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jparish

GPS: Volvo Sensus







Post Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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Hi,
A couple of weeks back members of this forum (and especially Mark) were super-helpful to me and the Volvo owners' community in adapting the POI tools to support the POI format used in the current Volvo Sensus satnav system. I will be writing that up for an issue of Volvo Driver magazine (which goes to 4,000 owners) in the New Year.
Not to be daunted, I am now working on importing routes (rather than simple POI) into the Sensus system, which is another feature the car supports. And there are some very nice touring routes out there, which it would be good to enjoy in our Volvos. It also overcomes a limitation of the system, which otherwise only lets you add four intermediate points when planning a journey.
Once again, Volvo uses its own extensions (gpxv) to the standard GPX schema. I have successfully recorded a route in my car and exported that data, then combined that schema with some route data from a "standard" GPX route to create some new routes in the format the Volvo system uses. They import and load perfectly in the car.
Unfortunately though, the process is rather clunky: it entails editing the GPX files in Wordpad (or another text editor), then copying and pasting the "standard" GPX data into a file using the Volvo schema. It is also necessary to replace the "rtept" route point tags with a specific "gpx:rtept" tag which I have not seen in any other file export formats. It would be great to clean up this process, but I am not a coder.
So two questions to this community:
1) Has anyone here any experience of working with routes in the Volvo Sensus system?
2) Failing that, does anyone know how one might create a routine to simplify the manual process above (and which I can document in detail)?
Thanks everyone in advance,
Julian.
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Mark

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Post Re: Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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Hi Julian,
Thanks!
We can add the route file format to out POI Editor, if you want. All what Andrew needs is a working file and a beta tester.
Regards
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jparish

GPS: Volvo Sensus







Post Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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Hi Mark and Andrew,
Send in the cavalry! GPS Data Team to the rescue once again ...
I am happy to act as a beta tester and provide a sample data file (see below).
This originated as a motorcycle touring route, provided by a UK magazine for free download as a .gpx file or to view in Google Maps. Go to a ride site and select to see route 4 (Avallon). I got the cleanest and simplest file by viewing the route in Google Maps in IE, then importing it - as a set of waypoints - and saving that as a .gpx file.
I then merged the information from that route with the structure used by Volvo (based on a route I recorded in the car and exported). The file required a good deal of manual editing (in WordPad) to work, notably:
- Removing some unnecessary data from the Volvo recording, including the journey time, total distance and distance format (km/miles) which the in-car system adds back automatically
- Keeping only the route point (rtept) data and cutting the trk data from the new route
- Removing the name information from each line of the rtept data
- Changing all the rtept tags to gpx:rtept
Before finalizing the file, I checked for and removed any BOM markers and validated the XML schema.
The file below has imported fine into my Volvo, as have three others I have tested. I haven't driven it, but the total journey time and distance look correct, and you can preview the entire route in the car just fine, so I feel completely confident that it is working.
If you need to see other files, including the route I recorded in the Volvo or the first "standard" gpx version of this route, please give me an e-mail address I can use. For now, I have copied below the route around Avallon, which I have re-christened "Morvan tour".
Thanks once again for your keenness to get involved here!
Best regards,
Julian.

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<gpx:gpx creator="" version="1.1" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:gpx="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1 http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd" xmlns:gpxv="\VolvoGPXExtensions\V1">
  <gpx:rte>
    <gpx:name>Morvan tour</gpx:name>
    <gpx:extensions>
    </gpx:extensions>
  <gpx:rtept lat="47.49260" lon="3.90804"></gpx:rtept>
  <gpx:rtept lat="47.27965" lon="4.23202"></gpx:rtept>
  <gpx:rtept lat="46.98851" lon="4.51048"></gpx:rtept>
  <gpx:rtept lat="46.89821" lon="4.51290"></gpx:rtept>
  <gpx:rtept lat="46.95060" lon="4.36872"></gpx:rtept>
  <gpx:rtept lat="46.83720" lon="4.36105"></gpx:rtept>
  <gpx:rtept lat="46.98711" lon="3.81280"></gpx:rtept>
  <gpx:rtept lat="47.05755" lon="3.92434"></gpx:rtept>
  <gpx:rtept lat="47.49246" lon="3.90798"></gpx:rtept>
  </gpx:rte>
  </gpx:gpx>
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Mark

GDT






Post Re: Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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Good work Julian,
Andrew can code and add this format to our online POI Tools. The question is, who uses routes any more. The attached route file contains quite limited information. In my humble opinion, creating a small, personalised GPX file and using it to select your next stop would be quite easy and fast (something like Garmin's TourGuide). I am not sure if I should push Andrew to make this addition? Anyone can export a few coordinates using the TSV (tab separated) or CSV (comma separated values), load the file with Excel and make a route file with a few simple copy-and-paste steps.
Regards
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jparish

GPS: Volvo Sensus







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Hi Andrew,
That's a fair question. From what I have seen, routes seem to be more prevalent among motorcyclists; the magazine and it's associated website , for example, have a good range of touring routes, which they still add to regularly.
The problem is that Volvo's Sensus system will apparently not accept any of the standard route types in .gpx format, but needs this very specific format. But it may be that - especially for the subset of Volvo owners - this is too marginal and not a good prioritization of your resources. I won't be offended if you decide not to proceed! At least we know now that it is possible.
The simplest alternative for Volvo owners may just be to cut and paste the latitude & longitude references into an empty schema file and not worry about the format they start from at all.
Thanks in any case for your support,
Julian.
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jparish

