Cycle Travel Question

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
SA_SA_SA
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Joined: 31 Oct 2009, 1:46pm

Re: New Route Planner

Post by SA_SA_SA »

Richard Fairhurst wrote:...

Is it much work to add optional intermediate text boxes for 'via' points (like the way google maps allows new destination text boxes to be added (and moved between start and destination if needed)?

When you say routes are precalculated, is that a subset of the most likely routes, surely 2^Possible start and end points in UK is a huge number?

Thanks for the undo button :) .
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Bicycler
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by Bicycler »

matt_twam_asi wrote:Sorry if my reply came off as combative Bicycler, I was just mentioning that in the absence of what you're asking for (which would be a great idea) you can probably assume that the data is updated at least monthly. I'll go back to lurking now. :)

Not at all and sorry if my reply in any way gave the impression that I took issue with your post. It was late when I wrote it. I was grateful for the reply :)

Part of the reason I asked is that I lurk on the cycle.travel forum where Richard has recently said that updates have been more intermittent during the recent major upgrade. With more upgrading to come I thought it would be useful to keep track of the date of the data.
Richard Fairhurst
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

Bicycler wrote:I don't have any problem at all with the rate of updating. I have no desire to bring about Richard's deafening by server noise viewtopic.php?f=16&t=83831&p=956095&hilit=server#p956095 I would just find it helpful to be able to check the date of the current import. A footnote or simple changelog would suffice.


Good idea! I've just added a page to list that: http://cycle.travel/map/info . It automatically changes whenever I update the maps (it's the timestamp of the last download).

SA_SA_SA wrote:Is it much work to add optional intermediate text boxes for 'via' points (like the way google maps allows new destination text boxes to be added (and moved between start and destination if needed)?

When you say routes are precalculated, is that a subset of the most likely routes, surely 2^Possible start and end points in UK is a huge number?


Adding intermediate text boxes is definitely on the to-do list. It's not a trivial change, but on the other hand it'll give me the opportunity to add drop-down autocomplete to the placename entry, which I've wanted to do for a while. So watch this space.

The precalculation uses an algorithm called Contraction Hierarchies, which essentially relies on the fact that optimal routes cluster onto a network after a while. It's easiest to think of for driving routes - no matter where in Oxfordshire you start, if you're going to Scotland, you'll ultimately end up on the M40 and then the M6 before long. If you're curious, Dennis Luxen, the creator of OSRM (the core routing software that cycle.travel uses), gave a good talk on it at an OpenStreetMap conference a couple of years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pt_LnQjywc . He's a clever guy - shortly afterwards he was hired by Apple...
cycle.travel - maps, journey-planner, route guides and city guides
rfryer
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by rfryer »

I've just had another play with cycle.travel after a longish absence; it's looking really good, especially the map display on Android. One question though; is it possible to add via points in Android, that aren't on the existing route? It seems that I can tap on the route to create a via point, but I can't then drag it onto a different road.

Thanks!

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my XT1039 using hovercraft full of eels.
Last edited by rfryer on 5 May 2016, 1:59pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bicycler
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by Bicycler »

Thanks Richard.
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RickH
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by RickH »

rfryer wrote:I've just had another play with cycle.travel after a longish absence; it's looking really good, especially the mall display on Android. One question though; is it possible to add via points in Android, that aren't on the existing route? It seems that I can tap on the route to create a via point, but I can't then drag it onto a different road.

Thanks!

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my XT1039 using hovercraft full of eels.

If you hold your finger on a via point for a second or so and then drag it the point moves (or it does for me :) ).

Rick
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
rfryer
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by rfryer »

It does for me, too! How on earth did I miss that?

It's amazing that Richard finds the time not only to do the routing and mapping work, but then to get the interface so right on multiple platforms. Great work!

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my XT1039 using hovercraft full of eels.
Richard Fairhurst
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

I'll admit I've not tested it on Android for a while! But I do test it on an iPhone. Generally browsers are fairly well-behaved these days - if something works in Chrome on a desktop machine it'll usually work on Android.

Ultimately I'd like to build dedicated apps for it but there are never enough hours in the day...
cycle.travel - maps, journey-planner, route guides and city guides
steveok
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Joined: 22 Apr 2016, 11:50pm

Re: New Route Planner

Post by steveok »

Wow, this is a great app, thanks for your work. I'm sure you've got a long list of suggestions from this thread, but something I'd like to see (especially for mobile) is a viewing mode or some other way to prevent clicks on the map from adding or changing the route.
gobybike
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by gobybike »

Like Richard, I've been experimenting with electronic route planning too, as I've used electronic maps + hub dynamo charger for my last couple of tours. There's a great Android map called maps.me from Germany, which allows offline browsing and can import routes, but those actual tracks were the problem. I've never been too convinced with autorouting and editing downloading GPX tracks is laborious at best.

So I've come up with a different approach. A interactive tool to plot routes, but which can cope with multi-day trips matched to an accommodation database of campsites & hostels. It's taken ages to put together but still got a few rough edges, but I'd appreciate some feedback if anyone fancies a go.

www.gobybike.co.uk

Thanks
Kevin
Bicycler
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by Bicycler »

The map/routing page doesn't seem functional for me at the moment. My browser has crashed and I've received "long running script" notifications several times. My browser is Microsoft Edge.
It seems you're using the Opencyclemap maps and Cyclestreets routing. Has the routing algorithm been tweaked or will the routing be the same as that obtained from Cyclestreets?
gobybike
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by gobybike »

Brilliant, thanks for the feedback.

It does indeed use Open CycleMap and Cyclestreets, although unlike Richard's I don't really see it as a route planner, more a tour planner as it does lots of other stuff. So for now Cyclestreets just fills in the gaps as you plot manually or import a route. Their new API has been imminent for a while, so I am hoping for better results from it.

I've just tested it with Edge, and it worked fine for me, with quite a slow connection. There are a lot of Ajax calls going to both Mapquest & Cyclestreets, although both are supposed to time out if the reply is slow. Strange. Appreciate it if anyone else has a try.
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RickH
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by RickH »

gobybike wrote:Brilliant, thanks for the feedback.

It does indeed use Open CycleMap and Cyclestreets, although unlike Richard's I don't really see it as a route planner, more a tour planner as it does lots of other stuff. So for now Cyclestreets just fills in the gaps as you plot manually or import a route. Their new API has been imminent for a while, so I am hoping for better results from it.

I've just tested it with Edge, and it worked fine for me, with quite a slow connection. There are a lot of Ajax calls going to both Mapquest & Cyclestreets, although both are supposed to time out if the reply is slow. Strange. Appreciate it if anyone else has a try.

Completely unusable in Firefox (v46.0.1 running on Windows 10 Pro 64 bit). Dragging the map & cursor keys generally did nothing, although one attempt at dragging just gave me a route round the middle of the Irish Sea as it registered as clicks instead! :( The only way I managed to move around the map is using the rectangle on the bottom right zoomed out map (which is too zoomed out to be able to find anywhere). Got the circling dominoes of doom for several minutes at one point. Not good so far!

Rick.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
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meic
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by meic »

I am also Firefox V46.01 and Windows 10 Home 64bit and it works fine for me.
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RickH
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Re: New Route Planner

Post by RickH »

meic wrote:I am also Firefox V46.01 and Windows 10 Home 64bit and it works fine for me.

Still not doing it for me. The other factor that could possibly be making a difference is Logitech mouse software.

Rick.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
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