Using a GPX file with voice guidance

[rabi guthrie]

Hello.

First and foremost I love Osmand. I dont normally put money down for apps but this one is definitely worth it!

I primarily use it for cycling - I create a route on Strava (a cycling website), download the route as a GPX file, upload it onto my phone, put the navigation to Bicycle, load up the GPX file, then stick a headphone in and let the voice guidance take me along the route. Brilliant for saving battery on my phone as I don't have the screen turned on and stops me fishing my phone out at every junction. However, the voice guidance isn't really the best - It never gives road names, if there's a sharp bend in the road it tells you to turn, roundabouts are "slightly left then slightly right", cross-roads are ignored totally if you're going straight through, quite often if there's a subtle fork in the road it won't give instruction on which path to take, the list goes on. It's as if the voice is just dictating a line without much reference to the actual map. I have taken to second-guessing the guidance and learning its behaviour at some junctions, which helps. But why doesn't it just use road names and normal voice guidance that it uses when you are just using it as a regular navigation device? Is it something in the way I am creating the route in the first place?

Any help much appreciated.

Rabi

[Robert Grant]

This is a known issue which should have high priority. Solving the problem appears to involve creating osmand waypoints automatically. The  GPX track you created doesn't have recognizable waypoints so osmand doesn't match to the actual road. That's why roundabouts aren't handled in the normal way. Developers know about the problem. I really would like to see it fixed.

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[awmross]

I use OsmAnd the same way, and have the exact same issue. It would be great to see this fixed.

btw rabi, it is possible to get very cheap ($10) mounts for your phone that attach to the handlebars of your bike. That way you don't have to fish your phone out of your pocket each time you want to check your route. I found it made a huge difference. Do a search on eBay.

You have to get one specially made for your make and model of phone (e.g. I have a Samsung galaxy S2).

The only issues are rain (the cheap mounts are not water resistant at all) and battery life if the screen is on.

[awmross]

@robert

> The  GPX track you created doesn't have recognizable waypoints so osmand doesn't match to the actual road.

I am creating my own GPX tracks using software I wrote. Is there any documentation on how I can add "recognizable waypoints" to my own gpx files, so that OSMAnd will recognise them?

[Manfred]

Hi!

I don't think, this is an issue.

The GPX track has nothing to do with the map lying under it.

All you have for voice guidance is your position and the direction to the next track point.
No road names, no roundabouts, no....

Following a GPS track has nothing to do with routing.

Regards
Manfred

[Harold Blount]

I too want to use Osmand for cycling and would like to be able to use waypoints rather than a track file. If you use waypoints then you will get the voice guidance with street names. One solution is to load the track file then leave that layer on and create a route with waypoints over top of it! Takes about 5minutes to do and then off you go. Obviously this is a poor solution .. So we need to be able to load and save a waypoint file (or save and load!) We also need to be able to specify a start point in this file.

Power: You can get some usb battery backup units now 3000mahr should make a big difference and let you keep the display on for long periods. I was thinking of one of those small topbar bags designed for snacks could hold the extra battery .. Unplug it and pop smartphone in your rain jacket when it rains and go by voice only.

Sound: Have you thought of a Bluetooth ear piece? Especially if you mount it on your bike (smartphone I mean)

HB

[Robert Grant]

@awmross  As discussed above, just create waypoints overlying the GPX file display feature in map layers.  Sounds easy enough, but is not optimal. This is the solution that OSMAND needs to automate, but I'm not sure how to do so. The answer could be as easy as ensuring that turn points are coded in GPX track rather than GPX format.  See this discussion about the My Tracks app for Google Maps:  http://mycomputertroubles.wordpress.com/2013/02/07/3/

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Robert Grant

[rabi guthrie]

Robert Grant,

Could you explain how you code the turn points into the GPX track please? I'd like to give that a go if possible...