GPS: Volvo Sensus







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Hi all,
I have now done some more work on this, and think I have come up with a reliable method which will work consistently with routes already published in 'standard' GPX (Garmin) or ITN (TomTom) and many other formats, or built from your own GPS data in a CSV file.
After some experimentation, I have found that you need the shortest and simplest CSV file listing with GPS coordinates of each route point.
You can then make or use your own CSV file - to copy and paste the latitude & longitude data into the GPX format in the code sample above, working in a simple text editor like Notepad.
I have found it helpful to run the file through a File BOM Detector (and remove any BOM marks) and validate the XML schema before copying it to a freshly formatted USB key and importing it into the car.
I now have several routes installed in my car, taken from different sources. If you have a Volvo with Sensus Connect navigation, please give it a try and share your feedback.
Cheers,
Julian.
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Mark

GDT






Post Re: Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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Well Julian,
It seems that you always get what you want. In respect to your dedication, I pushed Andrew to add that format to our Online POI Converter. You can save any file as a Volvo Route file format. He also added Volvo as one of default format options ([Options] in the left upper screen corner).

I hope you'll enjoy your rides!
Regards
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jparish

GPS: Volvo Sensus







Post Re: Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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Mark wrote:
Well Julian,
It seems that you always get what you want. In respect to your dedication, I pushed Andrew to add that format to our Online POI Converter. You can save any file as a Volvo Route file format. He also added Volvo as one of default format options ([Options] in the left upper screen corner).

I hope you'll enjoy your rides!
Regards


Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for your continued help, I wouldn't have presumed to ask for this!
Unfortunately, however, we're not quite there yet. I can't get any of the routes I create from the same csv files I used before to generate valid gpx route files using your tools. They all fail to validate and I get this error in Validome: Fatal error The Document could not load!
The Validome tool is still running correctly with other GPX files I have tried today.
And they all fail to load in the car.
I have looked at the output files carefully, and the only difference I could see was that your file included a first line with 0 values for latitude & longitude. I tried removing that line, but still with no luck. I'm not quite sure what to do next.
Meanwhile, your earlier work on the POI data continues to prove very useful. We now have files in service for the National Trust and English Heritage sites in the UK (covering some 900 historical attractions), all with live phone numbers. I am also in touch with Volvo themselves as this functionality is not only opaque for end-users, but appears to be a mystery to Volvo's own service staff as well!
Regards,
Julian.
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Mark

GDT






Post Re: Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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Hi Julian,
Andrew just fixed that file output format. Please try again.
Regards
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jparish

GPS: Volvo Sensus







Post Re: Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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Mark wrote:
Hi Julian,
Andrew just fixed that file output format. Please try again.
Regards

Hi Mark and Andrew,
Thanks so much, we are almost there! The output file now passes the Validome validation check just fine. However, the inclusion of the first line with 0 values for latitude & longitude still breaks it: it will load in the car, but will not generate an overall distance for the route.
If, however, I remove that line and the next blank row, so that the section starts with the first set of real latitude & longitude for the first route point in the route, bingo, it works! Again, short of actually driving there, I can visualize the route on the map and the turn-by-turn directions.
If you can make that hopefully minor change and remove the line with 0 values, I think we are set, and you have vastly simplified my manual process. And even if not, it reduces the amount of manual editing in Notepad of the GPX file.
Cheers,
Julian.
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Mark

GDT






Post Re: Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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Hi Julian,
Andrew also added the Garmin route file read option. You can load Garmin route files and save them as Volvo route files.
Regards
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jparish

GPS: Volvo Sensus







Post Re: Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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Mark wrote:
Hi Julian,
Andrew also added the Garmin route file read option. You can load Garmin route files and save them as Volvo route files.
Regards

Hi Mark and Andrew,
I tried using your tool with a Garmin GPX file and it seems to load OK, although I rather like the simplicity and much smaller file size of starting from a CSV file, which lists only the main waypoints rather than a profusion of trackpoints. I think the CSV option - especially if we can automate the removal of the first line with the 0 latitude & longitude values - will be the simplest option.
In any case, thank you both for all your work here!
Julian.
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Mark

GDT






Post Re: Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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Hi
Isn't that issue resolved? Do you still get the leading 0,0 line when you save a file as a Volvo Route?
Regards
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jparish

GPS: Volvo Sensus







Post Re: Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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Hi Mark,
The good news is that I've just tested it again and it now seems to be fixed. The GPS file also passes my BOM and XML validation checks. I'll try it in the car after lunch and report back. But I think we are there!
Julian.
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jparish

GPS: Volvo Sensus







Post Re: Adapting Garmin routes for use in Volvo Sensus     
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jparish wrote:
Hi Mark,
The good news is that I've just tested it again and it now seems to be fixed. The GPS file also passes my BOM and XML validation checks. I'll try it in the car after lunch and report back. But I think we are there!
Julian.

Back from the car, and it loaded just fine. Looks like you have that licked! Thanks once again for all your help. I will post an update straightaway on the Volvo owners' forum and will include this in the article I am writing for Volvo Driver magazine.
I don't think I'll need to trouble you again on behalf of the Volvo owners but will continue to make use of your excellent tools myself, and encourage others to do so. All good wishes for the holidays!
Julian.
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