Delorme topo usa 5.0: need help

Hi,

I bought the topo usa software from delorme and it has very nice
features, but there is one real big problem I have: creating a route.

The instructions say that you are supposed to mark a start and end
location to create a route. No problem, but of course the route chosen
is not the one I want-- highways, etc. So then I try to insert vias in
order to force the route to go through certain roads. This works up to
a point, but invariably, the route ends up taking wierd loops and
bizarre detours.

Does any one use this software to plan their rides? If so, how do you
force it to route exactly the streets you want rather than some wild
trajectory. Is there something I am missing?

Thanks,
H.

"angdis" wrote in message
ups.com...

Hi,

I bought the topo usa software from delorme and it has very nice
features, but there is one real big problem I have: creating a route.

The instructions say that you are supposed to mark a start and end
location to create a route. No problem, but of course the route chosen
is not the one I want-- highways, etc. So then I try to insert vias in
order to force the route to go through certain roads. This works up to
a point, but invariably, the route ends up taking wierd loops and
bizarre detours.

Does any one use this software to plan their rides? If so, how do you
force it to route exactly the streets you want rather than some wild
trajectory. Is there something I am missing?

Thanks,
H.
http://www.billcotton.com/gps_tips.htm
You should find help on my page above, about half way down the page.
Basically you want to set route preferences. Use New/Edit, advanced. Set
road type. Set the speed highest on roads that you preference. I set local
roads as Prefer and the speed at 15 mph for bicycling. Toll and interstate
roads as Avoid and 8 mph, other roads as Standard and 10 mph

--
www.billcotton.com

"angdis" wrote in message
ups.com...

Hi,

I bought the topo usa software from delorme and it has very nice
features, but there is one real big problem I have: creating a route.

The instructions say that you are supposed to mark a start and end
location to create a route. No problem, but of course the route chosen
is not the one I want-- highways, etc. So then I try to insert vias in
order to force the route to go through certain roads. This works up to
a point, but invariably, the route ends up taking wierd loops and
bizarre detours.

Does any one use this software to plan their rides? If so, how do you
force it to route exactly the streets you want rather than some wild
trajectory. Is there something I am missing?

Thanks,
H.


I would suggest not setting the end location unless you have auto calculate
turned off. The way I do it is to set a start point and then add (not insert)
via points on each of the routes turns. Make sure you have the roads only
option set to on also.

Neal

You might find on the DeLorme tab at the following useful.
http://www.bobwheeler.com/bicycle/Ma...cue_sheet.html

The topic is CueSheetMaker, an EXCEL add-in that takes files produced by
several mapping products and turns them into cue sheets.

angdis wrote:
Hi,

I bought the topo usa software from delorme and it has very nice
features, but there is one real big problem I have: creating a route.

The instructions say that you are supposed to mark a start and end
location to create a route. No problem, but of course the route chosen
is not the one I want-- highways, etc. So then I try to insert vias in
order to force the route to go through certain roads. This works up to
a point, but invariably, the route ends up taking wierd loops and
bizarre detours.

Does any one use this software to plan their rides? If so, how do you
force it to route exactly the streets you want rather than some wild
trajectory. Is there something I am missing?

Thanks,
H.



--
Bob Wheeler --- http://www.bobwheeler.com/
ECHIP, Inc. --- Randomness comes in bunches.

On 5 Dec 2005 06:53:31 -0800, "angdis" wrote:


Hi,

I bought the topo usa software from delorme and it has very nice
features, but there is one real big problem I have: creating a route.

The instructions say that you are supposed to mark a start and end
location to create a route. No problem, but of course the route chosen
is not the one I want-- highways, etc. So then I try to insert vias in
order to force the route to go through certain roads. This works up to
a point, but invariably, the route ends up taking wierd loops and
bizarre detours.

Does any one use this software to plan their rides? If so, how do you
force it to route exactly the streets you want rather than some wild
trajectory. Is there something I am missing?

Thanks,
H.


My experience has been that one of two problems can cause this:

Usually it is caused by the order of the via's not being going as you
think the route is going. I haven't been able to figure out why this
happens, but in the Route tab, click on the advanced button and you
can rearrange the order of the via's.

Another problem that sometimes happens is that the road I am trying to
route doesn't actually go "through". I've only run into this a couple
of times and the fix is to create a new routable road.

Hopefully this helps,
Joe

Thanks to all for the help!

It appears that "adding" vias is very different from "inserting" vias.
Knowing this, I am able to make it do what I need!

-H.