Route Transfer Basic Knowledge
Route transfer, track transfer, GPX, track
When transferring data between different systems, the systems need to “speak the same language.” This is why there are various route formats. The most common format is GPX
, but there are many others, including ITN
and KML
. These formats are relatively similar in principle, so it helps to understand the basic concepts and terminology.
Three Ways to Represent Route Data
Track: The track does not contain any waypoints but is an exact copy of the path of the planned route, including every curve and turn. From a technical perspective, there is a point every few meters - like a digital breadcrumb trail - and they are connected by a line. It is thus an inflexible copy of the route path.
Waypoints: Waypoints are often used to visualize points on a map that might not necessarily need to be visited in order (e.g. POIs).
Route: The route is used to describe a succession of waypoints which form a route. It contains the waypoints of the planned route (and optionally, when exporting, additional waypoints to support this).
So what should I export?
Should you export the Track
, the Route
, or maybe both?
Every navigation device/system calculates routes individually using its own algorithms, settings, and maps. So the answer is: it depends on your navigation system and on your preferences! The Track
is an exact copy of the path of your route but is relatively inflexible as it has no waypoints, so you can't just change a part of the planned route. The Route
is relatively flexible, as you can delete a waypoint or change a part of the route, but it might be different to the originally planned route, as the connection between its waypoints is calculated in your navigation device/system.
The best results are achieved with the Kurviger App for Android or iOS.
Details see Route Transfer (Import, Export)