PC Software for creating routes etc.

[dirkprinsloo]

Hi there,

I recently bought the One XL and is very pleased with it so far. I would like to know if anyone knows about software that you can install on your desktop computer to be used to create routes and just view the maps installed on the memory card.

Garmin in South Africa has an application called MapSource that you can use to browse maps and create routes and then upload them to your device.

Does anyone know of such software for TomTom? I browsed the net and found something called Tyre (http://www.janboersma.nl/gett/index.php), but this requires an internet connection by the looks of it. I don't want to download this if there are proper software out there.

Thanks

 

[Pedro2NR]

Have you seen this?
https://www.tomtomforums.com/showthread.php?t=2743

 

[dirkprinsloo]

I have read about it, but haven't tried it. I am looking for software that I can use without having to be connected to the internet. Do you perhaps know of something like this?

 

[lec510]

You can use Streets & Trips to plan routes, and convert EST to TomTom ITN using this.

S&T is sometimes on sale for under 40$ without the GPS.

 

[F22]

I don't know about your TT unit but with my 920, I can hook it up to my computer and use TT's HOME application to actually run the 920 and can then play around creating or testing "Route A to B" or even create Itineraries. It is not quite as convenient as Garmin's Mapsource (which I have with my 76CS)

 

[dirkprinsloo]

Thank you for your replies. I have tried using TT's Home, but after working on Mapsource, F22 is right, it is a @#tch working that way. Regarding MS Street & Trips, does anyone know if this software will pickup the maps installed on my device or do I need to buy the map AGAIN for the PC software?

 

[F22]

I do have a question about creating a Mapsource/Garmin route. As I recall it does not matter if you create a route in mapsource - when transferred to a mapping gps, the route is lost - the gps will immediately re-route or will treat your route as a cross-country trip (like hiking but over great distances as the crow flys )

Or do their newer road units allow you to actually LOCK in such computer-planned routes? On the TomTom, it is an ITINERARY and you can have a number of those. I don't know about Garmin's real road units (as I said, I used it on my older but road-mapping capable 76CS).

 

[dirkprinsloo]

As far as I know, because you use the map installed on the garmin device, you create the route and what it actually does, is it transfers waypoints to the device and because routing preferences are in sync between pc and device, it just routes again by using these preferences and the waypoints that are transferred.

I am actually looking for software that can recognize the map installed on my TT and then use it to plan a route, without having to be on some internet connection to look for maps. But as my search continues for such software... it looks like there is no such software to be used with tomtom.

Maybe one can use Mapsource with tomtom?? I doubt it but maybe it is a possibility.

 

[adblink]

has another tried both streets and trips, and google maps?

i wonder whats easier to use when it comes to planing a route

 

[dirkprinsloo]

I have done some testing on this:

Mapsource can be downloaded free of charge for Garmin users. Now if you can get your hands on a map for mapsource for the same country as your TT, you can create your routes in Mapsource, save it as an mps file and then use a converter that converts mps files to itn files. The converter is called ITNConv. This little app makes use of google maps that gives you the option to further edit the route using google maps. It's all just GPS coordinates in these files anyway. The only drawback is if there are any discrepencies between the map in Mapsource and the TT map installed on the device.

I have tested it with a small route and all looks fine once it is on TT. Basically I have answered my own question that started this thread. There are no software like Mapsource to be used directly with the TT device, but that being said, there are various workarounds that can get the job done. Maybe not as quick as Mapsource to a Garmin, but in the end it is possible in some way.

 

[alexrider]

MS Streets & Trips comes with its own maps. It's using NAVTEQ maps (at least 2007 version), but they are most of the time in agreement with TeleAtlas maps on my TomTom One
I've been using S&T/TomTom combination since June, created dozens of routs this way and don't remember TomTom complaining. S&T is probably the best software on the market for planning complex multi destination routes - very user friendly and accurate. It least this was my experience.

 

[F22]

Thanks for posting your findings. I've just downloaded the converter program.

When I first got the TomTom I did wonder if there was a desktop emulator for it that would run the maps. I suspect that when there was a sdk from tomtom that might have had something like that.

 

[dirkprinsloo]

Haven't had any experience with street & trips, mapsource is also very user friendly... and it's free, you only need a map. Being in South Africa I already had the map from a previous garmin device, so the conversion works quite well. As TT uses TeleAtlas maps, does anyone know what Garmin uses. Trying to find out hoe far off the two would be?