Route planning by selecting roads rather than adding points

[photoalex]

Describe the idea (required)

Instead of planning a route by inserting approximate points and letting the computer pick roads and paths, why not have a route planning mode where you pick the roads/paths instead, sort of like the inverse of the 'avoid road' setting. I also find that if I dont insert the points exactly on the road the route calculator goes off my intended path to get as close as possible to the point I chose. The solution involves lots of zooming in and out..

Tell us about the expected behaviour (required)

Here I shall describe usage behaviour. 1 - define a starting point. 2 - pick the roads you want to take, if the chosen roads don't intersect all the way, the route calculator may step in. 3 - define an ending point.

Tell us about alternatives you've considered (required)

The simplest implementation workaround would be to have a 'prioritise road' action, like an inverted 'avoid road' action

Context (optional)

Manual route planning

[Sonwon1]

Interesting idea, however I see it working better on a PC screen than a little phone screen.

[photoalex]

Interesting idea, however I see it working better on a PC screen than a little phone screen.

possibly, but I think with abit of UI engineering it could be made pretty good, it wouldn't have to be very different from the current routeplanner:

in the current routeplanner you have a round crosshair where points are added. Just reuse that and whatever road is beneath when you press 'add' is selected, in a perfect world the crosshair would highlight the road that is in the crosshair before you add.

zoom level should be honored aswell, so that only roads that are rendered could be selected..

challenged accepted anyone? ;p

[Sonwon1]

In my opinion, more work needs to be done around shaping points and waypoints. And exporting and importing them so one can obtain tracks or routing or both. I have a request in for importing waypoints from GPX routing files to make it easier to follow a route rather than tracks. Since GPX track files are not useful for navigation. And don't suggest 'Attach to Roads' since it still has the annoying turn instructions when there are no turns just a bend in the road. Maybe I should have also requested importing shaping points from routing GPX files?

If it wasn't for a workaround for importing waypoints into OsmAnd I would be looking for a new app for navigation.

Anyway, the idea (Route planning by selecting roads rather than adding points) could possibly be added to this work.

I would also propose a yearly survey of the users to gather what problems or suggestion they have to improve OsmAnd although I suppose that is for another thread.