Route Planning - Online or Offline

[Aushiker]

Currently I genearly use http://RidewithGPS.com to plan touring routes as it is fairly easy to use and allows exporting to my Garmin GPS units as a routable GPX file. However it does not seem able to allow me to create waypoints using map coordinates.

So does anyone know of an online or offline (not Oziexplorer as I am on a Mac) that will allow me to:

(1) Plot a route preferrably using Google maps;
(2) Export as a routable GPX file for the Garmin
(3) Enter waypoints from coordinates;

Needs to be usable on OSX so not an tablet/phone application.

Thanks

[Aushiker]

I should have done a bit more searching here as I think I have found the tool ... www.gpsies.com/

[keithy]

Gpsies works fine, but if you want to use an offline tool, have you tried Garmin's Basecamp?

They have a MAC version https://www8.garmin.com/support/downloa ... sp?id=4449 and you can use an OSM map as a background if you don't have an existing Garmin map already.

Basecamp is pretty handy, and you can do all you want, and more.

Andrew's OSM maps has contours as well viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14234&start=150#p268841

[Aushiker]

Gpsies works fine, but if you want to use an offline tool, have you tried Garmin's Basecamp?

They have a MAC version https://www8.garmin.com/support/downloa ... sp?id=4449 and you can use an OSM map as a background if you don't have an existing Garmin map already.

Basecamp is pretty handy, and you can do all you want, and more.

Andrew's OSM maps has contours as well viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14234&start=150#p268841

I haven't bothered with Garmin's Basecamp for yonks but will take another look at it.

Thanks

[keithy]

A plus with Basecamp is that if you already have a Garmin routeable map on your Garmin handheld, you can use that map as the baselayer (but the device has to be connected to the MAC when Basecamp is running). Then you can use the routing on the Garmin map to route on-road. Off roads, you will have to trace a route yourself.

If you still want to use google, you can still do it with the MyMaps, and create the route and then export it in KML format but then you have to use a converter like GPSies, or I use GPSBabel to convert it to GPX and then check it on Basecamp before copying it to the GPS.

[Aushiker]

A plus with Basecamp is that if you already have a Garmin routeable map on your Garmin handheld, you can use that map as the baselayer (but the device has to be connected to the MAC when Basecamp is running). Then you can use the routing on the Garmin map to route on-road. Off roads, you will have to trace a route yourself.

If you still want to use google, you can still do it with the MyMaps, and create the route and then export it in KML format but then you have to use a converter like GPSies, or I use GPSBabel to convert it to GPX and then check it on Basecamp before copying it to the GPS.

'

Thanks.

RidewithGPS is more useful to me than MyMaps as I can switch between OSM variations and Google and still export it in various forms, including into Basecamp to finish off. I am playing with Basecamp for a specific ride of the Holland Track at the moment. Still learning with it.

What I think I will do is work out the route in RidewithGPS then export to Basecamp to add the waypoints (campsites, features, water sources etc). Then from Basecamp to the GPS.

Http://gpsies.com was to clunky for me last night; maybe my Internet connection but it differently not as polished as RidewithGPS but then RidewithGPS does not allow waypoints by coordinates. Trade-offs I guess.