How do you orient your map?

 

I find that I like to set my map to have North UP and not the other two options - 3D or car going up all the time.

If North is up I am less likely to get confused as to where I am heading... but how do you like it?

Ike with a Nuvi 350

Page 1>>

Track Up

I find I use the Track Up view almost all the time. It gives me the most informaiton.

Occasionally on a long trip I get into a confusing area and I switch to North Up to orient myself to the area.

I bought my GPS thinking I would love the 3D view but I find it to be a novelty. It distorts the distance to your next turn and is does not offer a good view in ramps in large freeway interchanges.

--
Garmin Nuvi 750 & c530 with RT's vol. mod., Vulcan Nomad

Track Up always :)

nt

--
"You can't get there from here"

I almost always use North

I almost always use North up.

Track Up

Track up. The Army, orienteering and marine navigation suggest track up. Using a GPS in a moving car is distracted driving. I often get only a quick glance at the unit. Just like you can get the time at a quick glance at a watch with hands, so I get a quicker sense of the next turn if it is oriented to the way I'm facing. Works for me anyhow.

--
Steve

#D

I like the 3D look..

--
Bobkz - Garmin Nuvi 3597LMTHD/2455LMT/C530/C580- "Pain Is Fear Leaving The Body - Semper Fidelis"

I used to always use north

I used to always use north up when I used my Etrex Vista in the car, but now that I have my Nuvi I use track up and have decided I like that better.

Greg

--
Nuvi 660 & Etrex Vista

Track up

I hear ya about distance - but it does (at least Nuvi350) zoom in and out appropriately. As someone above said though - when scoping out the area, I'll sometimes tap on it just to see the big picture, but when rolling, its always on track.

Track up

...but my girls prefer 3D when they are riding with me. They prefer hearing "Karen from Australia" as well...

maybe I will try trackup a bit more!

Some good points about this, thanks! I will have to try trackup some more. I use one of those small 3d triangular shapes as my current location (it requires less space than some of the other models) and can find it quickly, but this is still pretty new to me, so will keep trying different approaches.

Track Up

Track Up

--
Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

Track Up!

Track up all the way - it autozooms in/out - two voice message alerts before the turn, on screen time/distance to turn and destination - I'm autopilot all the way with this setup.

--
___________________ Garmin 2455, 855, Oregon 550t

3-D

I'm currently using 3-D, i'm interested in trying Track Up though. My sense of direction is crappy that's why I use 3-D. Yup, i'm going to set it up on my gps and see how that works out.

I meant to say eariler, but

I meant to say eariler, but forgot, that 3D seems like it is harder to see what is up ahead. And I hate those big white arrows when turning.

--
Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

Track Up

Track up...... My pea-brain has a better time with the turns that way......

Joel

--
"Sometimes, when I look at my children, I wish I had remained a virgin". Lillian Carter (Mother of Jimmy Carter)

well, I will use 3d when...

the buildings and trees and road are all there in front of me on the map! But. I don't think the technology will be there for a while.

smile

How do you orient your map?

I have been using 3D, but I think I will try the other options for awhile.

--
Not doing anything worth a darn.

Track up.

I use track up because I get less distracted. I mean I just can't see myself going south and looking Nuvi at north smile

I like to see where I am going and making turn.

3D or Track UP

I look at maps frequently and would feel lost without one of the area in which I am. I am new to GPS usage and have already discovered that I prefer the Track up or 3D (same thing as far as I can see) setting. The reason is that I see the cross street names or what is along the side of the freeway as I travel. It makes it simpler to orient one's self on the fly without having to stop and review the map. These devices are much more than I imagined and I imagine they have a world of potential.

--
Garmin DriveSmart™ 65 & Traffic in Bakersfield, CA

3D

I've always used 3D, but now you have me thinking I should try Track UP.

--
Garmin StreetPilot c530, Mapsource

3D

I like the 3D view. I can see your point with the north up view. I get confused with the right and left turn, therefore the 3D view works good for me.

