Planning a route with MyDrive
pauljames140
Posts: 35 [Apprentice Traveler]
Can anyone tell me a good way to plan a route with a stop along the way. If I plan a route then try to add a stop using TomTom mydrive its impossible to put it in the right place. It wants to go to the destination first then back to the halfway point.
If someone from TomTom reads this then please don't fob me off with sending me to a help page, I've tried this. I've struggled for an hour now – too long.
Is there a user (not as TomTom employee) who's has this problem and knows a solution?
If someone from TomTom reads this then please don't fob me off with sending me to a help page, I've tried this. I've struggled for an hour now – too long.
Is there a user (not as TomTom employee) who's has this problem and knows a solution?
0
Comments
Always a good thing to do is log off, refresh or kill your browser and start fresh.
What browser do you use to work TT MyDrive?
Chrome is the best to use. Rest has issues ..... sometimes.
Thanks for the suggestions. It worked! I tried refreshing the browser, logging off and killing the browser and this does the trick about half the time. I now have a work round. I am using Chrome btw.
There should be nothing to it, as you say, but the proper simple steps don't work without doing all this other stuff.
My experience of TomTom over the years has always been finding tricks to cajole it into behaving as it should. I stick with it and live with the flaky nature of Mydrive (as I suspect we all do) because the TomTom is such a great product when you can make it work properly.
Paul
But I do have to correct you on the browser and MyDrive issue. This is all your software.
If you knew what all goes around in your browser these days you will respect software developers who need to develop tools in this environment. I have no issue what so ever with MyDrive on a Win 10 / Chrome [Version 70.0.3538.110 (Official Build) (64-bit)].
Try to be selective of addons and protective tools within Windows and added software. It does effect the operation of it all.
But then again, TT does have to live up to their acclaimed #1 nav tool position. And I must say ... they are challenged. If they do not adapt they will loose the market within 10 years.
Happy driving,
Cheers.
Superusers
@pauljames140
Note... The latest version of MyDrive Web Route planner now uses a 'Send Stops' button in place of the 'Send to device' button
Are you using 'Send to device' 'Send Stops' ??? if 'Yes'
The MyDrive Web Route planner only sends the route to the device as a destination... Or if you add stops it send it as a route (But it's is not automatically saved in MyRoutes)
If you are using 'Send to device' 'Send Stops' see my workaround below
______________________________________
Be Aware....
If your starting point IS NOT your present location there's a BUG
When using the 'Send to device' option, during an "A" to "B" route transfer where 'A' IS NOT your present location... The device drops Location "A"
This bug also applies also to Multi-Stop/Waypoint routes... 'A' to 'B' to 'C' to' D' to 'E' etc...
For more info See... https://discussions.tomtom.com/en/discussion/comment/1198253/#Comment_1198253
______________________________________
This is the workaround method I use....
The Tomtom MyDrive Web Route Planner....
Get it Here... https://mydrive.tomtom.com
(1).... Plan my Route with the MyDrive Web Route planner (With or Without Stops as required)
(2)... Zoom in... Place a Sacrificial stop close to the Start Icon
(4)... Choose the 'Send to device' 'Send Stops' option... The route will sync to your device
(5)... The device will calculate your route from your 'Present location'
(5.1)... The device will calculate your route using Stops in the order that you placed the Stops in the route
(5.2)... If the planned Start of the Route is your 'Present location'... Then skip Bullet-point... (6)
(6)...When the route has calculated, Pinch zoom to the correct start of your Route (The Sacrificial Stop Icon) 'Long Tap' (Tap and hold for +1 second) on the Sacrificial Stop Icon --> A quick menu opens --> Tap the 3Dot icon --> Choose 'Use as a Starting Point'
The device will calculate your route from your new location
(7)... Saving the Route
'Quick Tap' anywhere on the Route --> A quick menu opens --> Tap the 3Dot icon --> Manage route --> Add to my Routes.... Edit the route name as required or simply Tap Add
_____________________________________
Note... (1) A 'Quick Tap' and 'Long Tap' of the screen gives different menu options
Note... (2) The MyDrive Web Route planner will sync a route with a Max of 20 stops
ATB YFM
Thanks for the advice. I did experiment with the Send Stops option but I couldn't make it do anything I wanted so soon gave up. I eventually managed to get a route into my device and saved it.
I will tackle adding more stops later. I've found that adding a stop sometimes screws up the rest of the route. I keep trying until it just adds the stop without changing irrelevant parts of the route before saving it. I accidentally added a route without checking and it added all sorts of stupid diversions without me noticing. I couldn't straighten it out so deleted the route and started again.
I now only save after checking the whole route for irrelevant diversions
Superusers
@pauljames140
Set your Start point first then your Destination then add Stops
When adding Stops zoom in to max... Check you are on the correct side of a dual carriageway or motorway
Don't accidentally put a stop on a Traffic island or up Side road
Here's a 20 Stop .ITN Route
ATB YFM
Jan, I appreciate how difficult it is for software developers to make things work but others people manage it. The TomTom is a great product which I could not live without so I will stick with it. But MyDrive is one of the most user unfriendly sites I have ever used. I may try again to add stops to my routes but I've had enough for now.
