GPX Versions 1.1 vs 1.2 for Garmin Visually Explained

[Steve Jarrell]

@Simon-James-Hancock You're very welcome. Everyone has been extremely helpful in this thread and I'm grateful as well!

[Simon James Hancock]

Just to summarize what I have learned.
Make a route in MRA with Here map using shape points.
Making sure to have the first point when leaving a bit further down the road to make sure that the route starts.
Widen the and colour the track with the garmin settings.
Save as 1.2
Question: When using shaping points and I place one next to a petrol station and name it Petrol and add a symbol of a petrol station, will it appear and can I select it when navigating or do I have to make a via point?

[Carl Lee]

@simon-james-hancock I think with your petrol station, the symbol you have added on MRA will only appear there and not on your Zumo. If you want a symbol on the Zumo, you can add a POI on MRA and that will appear - but it will only show as a flag and with the name you have given it (default is POI) so further editing is required on the Zumo if you want to see a petrol pump. If you want a mileage and/or time countdown to the petrol station, change the shaping point to a via point which you can name and that will be retained on the Zumo (also as a flag).

Just to recap, shaping points will not show on your Zumo using GPX1.2 but via points will.

I'm happy to be corrected and to learn if there is a different way.

[Simon James Hancock]

Has anyone tried the trip repair tool by FrankB
Here is the link
https://www.javawa.nl/triprepair.html

[Steve Jarrell]

@Simon-James-Hancock You would have to make it a via point. Shaping points simply shape the route. There are no shaping points in the route section of a 1.2 .gpx file. There are just gpx lat/lon coordinates.

[Simon James Hancock]

As I understand it if I make it a via point I will have to stop there otherwise will be rerouted back.
I just want to add the location of petrol stations for referance when I might need them along the route.

[Stevedo 6 0]

@Simon-James-Hancock

Trip Manager by FrankB is brilliant. Too much to go into detail here. Best bet is to go to https://zumouserforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=3150 which has a full discussion on the features, functions, links, documentation etc. for Trip Manager.

[John S Parry]

@Simon-James-Hancock said:

Just to summarize what I have learned.
Make a route in MRA with Here map using shape points.
Making sure to have the first point when leaving a bit further down the road to make sure that the route starts.
Widen the and colour the track with the garmin settings.
Save as 1.2
Question: When using shaping points and I place one next to a petrol station and name it Petrol and add a symbol of a petrol station, will it appear and can I select it when navigating or do I have to make a via point?

There is no specific need for using HERE as the base map when creating a GPX. It doesn't matter at all for 1.2, and if you have enough shaping points, it shouldn't make a difference using 1.1.

HERE can be troublesome unless you actually need it for the NN app, where it's required. I've been using OSM exclusively for some time now, and it's a solid choice.

[Marinus van Deudekom]

@John-S-Parry said:

There is no specific need for using HERE as the base map when creating a GPX. It doesn't matter at all for 1.2, and if you have enough shaping points, it shouldn't make a difference using 1.1.

That's not true. If you want to use the 1.2 file Here map is mandatory.
Since there is quite a difference between Here and TomTom you will certainly have a bad route using OSM of TomTom for you planning.
On top of that all Garmin systems are Here based

[John S Parry]

@Marinus-van-Deudekom Interesting. Here is an OSM route I just put together:

https://www.myrouteapp.com/route/open/14123994

I exported this GPX in 1.2 format. I then Imported the 1.2 route into my Garmin XT3. No problems. I verified that the route in the XT3 exactly mirrored the original MRA Routplanner route in every way. To no surprise, an exact match.

Finally, I started the route on my XT3. No issues whasoever.

The only difference between base maps how they calculate in their respective environments. If you have enough shaping points defined, any map can be imported into a Garmin device and recalculate as you into intend.

Please explain how you came to your conclusions.

[Steve Jarrell]

@Simon-James-Hancock Good question. When you add a via point your don't have to stop there, you just have to go past that position.

If you add the petrol stations along your route where you may want to stop and you just ride past them you'll be fine. If you do get off of your route the Garmin will try to route you back to them, and as we've discussed, when you skip the via point then the Garmin recalculates your route based on it's own logic and not your shaping points.

If you want to follow your original route, your only option at that point is stop the route, restart it and select "Closest Entry Point" and it will put you back on your route past the petrol station via point that you bypassed and it will preserve your original route.

I typically only put via points for petrol (gas over here) stations in my route if they're going to be scarce where I'm going to be so I rarely skip them. Otherwise for me they're more hassle than what they're worth.

There are other workarounds using Points of Interest but frankly they're way more trouble than what they're worth. The MRA app doesn't have this (or other) limitation but that an entirely different conversation!

[Carl Lee]

@simon-james-hancock

@Simon-James-Hancock said:
I just want to add the location of petrol stations for referance when I might need them along the route.

As I previously mentioned, try placing a POI on MRA. You can give it a petrol pump symbol and call it Fuel. No need for a via point if you don't need to be prompted and it will display on your Zumo.
Edit: I've just read your post @steve-jarrell - I use MRA POIs regularly and find them really useful. Easy to place and a visual reminder on the Zumo map. And yes you're right, so long as you ride through them, a via point will not turn you back.

@john-s-parry @marinus-van-deudekom I've found 1.2 to be way more forgiving of route point placement when calculating. And I would have it the other way round - HERE is probably more necessary using 1.1 when poor route point placement often results in "cannot calculate the route".

My experience anyway.