Select an address from a map view?

[casualguy]

I am looking for a GPS that will let me input (lets say) 40 different addresses, then allow me to view a map of all locations, giving me the ability to 'pick' the address I wish to visit next. Is this possible with any of the TomToms?

Rich

 

[canderson]

You can add all 40 as "Favorites", then you configure your unit to always show your favorites on the map so you can see them (even when not driving to one).

When you want to actually navigate to one of them, all of the units have a "Navigate to" or "Drive to" that includes "Point on map", and that map will show all of your favorites. Poke one with your finger and away you go.

 

[casualguy]

You can add all 40 as "Favorites", then you configure your unit to always show your favorites on the map so you can see them (even when not driving to one).

When you want to actually navigate to one of them, all of the units have a "Navigate to" or "Drive to" that includes "Point on map", and that map will show all of your favorites. Poke one with your finger and away you go.

That sounds like a possible work-around, but I don't think I would be happy with that solution. The addresses are uniquely different each day, and upon visiting said address I would want it to disappear (be completed, removed from route).

 

[canderson]

OK - I evidently did not understand what you were wanting, but also had no idea you wanted them to automatically disappear. Different problem.

What you are asking for is itinerary planning without the itinerary, I guess. I've not heard of that feature before.

With any GPS I've seen, uploading a list to the unit requires that you either follow an itinerary in sequence to remove the items (due to proximity) or remove them manually if loaded as Favorites or a custom Point of Interest file.

I've never seen one that behaves as you describe.

 

[casualguy]

OK - I evidently did not understand what you were wanting, but also had no idea you wanted them to automatically disappear. Different problem.

What you are asking for is itinerary planning without the itinerary, I guess. I've not heard of that feature before.

With any GPS I've seen, uploading a list to the unit requires that you either follow an itinerary in sequence to remove the items (due to proximity) or remove them manually if loaded as Favorites or a custom Point of Interest file.

I've never seen one that behaves as you describe.

I've used a varity of GPS's over the years and it never ceases to amaze me as to the the curious order and/or routes that they can frequently generate. I just want a simple way to select an alternative address when the GPS makes a questionable choice.

 

[canderson]

It is a RARE GPS that actually provides solutions to the "traveling salesman problem" as it is sometimes known. That is to say, VERY few ever designed would be capable of automatic route generation based upon a list of destinations, especially 40 of them. Those are quite high end units. There are programs available for use on a PC that provide that functionality, but the last GPS device I recollect being able to do this was the old Garmin 700/7000 series (760 and the very expensive 7200 and7500 - both over $1000 at the time in around 2006 - come to mind). I know of no unit being sold into the consumer market today that provides this.

 

[casualguy]

It is a RARE GPS that actually provides solutions to the "traveling salesman problem" as it is sometimes known. That is to say, VERY few ever designed would be capable of automatic route generation based upon a list of destinations, especially 40 of them. Those are quite high end units. There are programs available for use on a PC that provide that functionality, but the last GPS device I recollect being able to do this was the old Garmin 700/7000 series (760 and the very expensive 7200 and7500 - both over $1000 at the time in around 2006 - come to mind). I know of no unit being sold into the consumer market today that provides this.

I do not necessarily need the gps to even attempt to sort my destinations. I merely want to load them, and see them in respect to where I am, then allow me to to pick the destination I want to go to first (and repeat the process from there).

 

[canderson]

If that were all you needed, as I say, any of the TomTom units would do that. But you would need to manually delete them when you arrived - it's not automatic.

 

[casualguy]

If that were all you needed, as I say, any of the TomTom units would do that. But you would need to manually delete them when you arrived - it's not automatic.

Delete the destination when I arrive? Does that also mean it isn't actually providing direction to the address?

 

[dhn]

It provides routing instructions

 

[Andy_P]

This question keeps shifting it's targets!

How about we suggest some methods and you pull those apart?

On any TomTom you can save upto 48 addresses as "Favourites". You can view those on the map (as yellow stars) and you can poke your finger at any one and say "Navigate there". All models will calculate a route to one of them "via" another one. All the new models will let you have 3 or 4 of these "via" points.

