Google Nav Favorites Workaround

[kmfdmk]

I have a TomTom One XLS. I travel alot because I'm a contractor. I'm all OVER the place, so I have tons of Favorites... like (well now it doesn't matter with the google search and all, but like where the nearest Wal-Mart is, the Borders, stuff like that, the mall...)

I was a wee bit pissed that the Google Nav didn't have favorites, or a way to add, or import them as such, or a good way to manage/navigate to them. I have created a workaround.

In a nutshell you need to dump your GPS Favorites into a custom POI file, export the POI file to your computer, have GPS Visualizer's Bable convert it into a KML file which you then upload to your custom My Maps file, then it's easy street, and you simply enable the My Maps layer on your Google Maps on the Droid, either tap on a "Favorite" which now has a flag, or dis-able then renable it (My Maps Layer) and select it from a list and pick your option (Show on Map, Get Directions, Nav).

I've found a workaround.

1.) In your GPS add your favorites to a custom POI Category (mine was called "Favorites")

2.) Now download the custom POI Category file from your GPS (With my TomTom it was Favorites.ov2)

3.) Now go to GPS Visualizer's Babel utility (GPS Visualizer: Web interface to GPSBabel)

4.) Select the proper input file type (in my case it was TomTom POI File (.OV2))

5.) Select the proper output file type (Google Earth Keyhole Markup Language)

6.) Select the file that contains your POI's (that contains your Favorites)

7.) Click Convert

8.) Right-Click Save File As, to your computer and save that file (I created a folder in my Desktop called TomTom to contain the original OV2, a converted human readable TXT File w/ LAT & LON, AND the KML Google file)

9.) Go to Google Maps and click on "My Maps" in the upper left hand region. (Google Maps)

10.) Create a Title and Description for your My Maps (I simply called mine Favorites, and put Rusty's Favorites). I also made sure that mine was UNLISTED, as I took the time to make sure that my locations had embedded/attached phone number data.

11.) Click the Import near the upper left region just below My Maps. It will prompt you for the location of your KML, KMZ, or GeoRSS file. In our case we have a KML file, so source the file that you previously saved onto your Desktop and click upload.

12.) Go to the Maps on your Droid, then hit the Settings/Options button, pull up Layers, More Layers, My Maps, and browse your Favorites...

13.) Now it'll initially provide a list of all your "Favorites" as imported to your custom "My Maps" In my case it doesn't call it "My Maps" now, it actually calls it "Favorites" So the whatever name you gave the "My Maps" earlier will be reflected now.

Roundabout for sure, but looks like it's worked for now for me.

Feel free to bump as necessary, or copy and paste elsewhere.

Just link back to the Droid Forums... been a huge help for me already, and only been here like 2 hours.

 

[kmfdmk]

*bump*

 

[lemodular]

Usefull! Bump

 

[DrDroid]

my vote to sticky this!!

 

[Mormegil]

Is there a difference between this and going to Google Maps, punching in an address and saving it to your "My Maps" and opening that on the phone under layers?

 

[raphytaffy]

Sounds awesome. I'll give this a try.

 

[gthrift]

Looks like a lot of work. I've just been creating Directions shortcuts and putting them in a folder. I'll add a link to this thread in the FAQ.

 

[alnova1]

Is there a difference between this and going to Google Maps, punching in an address and saving it to your "My Maps" and opening that on the phone under layers?

Yea thats what I do. I go on to my computer and use google maps to find my favs and create my own maps and like magic there on my phone also...I love google!

 

[GreyMouser]

Is there a difference between this and going to Google Maps, punching in an address and saving it to your "My Maps" and opening that on the phone under layers?

Yes, that took me a while to figure out as well. Once I did, I had my hundreds of locations available immediately!

 

[cybercruiser]

Then how do you navigate to a named point on your Favorites my map??

 

[alnova1]

Then how do you navigate to a named point on your Favorites my map??

When you find the map you want click on it. When it comes up on the map and it has the little box on your location telling you what its called, press and hold on the box and it will give you options and one of them is to navigate to your maps location.

 

[kmfdmk]

Is there a difference between this and going to Google Maps, punching in an address and saving it to your "My Maps" and opening that on the phone under layers?

No, This is exactly the same as manually entering an address/location and saving it to "My Maps" However for those of you with 100's of locations and no time to spare this seems to be the most expeditious way of getting them imported into "My Maps."

This is the same as manually entering, only we're importing a batch file of locations into "My Maps" all at the same time.

Looking/waiting for google to fix this so I don't have to Zoom to the map (zoom way in) just to tap on a location, and then travel to it. In densely populated (dense population of favorites) It can be a PITA to pick one, then realize it's the wrong one and zoom out and pick another.

Would love to have a scrollable list that you just "Check" and "Navigate To."

