoints.
gpx file in the attachment. (Track + route)
Video: https://youtu.be/blarVfTsFIo
Notice the fast Mapsource route calculation.
Compare with the reference track overlay.
>Who actually uses the current Locus gpx export?
I only use non-RTE format, so happy for you to ignore or discard my thoughts below
>Contains only start & shaping & Via and Finish as route points.
but dangerous - without any knowledge of the routing profile, on import the viewer (most likely Locus) could (mostly likely) create a subtly or completely different (unwanted) route/ track. Any setting like this should not be the default.
I know this because my old Garmin eTrex would generate completely different (unwanted) route/ track when only start/ finish point was in the GPX file (exported from RWGPS). As a new GPS user it was very confusing.
So there needs to be a clear warning on the danger of this style of export. Maybe the addition of a (?) icon/ button alongside the checkbox to explain the ramifications.
Hello Willy, Andrew,
GPX RTE export was made a long time ago with a single purpose in mind: support for older Garmin devices that were unable to read TKR GPX routes. I do not measure how much this feature is still used to be true, but it works well as is. I simply think there is no need for improvements. Only what I may think about, is to completely remove this option.
I miss in both posts the main info for me: why this change? What should be the benefit? Are you using in any Garmin devices this GPX RTE format?
I don't suggest any changes @menion. I was purely debating pros & cons of the original post & my experience (pitfalls for young players) from years ago with an old Garmin eTrex before moving to smart(er) devices.
Oki, understand. I'll measure how many users use this feature and consider its complete removal. Thanks.
I like the proposal of 0709:
'Can it be offered in a more valuable way ?
Optimise by exporting as standard compact route.
Contains only start & shaping & Via and Finish as route points.'
1) If a route with only few waypoint is rerouted by another app, the way between the waypoints is determined by the 2nd app. Of course the 2nd app can decide to go another way. E.g. if it calculates for cars instead of walking.
2)
For a track with thoundreds of waypoints it makes not much sense to export a route. For a manually created route (not following a road, but straight lines) with max. some dozend WPs I would just go the other way and create a route in full xml format and even add the routepoint names (or at least the numbers of the triangles). See the example below.
Advantage of this format: If you export it to e.g. Garmin, the device can show you the WP names and you can route accordingly.
[Yes I know XML has some redundancy but there are sufficient reasons, so it succeeded in getting the standard in computer programming.]
<rte>
<name>test </name>
<rtept lat="46.7281323" lon="11.2212174">
<ele>520.38</ele>
<name>first corner</name> # this part is not included in the Locus export at the moment
</rtept>
....
<rtept lat="46.7093294" lon="11.2117527">
<ele>526.92</ele>
<name>nth triangle</name> # this part is not included in the Locus export at the moment
</rtept>
</rte>