Ta,

Rabi

[Robert Grant]

@Rabi  I was only suggesting a possible avenue for solving the problem and haven't worked out an automated method as I'm not too keen on development.  However, the following manual method suggests a possible way to develop a solution.  Using version 1.7. load a GPX track into the display through the map layers function.  Select directions and answer yes to the "use displayed track for navigation" prompt.  You can then step through the turns by selecting the "signpost" icon.  Press on the turn info tag and make each turn a waypoint.  Then stop navigation, reselect directions, but answer no to the use displayed track prompt.  You should now have a route which overlays the GPX track.  If this was done correctly, turn prompts with street names will be provided.  This result is what we've all been asking for:  GPX track with turn prompt and street name annunciations so that you can leave the phone in your pocket and just listen with an earpiece as you ride your bike.

As stated earlier, this method is not optimal for routes with many turns.  The turn point display function resets to the beginning after making any turn a waypoint.   Although you don't need to make every turn a waypoint, errors are possible and won't show until you navigate.  But this does point toward a solution for this problem that development team should consider.  Just automate the method described above and we bike riders will be happy!

Robert

[Harold Blount]

I was thinking about replying to Rabi on this .. decided to write it up as a webpage: http://gpsana.nwind.ca/osmand.html

My solution is slightly different than Robert's. To me a good route has in the order of 10 to 20 waypoints for a 100km ride depending on the complexity of the route.

I actually don't want every bend in the road announced which is what you might get with a combined track/waypoint solution.

Infact, what I do with my Garmin is note the next 'turn' and if it is over 3km, then I turn off the GPS (to conserve power) and monitor my odometer to know when to turn it on again! This means I don't spend all my day staring at a screen too! By using this approach, I can get a couple of days riding on my nuvi550 (more of a car/motorbike GPS so battery live not good).
HB

[Robert Grant]

@Harold. Wow, great website. That's the right way to explain a somewhat complicated procedure. Thanks for the effort. It's a super workaround that provides the street name guidance that's missing from GPX track following.  Development team needs to make this feature automatic.

Robert

Sent from my iPad

[Chris]

I believe one of the strongest strengths of Osmand over all the other applications is following a GPX track. I use it on a motorcycle and is very important that proper navigation instructions are available. The workrounds provided are ok up to a point but it will be very time consuming and prone to mistakes. 

Travelling fast is more convenient and safer listening to directions than depending 100% on visual. 

Taking the wrong exit on more than one roundabout - ie taking the 1st exit because of the voice direction "slight left " instead of the "2nd exit" is no fun any more especially if there are 15-20 bikers following you :-)

So...  please, please automate it.

Thanks

Chris

[pippo pluto]

i have the same problems ! osmand need to optimize track file gpx with the maps if streets correspond !

the same function is already implemented in copilot gps software !

i created gpx file with http://www.routeloops.com/OSM/ that calculate tracks in loop from my house indicating total km of the loop

osmand need a loop mode for everyone start and finisce on the same point

this is an example osmand need the same function integrated in application

http://www.routeloops.com/OSM/?Base=51.7520209:-1.2577263000000585&numWpts=4&wpt[0]=51.820533:-1.683727&wpt[1]=52.084776999999995:-1.710883&wpt[2]=52.185558:-1.2992139999999999&wpt[3]=51.982676999999995:-1.02494&tM=4&len=121.14&unitS=0

[Jean Valjean]

Dear Robert,

is there a fix in the mean time for this voice guidance issue? (I have version 1.8.3, how do I update it, or does that go automatically?)
I encountered similar things over the last months, one particular thing is that roundabouts are given an extra exit for free:-) So, needing to take the first exit, OSMAND tells me to take the second etc. very strange. And with GPX indeed is very nice, because you can plan your route online with very good programs, but then while navigating all the corners are told, but at a split you don't hear anything..

btw, I have some other questions, but are not sure if I can post them here:
-can I incorporate photos I make with my smartphone directly " on route" ?
-is there an offline OSMAND for on my laptop, so I could analyse my route.I have GPSPrune that is very good, but I need something that also takes moving averages of points, to filter out the spikes from the speed estimation. For the moment I use GPSvisualizer, which is unbeatable as far as I know, but it is online.

Thanks!



