Garmin Zumo 550 users

[timg]

Hi folks,

I'm getting frustrated with trying to load .gpx files to my Zumo such as those from cooneyr's site http://advroutes.org.nz All I get is this! Those familiar with Banks Peninsular will recognise Bossu Road ... not! I've tried converting them to .gdb files with GPS Babel which makes no difference, neither does reducing the number of way points (Must be below 200 for the Zumo apparently) or using 50 waypoint files. I must be doing something wrong but what? How do I get rid of the 'flags' or change them to small dots or something?? MapSource has options to change the waypoint symbol but that seems to only apply to routes created in Mapsource, not imported routes. Help! Thanks.

[cooneyr]

That sux. I would have though that this is a setting on the Zumo itself. The gpx files carry a reference to an icon (file name) but not an actual icon itself. A GPX file is just a text file that you can read using note pad/word pad/word etc, so they are not clever enough to hold a icon type. Have a look in the main settings menu on the Zumo or the route settings menu (if there is one). Am I being stupidly obvious in that you have already tried this?

Cheers R

[Gremlin]

From my limited understanding of what you are trying to do, the flags would notate a point on the map that has been manually entered.

ie, if you tell it to make a route between a and z and it makes the route itself, there will be 2 flags.

But if you tell it to start at a, turn right at b, left at c, straight at d and so on, then each point will be a flag.

Which file are you trying to work with, and I'll have a look?

[Cary]

But you get that when you create a route in mapsource. They will be well spaced out when you in normal travel mode won't they? It's just the full route page when all the flags come up no?

Will be interested as i'm still in the learning process with mine as well.

[Gremlin]

But you get that when you create a route in mapsource. They will be well spaced out when you in normal travel mode won't they? It's just the full route page when all the flags come up no?

They would only be spaced out if you are zoomed in enough.

The flags simply denote a point on the route that you have set.

There are a couple of ways of creating a route, either using the route tool, which involves clicking down a road to make the route go there (and subsequently, a flag at each point you click) or simply giving mapsource addresses, cities, features, and letting it make its own route (which doesn't create so many flags).

Way back, to create a specific route, I used the route tool, clicking on the map etc. Much easier to list enter start and finish, then put in specific points along the route to "nudge" the calculated route to match the desired.

[cooneyr]

As I said above a GPX file (as per my site) does not contain the little icons themselves simply a reference to a icon file that is located on your PC and if you don't have the particular icon then Mapsource or whatever GPSr you have will use it's default icon. Yes you are right that it creates a point at every turn point and hence an icon but you should be able to change the icon type to be less cluttering. This would have to be done on the GPSr itself. Have a look in the settings menu or the route menu of the GPS.

As many of the advroutes dont have auto-routing roads I have used the "old fashion" way i.e. a point at every turn point as necessary. I don't create these manually though (way to much work for 100ish routes), I simply get a track log and cull it to 50 or 200 points using GPSBabel which culls the points based on the change in angle between any three points.

Cheers R

[timg]

Haven't had time to fiddle in the last few days but there's no way to select alternative waypoint etc icons in the Zumo itself. There's a couple of 'POI Killer' app's on the www but so far I have'nt managed to get them to work yet. Manually deleting all but 4 or 5 way points and recalculating works for routes that follow a road but takes a while. It does'nt work for routes that don't follow a road eg the Waimak route on Ryan's site. Zooming in to 200-300 meters works to degree, but 50 waypoints over a short but complex route is still a very cluttered screen. What would be ideal is if the waypoints could be changed to small dots or something along the route. I'll hook the Zumo up to the PC when I get time and see if there are any options that way to change the waypoints or what ever. I'm sure I've already checked that before when I first got it and was trying (unsuccessfully) to come to grips with it. With the build up to the DB1000k starting thought I'd better try to sort out how to use the thing properly. Will keep fiddling. Cheers.

[banditrider]

Maybe try the zumo forum: http://www.zumoforums.com/

[Transalper]

My Etrex legend shows every point as a dot with a label next to it. That also looks a bit cluttered at times. I have several settings I can change but aren't sure where they are at now or if they actually change this displaying of points. Haven't really tried.

Hasn't been much of an issue for me at the zoom levels I like.

[Gremlin]

Haven't had much need for non-road routes myself, but I do know that the custom waypoint symbols are only for Mapsource...