Designing/importing custom routes on PC for ZUMO XT

Having Garmin zumo XT problems? there is loads of help and advice in this forum
Davidf57
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Re: Designing/importing custom routes on PC for ZUMO XT

Post by Davidf57 »

Yes, I've ridden some of that route, Mount Baw Baw tourist road, Bruthen to Omeo, Powelltown to Walhalla through Willow Grove, but your route is the twistiest. I have never ridden the Tanji Bren route, one day when I get time! After I've ridden some of those roads I then board Spirit for two weeks in Tasmania, from Sydney. Your route looks like a great run of course, and you'd need navigtion for all the logging roads in Noogee State Forest. The great choice in Omeo is the four ways you can go heading north and a bit west and a bit east! Your route I have not ridden. Let me know if you like what it's like when you get back. Thanks for the replies.
Richard_R
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Re: Designing/importing custom routes on PC for ZUMO XT

Post by Richard_R »

We are digressing and if the Admin doesn't like it please let us know.
The road through Tanjil Bren is easy, all sealed and its the main road to the ski field at Mt Baw Baw. After the Mt Baw Baw turn off (heading east) it becomes South Face Road and is once again straight forward but is gravel for from memory about 30 km.
The road north from Swifts Creek to Omeo via Cassilis is a gem. The distance is more or less the same as the main road but it is a lovely road up and downhill.
The way we are going north from Oweo is sealed to Benambra and then 130km of dirt to the Murray Valley Highway west of Corryong.
We will be coming back down the Omeo Highway from Mitta Mitta the next day then hanging a right at Shannonvale and heading over the High Plains Road via Falls Creek to Mt Beauty, Tawonga Gap and then to Bright. If we have time on Thursday we might head up to the top of Mt McKay at the back of Falls Creek. It's the highest navigable road in Australia.



The bicycle route I am looking after on Saturday is Bright/Mt Hotham/Omeo/Falls Creek/Mt Beauty/Tawonga Gap/Bright. 250 km and over 2000 metres of vertical climbing for the cyclists, I will end up doing well over 300km.
Sunday home is a mixed dirt/sealed ride through Caboor/Cheshunt/Tolmie/Mansfield/South of Lake Eildon and over the Black Spur to Healesville. 320km from Bright to where we split up.
jfheath
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Re: Designing/importing custom routes on PC for ZUMO XT

Post by jfheath »

The issue with the XT is the 'surprising' way it calculates its routes. At present, 'Faster' does not seem to mean 'shorter time'. 'Shorter' doesn't seem to mean 'less distance'. Whatever algorithms it uses, for me at the moment, they are less predictable than the ones used in previous versions of Zumo. And the XT route WILL recalculate and come up with something different from what was plotted in any routing app you care to mention a number of circumstances.

But th XT has a number of redeeming features.
1 it will display a track on the screen as well as a route. The track will never alter. Other zumos also do this.

2 You can navigate a track. No instructions given, but the XT will inform you of the straight line distance and direction to the closest point if you go off route. The track will never alter.

3 You can convert any track into a 'Trip'. ( This is different from a trip created in trip planner.). If you do this, you get a magenta line, the XT issues turn by turn direction, and if you deviate from the plotted course, the XT will calculate a new section to take you to the closest point of the original, leaving the remainder intact. The original plotted route will never alter. Only the new section to get you back to somewhere on the original will make it appear as though it has recalculated the entire route. It hasn't. Initially, the instruction will be to turn back. If you continue, it looks ahead and to the side to find the 'best' way to get you back to somewhere on the original.

'Best' probably means shortest / fastest, but since this cannot be simulated, I haven't worked out precisely how it does this.

These are all worth experimenting with. They offer really good solutions in a way that hasn't been offered before.

Today, I discovered something really important. I found another way that doesn't work.
Richard_R
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Re: Designing/importing custom routes on PC for ZUMO XT

Post by Richard_R »

jfheath wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 7:26 am And the XT route WILL recalculate and come up with something different from what was plotted in any routing app you care to mention a number of circumstances.
I have not experienced that so far. Every trip I have plotted onto the XT has been followed without deviation. As you can see from the screen shot above if I want to go down a particular route I put points in place to ensure that route is followed precisely. I also have "avoid dirt roads" turned off in the GPS as that is one thing that will cause it to recalculate routes.
If I just want to get from A to B I'm just happy to follow whatever the GPS decides to do.
jfheath wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 7:26 am 'Best' probably means shortest / fastest, but since this cannot be simulated, I haven't worked out precisely how it does this.
"Best" in the context of a motorcycle GPS algorithm probably has a significant weighting to roads with flowing corners.
jfheath
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Re: Designing/importing custom routes on PC for ZUMO XT

Post by jfheath »

I should have qualified my statement about recalculation - of course if you put in a load of route points, it cannot possibly find a different route. But based on other Zumos that has never been necessary.

I think if I wanted the route pinned down, I would navigate the track instead.

"Best" was my word. The XT has fastest, shortest and adventurous options. In the context that I was using I do not know which of those methods it uses. Probably whatever is set in the route, or the default setting of fastest. But its hard to tell from its past behaviour - I have plenty of examples where it doesn't find the quickest route when it is set to fastest.

I'm coming to the conclusion like you that 'faster' may refer to using a type of road because it will go a long way round to use a 'fastest' road, even if it means doubling the length of time the journey takes.!

I had an example a few weeks back where it was insisting on taking me back to its original 'faster' route which had grown into a 28 mile section - even though the next routing point was only 3 miles ahead. (No intermediate points involved). At present I am confused about how it works.

But adding more shaping point would certainly prevent this.

Today, I discovered something really important. I found another way that doesn't work.
Richard_R
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Re: Designing/importing custom routes on PC for ZUMO XT

Post by Richard_R »

jfheath wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:40 pm I'm coming to the conclusion like you that 'fastest' may refer to using a type of road because it will go a long way round to use a 'fastest' road, even if it means doubling the length of time the journey takes.!
I think I am with you on that. I would understand fastest to mean the shortest time from point A to point B. Maybe Garmin define it as the highest average speed between point A and point B.
sussamb
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Re: Designing/importing custom routes on PC for ZUMO XT

Post by sussamb »

Your satnav has limited route calculation ability so there is a trade off between calculating routes and time taken to do so, otherwise you'd be sitting there for minutes waiting for it to calculate. It's entirely likely therefore that fastest isn't always faster and shortest isn't always shortest. Most modern Garmins though will offer 3 routes based on fastest, shortest etc allowing you to pick the one you prefer.
SilverCycle
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Re: Designing/importing custom routes on PC for ZUMO XT

Post by SilverCycle »

Why is this topic in "Forum Help and Feedback"?

Can it be in two places at once?
sussamb
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Re: Designing/importing custom routes on PC for ZUMO XT

Post by sussamb »

It isn't. It started there and has been moved. The link brings you here.
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