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Jim O''Dwyer Saturday 18 Jun 2022 00:09:52
When I created and then downloaded a route in gpx format as a track (also true of tcx/fit formats) I noticed that a number of points had been duplicated - identical in every respect.
It usually happened at turning points in the route though not at all turning points and not only at turning points. But very much mostly so.
Is this a bug or an intentional feature?
And if the latter, why?
I won't bore you with the details but this duplication interferes with my currnet processing of the downloaded data to generate a custom route card.
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plotaroute admin Monday 20 Jun 2022 08:24:20
It's hard to know without seeing the route and also knowing exactly how it was plotted. However, you can easily remove redundant points using the Reduce Points tool in the route planner (available on the route planner toolbar).
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Willy Van Driessche Monday 20 Jun 2022 09:39:57
Or...
https://studio.youtube.com/video/NTn6ZHSpfR0/edit?o=U
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Jim O''Dwyer Tuesday 21 Jun 2022 20:04:11
Thanks all for your comments.
Willy - can't access that youtube link.
admin - yes, I tried that reduction of points. It's a bit 'hit and miss' in that I progessively reduced the number of points until the problem disappeared but then the route wasn't quite mapping to the paths.
I also had an alternative solution - pre-processing the file to remove the duplications and that too worked and could be automated.
But then your observation about not knowing how I plotted the route triggered something and I suspected (and later confirmed) that all the duplications were at the points I used in guiding the plotting of the route. I had used the route plotting tool - selecetd the start point and then progresssivelly plotted the route to the destination point by left clickimg at the desired points along the way while allowing Plotaroute to map it to the available paths/roads.
So, I tried an alternative plotting method.
I left clicked on the start point and the finish point and let Plotaroute select a route between them based on a 'walking' profile.
I then used the reshaping tool to adjust that route to go where I actually wanted to go.
The outcome was a route identical to the previous one.
With one significant difference - no duplicated points.
Since this latter approach avoids the issue I can work with that.
That said, I must admit my original plotting approach is {to me} a more 'intuitive' method to develop a route from scratch and it would be great if it could be revised such that the duplications did not occur.
Finally, if this is indeed a bug in the system, how best to get it addressed?
Thanks again.
Jim
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plotaroute admin Wednesday 22 Jun 2022 08:10:17
Rather than using the Reshape Route tool, you could try the Snap Route to Map tool to replot it - this would be quicker and easier. We don't really see superfluous points on the route as a bug, as they don't affect the path the route takes, so this probably isn't something we'd be be able to look into given other priorities.
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Willy Van Driessche Wednesday 22 Jun 2022 09:42:51
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Jim O''Dwyer Wednesday 22 Jun 2022 09:45:59
Hi Admin - I fully understand your position.
And while happy to close the issue now that I have a couple of workarounds I would suggest that two identical routes which when downloaded produce two very different gpx files should warrant a presence on the maintenance backlog. But then I would say that wouldn't I🙂.
Thanks again
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Mark Worthington Wednesday 22 Jun 2022 10:09:07
Jim,
If you could share your route, it would be an interesting experiment for me to trace it using the "standard" auto-routing method (which I have been using for years without the issue you have described) and see what happens. If so, what auto-route do ypou use ("on foot", "by bike"?) and what map type.
Mark
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Jim O''Dwyer Wednesday 22 Jun 2022 16:49:40
I can do that Mark.
Just made the two routes public.
They begin with wr160......
In answer to your questions - yes I used 'auto plot' and 'on foot' on Streetmap in both cases.
The route ending in '11pts ' was created using 11 points to develop the route from the start point to the finish point.
You will find when downloaded as a track that the gpx will have 11 duplicated points.
They should be at the follwoing track points....
9,10 34,35 65,66 77,78 136,137 146,147 192,193 228,229 244,245 253,254 294,295
The start and finish points are also duplicated.
The route ending in 'aps only ' was created using anchor points to reshape the initially autoplotted route between the start point and finish point.
Hope that illustrates the issue as I see it.
Jim
The route end in 'aps only' was created by using only a start and finish point and then reshaping it to be the same as the earlier one.
You should not find any duplicate points in that downloaded track.
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Mark Worthington Wednesday 22 Jun 2022 19:26:24
Jim,
I was a bit rash in offering to investigate, as I'm off on a cycling holiday to Ireland tomorrow. I looked at those 2 files are they appear to be identical, ie overlap when one is traced over the other, and are quite normal routes with nothing untoward that I can see.
I am a bit confused when you talk of overlapping points; what app do you use to investigate the downloaded files?
I downloaded wr16011pts as a gpx, then uploaded & created a trace. I then created a route using auto-route/On Foot/Streetmap using teh point and click method. See https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1947638
See if that still gives you "duplicated points".
Well, not a lot added but if still unresolved, I'll be back in 10 days or so!
Regards,
Mark