I think that it boils down

I think that it boils down to the fact of personal preference.

--
Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

hi

i like with the route up as some times there is a split of road and you know correctly you should take the right side or left side and its easy to see street names as they pass by you and you are never lost

Interesting !!!!!!!

I use "Track up" when I am travelling highway - I think it gives me better distance perspective . When I am driving twisty rural roads I prefer
"3-D" !
Personal choice again - eyes of the beholder !

--
MrKenFL- "Money can't buy you happiness .. But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery." NUVI 260, Nuvi 1490LMT & Nuvi 2595LMT all with 2014.4 maps !

Track Up - 2D View

Track Up - 2D View

I may use track up from habit as that is what I have always used. I like track up because it it very easy to glance at the GPS and decide if I need to turn left or right. In the North up view it requires you to concentrate on the scree for a moment longer to determine which way you want to go.

Also, the 3d view although cool, just didn't do it for me. I like the 2d map mode myself.

--
Mark Ball Ground, GA

Always used

Track Up on my GPS V, but I'm quite taken with the 3D view on the 550. The unit is only a couple of weeks old, and I will be using it seriously for the first time this coming week far from home, so I may go back to Track Up. Old habits and all.

--
Garmin c550

Track up, mmm ...

I've always used 3D, thought it was better. Never tried Track up. But after reading the comments here. I'm going to give it a try.

--
HarveyS - Nuvi 350

Just tried Track UP, but prefer 3D

Maybe because I've used it for so long, but after just trying the TRACK UP, I found I prefer 3D. I just need it to tell me where to turn and guide me. 3D leaves little question.

BTW, now I know what you mean by the vehicle being too large. I never saw that as a problem in 3D mode.

--
Garmin StreetPilot c530, Mapsource

lag issues

I find in track up mode the vehicle icon wants to continue on its current path when I have already turned. In 3D I noticed the vehicle turns when I do, however, in 3D when traveling down a highway at 70mph there is a noticable lag in the updating of the display. i.e. I am 100 feet past a turn when the display shows me right at the turn.

Icon position in turns

I have tired all of the custom car icons but always go back to the basic diamond. I also use it it track up mode 95% of the time. It gives me a better map view of roads and lakes in the area and I find that interesting. Also in 3D, it is hard to distinguish off ramps in freeway interchanges because they are so close togther.

In track up, the GPS makes the turn when the bottom edge of the diamond reaches the turn. Once I raalized that it was no longer an annoyance.

--
Garmin Nuvi 750 & c530 with RT's vol. mod., Vulcan Nomad

How Do you Orient your Maps

Well,

Depends on how much I had! LOL

Map Orientation?

Track up on the highway, but 3D in the city or close up. I don't look at the map at all when I'm approaching a turn anymore. The "distance to turn" readout is much more accurate than graphics, and when there are 2 roads close together, the distance will guide you to the right one every time.

--

3d

love the way it tracks

I use track up. I like to

I use track up.
I like to see the upcoming streets.

UP

I track up. Seem more intuitive to me.

Jhason

Orient Map

Map, North Up
GPS unit, 3D Normal view

I seem to be in the minority.

I seem to be in the minority. Being a map addict, I prefer North Up as if I'm reading a road map.

I never got into orienting road maps. I only do that with topo maps. Harder to read road names upside down and sideways.

--
><> Glenn <>< Garmin nüvi 2598

I personally don't care

I personally don't care which way I am going(ie, north), but I do care what is in front of me and my next turn, so track up seems to fit my needs the best.

--
Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

Track Up take ....

I tried all the settings...could not stand north up and changed it in <15 minutes. Maybe I didn't give it long enough. 3-D was ok, but I didn't feel it gave me enough information about the surrounding area I was driving through.

