After two months of using Osmand I am still confused as to how to set the waypoints. I will demonstrate my thinking and what is the result. I realize that I am doing something wrongs as the result is a complete chaos. I would appreciate if you could point out where my THINKING is incorrect. Do not tell me that this and that step does not conform to Osmand rules. Just point out where my thinking about how I want to set up a route is not logical. I am just an average guy.
So I have lot of favorite places in my Favorites. As an example to demonstrate, I set them up in my neighborhood. There are five of them. The one at the left edge of the display is a starting point, my home, and counter-clockwise I set up Favorites A,B,C,D. PHOTO 1. GPS is turned off.
So I decide I want to take a trip to D. In a normal situation these places would be miles away.
I go to Favorites, pick D, then Set as destination. So far so good.
I tap on the spot at the left edge, my home, then Show route from here, then Follow etc and voila, the route is shown perfectly. PHOTO 2.
Encouraged by the result, I decide to plan a detour, to may favorite spot A (it would be the one in the lower left corner). I go to favorites, select A, then the only option I have is Set as destination …(now I am starting to have my first doubts, as I don’t want this to be the destination, just a point on my way to THE destination, a waypoint). I have no choice so I tap Set as destination. I get three options, I am relieved. Option 1: replace the original destination point - I don’t want to do that. 2. Add as 1st way point…that’s it! Great! Somebody was thinking like me. (Option 3 is Add as last waypoint - I don’t want this option as I will have a few more waypoints to add, so this one is definitely not the last). So I tap Add as 1st waypoint, then follow, then OK. Ooops..something is not right. Waypoint A is placed correctly but there is no route shown anymore. PHOTO 3.
OK, perhaps when I later turn the GPS on, it will work. I got an idea, after visiting Waypoint A, why don’t I stop by at my other favorite place B (it would be the one in lower right corner). So back to my favorites, pick B, again I am uneasy seeing the only option Set as destination. But it worked before, I am sure it will also work now. So I tap Set as destination, then I have the same three options as before (see above). I don’t want Option 1 (Replace…). Option 2 does not sound good either: Add as 1st waypoint. I already have 1st waypoint. This is the 2nd waypoint. Option 3 sounds good: Add as last waypoint. As of now, it would be my last waypoint. I figure, that the program knows that I set up one waypoint already, so this one will be added after the first one and indeed, will, sequentially, be the last one. I feel that I am doing something right …So I proceed …and man! I did something really wrong!!! PHOTO 4.
My destination point was replaced with Waypoint B (2nd waypoint) and Waypoint B became the destination!!! I thought that the Destination point is the Destination point and it has a higher hierarchy than any waypoint. Waypoints are points on a route leading to THE Destination!! Don’t disturb my Destination point!
So disappointed, I decide to finish the exercise. One more stop at my favorite place C. Go to favorites etc, pick Option 3 Add as last waypoint. I am afraid, I know exactly what I will get and I am not disappointed. A complete chaos. PHOTO 5.
So a nice easy route starting at home and visiting individual favorite places in a nice anti-clockwise directions turned into a zig-zagging chaos.
So that’s it. Let me know where is my big mistake in THINKING how to plan a route.
In real life, these places would be miles apart and as I (an many) pointed out it is quite difficult (or sometimes impossible) to find a particular address so it is, I think, very reasonable to have Favorites and use them to plan a route in a way that I just tried.
Thank you,
Martin
PS: With the new enhancement, the "Set as Destination/Add as waypoint" action now does exactly what it says: It adds the point, but does not start a route calculation (this is quicker if you want to add more waypoints).
If you want to see a route, you can, at any point, chose Menu / "Directions", a new action introduced.