On any TomTom you can do exactly the same thing but save the locations as "POIs" in your own POI categories instead, so you could have one for Family, one for business deliveries, one for whatever else...

On most of the older mid or high end TomToms you also had itinerary planning, where you could enter upto 48 addresses (or use previously stored Favourites or POIs and sort them into your own order to visit. Each one could be defined as a destination or a "via" point. Once each one has been visited the unit automatically moves onto the next.

Do any of those describe what you are looking for?

 

[canderson]

If that were all you needed, as I say, any of the TomTom units would do that. But you would need to manually delete them when you arrived - it's not automatic.

Delete the destination when I arrive? Does that also mean it isn't actually providing direction to the address?

It provides directions to the point you pick. When you arrive at that point, you would have to manually delete it so that it doesn't keep showing up on the map. The device won't automatically knock them off the list/map when you visit them.

Are these 40 spots always different, or do you tend to hit the same spots all the time?

 

[casualguy]

This question keeps shifting it's targets!

How about we suggest some methods and you pull those apart?

On any TomTom you can save upto 48 addresses as "Favourites". You can view those on the map (as yellow stars) and you can poke your finger at any one and say "Navigate there". All models will calculate a route to one of them "via" another one. All the new models will let you have 3 or 4 of these "via" points.

On any TomTom you can do exactly the same thing but save the locations as "POIs" in your own POI categories instead, so you could have one for Family, one for business deliveries, one for whatever else...

On most of the older mid or high end TomToms you also had itinerary planning, where you could enter upto 48 addresses (or use previously stored Favourites or POIs and sort them into your own order to visit. Each one could be defined as a destination or a "via" point. Once each one has been visited the unit automatically moves onto the next.

Do any of those describe what you are looking for?

I guess the last option is the closest fit. I just wish I could see a map view of my addresses in respect to where I am, then choose my next destination (on screen) manually, and repeat the process through the route.

 

[casualguy]

If that were all you needed, as I say, any of the TomTom units would do that. But you would need to manually delete them when you arrived - it's not automatic.

Delete the destination when I arrive? Does that also mean it isn't actually providing direction to the address?

It provides directions to the point you pick. When you arrive at that point, you would have to manually delete it so that it doesn't keep showing up on the map. The device won't automatically knock them off the list/map when you visit them.

Are these 40 spots always different, or do you tend to hit the same spots all the time?

The addresses I visit are basically unique to every work day (I make collection stops for a utiltiy company), and I frequently adjust my 'direction' based on priority, not proximity.

 

[Andy_P]

I just wish I could see a map view of my addresses in respect to where I am, then choose my next destination (on screen) manually, and repeat the process through the route.

That's exactly what you get if you save the destinations as favourites or POIs, but you would have to delete each one yourself once you'd visited it (most people want to KEEP their Favourites).

 

[casualguy]

I just wish I could see a map view of my addresses in respect to where I am, then choose my next destination (on screen) manually, and repeat the process through the route.

That's exactly what you get if you save the destinations as favourites or POIs, but you would have to delete each one yourself once you'd visited it (most people want to KEEP their Favourites).

Would the process of deleting the favorite (upon arrival) be a simple 'select/delete' or are the steps more involved?

 

[dhn]

That should do it.

 

[Andy_P]

To delete a Favourite on a NAV2 (older) model, it's

Main menu - Change Preferences - Manage Favourites (it's on page 3 on the unit I just used) - Choose one - Delete

To delete a Favourite on a NAV3 (newer) model, it's

Main menu - Settings - Favourites (on page 4 on the unit I just used) - Choose one - Delete

 

[oldie67]

Could I suggest an approach using different technology? You need a suitable scale map, a pencil and an eraser. Each day, mark the locations you want to go to, and decide your route (presumably the shortest, though you may have other criteria).

Calculate a route from Home to each location - purely to get the locations into the destination list. If the destinations list gets full, use itineraries of 4 or 5 stops at a time.

At each stop, simply calculate the route to the next one, using the destinations list.

At the end of the day, erase all the destinations, and clean up the map.