Map Provider ChangesFORUMS HOME SEARCH FORUMS

What's the reason for this bad map-change? Money? I'ld be ready to pay even more for the old version with Google Maps and Streetview.

Hi Wilfried - no, it's not a financial issue. Please see our post on this thread from 17 February for more explanation.

I too would pay more to have access to Google Maps.

I too would pay more to have Google Maps back - it is why I and my motorcycle group subscribe.  This is a fundamental mistake.

Unless there has been a very recent change to street views via Map Inspector, i'm ok getting street views with that.  in the old days i had to find a business which was posted on google maps.  Had to work my way to where i wanted a street view and sometimes there wasn't a street view.  i didn't have split screen before and it suddenly appeared somehow which is nice.  in the past i had to go out of google maps to my plotaroute map and vice verse.  Wasn't an easy thing.  i haven't noticed a difference between the street views via Map Inspector and the old way.  Sometimes the views are very old and sometimes no street views but i don't blame google or plotaroute for that.

This is extremely dissapointing.  I use the street view extensively.  It's the main reason I've paid for premium.  Without that, sadly, I'm not sure I can justify paying.

In your email of 17th Feb you stated:

• We are not allowed to use Google maps as part of an app that provides route navigation, which is an area that our users most want us to develop.   
  This implies that you could continue to offer Google Maps on PC based applications but not on an app.  People using the presently non existant app will  accept the absence of Google Maps in a way that long term users of Plotaroute will not.

• Google map directions don’t include road surface data that would be needed to develop ‘surface breakdown’ features requested by many of our users.
  OK - but loss of Google Maps and street view is a much GREATER loss than the small gain of  presently non existant ‘surface breakdown’ features.

• If Google terminated its contract with us for any reason, this would have resulted not just in the loss of Google maps but in the complete and immediate loss of service for all our premium members, as Google map based applications can only be provided using Google’s own platform. While we believed this risk to be low, the impact of such a decision would have been catastrophic.

Its very unlikely Google Maps would withdraw its contract overnight without due warning.  Its very likely a notice period of perhaps a month or more would be given.  In which case Premium Users would revert to the mapping arrangements Plot a Route have now imposed on us with little or no warning.  Street map is OK but lacks the simplistic pin point clarity of Google Maps.  Despite the extra cost I suspect I will bite the bullet and move to RWGPS or Map my Ride.  I would happilly pay an extra fee to have google maps as a bolt on extra on Plot a Route as I still think it has the best route plotting and editing facilities.

You can still check Google Street View using the Map Inspector Heather - right-click on a road on the map.  

Also, if you open up Street View using the Map Inspector, then hit the Expand square in the bottom left of the open window, it will give you all the streets available with street view, and you can move the orange man around anyway!  Which I think is close to what we used previously? But you can't keep everyone happy all the time, and some folk are just too stuck in the mud to move on. A reasonable choice, either that or the risk losing all service for premium members, as discussed by admin. The site provides a lot of inovative updates, and OS Maps was one that was a very popular feature request.

A quick glance at the profiles of the moaners, shows very little sharing or engagement in the "community" spirit of this site, no sharing routes etc. Feel free to share my walks, and thank you all those that share. Those that don't want to participate wouold probably be better off joining one of the other sites mentioned, I suspect you'll feel safer there, really. Colin 

Great to have OS Maps, much better than Google maps

(Land Surveyor/Cyclist)

Hi guys, have been experiencing a lot of issues while plotting routes in the Auto Plot, by road, since the update, with lots of "unable to calculate route" notifications, even on major roads or highways. Is this an issue from the loss of google data, or an issue within plotaroute. 
This happens with routes that I had previously plotted with no issues, as well as new routes.

Hi Leigh - check that you don't have any of the Auto-Plot sub-options enabled like "Avoid Highways". There's more advice in the following FAQ: Why can’t I auto-plot on a path shown on the map?

Hi John!

Thank you for the map changes, and the workaround for Street View. I'm surprised you kept Google as long as you did.

Have you considered OpenTopoMap as a layer that could possibly be used for printed maps?  I'm assuming the inability to print with USGS Topo is a licensing issue as well.

Thanks,
John.

Diappointing indeed. Google's mapping tools are way inferior to Plot-a-route's tools, and nobody beats Google's maps. If only the two could work together. Honestly, I would pay double the current premium suscription price for that. But I understand the reasons. Thanks for the reply. You still have my business.

Thanks for the OpenTopoMap suggestion John. We did look at this map style when we first started using OSM maps but opted for a different topo map style instead (our Terrain map). I don't think we would have room on our current map servers for another topo map, but its certainly something we can consider in the future. We can ceratinly look into the possibility of adding USGS as an option for printed maps - they may not provide the best contrast for showing routes though as they tend be be quite dark.

I've been a user of plotaroute for just over a year now and find it very useful for planning my walks. I have recently purchased a premium subscription because of the map provider change to Ordnance Survey maps. The previous option did not have enough detail as not all of the public footpaths were shown. Plotting a route required study of an Ordnance Survey map then turning off autoplot to guess the route of the "missing" footpath on my route. Having Ordnance Survey maps means that the footpaths are all visible in the plotaroute editor. I was a little disappointed however to find that the autoplot feature still does not snap to some of those pesky footpaths that must be missing from the underlying geographical information system in use. It is still an improvement though, as at least I can turn off autoplot and trace over the Ordnance Survey footpaths directly rather than guessing where they are.

Cool.  I didn't know about the map inspector.  That does help a lot. Thanks.

Well I was pretty disgruntled with the end of Google Maps.  However a month later I'm getting used to the change.  I have been doing a lot of work plotting up a route through Portugal if we are allowed out to play.  Open Street Map is OK! In some ways better regarding detail but  the beauty of google maps was its simplicity.  Nevertheless It's going to be OK and I am pleased I won't have to change providers as Plot a Route still has the best plotting tools etc.  Disgruntled no more.

I used OS maps for walking and then for cycling (using a PC based app called Tracklogs used OS maps). I have seen OSM develop and a few years ago decided that it was mature enough to be trusted. Given that most GPS devices now are using OSM-based mapping, it makes sense to route using the OSM dattabase, too.

Personally, the latest change putting OSM and OS into Plotaroute is icing on the cake. Streetview is still available, and the only drawback for me is that some of the maps don't quite look as good as they used to (like the Terrain Map), but then I only used them for screen-grabbing a route to keep with my photos.

I'm definitely in the "happy" camp.

Kernow Hiker  

" I was a little disappointed however to find that the autoplot feature still does not snap to some of those pesky footpaths that must be missing from the underlying geographical information system in use."

The routing is still using the underlying OSM mapping, and does not directly map from OS.

Hi Mark. Thanks for the information. I’ve signed up with OSM and started adding those pesky missing footpaths following the guidelines from experienced mappers.