Zumo User Forums

Hello guys,
I own a Garmin ZUMO XT2 and I use myrouteapp for making routes. I export them from my MacBook to gpx 1.1. format. I tried very hard to have on my screen visible the track and the route. I managed to do it by placing both track and route in a collection file and then when I press go to the route I have both track and route.
In some points of my trip the route (magenta line) doesn't follow the same path with the track. A friend told me to follow the track line in this case.
My questions are:
1. Will I have vocal guidance in track or I just drive as track shows on screen?
2. What directions does the device give? The track ones or the route ones?
3. Do I have to have the auto recalculation mode off in all times?
4. When importing a gpx 1.1 file to my Garmin what's its format? route or track? I tried modifying one imported file to track and there was a message that Garmin has to modify it a bit in order to avoid some problems? (what should I press then? Leave it as it is or modify it?)

I am aware of via points and shaping points though my routes have many shaping points in order to force the route to pass from where I want.
Thanks for your patience
cheers

African Twin guy wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 8:05 pm Hello guys,
I own a Garmin ZUMO XT2 and I use myrouteapp for making routes. I export them from my MacBook to gpx 1.1. format. I tried very hard to have on my screen visible the track and the route. I managed to do it by placing both track and route in a collection file and then when I press go to the route I have both track and route.

The XT2 has a menu called ‘Explore’. There you can create your collections. You can also create collections during import.
Then you can assign your tracks and routes and waypoints (flags) also to your collections. One track or one route or one waypoint (flag) can also be assigned to several collections.
Then, in the map display, you can select the layers to be displayed, including selectable collections.
Collection File is misleading; personally, I would understand it to mean a shared GPX file with multiple contents.
First tip: you can also set the track width for the track (using the wrench icon), then the track will (usually) always be visible below the route.
Second tip: you can also create a route from the track (using the wrench icon) in XT2. The route will then (usually) be 1:1 like the track (necessary requirement: your maps also know all the paths for your route).

African Twin guy wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 8:05 pm In some points of my trip the route (magenta line) doesn't follow the same path with the track. A friend told me to follow the track line in this case.
My questions are:

Then something must have recalculated the route. Probably the XT2 (Probably initiated while you were trying it out.)

African Twin guy wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 8:05 pm 1. Will I have vocal guidance in track or I just drive as track shows on screen?

I think if you ‘just’ follow the track, there won't be any voice route instructions.
An alternative is my tip 2 from above.

African Twin guy wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 8:05 pm 2. What directions does the device give? The track ones or the route ones?

The one you selected previously.
Either the track will guide you if you selected it previously and started navigation from there, or the route will guide you if you selected it and started navigation from there.

African Twin guy wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 8:05 pm 3. Do I have to have the auto recalculation mode off in all times?

There is no general answer to this question.
However, if you want to drive as close as possible to what you have planned and if you have only set a few points, it is better to deactivate the recalculation.

Even if you have turned a track into a route, be sure to deactivate it.

If you have set enough points to limit the recalculation, then feel free to activate the recalculation.
If you just want to drive from A to B, then you can usually activate the recalculation without any worries.

But you will have to play around with it.

African Twin guy wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 8:05 pm 4. When importing a gpx 1.1 file to my Garmin what's its format? route or track? I tried modifying one imported file to track and there was a message that Garmin has to modify it a bit in order to avoid some problems? (what should I press then? Leave it as it is or modify it?)

Many things All together and everything multiple times ( (n) tracks and or (n) routes and or (n) waypoints (flags).
Each element has its own special sections.
Please note that you need to know the syntax before you start editing with the editor.

African Twin guy wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 8:05 pm I am aware of via points and shaping points though my routes have many shaping points in order to force the route to pass from where I want.
Thanks for your patience
cheers

you are welcome!

Thanx a lot mate

I read your reply and thanks a lot for your patience, I'll try to make some tests again and see how it goes. I feel much more secure with Garmin especially when traveling abroad. Cheers

@African Twin guy Let me supplement what proofresistant said, first with some general info.

A gpx file can contain any combination of one or more:

• Waypoints, which are stand alone saved locations *

• Routes, which are made up of via, and optionally, shaping points. (more below)

• Tracks, which are made up of track points.

All of that, or any subset of it, can be imported to the XT2. There are multiple methods for doing so.

In simple terms, a track is a fixed line drawn on a map. Once created, it will never change. It will not provide spoken turn-by-turn directions.

Routes do provide spoken turn-by-turn directions. A route is calculated to pass through every user specified via and shaping point. The path between those points can vary based on a map, routing algorithm, and user preferences and avoidances (e.g. faster vs shorter route, allow or avoid highways, etc). Once calculated, the route will also contain "hidden" or "ghost" points which are generally not visible, but appear in a gpx file as route point extensions.
It is important to understand that these hidden points are the result of route calculation - they are discarded and replaced when a route is recalculated. Variations in maps, setting and routing algorithms between different devices and software (e.g. between MRA and XT2) can result in different paths being calculated between the specified via and shaping points.

