Can MapSource manually set route points?

Nope. There's really no other way for you to do it.

Fortunately for me, the Zumo series supports what Garmin calls "shaping points". Shaping points (when properly placed) aren't flagged or announced. However, other units do not (I don't think) support shaping points.

You might take a look at this thread on the Zumo Forums about a software tool that was created to "unflag" the routes so the points aren't flagged or announced.

http://www.zumoforums.com/index.php?topic=2966.0

You might need to register on the forum to see the thread.

That might actually be an acceptable work-around. I was already thinking of a search for "via" and replace with "rpt" or whatever the two are actually labelled in the xml code. Before I started digging, I wanted to be sure I wasn't missing something really obvious or even not so obvious in the MapSource GUI.

This procedure will work on any Nuvi which is capable of receiving routed from MapSource.

In MapSource after you build your route(start point to end point), press the ESC button on your PC this will finish the End to End route (the route will be purple in color). Click on the POINTER in MapSource and then click anywhere on the route(selecting the route). It will change to YELLOW. Now move your mouse pointer to somewhere on the route click and release. A line will be drawn between the start point and end point. Just move your mouse pointer to where you want to use as a via and click and release. You can do this as many times as you want to shape the route as you want. Then transfer the route to your Nuvi using "Send to Device"

But doesn't this create <rtept> entries in the gpx file - of the type that JOHNC doesn't want - i.e. that get announced and shown on the map?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

So what do they create in the gpx file?

He doesn't want it to be announced, and I haven't tried H Hannah's method, so I don't know if it's the same as creating a waypoint or via point, but onece again I picked up a piece of useful info at this site.... I love it...

Using the method I posted above does not create waypoints or flags in the route!!!!!

THERE ARE NO FLAGS OR ANNOUNCEMENTS!!!!!!!

TRUST ME I TESTED IT OUT BEFORE POSTING!!!!!!!!

For that little tidbit of info....

And I get flags and announcements. I select the Arrow tool. I click the yellow route. I move the pointer to another road. The computer is drawing a line from Start to my pointer to the Finish as I move the pointer. I click on a different road. It then calculates a new route from Start to my new point to the Finish. There is no indication on the screen that there is anything out of the ordinary. If I double-click on the route in the route listing, it opens the properties and shows a point in between Start and Finish. When I download this route to my Nuvi 760, it shows a flag and announces when I approach it. I just don't see how you are getting different results.

I went back and slowly tried it again, exactly as you mentioned. If I open the route properties, it shows the points I entered as Via Points. Via Points are supposed to have an indicator and get announced. And that's what I'm getting. I have checked the MapSource preferences and can't find anything that could account for the difference in behavior between what I am getting and what you are getting. Could there really be that much difference between your 750 and my 760?

So until someone figures out, I'll try MM's method. The UnFlag program she mentioned works perfectly and removes everything between Start and Finish except intentional WayPoints.

I tried H Hannas rubber band method, I like it but it does put a waypoint where I click on the via point... I don't know if it announces it, but on my 760 I do see a flag.. I don't really care if it does make an announcement; to me it's no big deal.... What is a big deal is the mystery....

You can test it by making a route that's a few blocks long and then put your 760 in simulator mode and run the route.

I ran the program UnFlag that MM pointed me to and it removed the flags and announcements from the routes just like she said.

The only difference I see is that H Hanna has the 750 and we have the 760. I thought they were identical except for the Bluetooth.

I have a 750 and all my vias show with flags and are announced too. Per the other thread on this, no matter how I create routes in MapSource, I cannot replicate H Hannah's results.

I made a really short route of a couple city blocks and then used the UnFlag program that MM pointed me to and saved it as a new file. Comparing the two, my inserted point was rtept and the UnFlag program converted it to rpt. It stripped out the description too. No flag, no voice, no problem. It's a shame that MapSource doesn't have this option to define things like we want them.

Garmin's official definition of "shaping points" is as follows. (Taken from the Zumo firmware update history page where the ability to use shaping points was added in version 3.0)

Added ability to treat certain route vias as shaping points which will not be flagged or announced. Qualified shaping points are Intersections and points on roads which are not addresses, such as I-35N or HwyA. Requires routes to be created with MapSource 6.12.1 or using the zumo route planner.

I am not aware that they work with other units, but they might. The absolute key to shaping points is to ensure that they are exactly on an intersection.

When you hover the routing tool or the pointer tool in MapSource over a point where you want to move a route, the "bubble" will read "Main St and Center St" (for example).

The KEY is the word "AND". Also, when you look at the via point properties, these will have "Map Intersection" as the type rather than "Map Line" or something else.

Also, you need to be sure that your are not using the Waypoint tool. Waypoints will always be flagged.

Well, it was worth a try. It DID call it a Map Intersection instead of Map Line. And it did show the word AND. But after downloading it into the Nuvi, it still had a flag. I didn't bother to simulate to see if it would announce. What a shame Garmin just doesn't provide a drop-down for the type or a different tooltype for this purpose.

and get announced on my 750.

