Nightrider70
Senior Member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2011
- Bikes
- DRZ400SM
Rather than using mapsource I prefer to use a software called "Route Converter". I believe it is a one stop shop for most Zumo users. It is 100% free, no strings attached. It is a program written in java and comes compiled for PC, MAC, UNIX and a pure java version. For it to run it needs java but most computers have that already and if not it is free. The program does not require installation, just download it from http://www.routeconverter.de/releases/en and place it on your desktop and run it. You can also place an extra copy on the Zumo so that you can run the program from your Zumo if you do not have access to your own computer. Route Converter does not use any maps stored locally on your computer but rather online maps such as Google maps, Google earth and various renderings of openstreetmap. You can run more than one instance of the program and copy and paste between the instances. This program can read and write a huge number of formats because it incorporates GPSbabel, you could actually call it an extensive GUI for GPSbabel. If you have a particular version of GPSbabel you like you can have routeconverter use it by pointing to it in the options menu.
Pros:
It is 100% free and legal.
No installation required.
Platform independent.
Portable.
You do not have to install or update any maps.
Reads and writes any format GPSbabel can.
Cons:
You can not make any use of it off-line.
It can not view maps in Garmin format.
When creating/viewing a route the route will appear as google maps want it to be and not as your GPS may route it. Use many via points to avoid unexpected behavior.
Start route converter by double-click on the program. On the left side you see a map. Up in the right corner of the map you can select map type. "Satellite" is Google earth, "Map" is Google maps, "Mapnik" is the most popular rendering of openstreetmap. Map type can be changed at any time.
On the right panel, up to the right, you can select what type of file you want, waypoint list, track or route. This can be changed at any time.
Create waypoints
Select waypoint list and your preferred map type. Scroll and zoom the map until you find the place you want to save. To scroll you press and hold your the mouse button and drag the map when the mouse pointer points anywhere on the map. To zoom you use the scroll wheel on your mouse or the slide on the top-left corner of the map. Press and hold ctrl and then left-click with the mouse on the spot you want to save. Repeat for all places you want to save. In the right panel there is a list with the POIs you save. By default your POIs will be given names from Google maps, I find this feature annoying but it can be turned off. Go to Extras->options in the top menu. At "Number positions with pattern" select "numbers only" to turn it off.
If you double-click on an item in the list you can change the name of it, this name will show on the GPS. If you select a POI by clicking on an item in the list to the right or clicking on it on the map you can move it by click and hold on the red pin on the map.
Create route
To add a route you click on the button with a folder and a star. Once you add a second list the "Position list" pull down menu above the buttons becomes active and you can select which list you want to view, but keep it as is for now. Select "Route" for type. Select "Map" (Google map) for map. If you click on the button with a pen you can name/re-name the route, this name will show on the GPS.
Select a starting point, via points and an end point just like you selected POIs before by pressing and holding ctrl and left click with the mouse. You can add as many via points you want by selecting more points on the map. You can reorder the points by selecting one or more points and press the buttons with up and down arrows at the bottom of the list. You can grab and drag the route the same way as on Google maps.
Create track
To add a track you click on the button with a folder and a star. Select "Track" for type. Selected points by pressing and holding ctrl and left click with the mouse. If you click on the button with a pen you can name/re-name the track, this name will show on the GPS. If you select a point by clicking on an item in the list to the right or clicking on it on the map you can move it by click and hold on the red pin on the map. You can reorder the points by selecting one or more points and press the buttons with up and down arrows at the bottom of the list.
Create a track from google route
You can convert a route to a track if you click on "Positionlist" in the main menu and select "Convert Route to track", the program will then fill in points along the route and call it a track.
Transfer data to Zumo
Connect your Zumo to your computer via USB and wait until the Zumo is recognized. Click on File in the top menu and save as. Select garmin\gpx folder and gpx1.1 format and save under suitable name.