When a track is generated from a route, the via, shaping and hidden points become track points.

For your case here, I assume you specified some via and shaping points in MRA, then exported the resulting calculated route, and the track generated from the route (some of that may have happened automatically). Once they were imported to your XT2, you had a track, which would never change and a route which was apparently recalculated based on the XT2's settings, map and algorithm. That led to differences between track and route.

You can chose to follow either one by selecting the route and tapping "Go" or by selecting the track and tapping "Go".
Many riders chose to display the track in the background and navigate by selecting the route. It appears that you have already figured out how to do that.

It is also possible to generate a route from a track, although that has some limitations. The result is sometimes referred to as a "Track-trip". You can find posts about that in this forum.

Recalculation mode, which can be set to off, auto, or ask, only applies when you deviate from a route during navigation. If you go ride off from the route you are actively following, the XT2 can calculate the "best" (not always best) route back to your planned route. This often involves turning around, at least initially. If you set recalculation off, the route will not be recalculated and you are left to find your own way back to the planned route. Recalculation can be convenient, but can also add complications. You can find posts about "RUT" (repeated u-turn) when you are ready to tackle that subject.


*I should note that some routing software uses the term waypoint to refer to points in a route, but in Garmin speak, and in gpx files, waypoints are never part of a route, although waypoints can be used to specify via or shaping points.

Thanks a lot mate for your comprehensive reply.
Routing ,plotiing and navigating is an endless path I guess. Now I start understanding how Garmin acts and thinks so I can adapt to the inner functions of it.
My current check list now is as follows
1. Start placing start, end m via and shaping points at my route app and only in HERE maps (similar to what Garmin XT2 uses)
2. After naming the route I import it as a gpx 1.1 file to my Garmin and I don't agree when Garmin asks me if my route needs to be recalculated.
3. I save my route at a new collection and give It a name eg. DAY 1
4. I press the spanner icon at my route and I convert it in track also and save both at the same file.
5. Having fixed the track as a fat line and the magenta line as thinner I press start navigating
6. At my screen now ill have both track and route and I judge whether Ill have recall on or off
7. enjoy my trip.
If there's anything I'm doing wrong please correct me again, cheers

African Twin guy wrote: Tue Jul 29, 2025 3:26 pm If there's anything I'm doing wrong please correct me again, cheers

Basicly ok, but may think about this follwing also:

African Twin guy wrote: Tue Jul 29, 2025 3:26 pm 1. Start placing start, end m via and shaping points at my route app and only in HERE maps (similar to what Garmin XT2 uses)

Export your planned Journey as Route and Track from "my route app" directly, i think there is a possoble option to do this.

African Twin guy wrote: Tue Jul 29, 2025 3:26 pm 2. After naming the route I import it as a gpx 1.1 file to my Garmin and I don't agree when Garmin asks me if my route needs to be recalculated.

Import Route and Track.

African Twin guy wrote: Tue Jul 29, 2025 3:26 pm 4. I press the spanner icon at my route and I convert it in track also and save both at the same file.

it is now not necessary to create a track, because you have the track already imported
What do you mean with "same File"? File or collection?
From now on, let's talk about collections when we mean collections and about files when we want to import them
May you chose to create a route from imported Track, that might make more sense, because this route might better suit your plans.
I mean Solution 2 from a few days ago.

@African Twin guy I don't think there is right and wrong here. It's just a matter of choice how you want it to behave.

Assuming you are happy with the route in MRA, you can generate a track there and import both route and track to the XT2, or, as you said, import the route to the XT2, avoid recalculation and create the track there. You should get the same track either way.

The advantage of not recalculating on the XT2 is that it keeps your original route.

The disadvantage is, if the XT2 recalculates at a latter time, such as while riding and going off route with recalculation set to auto, you could get undesired route changes. Having the underlying track is a big help in that case.

Personally, I take the approach of recalculating just after import so that I can compare the XT2 calculated route to my original and fix any issues while planning at my desk, rather than while out on the road. The fix is usually just a matter of adding one or two more shaping points to the route.

I think @FrankB has already revealed this, so I can say that the next release of his Trip Manager will have the ability to automatically compare XT[2] calculated routes with the original gpx file routes.

African Twin guy wrote: Tue Jul 29, 2025 3:26 pm 4. I press the spanner icon at my route and I convert it in track also and save both at the same file.

I thought about it again and wondered how you managed to do that

I hadn't noticed the function for turning a route into a track myself. Then I remembered that I had already searched for it in the Tread app without success
So I checked the zumo XT2 now. And no, I couldn't find the function in the XT2 either

Well, i can select a track and convert it into a route using the wrench icon.
But I can't do the reverse.
When I select a route and tap the wrench icon, I can't find a track conversion function
Can you take a screenshot or two showing how you did it?