MapFactor Forum

71North

It is very unconvenient to enter waypoints as a target when you don't have a correct address.
Or you just have coordinates.
Therefore it would be great to import waypoints contained in a gpx file.
(And after a trip export waypoints as gpx file.)
All my other devices, my android apps, and my windows programs understand this format and could then exchange data with MapFactor.

Sorry, if this feature is already implemented and I am to blind to find it.
But all I've found is a display/replay feature of gpx data copied to gpx folder. Waypoints in these files are not treated as targets (stored in My places).

tomas

copy your GPX files to folder.../navigator/gpx

anmack

I have tried numerous times to copy a GPX file to exactly that folder. While I can "view on map" it, I can "replay" it. I cannot NAVIGATE it.

chattiewoman

Use the map view to set routing points (or at least the final target point) manually. Then you can navigate.

anmack

All it seems to do is navigate from where I am, to that point, but ignores the route (copied into the /navigator/gpx folder) that I actually want navigation for.

tomas

could you please explain how would you navigate using GPX?
it could be anywhere, in mountains where no roads are.

anmack

I'm trying to load a GPX file that I downloaded following roads in Ontario, Canada. These are routes created by others, would be nice to be able to utilize them.

tomas

yes, but gpx trail can be anywhere and roads do change
I just do not know how would Navigator decide what to follow, GPX or roads?

I think way to do it is to display GPX on map and create a few waypoints

anmack

OK

hvdwolf

Note that the GPX format has 3 sub-standards: track, waypoint and route.
If Navigator could read a route file and/or a waypoint file to use the points as waypoints for a route it would be excellent. A route or waypoint file "normally" contains some 3-25 points, like normal waypoints you would set inside the application.
A GPX track file (sometimes containing over 2000-300 points) could simply be rendered. Choose a color for the track (not the same as the routing color) and simply "plot" it on the screen. A user could simply decide to follow the track.
And Thomas' remark about the: "how to navigate in case the points are "no roads" points": Too bad for the user. He/she should deliver a good file. It's the same as putting a waypoint (or favorite) somewhere in the middle of nowhere: you can't use that either.

andrew_james_heard

Hi Tomas - I totally agree with hvdwolf and anmack. You say "I just do not know how would Navigator decide what to follow, GPX or roads" however all the Garmin GPS units can import a GPX file and navigate along the route. My old Garmin HCx Vista can do this basic function. This is very important for me too. I would like to be able to load a GPX file that someone else has created, maybe an existing route from RideWithGps.com, MapMyRides.com, or Garmin BaseCamp for example, and then be able to have navigation work in exactly the same way as if I had planned the route within the app itself. I am trying to find a GPS app to replace my hardware GPS, and this is often how a route is loaded.

As a separate but related question when a GPX file is displayed at present the track with is very narrow, and almost impossible to see. Is there a setting to increase the width of displayed tracks and/or the color?

tomas

so what does Ga4rmin do when it cannot follow GPX?

Dave

I love to use this program but not being able to read a gpx file it drops back to the second tier apps.

I create LONG trips on my computer to be able to move to my phone and follow them.

andrew_james_heard

Simpy draw a straight line between the two GPX way points if there is no route to follow.

tomas

Navigator draws straight line between two points, but I think that Dave wants to navigate along GPX file. My question is what happens if this is not possible (streets missing or closed...)

hvdwolf

@Dave: Use Route Importer to import your routes. Make sure though that you import route or waypoint gpx files if you really want to use them for navigation, not track files with 1000+ points.

If you simply want to see the gpx track and follow it, you can simply copy it into /Android/data/com.mapfactor.navigator/files/navigator/gpx. Then you can simply open it and follow it.

tomas

with the latest version you can click a GPX file and select Navigator

hvdwolf

"with the latest version you can click a GPX file and select Navigator"
Which version (1.4.43?) and where (file manager?) and how?

tomas

yes, just click a gpx file in file manager
I use X-plore - once I click on a gpx file, I have to select *.* and only then Navigator

hvdwolf

That does not work for me. The initial steps work OK.
I can select a gpx file, navigator opens with the correct file and requests to import all (and mentions also "show only"), and then nothing...
It is not displayed, there is no route info, it is not in my routes and neither in my favourites, it is not appearing in the gpx folder (checked that as well).
I forgot to create a "bug report" but this happened before and it really puzzled me what the intentention was of this "import".

tomas

once you click Import Navigator should take you to GPX page and then you can display it
works for me

hvdwolf

Well, it does not. Not with "external" gpx files and neither with mapfactors own recorded files.
I wanted to send the log files, but they are completely empty w.r.t. this import, even with debugging set to high, so they are useless for debugging.

Edit: And the strange thing is that another navigation app does import the gpx files: both the external ones as well as the mapfactor recorded ones.

tomas

may be someone else can try it, it works for me

Uli

I use ES file explorer, click on the GPX file and select Navigator in the opening menu. Then I get a display GPX File import which shows the partial(?) content of the GPX file. All I can do here is select abort or import. I chose import. Then the Favorites display appears with a new entry .gpx. I can click on it and it shows obviously 2 waypoints which I can select to show on the map. That's all I can do here.
Additionally the imported GPX appears in tools/replay GPS data under GPX. I can select it here and say show on map and the GPX route is displayed in the map.
But it is not useable for navigation.
So all this is almost the same as when I just copy the GPX file into navigator's gxp folder and select replay GPX file.

