Routes are strings of routepoints along which user is guided or navigated during his activity - hiking, biking etc.

Routes are pre-planned, drawn on maps or imported and put into navigation devices so that we can travel along their lines. Tracks that were recorded by you or someone else can be turned into routes when we need to navigate them.

Routes can be drawn manually on the map or automatically by a router - running online or offline within the app, as an external online routing service, offline routing app, PC software or web application. Locus Map provides several methods of creating routes:

• Route planner - tool for manual and automatic drawing of routes with routing service assistance
• Changing tracks to routes - using tracks as routes for navigation

This tool can be switched in several ways:

• Menu > Route planner
  
• Menu > Tracks > + > Route planner
  
• add function to the Function panel for quick launch
  

1. Drawing mode - select among manual and automatic modes
2. add/remove route shaping points
3. back/forward - move along planning process steps
4. content panel - slides out a panel with selection of maps and other layers
5. centering - centers the screen on your current GPS location
6. zooming - zooms the map in or out

• Topbar - contains Itinerary and the Route menu
• Bottom bar - displays basic route stats (length, estimated time, positive and negative elevation gain) and elevation chart button, sliding the chart up (available only with Premium subscription):
  

• shaping point - basic point building the route, can be changed into via point.
• segment point - forms on the line between shaping points. Changes to a new shaping point when shifted. Indicates activity for which the route segment was planned. Tapping it opens the option to re-calculate the segment in a different profile.
• via point - place through which you want to go during navigation. Its name is announced by voice navigation when you navigate the route.

The line between points runs along roads and paths in case of automatic drawing or stretches straight in case of manual drawing.

• tap the drawing mode button
  
  and choose how to draw:
  • manual mode - only plain line stretches between shaping points:
    
    This is useful for simple distance measurement or for areas not covered by routing data (off-road and off-path areas).
  • , , etc. router mode - line calculated by a router is rendered between shaping points:
    
    The shape of the line depends on selected profile - car or bike routes run along roads, MTB or walking routes along paths etc. The router profiles are provided by a selected router. Routers work online (like default online LoRouter) or offline (like offline LoRouter, available in Premium Gold subscription) and you can set them by tapping . More info at Navigation settings.
    

    You can also use third party routers, like e.g. offline BRouter. More here >>

  • Include navigation commands - when checked, Locus creates also direction commands related to the new route which can be used for voice navigation.

The route is built by shaping points added on map:

• by tapping (points are added on the cursor position)
• by tapping directly on map (this option can be turned off in the route menu)

The route line, rendered between shaping points, contains also segment points . Both shaping and segment points can be moved on map and the route is immediately re-rendered accordingly. By moving a segment point you change it into a shaping point and new segment points are created in between.

Via points are places you want to go through when navigating the route - the voice navigation will notify you of them and in case of route recalculation the via points are not detoured.

Via points can be created out of shaping points:

• tap a shaping point and select Change to from the bottom panel:
  
• rename the via point (optional) and confirm. Via point in the planner:
  
• after saving the route the via point is marked by an icon:
  

By moving a via point on the map in the route planner it changes back to a shaping point.

LoPoints can be added to your route too:

• tap a LoPoint on map
• select where to put it in the route - at the start, end or inside:
  
• when you select to add the LoPoint at the end:
  
• when you select to add it inside the route:
  

Your own interesting places or downloaded geocaches can be added to your route:

• display your selected points on map (Menu > Points > select whole folder or individual points)
• add them to your route the same way as LoMap POIs (see above):
  

Define a new point by an address, coordinates, projection, etc., and add it to your route.

• open route menu from the topbar:
  
• tap Add point and select method of your new point definition from the location selector:
  

If you know a place on the route you can not go through but which is not reflected by the map or routing data - e.g. temporary roadblock, wood harvesting in the forest, flooded area, etc., tell route planner to avoid it.

• shift cursor on the spot you want to block and select Add no-go from the route menu:
  
• if necessary, set the means of transport the no-go area is valid for, the area radius (25, 50, 100, 500, 1000 m) and time of validity (tap the no-go area on map):
  
• route planner makes detours around the no-go areas:
  
• to delete a no-go area, tap the … menu:
  
• the route without detours:
  

• to remove last added shaping point, tap
• to reverse all edits (adding points, moving them), tap back button(see above, 3)
• to repeat reversed steps, tap forward button(see above, 3)

If you changed your mind and you want to use a different activity for a part of the planned route, OR the automatically drawn segment doesn't suit your purposes, you can recalculate it:

• tap the selected segment point
• tap recalculate and select another activity
• confirm:
  

You can also recalculate the whole planned route for a different activity.

• plan a new route
• open route menu and select Recalculate all
• select new activity and confirm:
  

• quick check the distance, estimated time on the route, and the elevation gain - see the bottom bar. The ETT is just approximate.
• elevation chart - (available with Premium subscription) slides up when you tap the chart button:
  
  Tap the chart to see the position on the route on the map.
• way types and surfaces - (available with Premium Gold subscription) further help to fine-tune your route. Displayed only when LoRouter is set up. The chart dynamically changes according to your route edits (adding points, moving them…)
• check more details about the route - Route menu > Route stats:
  
  
• check detailed Estimated travel time - Route menu > Travel time:
  
  You can select the route activity - 3 types of walk, 9 types of bike and 3 of cross-country skiing.

You can start navigation along the planned route right from the route planner:

• open route menu
• tap Navigate!
  

When you are done with all edits, save your route!

• open route menu
  
• tap Save route
  
• add name of the route (optional - Locus usually inserts names of the route start/end places automatically)
• add description (optional)
• set activity - good for overall statistics
• select folder - tell Locus where to store the route
• set style - color, thickness, pattern… Usually it is not necessary, the folder style is pre-selected.

If you are dissatisfied with your planning or for whatever reason want to abort all planning, tap Clear planner in the route menu:

Route menu contains a submenu of setting options:

Here you can set the color, width, pattern and other graphical aspects of the route line:

so you can re-plan the route:

By default, route planner retains your unsaved plan and offers to continue your work on it when restarted:

If you want a new route plan each time you use the planner, uncheck the option.

To turn off adding shaping points by tapping the map screen, uncheck this option.

Do you want to measure area of your property? Check this option, Locus will color the area on map and display the area value in the bottom bar:

Measuring areas works correctly in manual mode only!

Tracks can be turned into routes when they are intended for navigation or guidance:

• select track in data manager or tap it on the map
• select Navigate or Guide On or Guide On reverse
• more about navigation along a route >>
• more about guidance along a route >>