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Route Planning Software - which one? Route Planning Software - which one?
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Route Planning Where to go, when, what are the interesting places to see
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 15 Aug 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Warin View Post
Source of information?
Whatever the information it is bound to include errors and omissions.

Manipulation of that information?
This would be the program/application.
This too may include errors and omissions.
I came upon this planning software, sometime or other (I happened upon it recently and it turned out to be already contained within my favourites, so memory is really failing!):-
bikehike.co.uk - Home

It's interesting in that it has some pretty good FAQs and help pages which describe how the software operates and aspects of its' limitations while, along the way, referring to such basics as vector and raster maps.
bikehike.co.uk - FAQ

bikehike.co.uk - Help

In this case the software is produced by a Brit with emphasis on British mapping but it can deal with other countries via use of Google mapping.
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  #2  
Old 16 Aug 2015
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Via Michelin - Long time experience, tracks most scenic routes per region.
For sure inspired by gastronome restaurant but not only. Great planner I find.
ViaMichelin: Michelin route planner and maps, restaurants, traffic news and hotel booking

Edit: Of course mainly for Europe inland, but not only and expanding.
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  #3  
Old 18 Aug 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Squire View Post
Via Michelin - Long time experience, tracks most scenic routes per region.
For sure inspired by gastronome restaurant but not only. Great planner I find.
ViaMichelin: Michelin route planner and maps, restaurants, traffic news and hotel booking

Edit: Of course mainly for Europe inland, but not only and expanding.
I had pretty much forgotten about ViaMichelin.
I have used it, quite a few years ago, and it doesn't seem to have changed much since then - I can't see a means of downloading data other than the capability for printing maps and directions (nothing wrong with the latter as such - I first used such a facility at a tourist information centre in Florida over 20 years ago).

ps I see that they do have an app.
Are you using that?

pps
Just found this, kind of hidden away in the "share" button.
"Send to GPS
- Select your GPS brand"
That allows for downloading to a choice of about 8 branded GPS, but it doesn't show downloading as "raw" files such as in .GPX format.
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  #4  
Old 18 Aug 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
pps
Just found this, kind of hidden away in the "share" button.
"Send to GPS
- Select your GPS brand"
That allows for downloading to a choice of about 8 branded GPS, but it doesn't show downloading as "raw" files such as in .GPX format.
After selecting the type of GPS device the file "ViaMichelin.gpx" is then automatically downloaded to my "download folder". I'm using an iMac but I assume it works fine on a PC as well.

For my own route planning I normally use BaseCamp and transfer my files to the device.
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  #5  
Old 20 Aug 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
(note, I haven't mentioned the software associated with the main GPS hardware competitor to Tom Tom).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Squire View Post
For my own route planning I normally use BaseCamp and transfer my files to the device.
That's the one I didn't mention earlier.
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  #6  
Old 20 Aug 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
it is reputed to be available only for the Windows operating system.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Squire View Post
I'm using an iMac but I assume it works fine on a PC as well.
Therein lies a subset to my original posting.
The matter of what route planning software works on what operating system.

I avoided referring to this in my OP, because the future probably lies with, IMO, portable devices (both smartphones and tablets) which will be operating on Android or iOS.
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  #7  
Old 20 Aug 2015
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GPS Exchange Format
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
such as in .GPX format.
I have come across articles elsewhere that assume the .GPX protocol is "owned" by Garmin.
Perhaps because there are other file formats that are closely associated with the likes of Google Earth (.KML iirc).

This is not the case:-
GPX: the GPS Exchange Format
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  #8  
Old 20 Aug 2015
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UK Ordnance Survey
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
In this case the software is produced by a Brit with emphasis on British mapping but it can deal with other countries via use of Google mapping.
I am finding that there are a number of British developers of websites that bring up the UK Ordnance Survey (OS) maps of the UK.
(Somewhat in contrast to my earlier statement that there are many Spanish and German sites of this nature, the Brits are not being left out!).

One factor to this is that the OS appear to have lost their copyright on 1:25000 mapping (my understanding from reading elsewhere) and they are providing a limited form of access to their, still in copyright, 1:50000 map products.
This is referenced as "OS Openspace" and the 3rd party websites give full credit to the OS for this service - in fact the downloads are limited to a certain number of tiles per day.

Thus, in summary, there are sites which can bring up on screen zoomable OS maps that are free to access.
What the 3rd parties do thereafter with the mapping rather depends on their own interests - some have route planning capability while others concentrate on simple displays of the maps. Many combine the maps with others, typically Open Street Map (OSM) and similar, specialist maps (Open Cycle Map, Open Ski Map, Open Transport Map etc etc).

An example:- Maps showing rights of way
Yet others of these sites have a wide variety of maps available making them useful outside of the UK - Bing, Google, Yahoo maps to name a few.
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Last edited by Walkabout; 20 Aug 2015 at 11:23.
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  #9  
Old 26 Aug 2015
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Quote:
Motogoloco has been mentioned somewhere in here previously I think.
I have looked at it, briefly, and it does appear to be simple to use.
Not here to sell/promote/spam (I promise) - but we're here and around to help if anyone needs any pointers on using our maps system.

- James M
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  #10  
Old 1 Sep 2015
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I have been using the ridewithGPS site for few years to map out my route then transfer same to my GPS. I like being able to simply click to build a route and instantly go to street view to confirm the nature of the road which in some areas where I live changes from two lane to forest track without any difference in what google maps indicates. Easy resume planning and export.

Also offers a smart phone app with your routes which is handy for reviewing the days ride without opening a computer. Everything I need is available on the free basic account too with the extras really only for cyclists.
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  #11  
Old 19 Sep 2015
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Plotting routes on an app
Quote:
Originally Posted by Iron Chef View Post
Also offers a smart phone app with your routes which is handy for reviewing the days ride without opening a computer.
Now and again it crosses my mind that there must be a really smart app out there which makes it all very easy to plot routes straight onto the mapping that comes with that app.
That would do away with the use of desktops as an interface device; desktops are pretty antiquated technology nowadays for the whiz kids on the block and even we who are "young at heart".

I have a vague recollection of coming across an app some time ago which claimed such a capability but I don't recall its' name.
Anyone??
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