Route Optimization

1 Adding a Customized Map to your Garmin "Tutorial "

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4VrVqfUNNA

2 The Garmim plugin can be found here

http://www8.garmin.com/products/communicator/

3 The web site to go to after creating a "my map" in Google Map is here. (you will have to sign up for a free Google Maps account)

http://www.takitwithme.com/

Microsoft Streets and Trips has an optimize function.

Of course, you can't load routes to the nuvi 660, but you could load a series of waypoints.

I didn't know that you could use MS Street with garmins, cool.

Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I missed it, but I saw no mention of any optimization -- it looked as if the user is responsible for picking the order of the waypoints visited. Did I misunderstand its use?

Well, you still have to use something to convert the est file to a gpx that Garmin's can use.

You always have the answer; thanks. Microsoft's site is horrible about any specifics, but one seemingly knowledgeable poster on their discussion board previously posted that it works, but, as you would expect, with a lot of waypoints, it can take awhile. Can you imagine calculating the total distance of 37 factorial routes to find the shortest? Since I'm doing this route of redlights to verify them for POI-Factory, I'll ask Miss POI whether the site owns a copy and can route them for me. Once put in order, I can easily reorder my current guess in Mapsource quite easily.

If she doesn't have it, send them to me, and I will route them for you.

I can do it in S&T and on my Zumo to see if there is any difference.

Remember, though, that you can't load a route to a nuvi 660.

"it looked as if the user is responsible for picking the order of the waypoints visited. Did I misunderstand its use?"

You are correct, I'm not sure about optimization ?
Sorry this didn't answer your question.

there is a fast and easy to use route optimizer online:

www.mapcircuit.com

they can map the points, make a point-to-point route, optimize the route for round trips or one way.

the biggest advantage is easy data entry. they can handle 60 addresses.

The one way I have found to get around this is load your route and then download it in to the NUVI. Then optimize in the NUVI. You can use it that way. Or if you want the route optimized in Mapsource you then can manually change it to read the way the NUVI mapped it out. Very very annoying,but at least it is a work around in some respects.

Once you optimize it using the Nuvi you can then use MapSource to RECEIVE FROM DEVICE the routes on the Nuvi and you will have a copy of the OPTIMIZED route in MapSource.

EASY and SIMPLE

Only the 700 series (among the Nuvis) has this feature.

7xx and 8xx series and maybe the ZUMO

Zumo is not a Nuvi and I didn't know the 800 was shipping.

No the 8xx is not shipping yet, but just wanted those to know which units have or will have the optimizing capability.

It will help those that want this feature to buy now or wait for the 8xx series which will also include games.

I think www.mapquest.com has the ability to do route optimization. Would be nice if I could do this on my devices, though.