Is it common/possible to utilise multiple applications (e.g. MotoGoLoco and google maps and OSM and Mapsource) to design/plan a route (or collection of routes), and then "finalise" it all in Mapsource for proper compatibility with a Zumo unit?
Yes, providing you create each route in a gpx format.
Rather than clog this thread up with holiday and separate GPS type questions, I suggest you attack the GPS section. Lots of very good help there.
MotoGoLoco uses Google maps as its base map, so you do not need to use Google maps on its own or separately.
Open Street maps display in Mapsource, so you can work on them from within the Mapsource software itself.
If you use MotoGoLoco to create a whole route, then it is easily transferable into a .gpx file so that it can be seen in Mapsource. But take a little care as there are reports of the route being altered sometimes. How much of this is down to the differences between the two maps used and how much down to operator error is never quite clear.
If you create part of a route in MotoGoLoco and part in say OSM and / or Mapsource, you'll need to get good at chopping and joining routes together within Mapsource. It can be done and there are lots of quite good websites and YouTube videos on how to do it. You can also trace over routes, running over their outline to create one single route.
I have, but find Mapsource easier and more convenient (no internet required).Have you been playing with Motogoloco, Mr Wapping?
I've saved a couple of my MGL routes as .GPX files, and they open in MS, displayed as a pink line, but are just straight lines between the waypoints, rather than following the roads I selected in MGL .
I've downloaded one .GPX file from Wikiloc and it opens in MS, but isn't editable - is this normal? It's displayed as a light dotted line. When I transfer this .GPX file to my 550, it seems to be the same as the original route from Wikiloc, using the same trails & tracks. I tried to recreate a bit of this route in MGL, but MGL doesn't seem to allow the selection of some of the tracks used in the Wikiloc route.
I can see on my 550 there's an option to un-avoid off-road/unpaved roads, but I can't find a way to do that in MGL or MS - can they do that?
I can't see creating 300-mile routes directly on the 550 being much fun?
Is it the case that even though in theory the routes & .GPX files should be compatible/consistent between route-planning apps, they sometimes aren't?
Would it be better to pick just one route-planning application and stick with that?
Gonna download some OSM maps this weekend and start playing with them.
Enjoying playing so for.
Is Mapsource only displaying in only the base (undetailed) map? Check and report back.
I have no idea what Wikiloc is, so I'll guess....
I suspect that the .gpx file you have downloaded from Wikiloc's site is a track, not a route. You can edit routes in Mapsource, if indeed it is a track.
You can set avoidances (motorways, U-turns, unmade roads etc) in Mapsource.
I have no idea if you can set preferences / avoidances in MotoGoLoco
Then don't do it.
Garmin devices are designed to work best with Garmin software, like BaseCamp and Mapsource.
Using third party software can sometimes create problems.
What (other than this forum) are good resources for the Mapsource noob, and for the GPS