I think I solved why my 750 doesn't show flags on the routes I build using MapSource, and yours do.

I just tried 2 different ways to assign a Via/WAYPOINT while using the Rubber Band Method in both..

1st way was to use the pointer to place my Via/Waypoint at an intersection. The resulting route did not contain flags. (I always use intersections)

2nd way was to use the pointer to place my Via/Waypoint on the road between 2 intersections. The resulting route did place a flag at the point on the road BETWEEN the 2 intersections.

So I guess if you don't want flags use INTERSECTIONS as Via/Waypoints.

So my educated guess is most GPSers use existing waypoints as a Via. Those Vias are normally between intersections and along side the road. Thus causing FLAGS. Or they select a point between intersections.

Maybe this will solve the MYSTERY

on exactly the same issue. H Hannah, you noted before, I think, that you Ique3600 worked the same way as your 760 is now vis a vis via flags and announcements (or absence thereof). I wonder if your use of the Ique3600 has anything to do with the difference between your results and the rest of us. Otherwise remains a mystery. I repeated your latest method noted above (intersections) again and still get flags and announcements on my 750.

From the Zumo site, it is mentioned that an intersection point SOMETIMES will not be flagged and announced IF the intersecting street has NO name or number. I would think this would be a relatively rare situation though.

That's half right.

Qualified shaping points are Intersections OR points on roads which are not addresses. (The second category would apply, for example, on interstate roads in the US.)

If the point is placed directly on an intersection, then it will be a shaping point.

Again, I haven't seen an evidence that any units other than the Zumos can use shaping points.

I made a simple test route, .3 miles long. ROUTE-1. I then changed ROUTE-1 by adding a Via/Waypoint intersection (with street names)thus making ROUTE-2 (No Flags). Using the same simple ROUTE-1 I added a Via/Waypoint between 2 intersections (becoming an address)and saved it as ROUTE-3, this one has a flag at the address.

I also made screen shots of the MapSource (3) routes, showing the route property boxes.

The Routes and the screen shot Gif. files have been ZIPPED into 1 file. These files are available for your inspection and testing in your copy of MapSource and the GPX route files can be directly loaded into your NUVI bypassing your Mapsource.

All you have to do is to drag and drop these 3 route files to you NUVI drive at ?:\Garmin\GPX.

http://home.comcast.net/~hannah.burns/ScreenShots/Routes.zip

Loading the 3 routes into your MapSource and then using the "Send To Device" will see if your MapSource is changing the route.

Bypassing MapSource will load the file as my MapSource built them. Drag and drop the 3 route files onto your Nuvi at ?:\garmin\gpx

Your routes load and display on my Nuvi as you have described. I simply cannot duplicate that on my system. Rubber banding to a named intersection or to an address generates a via point with a flag and an announcement.

I also got a route that crashes my 760 as soon as I ask it to Import From File. I can't see anything wrong with it in MapSource, but it crashes my 760 every time I try to import it. Care to take a look?

http://tinyurl.com/6p3r2d

I copied the 3 test routes you created directly to the Nuvi's GPX subfolder (bypassing MapSource). After importing, no flag showed on the #2 route for the via point and a flag showed on #3.

I then opened the 3 routes in MapSource and transferred them to the Nuvi. Got the same results as above.

I then recalculated the 3 routes in MapSource and transferred them to the Nuvi. This time a flag showed for the via in #2. Routes 1 and 3 did not change.

When I recalculated the 3 original routes in the Nuvi itself, #1 and #3 remained the same but the Nuvi ignored the via for #2 Route, which then became identical to #1.

So both a direct copy and a MapSource transfer did not modify Route #2, but a recalculate in either MapSource (my copy of MapSource anyway) or the Nuvi did. From the other postings, it seems that it may be your copy of MapSource which is doing something different, albeit your version number is the same as mine. I mentioned your other GPS only as a long shot because it is the only different variable so far and if the routes are behaving the same as with your previous GPS, maybe there might be some connection, although it doesn't seem logical and I wouldn’t have the faintest idea what any such connection could be.

johnc, yesterday I got a crash too when I started and ended a route with an intersection. I see your route also starts and ends that way. I haven't tried another one to confirm though.

I tried another simple route with intersections at beginning and end with one intersection via point and it DID NOT crash. So my guess very well may be wrong. When I revised the route that crashed yesterday by selecting non-intersection points for start and end it did not crash. I just tried your route and yes it did crash as well, sitting at 0% on import just like my route did.

I was getting random results - some shaping points worked, others didn't...

I created a simple route, that I dragged this way and that, using the 'rubber-banding' method. I examined each point on the route in Mapsource and in each case, the type was "Map Intersection".
When imported by the Nüvi 760, it said the route had 1 via point. (If it had said 6, that might have made some sense).

Previewing the route, revealed one of the dreaded flags. I could not see any difference in Mapsource, regarding this shaping point, compared with the others. Also, interesting to note, the Route preview shows some corruption.

