Import to watch as -FIT file to get rid of directions!FORUMS HOME SEARCH FORUMS

Hey Plotaroute folks,

It feels like there is a limitation around the sync to Garmin functionality, I have a few 'Bookmarked' routes in my profile, and the only way I see to sync them to my Garmin is to edit and create my version of the route, which if I'm honest seems a long-winded way of doing it. Is there any way to directly sync a bookmarked course, or have I missed something?

If there isn't a way to do this other than the above, could I perhaps put this as a feature request for consideration? So that when you sync from a bookmarked page it adds the route to 'My Routes' as a copy, therefore avoiding the possibility of a nasty 'surprise' when I'm out for my run/ride/hike and relying on my Garmin?

By no means a complaint of any sort, I feel this would be extremely useful for existing users to take out a step in the process that could be automated.

Hi,

did you read this page?

how do i move a bookmarked route to my routes to start the transfer to garmin

I do not have a settings page on my Garmin Connect. This is far too technical and a lot of hassle.

Nothing has changed at our end Nigel, but maybe Garmin Connect has changed. As far as I know the Garmin's API that we use for our Garmin Sync process still doesn't support turn arrow coursepoints, so I think we exclude directions with this, but when you import a route to Garmin Connect it will presumably prcoess whatever coursepoints are in the file being imported. I wasn't aware that had changed. 

Has something changed here recently!?

I've been in the habit of just exporting my routes and copying them via a wire to NEWFILES on Garmin to retain directions etc.

BUT - today whilst creating an event/race on Garmin, I imported a route into Garmin Connect on Web, and noticed it had retained all my manual directions I added on Plotaroute. (the arrows became something generic, but the text labels were retained)...looking at the Map on my Watch after the event has synced, I can see the direction text labels are retained there after a sync too.

Does this mean we can now do a totally wireless sync of Plotaroute routes that INCLUDE our manual directions? 😊 (and just need to use manual copy to NEWFILES if we want the extra features of direction arrow and other pop-up icon support?).

Hi Adam - the Garmin API doesn't enable us to send coursepoints with turn arrows, so custom directions cannot be transferred using the Garmin Sync feature I'm afraid.

I've noticed that if I use the custom directions as waypoints for Up Ahead. -- it works a treat if i download the route as a FIT file and copy to /Garmin/NewFiles it works a treat, but if you use the starred sync option the names of the Up Ahead points are replaced with their types..

So if for example I plot a route and create a Up Ahead point for a Summit called Pen Y Fan - using the direct FIT copy works a treat, but if I use the Garmin Premium Sync in Connect and on the watch it shows with a name of Summit

Well darn.  I just upgraded to premium and was hoping to use this feature.  But having the Garmin directions instead of my own is not useful to me.  I may still play with it a bit to see if there's any benefit at all.  I know the Garmin APIs are woefully inadequate, so not blaming the developers here at all.  Having written ConnectIQ apps for Garmin devices myself, and knowing how slow they are to fix things, I wouldn't count on the behavior changing any time soon (if ever).

If its a Garmin watch you have, export from plotaroute with fit file format and you will get longer names on waypoints (course points).

Copy file to watch with cable to newfiles folder or if you have an Android mobile, use gexporter ciq to wirelessly transfer it.

I'm not sure what you mean by "Key waypoints" Darren. Do you mean waypoint names. These are truncated to ensure compatability with GPS devices. 

Hi. is there a character maximum for Key waypoints? My route displays correctly on plotaroute but after exporting the Route as a GPX file, I find that on the device the route is there but the Key waypoints are only a few characters long.

N.b I tried exporting the file as a TCX file and then exporting it from Garmin connect but even then the Key waypoints are stripped out. The original creation was in OS maps online, a UK based programme that has recently changed the quality of their GPX export files annoyingly!

Cheers

Darren, 

Hi Philip - you need to be on your My Routes page (select My Routes from the menus). There is a star symbol that you can click on in the list of routes, assuming you're  using the desktop site. On the mobile site you'll need to select the route from the My Routes page first, then you'll get some options that include the star.

We have further details in our guide on How To Sync Your Routes to Garmin.

so I paid for the premium version to easily transfer courses to my Garmin 1030. The directions indicate to star a course...but I only see a heart. Help. 

Thanks for this feedback Johan. Unfortunately Garmin's API doesn't currently offer any way for us to send our own route directions, but we're hoping that this will be something they add in a future update. In the meantime, you would need to use the manaul file transfer methods to transfer any directions saved with your route. 

Love the Garmin integration but to be really useful for me there needs to be a way to get rid of the directions that garmin adds to all imported files.

The manual way to do this is to export the cousrse as a fit file and maually add it to the watch, and bypass the creation of directions. leaving the manually added POI/Nav points