I've had a search about but nothing popping up...... can you plan a route on Google maps on either PC, ipad or phone and send to the XT as a GPX file?
Just seems a bit of a pity that there is not a seemless way to do this on your smart phone or ipad etc and just send to the XT, every options seems to involve a convoluted procedure involving a laptop, 3rd party software, basecamp, Google etc.
In areas where you kinda know your way around then doing the route using the XT itself is a good option.... using the Trip Planner in Apps. Just put starting point and end point in, calculate the route and save it, forget which way you actually want to go.
Then go into saved routes, pick the route you just did, tap the spanner icon on the left bar and choose Shape Route. On the map, zoom into you route where you want to make changes and tap to shape the route and save.... simple!
However, when you want to plan a trip to an area where you are not familiar then ideally Google Maps on a desktop or laptop is much better, it's a great piece of software really but you get more full functionality on a PC/Mac than you do on your phone... if logged into a Google account and use My Maps.
Only problem is Google Maps doesn't want to talk to a Garmin Zumo, it's above all that and will only communicate through an intermediary..... in this case 3rd party software like the one Wapping suggested above.... or Garmin's own Basecamp which is a free download.... and no wonder, its the clunkiest most rubbish piece of route planning software you can get for free! It's like being made to type up a huge report on a typewriter after using a PC for 30 years
But...... it will talk to Mr Google Maps and accept the KML/KMZ file you saved in My Maps of your long winding tour in deepest Central France and convert it to GPX and send it to your Zumo XT with an accurate copy of what you did in Google Maps.... I just did a couple of trial Irish ones that I plan to take next year as a test and it worked well..... once you know which hoops you have to jump through of course!!
If only Google would bring out an app for smart phones or as a paid-for bolt on for Google maps which allowed seamless communication with GPS units like the XT.
The XT is a very nice piece of kit though with some great in-built features.
Oh Wow !
I didn't know that. And that is a biggie....
I just made a route on my phone using google maps. Then shared it directly to the XT. Via the Garmin Drive app. It was that simple.
Absolutely fantastic.
That method only works on Android not IOS. For some reason IOS doesn’t recognise the Drive app for GPX files and routes
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk