ZRP is a route optimizer for routes with many stop overs.
(multi destination routing / muliple vias)

Type in start and destination plus any number of stop overs and ZRP calculates the shortest route possible. ZRP uses the GoogleMaps API to get the distances between the destinations.

Interesting for courier drivers and logistics companies is the unlimited number of waypoints. Route optimization can save time and fuel.

ZRP is a roundtrip solver if start and destination are identical.
ZRP is based on an evolutionary algorithm, the ant algorithm and simulated annealing.

Features:

-> save route as HTML
-> save route as TomTom itn file

Version 0.99 Beta:

English:
ZRP - ZeroRoutenPlaner
Spanish:
ZRP - ZeroRoutenPlaner
French:
ZRP - ZeroRoutenPlaner
German:
http://zrp.tournament.de/index.jsp?lang=de

Version 0.7 Beta:

ZRP - ZeroRoutenPlaner

 

Sounds very interesting and seems to replace for what so called "Route Optimization", the question is that can it generate the output file such .itn so that we can load it into the Tomtom or just purely a planner?

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Tomtom GO920 + SE NavCore 8.410.1218 + NA v825.2157
Tomtom GO920 + SE NavCore 9.004.1804 + NA v840.2562

 

Yes, it generates itn files.
After the route is computated click "Save route:" "tomtom/itn".

 

I have tried ZRP and it does appear to optimize routes with multiple waypoints. I then saved the route as a TomTom .itn file and tried to use it both in my 920 and in Google Maps via TYRE. It did not work in either. I opened a good .itn file in Notepad and the ZRP created .itn file in another Notepad session. The following is what I observed.

The ZRP created file has coordinates that are not all to the same level of precision (different numbers of digits). I don't know it that matters, but I changed them to be all the same numbers of digits as the good .itn.

The ZRP created file has no waypoint sequence numbers. Again, I don't know if that matters but I inserted them.

The ZRP created file has different characters at the end of each waypoint. I copied the characters from the good .itn and pasted them over the ones supplied by ZRP.

The ZRP created file does not have each waypoint on a separate line. Again, I don't know if that matters but I changed that as well.

With those changes made I could save the file directly onto my 920 in the itn folder and it worked.

I then tried opening it in TYRE and displaying the route in Google Maps. TYRE hung. I shut it down and relaunched it and went to Google Maps without a file open. I used the facility to add waypoints from a file and opened the revised ZRP file and selected all the waypoints. Google Maps could then calculate the route. I clicked the OK button and had TYRE save the file. From that point on TYRE worked just fine with it.

There is obviously something I have missed in changes required to the ZRP created file, but it is possible to get it to work. I hope the creator of ZRP will correct the problem as it should be a very useful tool if it is able to create a TomTom itinerary file correctly.

 

I emailed the programmer and sent him two sample files. He very promptly diagnosed and fixed the problem. I am very impressed with the program and the programmer.

 

In this case, I'll let your other thread stay in the other forum as it does provide a link here. I'll just lock it.

By the way, thanks for your analysis and contacting the author. Your efforts will help others here. Is he 'fixing' the problem by providing an update to the program?

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TomTom 720--NA Map 840--WCE Map 840--NZ Map 835--App 8.351

 

Maybe you should lock this one too now.

The programme is already working as it should, no need to resort to TYRE.

Patrick und Team, danke.

__________________
GO 930, reverted to 8.302, NA 840 + W&CE 805, XP Pro SP3

 

Yes sir!! Done...........Your wish is my command!

__________________
TomTom 720--NA Map 840--WCE Map 840--NZ Map 835--App 8.351

 

Looks like a great app, but one question. When I open the initial link, the map centers on San Antonio, TX for some reason. Can I somehow configure it open in my neck of the woods? Thanks.

 

That's funny because when I open mine my home location is smack in the center (maybe that was what I had on the map when I bookmarked the programme) although in the left margin it says
Start:
London
Destination:
Grays
Stop-overs:
Hastings;Braybrooke;Terrace;Boxley;

These are of course all locations to the east of London, UK, except for Hastings (like in the Battle of).
More interesting would be to find out whether it is Braybrooke in Essex, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Leicestershire or Dorset.
Testing those locations, it doesn't seem to like to figure the route to Hasings as it keeps running an running.
If I just click on the GO in the opening screen it calculates the route to Grays and then switches to German giving information about the trip.

When I originally tried it in the greater Toronto area with five locations it did a very good job.
To test I just entered
Start: Toronto, ON
Destination: Albany, NY
Stop-overs: Prescott, ON; Tupper Lake, NY; Lake Placid, NY;
and it calculated the correct way with reasonably fast processing time.

Saving it to the device as an itn will eliminate the need to follow my previous habit of putting town centers in a custom POI and call up the next destination just before I get to this town.

Still weird that it switches to German when it shows the route. Clicking on en just resets the screen.

Anyone else notices odd behaviour like that?

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GO 930, reverted to 8.302, NA 840 + W&CE 805, XP Pro SP3