 

[Germwise]

If I set my favorite locations online via google maps, is there a way I can create a shortcut to that location? so like having an icon my my home screen that starts navigating me home?

 

[lemodular]

I was able to do this, but I manually added the address. From the menu > add > shortcut > directions

Don't know how to do it directly from maps.

 

[andresrgarcia]

As long as you have your contacts address on file in gmail contacts, You can easily create a Folder on your desktop and a Shortcut to the Google Maps Icon "Directions" as long as you select vehicle when creating and turn by turn navigation is selected shortcut will be 1 click turn by turn directions to that contacts destination.
//
or if your fine with 2 extra clicks a shortcut to just the contact, since it gives you the option to call e-mail .. and selecting view home address brings up contacts address on map clicking name of contact on map give you the navigate option.

 

[andrewrodney]

I did as suggested up to step 5, then uploaded to Google Maps (My Maps) and that can be called up as a layer too.

 

[Slot Car]

I am using Google Maps to create a customized route to a destination. When I do a Google Directions search it charts out a route that I do not want to take. So I use the drag and drop method to change the route. When I log back into Google Maps on my PC, it shows me the modified route and correct turn by turn directions. So far so good.

But when I use Google Maps on my Droid, it shows me my layers with the new route traced on the map, but does not give me the correct turn by turn directions, but instead the "default" directions that Google found in the first place. It does this with Google Navigation as well.

How can I create a custom route to a destinatioin and save it so I can get turn by turn directions using a modified route that I have selected?

 

[kmfdmk]

I am using Google Maps to create a customized route to a destination. When I do a Google Directions search it charts out a route that I do not want to take. So I use the drag and drop method to change the route. When I log back into Google Maps on my PC, it shows me the modified route and correct turn by turn directions. So far so good.

But when I use Google Maps on my Droid, it shows me my layers with the new route traced on the map, but does not give me the correct turn by turn directions, but instead the "default" directions that Google found in the first place. It does this with Google Navigation as well.

How can I create a custom route to a destinatioin and save it so I can get turn by turn directions using a modified route that I have selected?

Have you tried setting a few points along your modified route as waypoints? That would be my suggestion. That way Google Navigation HAS to follow your modified route. Just a thought.

 

[kmfdmk]

With the latest update to Google Maps, if you hold the option button/settings button and bring up MORE , and then go to LABS you have a few sweet options to pick. A Scale Bar, a Terrain Layer, a Layer Button, and a Compass Arrow. Once you enable the Layers Button, and select My Layers, and thelayer that you imported all your GPS Units favorites into you will then have a handy button on the bottom left of the screen that brings up a list of your My Maps favorites locations and you can scroll the list, make a selection, and Nav to it!!! Woot, go Google. Glad they could get this implimented.

 

[rjoudrey]

The contacts are the favorites. I simply long press the Contacts icon then select the map icon then select the flag then select navigate. That is four presses, what's so hard about that?

 

[kmfdmk]

Having hundreds of favorites in my TomTom that aren't sync'd to my Contacts List. Apparently this thread was a tl;dr one for you. I choose not to waste hours of my life populating my Contacts list with GPS points for awesome Parks, great lookout points, etc etc. This was the most expediant method.

 

[kmfdmk]

And here is a screen shot walkthough because I was bored.

 

[kmfdmk]

Weird some of the screen shots got automagically resized, others didn't. And WOW AndroidForums runs some high image compression. The green for my battery turned nearly gray.

 

[tfs1975]

If you Long touch on your home page. Select SHORTCUT, Select DIRECTIONS, Enter the desired address, Check TURN BY TURN NAV, Name it and save it. It will show up on your home page with the name you gave it. Anytime you press it, it will automatically give you turn by turn directions to the address you entered. Then when you have many location favorites, you can put them all in a newly created folder called Nav Favorites or whatever you choose. Do this with a long press on the homescreen and create a NEW FOLDER. When the new folder is open long touch on the top of the screen where it says folder and it will give you an option to RENAME. Drag all of your locations into the new folder.

 

[qzpm150]

I am using Google Maps to create a customized route to a destination. When I do a Google Directions search it charts out a route that I do not want to take. So I use the drag and drop method to change the route. When I log back into Google Maps on my PC, it shows me the modified route and correct turn by turn directions. So far so good.

But when I use Google Maps on my Droid, it shows me my layers with the new route traced on the map, but does not give me the correct turn by turn directions, but instead the "default" directions that Google found in the first place. It does this with Google Navigation as well.

How can I create a custom route to a destinatioin and save it so I can get turn by turn directions using a modified route that I have selected?

I got the my maps set up on my computer then found found it on layers on my phone but how do I do navigation? There is a blue line from the start to finish but it is not doing the turn by turn. And when I click on the destination and nav to it, it takes me the way i didn't want to go.

Anyone kno what I'm (or Google's) doing wrong