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"It's possible their app uses some kind of map matching" 

It is :-))  Ask google to show you for the actual top popular navigation apps. Be surprised.

And their result is sure very nice as even off road non mapped road segments are recognised.  

Anyway I only  tested the app once this by using a region track trajects. (free single region offer)

It's possible their app uses some kind of map matching, similar to our Snap Route to Map tool, as it would need to know how the route from the GPX file correlates to the map.

OK, understood. I did not add any directions to that ride.

A friend uses Komoot and imports my GPX files (no directions). That application gives Voice Navigation (as a sat-nav), so the turn-by-turn navigation service is obviously built-in as a core functionality.

Mark

Thanks for that feedback Mark. Any native app we develop would definitely have offline capability with the ability to download maps for whatever area you choose. As for voice navigation on the current plotaroute web app, this does indeed function much like a satnav, but it will only make announcements if the route has directions and you have Voice Navigation turned on in the navigation settings.

Ok, just tried that in real life. Some suggestions: an app that does not need a data/Wi-Fi signal is imperative. That also implies a downloaded map. Also, the voice navigation is great .... if it has any notifications to give. Mine didn't, but I was assuming it would work like a car sat-nav, but I suspect it doesn't? I couldn't try, but do the voice instructions work when the screen is off?

As for downloaded maps; the once great ViewRanger allowed you to download the map tiles for a mapped route. Not a large square/rectangle, but just those tiles for the given route, excellent for long A-B rides.

Just some thoughts ( and questions!)

Mark

I will be using PR to navigate me by bike from London Esuton to Victoia stations, today. Short, but a good test!

Thanks Mark.

In case you need beta testers ..... 

Wow, sounds like a good plan, be great to see!!

Thanks Mark, we'll add something to the How-To Guide about that.  We're hoping inplement a native app for navigation at some point, so we're probably not going to do any further changes to the design of the web app navigation tool. at the moment. 

Ah, I was missing the "press the tracker icon to restart navigation". It may be worth adding this "changing maps when naviating" to the page How To Navigate A Route Using The Plotaroute App - plotaroute.com

I guess I can still argue my case :) I agree, another button would cover some of the map, but maybe there could be 4 at the bottom where there are now 3? 

That's "dead" area, anyway. I wonder how much the +/- buttons are used, I would have thought people are pinch-zooming etc. Those buttons are also bigger and have no transparency, when compared to the buttons on the normal map page.

Slightly off-topic, I know, but it's good to think about these things!

By the way, the - button partly covers the map scale ......

Mark

It should only take 4 button presses to change maps types when in navigation mode not 8: press  X to exit navigation, press the map type button, select the map type you want, press the tracker icon to restart navigation. Adding an extra button on the map would save 2 but would permenently cover up some of the map. 

OK, understood!

I can't find just 2 button presses, it takes me 8 with a swipe, so I must be missing something!

I must admit, though, it wasn't obvious how to change maps once I'd started navigating .... The OS map only zooms-in a particular distance, and doesn't show some detail like the OSM maps do. I often find myself moving between the 2 types, more often when walking than cycling.

Mark

Thanks for that suggestion Mark. I guess the trade-off here is whether most people would prefer to have a less cluttered map (as it would mean adding another button) versus saving 2 button presses to change map types.  I think we assumed that people would not change map types very often, but we'd be interested in what others think.

When navigating a route on the Mobile App, the option to change the map is not available. You have to set the map type before starting to navigate, which requires stopping/re-startingt navigation.

Any chance of adding this functionaility, please?

Mark