Skip to main content

Plan a route

🚧 This article is incomplete

This article is incomplete & needs to be reviewed. You can help by creating a pull request.

Overview​

The Plan a route tool is a powerful feature of the OsmAnd application that allows you to create new routes as GPX tracks, edit and add new segments to already saved tracks, measure distances on the map, and attach track segments to the nearest available road using different navigation profiles. The feature is designed to work in offline mode.

A route consists of a set of segments between specified points. The segments can be either straight lines or routes adapted to the selected profile. The route can be saved, imported, edited, and used for navigation.

Plan a route android

How to open​

As Plan a route is one of the main feature of the OsmAnd app, you can find it directly in the main Menu. The tool is also available in the context menu of any track, whether it is a previously created, recorded, or imported track.
There are four ways to access the Plan a route tool.

  1. Go to the main Menu → Plan a route.
  2. Go to the My Places menu, tap any available track in the list Menu → My Places → Tracks, select the Options (or Actions for iOS) tab in the track context menu, and in the opened menu find Edit track.
  3. In the track context menu select Track tab → Options → Edit.
  4. (Android only) Select the Edit icon in the Overview tab by tapping any available track in the Menu → My Places → Tracks.
  5. (iOS only) Select Create New Track from the Actions section in the Menu → My Places → Tracks.

Plan a route android

Start actions​

Menu → Plan a route

Plan a route android

In case you chose Plan a route in the main Menu, you can select the following actions in the opened screen:

  • Create new route - Select the section of the map on your screen where you want to start ctreating a GPS route. Points are created using the pointer in the center of the visible map and the Add point button. Or you can tap anywhere on the map, and a Point will be placed automaticlly. In the point context menu you can change its location.
  • Open existing track - The list of all GPX tracks available to the application opens. In this menu, you can select tracks from the existing folders and use the sort option for more convenience.
  • Last edited - This is a list of the last 5 GPX tracks used in the app, for quick access.
  • Import track - (Android only) With this option, you can choose to import the GPX track on your device or in connected cloud storage. For iOS, the Import Tracks option is available in the Menu → My Places → Tracks → Actions.

Create new route​

To create a new track in GPX format, use the main function of the Plan a route tool. Unlike recording the current track with Trip recording plugin, pre-creating a route has many advantages. You can add as many points as you want to the route, delete and move them, change route types by segments, and get detailed information about the route.

By default, the routing type will match the previously selected profile, click on the routing icon to select how the application should calculate the segment to connect points. The available profile should be configured separately.

Modify GPX track​

Menu → Plan a route → Open existing track / Import track

Plan a route modify-track-android

Plan a route tool allows modifying existing GPX track as well as an imported track.

Distance measurement​

Plan a route android

Plan a route is a quick and easy way to measure the distance between points.

  • Select the Straight line method of route planning. A dashed line will be drawn between the points.
  • Add the first point on the map from which the line will be drawn.
  • Move the map to determine the distance and the azimuth. The information will be displayed in a field with a list of points below the map.
note

The Straight Line is needed and will be used for areas not covered by routing data, such as off-road and off-track areas.

Plan a route android-options

  • Route between points - Shows the chosen application profile (The straight line by default). Click to this action is equal Profile button(link) with opening application profile menu(link).
  • Start new segment (iOS) or Add a new segment (Android) - Draws new route segments that do not connect to the previous segment.
  • Save changes - If it is a new track without linking to the existing one, the Save as new track menu opens. When you add new segments to an opened or imported track, the notification about saving the GPS file to the storage appears, after which you can continue to create the next segment.
  • Save as new track - Saves your route like GPX track.
  • Add to a track - Add your route to a track from your track folder and save the new track.
  • Navigation - Starts navigation from your position to the finish point using a drawn route.
  • Reverse route - You swap the Start point of the route and the last added point. The route segment settings do not change when Reverse is applied.
  • Attach to the roads - Creates an approximate route. Each point on the track is matched to the nearest permitted road on the map according to the selected profile and threshold distance.
  • GPS filter - You can filter out route points that do not match the selected routing type, delete unnecessary data or correct inaccurate data. GPS filter will only work if the routing type is specified as Straight Line.
  • Clear all - It archives completely all your actions. An "artifact" remains on the map - the dotted lines of the just cleared route. It disappears at the next adding new points. You can cancel the Clear All function with the Return Action button. The feature does not affect the unchanged parts of the routes opened in the tool.
⚠️ Android only
This feature is currently not available for the iOS version of the OsmAnd app.