Op vrijdag 11 april 2014 18:22:06 UTC+2 schreef Robert Grant:

[Areg]

Hi Jean

I can offer to use BlueStacks emulator to run OsmAnd and check your route. Also you can install FakeGPS to simulate location and movement to see how the route changes.

Regards,
Areg

[Robert Grant]

Jean,

We're all still waiting for a refinement that will provide an advanced level of guidance for GPX files. The latest version is better, but don't expect reliable roundabout guidance with a GPX file.

[Hannes Z]

I recently discovered Osmand while searching for a good app to navigate on our cycling holidays. At the moment I'm very busy creating tracks (on gpsies.com) for our cycling holiday in Portugal. The poor navigation through (self made) gpx tracks is the only thing that's missing to make osmand perfect for me.
As described above, very often Osmand is indicating to turn left or right where there is no crossroads at all, and on other ocasions, when it should, not indicating anything at all.

I was wondering if an extra feature in the navigation settings menu could help to solve the problem: if it would be possible to disable the 'general navigation', except for the announcement of GPX waypoints, this would allow the creator of the track to decide which points are crucial.
To save my battery, I'm using the option to 'turn on the screen when approaching a turn'. If only the waypoints defined by the track-creator would turn on the screen, it would not only be a lot less confusing, but also save quite some battery...

[P Wat]

A really good rainproof bike mount is "Topeak".  £17.99 (UK) in March 2014.  Well made and very waterproof - (submersible - I tested mine under about 10cms water for about 4 hours). I use it cycling and sailing - salt water no problem!
http://topeak.com/products/drybags  Listed as "Smartphone Drybag".  They come in different sizes. Get one that is a non-rattling but not tight fit.  If mine got lost I would buy the same again.
PW
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[Anne-Krijn Piersma]

Hi all,

I had the same issue: I want good quality voice navigation when navigating an imported GPX file. I may have found something that works well, and it's not Osmand. Somebody else may have posted this elsewehere but I didn't see it in this thread, so I decided to share now.

I've used the RideWithGPS (free account) to create a custom test route around my house. Downloaded the app "Cue sheet" onto my android phone, and logged in with my RideWithGPS account. My test route showed up on screen. I previewed the cue sheet (points where I would hear voice prompts), downloaded the map for local use (use wifi for this!!), hit "start nav" and off I was.

It worked very well, nothing like the awkward confusing Osmand voice navigation. I believe it uses the built in voices from Google Maps. This combo of RWGPS and Cue Sheet seems to bring it all to the table. The fact that every cue is prompted 3 times (once after the previous turn, once so many meters before the next turn, and once directly before the turn) could be improved, and maybe it can :) I haven't found the right settings. At least, it looks like a good way to navigate my custom GPX files with accurate voice navigation, and the use of offline maps.

I hope it helps some others here, and that I won't run into any annoyances during my next rides. Fingers crossed :)

Cheers,
AK

Op dinsdag 10 maart 2015 22:44:49 UTC+1 schreef Hannes Z:

[Jonathan Hunt]

Sorry, I'm a bit late to the party. But you can customise the cue sheet in Ride With GPS and remove entries you don't want and correct any mistakes. You can also export the gpx file (with a free RideWGPS account). I then e-mail this to my gmail acc and save the attachment to One Drive (if you cannot save directly to One Drive in the first place that is). Then from One Drive on my phone, long press on the file and 'Open With'. This opens directly in OSMAND and you can choose to start navigation from there. I've not cycled home yet, but the initial instruction i got from my desk included the street name. It's the Cue Sheets that are the key. A lot of gpx tracks out there (generated by tracking apps and the like) will not generate the Cue Sheet. So, plot your routes in RideWithGPS (you will find that importing into RideWithGPS will not give you the Cue Sheets).

BTW: I recommend the excellent Aftershokz II bluetooth bone conduction headset for cycling. You can here the voice turn-by-turn and the traffic...and have podcasts/music playing...and they last over 6hrs of continuous playback. They don't drain the phone battery much either :-)

That sounds harder than it is when you type it out. It only takes a few moments :-)