What exactly is the difference between a course and a route?
What exactly is the difference between a course and a route?
Waipoints, tracklog, route, course, course points... Lets explain them. Independently of they meaning in plain english in the GPS world these are the meanings:
In the begining there were waypoints, routes and tracklogs
waypoint: Its a coordinate with associated information: Name, icon, description...
route: its an ordered list of waypoints.
track/tracklog: Its a secuente of coordinates
The Edge calls waypoints locations.
The .gpx format handles all of them
There are of course a lot of formats that can hold waypoints, routes and tracks/tracklogs. A program called GPSbabel can convert between them.
.gpx format is a XML language and has an strict schema (information that can be described) and for example cadence and hart rate are not part of the format (although it leaves room for extensions)
When garmin entered the GPS fitness they created the .tcx format with fitness in mind (cadence, heart rate, workouts, courses, course points, virtual partner...). Before that they introduced in the Edge 205 and Edge 305 the .crs format which was a course format
.tcx format is what holds in garmin terminology a course. Which can have course points. Course points are not waypoints. They are similar but course points belong to a course in particular.
A course is similar to a track but it is not the same. A track in .gpx format is and ordered list of coordinates but a course in .tcx format can add pace information, course points...
With the Forerunner 310XT, Edge 500 and Edge 800 garmin introduced the .fit format. It is no longer a XML based format. Instead is a binary one. The main advantage is that it occupies a lot less space than .gpx and .tcx formats.
The Edge 800 can "import" from its NewFiles directory .gpx, .tcx, .crs and .fit files. The it converts them internally into .fit format.
The tricky part with the Edge 800 is that nearly everything that you import into it appears as a course but in the begining they could be a track (for example in .gpx format) a route (for example in .gpx format) or a course (for example in .tcx format) You can also create a course based on an existing activity.
With the Edge you can navigate:
- To a destination like a car GPS.
- To a waypoint (you find them under locations)
- A route (It gets converted into a course)
- A track (It gets converted into a course)
- A course
If I have tiem i plan to make a summary of thee routing on the edge 800 to help people get the most of it and also to identify where it is not working as expected.
If I just answer your question: No, a route is not the same as a course (in GPS terminology).
When you navigate a course you have a preset path that you follow
When you navigate a route you have an ordered list of waypoints or places you have to go by (think of them as via points) but between them the path you follow is not preset and can vary.
GPX, the GPS Exchange Format, is supported by hundreds of software applications and Web sites, making it the standard format for interchanging GPS data between GPS receivers, desktop and mobile software, and Web-based services.
Windows GPX Software
Mobile GPX Software
GPX-enabled software for Mobile Phones and PocketPC and Palm PDAs:
Macintosh GPX Software
Multiple Platform Support
The following GPX software programs run on multiple platforms:
Online GPX Applications
Online applications that support GPX:
Web sites with GPX data
Data in GPX form is available at the following Web sites:
GPX / Google Maps Mashups
The following Web sites allow you to plot your GPX data on a Web map:
GPS Planner (for routes)
GPS Visualizer (Convert GPX to SVG maps and elevation profiles)
GMapToGPX (View GPX files on Google Maps)
Marengo GPS Route Planner (View GPX files on Google Maps)
Online GPX Viewer (View GPX files on Google Maps)
SnowRanger (ski resort maps)
Track Viewer (View GPX files on Google Maps)
uTrack (online GPX track report generator)
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