Is anyone else having problems and found a solution? Please no replies from TomTom employees. I need someone who knows about this problem and how to solve it
Superusers
@pauljames140
How are you planning your Route
(1)... Using the Plan Route Menu
Or
(2)... Clicking directly on the Map
ATB YFM
I have tried using the edit route function (in my routes) then adding stops. I've tried clicking on the map, adding it as a saved place then selecting it, or typing in a address. All 3 methods just put a number on the map where I want the stop but I cannot find any way to make it add the stop to the route. ("Send destination" does nothing.)
I will probably end up creating one route to my stop, then another one from the stop to the destination. It means an extra couple of minutes when I leave the stop rather than more hours fighting mydrive, and a lot less stress.
Adding to the problems, the device follows a track literally, meaning it doesn't take into account traffic or your preferences about fastest, shortest, etc. On the other hand, the device follows a route by applying traffic and preferences from stop to stop but you can't easily customize the route to make it follow your desired roads.
To customize the route you can drag the little white circles with the web MyDrive to your desired roads creating waypoints. However, the only way to get those customizations to the device is to synch as a track. A kludge is to place stops on the route where you would have dragged the white circles and build your route that way. As you mentioned, sometimes the route gets screwed up because it has the stop order wrong. To the left of the stop is a vertical ... which you can left click and drag the stop to a new position in the stop list. That should fix the route. Then you are stuck with the Send Stops command to get the route to the device.
All in all, it is an ugly design and easily fixed. If TomTom is reading this please consider the following.
- treat tracks and routes the same. Synch them both automatically with the device. Allow stops on tracks.
- add an option to follow a track strictly or loosely. If strictly then follow the track as is currently done. If loosely then apply traffic and preferences between waypoints/stops like is currently done for routes.
I have inspected the .json data for both routes and tracks and all the pieces are already in place using the hard and soft attributes. The software changes are minimal.
Superuser
Of course they can educate their users to use them properly and they can enhance them a little e.g. by adding the POIs on a track and allow you to add labels to the waypoints / stops... Many propositions have been done in the past in this forum...
The user manual is rubbish. It doesn’t explain anything...
Superusers
@Ste7ios +1
"The user manual is rubbish. It doesn’t explain anything..."
Generally agree. My biggest problem is knowing if what it says is true and if it really doesn't address the question, what is true? That is why I did a lot of experimentation with Tracks and Routes.
I know they have different purposes but a "route" planned with MyDrive and then synched as a track to the Go has hardly any differences from a real route created by sending stops to the Go. The data has the attributes "hard" for starts, stops and destinations and "soft" for waypoints. The itineraries have visibility of public for tracks and private for routes. Other than that I can't see any differences.
I know a track recorded with the Go would have a lot more data and I see the need to have it exactly reflect the "route" but I am only concerned with things planned with MyDrive and the inconsistencies and confusion caused by the way routes and tracks are handled by MyDrive and the Go. I just think TomTom can do a much better job in this area but I don't have any real expectations that they will.
Superuser
I hope that helps...
Personally I only use routes (.itn files) created by MyRoute-App or other tools because I want the versatility of a route (changes on the fly, live traffic, etc).
- if I plan a route and customize it by dragging segments of the suggested route to the roads I want, the only way I can get it to my Go is to turn on synch as a track and then it becomes a track on the go.
- If I don't turn on synch as a track, the only way I can get it to the Go is to send the stops and then it loses all the customizations.
What I don't know at this point is if it gets to my Go as a track, will it apply traffic conditions and my route preferences (fastest, shortest, etc.) between the customization way points? The link you posted said it would, and I hope that is the case, but the user guide says it won't. I'll find out the hard way in a couple weeks for an upcoming trip. I have a track and a kludged version with stops just in case.
Superuser
A route can’t contain any of your customizations. The only thing it contains is the waypoints / stops in the order you placed them.
When the route is loaded by the device it’s calculated every time from scratch by the device. You may see some differences depending on the hour (see IQ Routes) or the traffic conditions...
It can also be different if you change the route settings.
You may remove stops if don’t wish to visit them or add more stops... The device will recalculate the route.
Only a track can contain all of your customizations because it contains a description of the route mile by mile...
It just follows the track data and ignores all of your route settings, live traffic info.
You can’t alter it in any way. You’ve to follow it as it is...
Superuser
Superusers
@SantaFeTom
Save & Sync = .GPX Tracks
Wikipedia .GPX... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS_Exchange_Format
Send Stops = .ITN Routes
Wikipedia .ITN... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itinerary_file
Note... Unlike on the early NAV2 Devices... Tomtom on the NAV4/5 (Wi-Fi) devices, haven't made all of the .ITN Stop options available to the user
ATB YFM
"Note... Unlike on the early NAV2 Devices... Tomtom on the NAV4/5 (Wi-Fi) devices haven't made all of the .ITN Stop options available to the user"
This is probably the source of a lot of my confusion. Before getting the 620 WIFI I used a Go 720. I was able to grab the itinerary, edit it to insert waypoints for customization, put it back on the 720 and use it. It didn't care if they were waypoints or stops.
Another source of confusion is the terms waypoint and stop. In the .json file which is downloaded when you request to download all my data, the segments of a route are described by an array of waypoints. The waypoints have a type of soft or hard. Starting points and stops are hard, what I think of as a waypoint are soft. When I customize a route, all those white circles from MyDrive are stored as soft waypoints. A gpx file on the go has hard and soft waypoints. An itn file on the go only has hard waypoints.