MapSource : calculate AEG?

[kingsnake]

I have plotted a route in MapSource, and wanted to know, roughly, what the AEG might be. (If you are familiar with Aravaipa, it would basically be a day hike loop around Mining Mountain, where there's some very steep gradients ...) I'm trying to find the setting / view / whatever, but so far coming up with nothing. (The route only lists rough distance, that I can find.)

[PLC92084]

Unless it's a track I've downloaded from my GPS, I don't get elevation data when I plot a route/track in Mapsource... I thought the topo info for the installed maps would work but, apparently, that isn't the case.

If I'm missing something, this is a good opportunity to find out! I know the software isn't that sophisticated; I hope the solution isn't to upgrade to better software or create random waypoints to get elevation data.

[kingsnake]

I could manually calculate rough AEG by diffing the waypoint elevations, but that would be a pain in the tutkis ...

[big_load]

Garmin BaseCamp is free and will at least give you an elevation profile.

[Grasshopper]

@kingsnake
MapSource does not give you an option for just an AEG calculation on your track. On your loaded MapSource "Waypoint/Route Manager-Editor", click on the track and when that track options page comes up, then click on the show profile option.. here you can manually calculate the track profile ups and downs to get your estimated AEG.. or .. let the power of HAZ do it for you by uploading your planned track on HAZ, then when the first HAZ profile page comes up, you will see a profile with the estimated mileage, EG, and AEG of your proposed route, then just delete the route off HAZ and do not post it. This works for me!

[joebartels]

let the power of HAZ do it for you by uploading your planned track on HAZ, then when the first HAZ profile page comes up, you will see a profile with the estimated mileage, EG, and AEG of your proposed route, then just delete the route off HAZ and do not post it. This works for me!

While everyone is welcome to do that I recommend Route MGR.
- Edit, Save, Elevation Profiles, etc.
- Never lose the file when you change computers/devices, it's available anywhere

[PLC92084]

@joe bartels


:worthy:

Is there no end to the goodness of HAZ !?

[kingsnake]

Apparently MapSource has it as well. Select a route, right click, click Route Properties, Show Profile. Unfortunately, if you are using a non-Garmin / non-Garmin partner topo, it will lack DEM (digital elevation something or other). In that case the Show Profile button will be disabled.

BaseCamp has a similar problem: If you use the arrow (selection tool), click on the route, then select either of the two default maps -- Trip and Waypoint Manager or Global Map -- then click on the Elevation Profile tab, you will see a "the current map does not contain any elevation data on the selected route" message.

Oh well, manual calculation it is then ... ... Looks like about 2800 ft, +maybe 20% for eyeballing it. ;)

-----

p.s. Grasshopper, that idea occured to me, but I did not know if that was kosher or not. But since you say it is, I will give it a whirl. :thanx:

[PLC92084]

Unfortunately, if you are using a non-Garmin / non-Garmin partner topo, it will lack DEM (digital elevation something or other).

The phrase"...you get what you pay for..." comes to mind here. I haven't tried uploading a GPX or GPB file to HAZ that I've created from scratch in Mapsource (using free topo maps...). Since they lack DEM info, I'm guessing the elevation data will still be missing (0+0 = 0).

[joebartels]

Route MRG has DEM built in.
If your file lacks elevation it is created on the fly, otherwise your data is preserved.

[Tough_Boots]

Its a bummer that mapsource doesn't calculate AEG especially since a lot of the actual Garmin units will do it while you're hiking. It seems stupid that the handheld unit would give more info than the software package. Also, I think mapsource only gives you an elevation profile if that info is in the track (mapsource only reads topo's like a big background image and only sync's elevation info to waypoints)-- so it would either have to be a real track from somebodies' hike or it would have to be sync'd to USGS or SRTM care of Joe's awesome site. He was nice enough to add a download option on the route posting page where you can upload your route, sync it, and flip it back to your hard drive without having to post it. It rules That's one of my favorite and most used tools on HAZ. It saved me from going out and buying TOPO! Thanks, Joe!

[Grasshopper]

p.s. Grasshopper, that idea occured to me, but I did not know if that was kosher or not. But since you say it is, I will give it a whirl.

Joe is certainly correct that his "Route Mgr" is the ticket and now mostly what I use to generate my new hiking tracks, but with you new to MapSource and trying to learn, I just assumed that the HAZ "Route Mgr" may be too much for you to now try to tackle both learning curves. Both are useful depending on what you want to do.

[kingsnake]

Probably so.

Tried Grasshopper suggestion, and both .gdb and .gpx files are rejected, despite the only non-letter in the file name being a dot (miningmountainloop.gpx).

Tried Joe's suggestion. I must be a retard, because I keep uploading the same file, and trying to do what the instructions say, but all I see are way points not my actual saved route that I actually connected all the waypoints up with in MapSource.

[joebartels]

PM me the .gdb and .gpx files and I'll see what is going on

[kingsnake]

It's not a big deal, I can live with the ambiguity, and eyeball a topo to tell if something is steep or not.

I finally figured out HAZ Route Manager. I just could not click on the waypoint, or it would select the waypoint rather than put down a route node. So instead I clicked off to the side of the waypoint to create the route node, then dragged the route node roughly over the middle of the waypoint. That seemed to work. Then it did give me an elevation profile. Seems a bit off though, 1266 feet versus ~2800 by adding up the elevation diffs between waypoints.

Anyway, thanx for the offer Joe. No rush.

Btw, got my HAZ t-shirt today.

[joebartels]

thx for sending those over it helps me develop better tools for all of us to use

GPS Route Upload is currently for "single tracks" to post on site. What you tried uploading was waypoints and route points.

Route MGR handles tracks and waypoints

I've never heard of route points before though it's easy to understand how they could be used for driving navigation and such. Now that I know I may be able to integrate that into Route MGR

The elevation profile doesn't have enough data with 27 points for 8+ miles (50+ points per mile is optimal). It has a built in five point error averaging override. I'll make it work in these instances.

[kingsnake]

That makes sense. I didn't want to be precise with the route because there is no trail there, or anything remotely close to it. (Unless you count the gravel road south of Indian Head Mountain or, apparently (never laid eyes on it so not sure) the jeep trail in Brandenburg Wash. So, basically the route is me exploring and the way points are so I don't get lost.

Btw, there's a Holy Joe Wash there.

[AZLumberjack]

Hey Preston, glad to see that you're comming into the current century, (kicking & screaming of course). GPS is one of those things that doesn't come quickly because it has so many features available. First master the GPS and then work on the maps. Glad you made the switch though.

[kingsnake]

Yeah, I found last week that I pretty much had my nose glued to the GPS the whole time I was out. Too worried about staying on trail. Getting a bit off track is kind of fun, though, and how you find new things. (Just not too far off.)

[big_load]

Also, I think mapsource only gives you an elevation profile if that info is in the track (mapsource only reads topo's like a big background image and only sync's elevation info to waypoints)-- so it would either have to be a real track from somebodies' hike or it would have to be sync'd to USGS or SRTM care of Joe's awesome site.

I'm not sure why I did this, but I verified that both MapSource and BaseCamp will create elevation profiles from arbitrary routes and tracks as long as you're using an appropriate Garmin map. No luck with otherwise-compatible third-party maps.