Fugawi Route/Waypoint Question

[ssullivan]

I created some waypoints in Fugawi. Simple. Click, name, and you're set.

Next, I attempted to create a route. Up pops a little pencil that allows me to scribble a jagged, inefficient route across a chart. It consists of 10's of "route points" in a 1/4NM distance. Hardly a course I would want to steer. It does allow you to painstakingly edit all of those "route ponits" to line them up however. Very awkward.

Is there a way to just take a collection of wapoints and use them to create a route? What am I missing? Do you need to use "route points", or can you just create a route one waypoint at a time?

Alternatively, is there a way to just point and click to set "route points?" As in, click spot #1 on a chart, and tell it that is the first route point - then click spot #2 on a chart and tell it that is the next route point? Can this be done without Fugawi filling in 10's and hundreds of tiny route ponits along what you are trying to program as a straight line?

Thanks in advance to any of you Fugawi users out there. The rest of the program looks good, other than it crashing when I try to import all of my East Coast BSBs. It doesn't like one of them somewhere in the middle.

[phiggins]

I've used Fugawi for many years and find it very good. To draw a route click on the RTE icon on the left and select Freehand in the pulldown then just click each waypoint, don't drag it. It will connect each of them as you click. When finished give it a name and Click Done.

If you already have a bunch of waypoints, you can click the route icon at the top then click the new route symbol a new empty route window will appear. Then open the waypoint window and select all the waypoints (hold down CTRL then click each one ) then drag them all to the new route window. Rename the new route window to something meaningful.

Paul

[Pblais]

Alternatively, is there a way to just point and click to set "route points?" As in, click spot #1 on a chart, and tell it that is the first route point - then click spot #2 on a chart and tell it that is the next route point?

It's the only way I do it

Instead of drawing with the cursor (you can) you just click each point as you need them one at a time. Click to start the route then pan and zoom the chart as required then click the next point. After you rough them in by eyeball then click DONE. Then go back and Edit the route by clicking on the waypoint then dragging each point you made around until they are where you like. I find I can guestimate a 20 point route then polish it up by edting the points to shorten the route or tke a better entrance in anarrow spot. You can also use the edit feature to adjust the course when the wind forces another route. I jave a 7 mile run up the York River from the Chesapeake. It's 3 miles wide out at the end and 2 miles near my end. I means I can rak a lot of different ways and so I often just readjust the route for the better tacks. Inserting a few extra way points means you can do it on the fly. Fugawi does not let you insert new waypoints, but to do that I display a route that is close then make a new route on top of the displayed route adding extra points where needed. Since you can display all routes you can even set up a diretcory of routes for an area then connect them up as required.

I prefer as few waypoints as posible except where adding one when it might aid in a visual fix confirmation or maybe to aid in going around an obstacal or to set up for a tack. I'll often set the main route leg bearing then use the XTE to set up my tacks. If you time them and plot the route you can easily use the GPS to help perform lots of these things.

My Garmin won't load more than 30 way points so I can't use the freehand style routing. Seems goofy to do it that way since you can't steer a course made up of 25,000 way points. I prefer to make the routes then upload them to the Garmin. That way I can turn off the laptop if I want and just use the way points in the Garmin or do both. It also means I can keep a "get me back home route" loaded in case I lose the laptop. I also print out hard copy sheets and the route table so I have a paper copy handy at the helm.

I've been meaning to write an editor for the route table so I can have it insert mid points on legs. It seems like a good feature and I've asked them to add it. It's the only one feature with Fugawi routes that I don't like.

[phiggins]

"My Garmin won't load more than 30 way points so I can't use the freehand style routing. Seems goofy to do it that way since you can't steer a course made up of 25,000 way points. "

I don't know why you say using the freehand method produces thousands on waypoints. It only produces one each time I click, couldn't be easier. Maybe you have an older version.

Paul

[Pblais]

No, dragging the cursor with a left mouse is using drawing mode and you'll get a stream of points if you do it that way. Clicking of course is what you and I both do, but you can make a route as a freehand drawn line.

I really don't know why they have that as a feature, but internally you can have as many waypoints as you want. I just think it would drive you nuts as the arrival circle would be larger than the route leg. You would always be arriving at the next waypoint. In 4.0 they added an arrival bell. They aslo added ships bell too so it goes off enough already.

In drawing mode you can freehand any line you want on top of the chart. So I guess as a drawing feature it is OK just ot very useful as a route making tool.

[ssullivan]

Truly great advice! Thank you both very much. I guess it was all "user error" which is usually what the problem is in these cases.

I'll give it a try after I finish up some work and see how it goes.

[Pblais]

Just play around with it. If your graphics hardware is decent it's fun to use the new 3D view and take an existing route and play it in 3D at 100 mph. The 3D on the land based maps is cool too. I never use 3D on the water but it's sort of like video games with charts. Just turn on the simulator and activate the route.

[ssullivan]

Thanks, guys. I'm ready to leave the dock with this software now. It seems to work well (other than trying to write some memory it shouldn't be when loading one of my BSB charts).

These techniques make it much more simple to create routes. As usual... it's user error.