Latest XT2/Tread software version

[smfollen]

Thank you @proofresistant I just tried it and did get additional points similar to what you showed in "3rd".
I'm going to have to do some further experimenting.
I wonder if this is something new, or I've just missed it for years? I don't use the explore web page very often.

[smfollen]

The little bit of experimenting I just did is consistent with @jfheath history post above. The "routes" there are not like the routes we know.

Among other things, I went back to the original case I had reported a year ago and went to the "route" that had been exported to the Explore web page back then (shown in blue below). It is made up of the 4 via points from the original route - shaping points were apparently ignored, as reported back then.

I applied the convert to track function @proofresistant pointed out above (thank you again).

I did get additional points, unfortunately, those appear to be random locations in a random order. A few do [randomly?] happen to be near shaping points in the original route but most are not. The order of them makes no sense at all.

The result is shown in red below.

ExploreConvert.png (1.95 MiB) Viewed 708 times

The root of the issue remains a mystery to me. Maybe Garmin will figure it out and fix it sometime before I get too old to ride a motorcycle ... but I'm not counting on it.
In the mean time, I will continue to leave the Tread App out of my world. Basecamp, Trip Manager and a USB cable are serving my needs quite well.

[proofresistant]

First of all,
I agree with most of what @jfheath and @smfollen have previously writen.

However, my current main “assumptions” are as follows:

1st
Importing routes with the Tread app, with or without synchronization with Garmin Explore on the web, works with 99% accuracy without any significant problems.
The shaping points are transferred almost exactly as planned, with only a few meters of deviation.

2nd
Route import with the zumo XT2 offline works 100% without any significant problems.
The shaping points are transferred 100% as planned.

3rd
zumo XT2 and/or the Tread app use algorithms to “better place” shaping points.
Both may “know” that ghost points are not synchronized.
Both use algorithms to “better place” shaping points before synchronization so that the other works better with them.
However, they do not have exactly the same philosophy and/or both do not use the same maps.
This leads to misunderstandings and, consequently, shifted shaping points.

4th
Why don't they leave the shaping points as planned?
I don't know, but I have the above-mentioned assumption as to why it works the way it does.

Conclusion:
I give up trying to understand it more deeply.

The best practice is, as @smfollen already wrote:
Leave the Tread app, use Trip Manager and a USB cable, which serve many needs quite well.


PS
I could probably live with the fact that some shaping points lead to minor differences from the plan.
Perhaps that's even a good thing, if, for example, the zumo and/or the Tread app take into account prohibited sections that I didn't recognize during planning.
But the fact that the zumo XT2 and Tread app then get stuck in loops and go round in circles, which is exactly what I've observed several times now, and can't get out of synchronization, is absolutely a no-go and ultimately my show stopper.

PPS
TripManager will remain the tool of choice for a long time to come

[turbo19]

New Tread version for Android 2.12.31 (23/09/2025).

There is no information in Garmin website at the moment. Let's see.

2.12.31.jpg (136.45 KiB) Viewed 612 times

[jfheath]

Thanks 'proof'. Nice summary. I agree with #1 - up to a point. (Ho! Ho!)

1st
Importing routes with the Tread app, with or without synchronization with Garmin Explore on the web, works with 99% accuracy without any significant problems.
The shaping points are transferred almost exactly as planned, with only a few meters of deviation.

That is true, except if you force a re-synch. eg by changing something which causes it to synch both ways - orange Tread icon to the 'cloud'. Blue rotating circle from the cloud. I have seen this happen all by itself but have been unable to produce it at will. Except by using the Tread app to change the name of a route by adding a full stop.

After that has happened, the route changes, shaping points move onto nearby faster roads and the original route is gone.

It doesn't matter. Garmin know about it, and nothing has happened. I'm not expecting a fix for any of these issues ever. In fact I have become suspicious without being able to put my finger on anything in particular, that the methods we use for getting round problems are being shut down.
eg
So POIs on a map can be used as a way of avoiding route points moving - are now broken.
RUT behaviour is now disguised as it only asks for 2 U turns before it resorts to using side roads to turn you back
Waypoints can no longer be used in routes in order to retain the route point name - because the route point moves away from the waypoint, leaving the waypoint no longer on the route.

My feeling is that Garmin may be moving away from point to point navigation and adopting navigation by track and popular routes. I like point to point so that I can plan my rides on roads that take me away from the knee-down and sports car idiots.

But yes. Frank has programmed a tool that allows us to use the Zumo XTs as we want. Watch out for the format of the trip files changing in future Zumos ! I wont be buying any later models. I've had enough fun. Garmin's tech support, from my experience with identifying RUT behaviour, seems to be to get me to do all of the testing for as long as possible, then tell me that it has been escalated to the technical team who seem to never provide a time line, then maybe do something to mask the symptoms rather than solve the problem, but never ever feed back as they promise. And that pattern is repeated with other faults. The Zumo's moving route point when changed from Via to Shaping has been with us and reported when first observed on the 595. So either they don't care, or it is intended behaviour.

But with the fixes and TripManager I can really like the XT2.

[turbo19]

New Tread version for Android:

2.12.33 (6 oct.)

obviously several bugs fixed

[turbo19]

Ridiculous. Garmin's software engineering is crap. As soon as I connected my phone to the XT2 with the Tread on, the freezes and resets started.

Disconnect Bluetooth again and remove the Tread to be able to use the device. I think Garmin will release the XT3 without the XT2 working.

I have lost all faith in Garmin.

[Dutchgixxer]

No sync troubles here.

[turbo19]

No sync troubles here.

It syncs well for me too, but the XT2 resets every 10 minutes or so.

[proofresistant]

Ridiculous. Garmin's software engineering is crap. ...

Or the basic causes of the synchronization problems are too big that decades of months are not enough
But yes, you're right, still the same sync problems.

I think Garmin will release the XT3 without the XT2 working.

Even if an XT3 comes out, the problems will probably remain.
I have the same problems with my relatively new Tread 2.

No sync troubles here.

Sync problems are still present

What kind of routes do you test without problems?

Try putting some stress on the synchronization to provoke a load in one go.
For example, 10 routes of 200 km each with at least 20 shaping points and the tracks as well.
I would be interested to know if it still looks as good then.