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Tracks and Routes

OsmAnd has many powerful features to display various routes on the map. Routes could be built as part of Navigation, created via Plan Route, imported as GPX tracks, recorded via Trip Recording plugin or browsed and selected from OpenStreetMap data.

Type of routes on the map​

OsmAnd can display several different type of routes:

  1. Tracks (GPX) - recorded or planned trip saved in GPX-format. This kind of route could be imported from the external source, created in the application or recorded by user. GPX could contain one of 3 different types of data or all of them:
    • Track as a line - file has <trkpt> points array, each point has location and optionally time, speed, altitude and other attributes. These tracks are displayed on the map as solid lines.
    • Track as a route - file has <rtept> points array, each point described as an intermediate point of the route. It depends on how points within a route should be connected either as small route segments or via straight line. These tracks are displayed on the map as dashed lines.
    • Waypoints - file has <wpt> points with attributes. Waypoints are displayed as circular points on the map. You could click on them to get additional information.
  2. Navigation Route - a route line displayed during navigation. By default this is a solid transparent blue line, though default appearance depends on vector map style, day & night mode. It's also possible to fully customize it on Android.
  3. Routes and route networks on the map - special objects on the map from OpenStreetMap data and provided with standard vector maps. They typically represent popular local routes and could be displayed in many ways (shields, color, thickness, pattern). To use these types of routes you will need to enable them on the map.

Read more about GPX Tracks.

Tracks​

There are two options to display Tracks on the map: via Configure map menu or My Places menu

Tracks on the map Android Tracks on the map iOS

Display via Configure map menu​

Here you can select tracks to display them on the map.

Menu → Configure map → Tracks:

Tracks menu Android

Import and Change appearance for chosen tracks:

Menu → Configure map → Tracks → ⋮ → Change appearance, Import

Tracks menu Android

Display via My Places menu​

Menu → My Places → Tracks → ⋮ → Show on map or "Map" button for choosing multiple tracks.

Tracks my places Android

Track Appearance​

note
Some parameters you can use only with Pro feature OsmAnd Pro subscribers.

In the OsmAnd application, you can apply some settings by changing the appearance of the tracks, to better identify them on the map.

There are three ways to access the Track Appearance menu:

  • Go to the My Places menu and tap on any available track in the list (Menu → My Places → Tracks), select the Appearance icon in the Track Context menu in the Overview section.
  • Tap the needed track on the map and select the Appearance icon in the Overview section.
  • Select Appearance from the track recording context menu.

Track menu options Android Track menu Appearance Android

"Split interval" - Select the interval at which marks with distance or time on the track will be displayed.
Track menu Appearance Split interval Android Split interval Android
"Direction arrows" - Adds direction information (in the form of arrows) on the track.
Track menu Appearance direction arrows Android
"Show start and finish icons" - You can choose whether or not to show icons for the start and finish of track segments.
Track menu Appearance start and finish icons Android
"Color" - Allows you to display the track line in any color and transparency you prefer, or choose a coloring according to the map legend. If the necessary data on the segments of the track is missing such segments are displayed in gray.
1. Color: Solid, Speed and Altitude are free color settings.
2.  Color: Slope, Road type, Surface, Smoothness, Winter and ice roads, Surface, Difficulty of horse trails are paid color settings. A detailed description of these settings can be found in the article "Configure map screen" in the section Route line appearance.
Track menu Appearance Track color Android Appearance Track color Android
"Select width" - You can choose the width of the line according to the width of the road or if you want to highlight the route line more on the map, Thin, Medium and Bold. In Custom you can select your preferred line width with the slider.
Track menu Appearance Track Thickness Android
"Reset to original" - Resets all your settings to defaults.

Analyze Track on Map​

This option allows you to interactively review track information using graphs and the map. To get access to this menu shortly tap on the track → Options → Analyze on map

Track menu analyze on map Android Track menu analize on the map distance Android

  • Graph data Y-axis: Altitude / Slope / Speed (if data is available in the track).
  • Graph dimension X-axis: Distance / Time / Time of day.
  • Tap/Slide: tap to Graph for showing info about track point and moving along Graph highlights point location on the map and displays info about point on the bar.
  • Scale: scale Graph by two fingers gesture.
  • Follow My location: click button My Location, so map view and graph is synchronized with your location. In that case graph scale will stay constant and bar information will be fixed to 1/4 from the left. As you move, graph will slide from left to right displaying information Ahead of your Track. This functionality is useful for hiking & cycling during navigation, though this screen doesn't have other widgets displayed.

Track menu analyze on map 3 Android Track menu analyze on map 5 Android

Track menu analyze on map 3 Android Track menu analyze on map 4 Android Track menu analyze on map 1 Android Track menu analyze on map 1.1 Android Track menu analyze on map 2 Android Track menu analyze on map 2.1 Android

Navigation route is a solid line prepared by Route Preparation process. It is displayed during Navigation or during Route preparation step.

Route on the map Android Route on the map iOS

Routes on the map​

OsmAnd can highlight routes present on OpenStreetMap. They are selectable by clicking on the route shield or with the right configuration of a visible set of routes, it's possible to follow the route by color & shields. You can create a track on top of the routes using Plan Route functionality.

Android Menu → Configure map → Map rendering → Routes

Configure Map Routes section

Map routes - hiking osmcMap routes - cycle-node-networks

Save as a Track​

Hiking / Cycling / Travel routes are clickable. Just tap the route symbol, get full route information and download the GPX file for the selected route. (Routes are marked on the map with OSMC symbols.)

Clicking on a shield (OSMC symbols) proposes to choose the nearest routes.

Routes on the ground

Choosing the route opens Track Context menu:

Routes on the ground

You can view the route, and its relief, download it as a GPX-file, edit it with "Plan route" tool and even start navigation along it:

  • look at Route info (Distance, Uphill, Downhill, Altitude range, Route name, Network, Operator, etc.).

Routes on the ground

  • looking at Altitude Graph, Analyze on map, Share like GPX-file and etc.

Routes on the ground

  • download the route like GPX-file:

by clicking to "Download" button. After that, you can do any actions with this GPX-file (navigation, change viewing, modifying by "Route plan" tool and etc).

Routes on the ground Routes on the ground

Read more​