Is this what it is supposed to do?

BTW I used 1.3.43, haven't seen the above mentioned 1.4.43 anywhere.

tomas

yes, that is what it is supposed to do
can you use that gpx route for navigation?

Uli

No.
It only shows the track as a thin brown line.
When I try to navigate, it says: you must select a target first.

hvdwolf

Note that I have 4 options to chose from when I tap a gpx file, because I have 4 apps that know how to handle gpx files from which Navigator is one but can't handle the gpx file: any gpx file.

I tried track files, route files and waypoint files from several sources. The other 3 apps simply import the gpx files when opened from a file manager, navigator doesn't: not even its own recorded (and for testing also renamed) gpx tracks. It can read the gpx files when opening it from the Tools->Record/Replay/Manages GPS files, but not when opening from a file manager. I also tried from several locations (you never know), but that doesn't make a difference.
I tried with File Manager! and the default android file file manager.

tomas

email logs, someone will look at them tomorrow

Uli

I used GPX recordings from oruxmaps i made on biketrips.

hvdwolf

Hi Tomas,

I already mentioned earlier that I wanted to send the logs. I had the debugging level at high but nothing was written to it. It only has 4 lines of text:
2014-11-09 17:21:34: Notifications service started
2014-11-09 17:21:34: Application version: 1.3.43
2014-11-09 17:21:35: Notifications thread started
2014-11-09 17:21:35: Notifications thread finished (disabled from settings)

That's all.

tomas

this is notification log, there will be navigator log as well
just go to Settings and click Send logs

hvdwolf

I was mistaken indeed. I had the sorting wrong in the log folder.
I just sent the navigator logs now and mentioned in the text that it was on your request.

andrew_james_heard

Tomas asked "I think that Dave wants to navigate along GPX file. My question is what happens if this is not possible (streets missing or closed...)" - I say again, if there is no navigable route between two points just draw a straight line.

Tomas said "can you use that gpx route for navigation?"

Uli said "No. It only shows the track as a thin brown line."

In relation to this I created a topic a few weeks ago asking whether the "thin brown line" could be made wider - it is too narrow to view if you want to follow an existing track for navigation. hwdwolf mentioned the styles.xml file, but that is very error prone/ not very user friendly. I have heaps of GPX files containing saved cycling tracks. They are very difficult to view when loaded. I'm not expecting route turn voice instructions, just wanting to better see the line like the width of a "route line" if I travel the same track again.

Dave

Gentlemen,

Sorry for not getting back to this sooner. (I was off shore with limited or no connectivity)

Hvdwolf Thank you for your suggestion on the Route Importer, In time I will try that.

Andrew_james Thanks for the help.

I can import the GPX File yes.

The GPS was made from Furkot or Google Maps or Downloaded from one of the members of ADVRIDER.

This trip will be in 3 states that I have little or no familiarity with so I am using the tools above. All of these states are in the mountain's of Colorado, Montana and Wyoming.

I have tried using route converter and ITN for the routes from both of the above programs. Yes it brings in the points and waypoints but no route to follow, only the thin line as was mentioned above.

For this trip I will not be able to take my eyes off of the mountain roads to check my position vs the next point. I will have to have voice instructions.

If you wish I can send a gpx file from one of the routes that I have set up.

Thank you all for the support and help.

Dave

stavrich

To Dave

I use mapfactor mainly to follow my own gpx routes.

My suggestion is to convert the tracks to routes with a very low number of waypoints. MapFactor should calculate the route from waypoint to waypoint

If your tracks have a high number of waypoints will need to be converted to routes - I use RouteCoverter to do this. RouteConverted has build-in methods of reducing the number of waypoints - you will need to experiment on this.

Your waypoints must be in key locations to force Mapfactor to calculate the route to your satisfaction - that is if you want to follow a specific road or visit a place you point a waypoint in that area.

Save the file as gpx 1.1 format.

Save it in your gpx folder on your device

Use Route Importer to transfer to your places

Load your route from your places and navigate or run a simulation and you should have voice navigation

Hope this helps and I will be happy to convert one of your GPX files

Dave

I will give that a try Thank You.

Enjoy your Holiday!

Dave

stavrich

On average I usually reduce the waypoints from 3000 to about 20-30 or even less.

Let me know how it goes........ and happy to see other people using Mapfactor Navigator the same way as me

Dave

I am not exactly doing it yet, I am giving it a go.

I find it much easier to sit here at home with a coffee and map out and perhaps dream a bit of

my trip next summer.

Now if I can only get it into the program I will be all set.

Till the next time I have a bright idea of something new i want to see.

saco

What is the gpx folder on a windows pc?

crocodilefarm

gpx is only supported in Android-version. In Win with NavigatorFree and on WinCE-Version you can just use nmea.

You have to convert your gpx-files with Digger into mca-files to show your route on the maps.

saco

thank you

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