How would you compare routes in BC?
- Peobody
- Subscriber
- Posts: 2124
- Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2021 1:33 pm
- Location: North Carolina USA
- Has liked: 195 times
- Been liked: 560 times

How would you compare routes in BC?
I have an interesting dilemma. About this time last year I created routes for a small group 3-day trip that we intended to ride in early May 2025. It got cancelled due to weather, as did the reschedule for July, and the reschedule for September. We have scheduled the ride again for April 2026. I just fired up Basecamp to review the routes and discovered that I had 4 versions of the Day 1 route. I assigned each one a different color then looked at the map for difference. There are none. A quick look at the route details revealed that one contained all shaping points which I understand but I am clueless why I have the other two. One contains 13 route points, the other two contain 28. I would love to identify the differences but I don't know best how to go about it. I'm not inclined to export each one to do file compares so am wondering if anyone has any other thoughts on how to compare them There is nothing urgent or important about this inquiry, it is just a curiosity question.
2008 Honda GL1800 Goldwing
zūmo XT linked to Cardo Packtalk Bold and iPhone SE.
zūmo XT linked to Cardo Packtalk Bold and iPhone SE.
-
danham
- Posts: 411
- Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:25 pm
- Location: Cape Cod, MA
- Has liked: 147 times
- Been liked: 139 times

Re: How would you compare routes in BC?
Disclaimer: I use BC on a Mac, and I'm taking a blind guess, so hope I'm not wasting your time...
A lot of my planned routes are based on ones I download from New England Riders (NER) and edit to do what I want. Those packages always include three versions of the routes, because they need to be usable on older and newer GPSes. One version is always labeled as SHP, meaning it contains shaping points. One is a track. One is all vias. In the SHP version, most if not all the vias are converted to shaping points.
So long story short (too late, I know), did you perhaps obtain the trip route GPX files from another source like NER and then edit them to suit your needs?
-dan
A lot of my planned routes are based on ones I download from New England Riders (NER) and edit to do what I want. Those packages always include three versions of the routes, because they need to be usable on older and newer GPSes. One version is always labeled as SHP, meaning it contains shaping points. One is a track. One is all vias. In the SHP version, most if not all the vias are converted to shaping points.
So long story short (too late, I know), did you perhaps obtain the trip route GPX files from another source like NER and then edit them to suit your needs?
-dan
Zumo XT, 660, nuvi 760 and many retired units dating back to the GPS III+
2018 Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
2018 Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
- Peobody
- Subscriber
- Posts: 2124
- Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2021 1:33 pm
- Location: North Carolina USA
- Has liked: 195 times
- Been liked: 560 times

Re: How would you compare routes in BC?
A suggested route was sent to me by another rider. I made some suggested changes and sent it back. IIRC, those changes were acceptable so I can explain two of the four versions. The version containing all shaping points may have been used to test something in TripManager, I simply don't remember. I'm absolutely clueless about the fourth version. I was hoping that identify any difference would spark a memory. You know I have CRS syndrome right? (Can't Remember Sh*t)danham wrote: Sun Mar 08, 2026 4:16 pm So long story short (too late, I know), did you perhaps obtain the trip route GPX files from another source like NER and then edit them to suit your needs?
I hope that in the future I will remember to take advantage of the Notes tab to make note of the purpose for making a copy.
2008 Honda GL1800 Goldwing
zūmo XT linked to Cardo Packtalk Bold and iPhone SE.
zūmo XT linked to Cardo Packtalk Bold and iPhone SE.
-
jfheath
- Posts: 3647
- Joined: Sat Oct 19, 2019 4:17 pm
- Location: West Yorkshire, Uk
- Has liked: 507 times
- Been liked: 1171 times

Re: How would you compare routes in BC?
Two quick ideas.
Put them both in the same list and change the colour of one.
Put them in different lists but in the same list folder. Toggle between the lists to show each one separately. Click the list folder to see both\
Make a track of one and display it on the screen with the route. I do this if I want to make a route to match a track
Ok I can’t count !
Put them both in the same list and change the colour of one.
Put them in different lists but in the same list folder. Toggle between the lists to show each one separately. Click the list folder to see both\
Make a track of one and display it on the screen with the route. I do this if I want to make a route to match a track
Ok I can’t count !
Have owned Zumo 550, 660 == Now have Zumo XT2, XT, 595, 590, Headache
Use Basecamp (mainly), MyRouteApp (sometimes), Competent with Tread for XT2, Can use Explore for XT - but it offers nothing that I want !
Links: Zumo 590s . Zumo XT & BC . Zumo Navigation Booklet . Zumo XT2
Use Basecamp (mainly), MyRouteApp (sometimes), Competent with Tread for XT2, Can use Explore for XT - but it offers nothing that I want !
Links: Zumo 590s . Zumo XT & BC . Zumo Navigation Booklet . Zumo XT2
Re: How would you compare routes in BC?
@Peobody
Sorry to keep 'advertising' TripManager!
You can do that like this. I assume you have 2 GPX files with 1 route each.
- Dont connect your XT
- Create trip files from the GPX's. Select both Gpx files, Click on 'Send To'. Use these settings. - Select one of the 2 trip files, created in a sub directory.
- Right click on the grid, and start the compare - Open the 'Original GPX' belonging to the 'other trip file', confirm the trip name.
The Compare window: The RTFM's: https://frankbijnen.github.io/TripManag ... hagpx.html
Sorry to keep 'advertising' TripManager!
You can do that like this. I assume you have 2 GPX files with 1 route each.
- Dont connect your XT
- Create trip files from the GPX's. Select both Gpx files, Click on 'Send To'. Use these settings. - Select one of the 2 trip files, created in a sub directory.
- Right click on the grid, and start the compare - Open the 'Original GPX' belonging to the 'other trip file', confirm the trip name.
The Compare window: The RTFM's: https://frankbijnen.github.io/TripManag ... hagpx.html
- Peobody
- Subscriber
- Posts: 2124
- Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2021 1:33 pm
- Location: North Carolina USA
- Has liked: 195 times
- Been liked: 560 times

Re: How would you compare routes in BC?
What? Don't say that. It is a remarkable tool. I didn't think about using it, instead looking for an easy way of doing it within Basecamp. I know of the compare process you describe but have only used it once out of curiosity so was a "what does this do" endeavor and not an analytical one. I sounds like a good exercise for comparing the route with 13 route points to the one containing 28. I am traveling now but will give it go once home and settled back into my retired gentleman routine.
2008 Honda GL1800 Goldwing
zūmo XT linked to Cardo Packtalk Bold and iPhone SE.
zūmo XT linked to Cardo Packtalk Bold and iPhone SE.