I like the track up for several reasons - and most have already been stated. Since it changes as my van turns, then I always know where to look and how the screen will display upcoming turns(unlike the north up). The 3-D view didn't show the surrounding areas of the map as much, so I didn't always know where I was at in my mind. On the highway I like to have it zoomed out quite a bit...

I think a lot of it depends on how you process directions. My wife and mom prefer the 3-d as it "looks" more like real life...and they drive by landmarks, not by a map in the head smile

Daniel

--
Garmin StreetPilot c580 & Nuvi 760 - Member 32160 - Traveling in Kansas

I will give Track Up another try.

I will give Track Up another try. I don't like 3D mode, though I use it when navigating for my wife to help her with tricky or confusing intersections.

--
><> Glenn <>< Garmin nüvi 2598

IMO, 3D is a useless and

IMO, 3D is a useless and confusing "feature".

--
Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

I like the track-up view. I

I like the track-up view. I have only had my nuvi for a few days so it's gunna take some time to test some things out.

3D

icurus101 wrote:

the buildings and trees and road are all there in front of me on the map! But. I don't think the technology will be there for a while.

They're getting there. Have you seen Navigon's "reality view"

Check out the screen shots at
http://www.navigon.com/site/us/en/products_us/7100

--
Garmin Etrex Vista, Streetpilot 2610, GPSMap 60Csx, Nüvi 750, Colorado 400t, Nüvi 3790t

Track Up

I've always been a track up person, however on my last unit (2610) the 3D option was a joke. All that displayed was a grid with the road you are on snaking off into the distance and nothing else. Never unstood it. Maybe my unit had problems. So, now that I have a 3D mode that makes sense I've been using it....however I'm betting that the novelty will wear off and I will be back to track up soon.

--
Garmin Etrex Vista, Streetpilot 2610, GPSMap 60Csx, Nüvi 750, Colorado 400t, Nüvi 3790t

Wow!! That is super cool.

Wow!! That is super cool.

--
><> Glenn <>< Garmin nüvi 2598

Mode

I don't think that's the 3D mode, just a notification of an upcoming turn, but it sure makes it clear what lanes you should stay in at the split.

--
Garmin Etrex Vista, Streetpilot 2610, GPSMap 60Csx, Nüvi 750, Colorado 400t, Nüvi 3790t

How do you get that type of screenshot?

quackinup wrote:
icurus101 wrote:

the buildings and trees and road are all there in front of me on the map! But. I don't think the technology will be there for a while.

They're getting there. Have you seen Navigon's "reality view"

Check out the screen shots at
http://www.navigon.com/site/us/en/products_us/7100

I played with a navigon at Best buy but couldn't ever see a screenshot like that (even when I was in 3D mode).

--
Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

track up!! i tried north up

track up!! i tried north up and i kept going on circles... smile

--
juvethski

3D for me

Usually use 3D unless I am trying to find a point on the map to go to. But from reading these posts I will have to go back and see if I like either Track Up or North Up again.

J

--
Nuvi 350 v5.0 NTNAv7

Screens

asianfire wrote:

I played with a navigon at Best buy but couldn't ever see a screenshot like that (even when I was in 3D mode).

Yeah, that fits what I thought. I'm sure it's just an "upcoming turn" screen and not a map mode. They probably have a set of canned screens with the right number of lanes and just paste the route number/name in the sign. But knowing what lanes you can be in when on a large freeway would be nice.

--
Garmin Etrex Vista, Streetpilot 2610, GPSMap 60Csx, Nüvi 750, Colorado 400t, Nüvi 3790t

Yeah, the Navigon "Reality

Yeah, the Navigon "Reality View" is only in certain cities and at certain highway interchanges. The major ones, I guess. Don't expect to be in "Reality View" all the time. I'm guessing it will be very limited and of little use for the people not living in the "select cities" at first...

So far, the Navigons haven't been getting such great reviews overall.

--
Newest to oldest... Nüvi 660, Street Pilot 2720, Magellan SporTrak Pro, Lowrance Global Map 100
Page 1>>