I was working on the theory, that the <gpxx:subclass=nnnnnnn> tag is the cause of the different handling of some points - and found some differences, but I don't understand them.

I also wondered what happened, if there was no detailed map available to compare the route points with.

Very interesting ... if City Navigator is deselected, and the route imported: It has NO via points, no flags and no corruption. If City Navigator is subsequently reselected, it does not affect an already imported route.

This may form the basis of a workaround, if nothing else...

EDIT:
I've put together some screen shots:-
http://hornbyp.googlepages.com/760routes

I tested you route file "NewTestCrash.gpx" And you were right, It comes up in MapSource ok but crashes my Nuvi750 when importing.

I tried duplicating your route on my PC. It took me a lot of tried to duplicate exactly what you did.

My first few tries would duplicate the route from NSycamoreLnandP to MaplewwodDrandB and only doing 2/3 Rubber Bands to change the route to match yours.

There would only be 4/5 points built, but yours had 6.

I kept trying but as soon as the route would duplicate yours no mater what order I would Rubber Band, the changes to the route would only end up with 4/5 points(Yours has 6).

So in my last attempt, after The route was duplicated with 5 points I then clicked on the route between an already selected turn (that had not been forced by a pointer drop)and drug the pointer to NSycamoreLnandB thus adding the 6th point in the route. Now this route that I built crashed my Nuvi750 also. But it was built adding un-necessary points to the route. The route had already selected this turn of Traveling south on NSycamore Ln to Birchwood Dr and turning left. There was no reason to force this point for a turn that MapSource had already selected.

I don't know if forcing this already existing turn is what caused the route to crash or not.

But all the other routes I built where I only ended up with 4/5 point (not 6) worked and did not cause my Nuvi750 to crash.

I created the test route by using the routing tool and clicking once at each intersection. 6 mouse clicks in total. I made sure that the popup name while hovering over the intersection had both street names separated by AND.

Here's the thing.... I double-clicked on each point in the route properties and each one was listed as "Map Intersection" as expected. If I save as GDB and then reload, they remain as "Map Intersection". If I download to the Nuvi, it creates "Temp.gpx" in the Garmin\GPX folder. If I load this file back into MapSource, all the points are now labeled "Map Point". I think this is what is causing the problems. When MapSource is converting to gpx, data is being changed from it's original designation. Of course, there's no excuse for the Nuvi crashing. It should stop with a "corrupt file" or "bad data" error message if it gets something it doesn't understand.

Interesting. I just created two short 3 block routes using intersection point vias with a 3rd via at an intersection point where the routes would have turned anyway. Both routes crashed the Nuvi. The issue is, that until one actually builds the route, one doesn't really always know where the route would turn normally anyway, so the happenstance placement of a redundant intersection via appears to cause the Nuvi to crash.

On the issue of flagged versus unflagged vias, since the Nuvi does not recognize any unflagged vias upon recalculation, a route would get drastically changed when an automatic recalculation occurs on route deviation. One could, of course, reload the original route since the recalculation would only affect the "current route". It appears the Zumos, unlike our Nuvis, have the ability to turn off automatic recalculation. Even though, I cannot create unflagged vias with my MapSource, the unflag utility does work great.

I had a tomtom and it was great. A friend told me to get the nuvi instead,so I switch. I like the accuracy better,but amd really having a hard time with poi's . The tomtom was easy for poi's and the sounded off easily. Walmart/flying j / Ta / Pilot /Petro / Loves . With the garmin, I am really having a hard time with them showing up or sounding off. I can get the rest areas to do it all teh time. I tried setting the prox to 5500ft and 7000ft, but no luck What am I doing wrong ?

When I send just a plain section of map from mapsource to my SD card,I don't know how to get my nuvi 750 to read it from the SD,the nuvi seems not to recognize the file type that is put on the SD card by mapsource, and I know the file is on SD card for sure I manually open card to make sure that file is there.Any suggestions???

Thanks,

What maps are you sending from MapSource to your SD card?

If they are the same as the maps that are preloaded, you 1) don't need to do that and 2) should not do that because it can cause conflicts.

If the maps something else and are Garmin compatible, the nuvi will read them automatically. Go to Settings > Map > Map Info and be sure they are checked.

example =I was highlighting some beach sections that I will be visiting,and was trying to save them to SD card just to have for reference while I was there. But as you stated I'm sure the area is already in nuvi 2009 maps. I just thought I could save a short section and nuvi would just open that section on card.

thanks MM.

Yep, the maps are preloaded. What you've got in MapSource is exactly the same as what is on your nuvi. You won't get extra features by sending the maps to your nuvi, and it can sometimes cause conflicts.

The unit is designed to be able to handle the whole map, so there's no need to load a small section.

If you've already done it, you can delete the gmapsupp.img file from the SD card to get rid of them.

thanks a lot MM, I am still a newbie and trying to read and learn,it makes it nice to have someone to help when you kinda get stuck.

Again thanks,MM