Observe you should copy to the Zumo's internal memory and not any memory card. When you turn the Zumo on it will ask if you want to import data and you select yes. If you select no or only import parts of the data you can import it later by going to tools->my data->import in the zumo menu. If you import a track you have two options, "Trip Logs" and "Off Road Tracks". If you select "Trip Logs" the Zumo will do it's best to fit your track to the map you have in the Zumo and pretty much make it a route. If there are no road on the map close to where the track runs, it will go off road. If you select "Off Road Tracks" your track will appear on the screen just as you made it but it will not be routable, hence no turn-by-turn instrutions.
Share with others
If you want to send the file to a friend who uses Google earth then simply select kml or kmz format and save it on your computer and email it.
In the right panel there are two tabs "convert" and "browse". So far we have used "convert". under the "browse" tab there is a bunch of shared folders that can be used to store and share files online if desired.
Cool copy and paste feature
If you copy coordinates written in some text, like this forum, you can then paste it into a POI list in routeconverter. For example, Alexandra mentioned a guesthouse Cambodia at N13 31.925 E105 57.914. If you copy "N13 31.925 E105 57.914" with ctrl+c and then hit paste in routeconverter the POI will be added to the list you have open.
Transfer a route between Zumo and TomTom
To transfer a route between a Zumo and a TomTom you connect both GPS to your computer via USB.
From Zumo:Open the current.gpx file in the garmin/gpx folder on the Zumo. Selcet the route you want to copy over and then save it in "Tom Tom 8 route" format in the itn folder on the TomTom. The file name you save it under will be the route (itinerary) name shown on the TomTom.
From TomTom: Open a .itn file in the itn folder on the TomTom with Routeconverter. These files only contains one route each. Save the file in gpx1.1 format in the garmin/gpx folder on the Zumo. Disconnect Zumo and import route.
Transfer a route between MS/BC and TomTom
Connect TomTom to your computer via USB.
From MS/BC: Export the route from BC, MS does not seem to have a export to gpx feature. Open the resulting gpx file with Routeconverter. For every route there will be one route and one track with the same names. Select the route format of the route you want to transfer to Tom Tom. Save it in "Tom Tom 8 Route" format in the TomTom's itn folder. The file name you save it under will be the route (itinerary) name shown on the TomTom.
From TomTom: Open a .itn file in the itn folder on the TomTom with Routeconverter. These files only contains one route each. Save the file in gpx1.1 format somewhere on your computer. Import the resulting gpx file into MS/BC.
Pros:
It is 100% free and legal.
No installation required.
Platform independent.
Portable.
You do not have to install or update any maps.
Reads and writes any format GPSbabel can.
Cons:
You can not make any use of it off-line.
It can not view maps in Garmin format.
When creating/viewing a route the route will appear as google maps want it to be and not as your GPS may route it. Use many via points to avoid unexpected behavior.
Start route converter by double-click on the program. On the left side you see a map. Up in the right corner of the map you can select map type. "Satellite" is Google earth, "Map" is Google maps, "Mapnik" is the most popular rendering of openstreetmap. Map type can be changed at any time.
On the right panel, up to the right, you can select what type of file you want, waypoint list, track or route. This can be changed at any time.
Create waypoints
Select waypoint list and your preferred map type. Scroll and zoom the map until you find the place you want to save. To scroll you press and hold your the mouse button and drag the map when the mouse pointer points anywhere on the map. To zoom you use the scroll wheel on your mouse or the slide on the top-left corner of the map. Press and hold ctrl and then left-click with the mouse on the spot you want to save. Repeat for all places you want to save. In the right panel there is a list with the POIs you save. By default your POIs will be given names from Google maps, I find this feature annoying but it can be turned off. Go to Extras->options in the top menu. At "Number positions with pattern" select "numbers only" to turn it off.
If you double-click on an item in the list you can change the name of it, this name will show on the GPS. If you select a POI by clicking on an item in the list to the right or clicking on it on the map you can move it by click and hold on the red pin on the map.
