Map Updates again, tonight / tomorrow

So after testing a bit more with the maps of yesterday, even though the routing worked over longer distances, the major feature of the openmtbmap – to guide you to the nicest ways was more or less lost. I went back to the style-files that I used when first offering maps on here (they had quite good routing AND worked over longer distances) and reworked the rules from ground up.

Even though technical routing based on grades and scales would provide the nicest routing, I have backed back and give preference to bicycle and mtb routes. The maps of 10.05 were the most extreme leaning towards technical assesination only, and well routing over 5km often didn’t work. It’s sad, but Garmin algorithms will not work if there are no more or less straight ways or at least ways leading towards the destination with high priority.

Setting up the routing parameters will be even more vital for the maps of the next updates. I figured out the following useful settings (go on and experiment further…)

MTB scenic – don’t route over too long distances – well mapped area (this includes mtb:scale and/or mtb routes) Car/Motorcycle, no avoidances, move slider 1 or […]

Exceptional Map Update – Improved Autorouting.

Okay after the last mountainbike maps suffered from severe breakage of autorouting over longer distances, I push through new maps tonight. Switzerland, Austrian and Italy are already updated, other maps follow suit.

Just a reminder:

Using the “avoid toll roads” option in your GPS/Mapsource you switch to bicycle mode. I don’t recommend setting any other avoidances! Bicyclemode omits footways where bicycles are not allowed and skips tracks with tracktype=grade3 or bigger. (of course also any way with mtb:scale=1 or higher is skipped or mtb:scale:uphill=3 or higher, also sac_scale prohibits bicycle usage in bicycle “avoid toll roads”). In German this is option is called “Mautstraßen vermeiden”

You can play around which mode setting (default and proved working quite well is car/motorcycle) gives you best results. Oneway streets are not yet included because setting the rules in mkgmap is a bit buggy. In Mapsource there is no big difference between the modes. Once oneway streets are implemented you will be able to avoid them using the pedestrian setting. I will only implement oneway rules for primary/secondary/tertiary streets because usually in town I am quicker disrespecting oneway and often bicycles are allowed to go against the direction anyhow (this is not easily implementable […]