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Stephen R Wednesday 12 Jul 2023 21:33:08
I've just discovered this site today and the amount of editing tools available blows away the competition. However, that is IMO completely undermined by how clunky editing a (non auto-plot) route is, to the point where I don't think I would use this over the competition.
In other sites (ViewRanger [rip], OutdoorActive, OS Maps, etc) to move a point you do this:
- Drag point
On this site you have to:
- Enable Reshape Route mode
- Add an anchor before point to be edited
- Add an anchor after point to be edited
- Add an anchor on point to be edited
- Drag point
- Click Finish
I think this could be improved by having an option to auto-add anchor points when clicking on a vertex (this is assuming a route with no auto-plot). An anchor would be auto-added to the vertex you clicked and to the preceding and following vertices. Then the process could be simplified to:
- Enable Reshape Route mode
- Drag point (hovering over a point/vertex changes it to show an anchor symbol, mousedown then adds the three anchors automatically, mousemove makes the edit, then mouseup would remove the auto-anchors).
- Click Finish
You could still click in the middle of a line to add a new anchor-point but for editing existing points you just need to drag them.
Thanks (and sorry if I'm misunderstanding how editing a route works, I did watch the help video!).
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Willy Van Driessche Monday 17 Jul 2023 07:26:03
"In other sites (ViewRanger [rip]"
Alive and well ;-) Find an example.
https://youtu.be/Pk6UbzArwRI
By right click select add Via or Shaping point.
Both types are reference points @ recalculation.
Viapoint @ navigate is announced a shaping point not.
Free to add a custom via point name (TTS announced).
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Willy Van Driessche Monday 17 Jul 2023 09:08:02
Once you have finished your edit, save the result as a simple gpx navigation track.
You later import it back 100% faithfully very quickly and simply continue an edit.
With the Android version, this works identical and you navigate 100% faithfully as designed.
This Cruiser gpx navigation track export is also perfectly importable into Locus map.
The simple reconstruction by a gpx navtrack is possibly attractive for Plotaroute?
An example of an import into the Cruiser desktop version.
And an example of a gpz file import in the Locus map.
Locus import gpz navigation track
By a zipped gpx file so you can add additional information.
This track offers navigation and images and functions offline.
This is a realisation using a manually compiled file.
So for now this is not offered by any existing web planner.
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plotaroute admin Monday 17 Jul 2023 09:53:40
Thanks for that suggestion Stephen and for your additional comments Willy.
The vast majority of routes on Plotaroute are plotted using the Auto-Plot feature, so I'm not sure that automatically adding anchor points at vertices would be helpful or practical, as routes are normally made up of a very large number of vertices to ensure that the route follows roads or paths. However, your suggestion has prompted an idea that we may be able to look at - we could possibly introduce an button to automatically add anchor points at the locations of each of the directions, if the route has directions, or at all vertices, if the route doesn't have directions. This would be an optional feature, as it may often be preferable to add anchor points yourself. We'll have a think about that. Thanks again for your feedback.
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Willy Van Driessche Tuesday 18 Jul 2023 08:19:33
Hi John.
It is thus that you place successive planner point positions between which the autorouter does its "thing".
The placed planner points are commonly called shaping points and provided "promotion" into via points.
Start and end are always via points. In navigation, shaping points are not announced, via points are.
To stay in the Plotaroute terminology, you can define them here so as "anchor points" variants.
You can so immediately add or remove "anchor points" to which the autorouting then responds.
This allows for faster edits than by the currently rather cumbersome extra method offered.
The sheduler "anchor points" can contain a free name, free cmt, free sym, and defined either type Shaping or Via.
The anchor points are to be kept in the Plotaroute database and therefore will stay available in the planner.
Exported as standard gpx (trk) track, this shaping or via info is then completely lost.
The display of the calculated track serves only for visual display and tracking on the map.
Optionally, "anchor points" and calculated turn points can be attached as gpx (wpt) waypoints.
Exported as gpx navigation (trk) track, shaping and via and turn points are discretely included.
The navtrack display in a non adapted existing program is identical as using a standard track.
But all data are preserved and you can even re-import this navigation track 100% faitfully later.
Besides the track display you navigate inclusive TBT by the attached shaping via and turn info.
Exported as standard gpx (rte) route, shaping and via point (no turn) are the route points.
A 'foreign' router engine will then regenerate a track between the routepoints.
Given the different routing rules, this almost differs from the Plotaroute results.
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Willy Van Driessche Wednesday 19 Jul 2023 08:57:00
By the way....
Good and sure a nice tutorial shown by the mobile application.
By the website (Add single anchor point) in 10 seconds?
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Mark Worthington Wednesday 19 Jul 2023 09:09:06
Yes, reshaping can be done on the mobile, but boy, it can be hard & frustrating getting it to recognise your finger press when trying to add an anchor!
Incredibly easy on the PC, though. -
plotaroute admin Wednesday 19 Jul 2023 09:33:19
Yes, I agree Mark it's more tricky on a smaller screen without a mouse. Personally I always prefer working on a larger screen for intricate work like editing routes, as it's the sort of task that lends itself better to a large screen. Always open to suggestions though! I think the idea of an "Auto-Add Anchors" button may help, but we've got to squeeze that extra button in somewhere too!
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Mark Worthington Wednesday 19 Jul 2023 10:46:19
It would be great if we could use the "cross-hairs" to add an anchor, ie use the cross-hairs for both plotting and adding anchors. Of course, we'd need a button to change its function, but that would be ideal.
What do you think?!
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Willy Van Driessche Wednesday 19 Jul 2023 13:50:06
Good suggestion. Mobile and cross-hair use is obvious.
Better to place quietly and accurately, than too quickly but sloppily.
An example shown by the mobile Cruiser version.
https://youtube.com/shorts/KkwNfZso7oY
Better first place the Shaping point on the track. Then move it wherever you wish it to be.
This way you are assured that the Shaping point is sure applied in the correct serial order.