Create route
To add a route you click on the button with a folder and a star. Once you add a second list the "Position list" pull down menu above the buttons becomes active and you can select which list you want to view, but keep it as is for now. Select "Route" for type. Select "Map" (Google map) for map. If you click on the button with a pen you can name/re-name the route, this name will show on the GPS.
Select a starting point, via points and an end point just like you selected POIs before by pressing and holding ctrl and left click with the mouse. You can add as many via points you want by selecting more points on the map. You can reorder the points by selecting one or more points and press the buttons with up and down arrows at the bottom of the list. You can grab and drag the route the same way as on Google maps.
Create track
To add a track you click on the button with a folder and a star. Select "Track" for type. Selected points by pressing and holding ctrl and left click with the mouse. If you click on the button with a pen you can name/re-name the track, this name will show on the GPS. If you select a point by clicking on an item in the list to the right or clicking on it on the map you can move it by click and hold on the red pin on the map. You can reorder the points by selecting one or more points and press the buttons with up and down arrows at the bottom of the list.
Create a track from google route
You can convert a route to a track if you click on "Positionlist" in the main menu and select "Convert Route to track", the program will then fill in points along the route and call it a track.
Transfer data to Zumo
Connect your Zumo to your computer via USB and wait until the Zumo is recognized. Click on File in the top menu and save as. Select garmin\gpx folder and gpx1.1 format and save under suitable name.
Observe you should copy to the Zumo's internal memory and not any memory card. When you turn the Zumo on it will ask if you want to import data and you select yes. If you select no or only import parts of the data you can import it later by going to tools->my data->import in the zumo menu. If you import a track you have two options, "Trip Logs" and "Off Road Tracks". If you select "Trip Logs" the Zumo will do it's best to fit your track to the map you have in the Zumo and pretty much make it a route. If there are no road on the map close to where the track runs, it will go off road. If you select "Off Road Tracks" your track will appear on the screen just as you made it but it will not be routable, hence no turn-by-turn instrutions.
Share with others
If you want to send the file to a friend who uses Google earth then simply select kml or kmz format and save it on your computer and email it.
In the right panel there are two tabs "convert" and "browse". So far we have used "convert". under the "browse" tab there is a bunch of shared folders that can be used to store and share files online if desired.
Cool copy and paste feature
If you copy coordinates written in some text, like this forum, you can then paste it into a POI list in routeconverter. For example, Alexandra mentioned a guesthouse Cambodia at N13 31.925 E105 57.914. If you copy "N13 31.925 E105 57.914" with ctrl+c and then hit paste in routeconverter the POI will be added to the list you have open.
Transfer a route between Zumo and TomTom
To transfer a route between a Zumo and a TomTom you connect both GPS to your computer via USB.
From Zumo:Open the current.gpx file in the garmin/gpx folder on the Zumo. Selcet the route you want to copy over and then save it in "Tom Tom 8 route" format in the itn folder on the TomTom. The file name you save it under will be the route (itinerary) name shown on the TomTom.
From TomTom: Open a .itn file in the itn folder on the TomTom with Routeconverter. These files only contains one route each. Save the file in gpx1.1 format in the garmin/gpx folder on the Zumo. Disconnect Zumo and import route.
Transfer a route between MS/BC and TomTom
Connect TomTom to your computer via USB.
From MS/BC: Export the route from BC, MS does not seem to have a export to gpx feature. Open the resulting gpx file with Routeconverter. For every route there will be one route and one track with the same names. Select the route format of the route you want to transfer to Tom Tom. Save it in "Tom Tom 8 Route" format in the TomTom's itn folder. The file name you save it under will be the route (itinerary) name shown on the TomTom.
From TomTom: Open a .itn file in the itn folder on the TomTom with Routeconverter. These files only contains one route each. Save the file in gpx1.1 format somewhere on your computer. Import the resulting gpx file into MS/BC.
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