Plan a route android

The setting icon icon-settings is available for all profiles except Straight Line. The menu contains most of the available options from the Settings navigation menu, and both the routing options for a specific profile and the general ones described in the Route Parameters section, such as Riding style, Avoid roads…, Use elevation data, Use motorways, Consider temporary limitations.

In this menu, you have access to the Navigation settings as well, which are designed to help you when using the Navigation in the Menu Options. And Customise route line appearance setting that applies to the whole route and is not visible in Plan a route, but during navigation.

Types of Save​

After you have added at least one point to the map, you can use the save option. All tracks saved in Plane a route can be found in the main Menu → My Places → Tracks.
There are four ways to save:

Save as new track​

Plan a route android

With this option you can save any track without even modifying it.

  1. Add at least one point to the map or open a previously created track.
  2. Go to the menu Options → Save as a new track.
  3. Write a name for the track, and select a folder from the list.
  4. Enable displaying the track on the map, if required.
  5. You can use the Simplified track feature if you want to delete all previously recorded waypoints from the track and save the route line only.
  6. After you tap the Save button, a dialogue opens informing you that the track has been saved and suggesting the next steps. You can open the track, share it, reopen the Plan a route to create a new route, or Exit.

You can optionally change the name and folder later in Menu → My Places → Tracks tab. For more information about this and about displaying the track on the map, see the article Tracks.

Quick save​

There is a button in the top right corner of the screen to quickly save your actions in the Plan a route.

  1. Done. This button is displayed when you create a new route.
  • When tapped, a notification appears that the GPX file is saved with a name corresponding to the current date. In this way you can save as many routes as you want in one day, all files will differ by ordinal index at the end of a name, for example, "Weekday Date _2.gpx".
  • The notification has an UNDO button to cancel the saving.
  • The Done button saves the route to a gpx file and closes the Plan a route tool.
  1. Save. This button is displayed when using an existing or imported track for route planning.
  • When you tap it, the changes you have made to this track are recorded.
  • As with Done, there is an UNDO button in the notification.
  • The Plan a route is closed after saving.

Save changes​

Plan a route android

This option allows you to save changes to a file that already exists in your device's storage. Changes are saved during the planning process and, unlike a Quick save, Plan a route is not closed. If the file is new, tapping on it will open Save as new track.

Add to a track​

Plan a route android-options

When creating a new track or editing an existing one, you can use this option to attach it as a separate segment to a track from the list of available tracks. Changes to a selected track cannot be undone. It can only be re-opened in the Plan a route for editing.

Points​

Plan a route android

In order to measure a distance or plan a trip, you need to establish landmarks on the map, namely points to plot a route.

Add points​

Adds a point at the Pointer location in the center of the visible part of the map.
Swipe your finger across the map. A straight dotted line will be visible from the outermost point. The next point will always be in the centre of the screen. To add a new point, tap the Add Point button. To add a non-pointer point, tap anywhere on the screen. You can use the action arrows to cancel or return to a cancelled action.

List of Points​

The distance to the first point on a straight line

  • To swap and delete points in a list

Point Context menu​

Plan a route android

Each point on your route has its own context menu. It shows the sequence number of the point, the distance from the start of the route, the function to move it on the map and remove it, and a set of actions with sections of the route before and after this point. To edit, tap the required point in the list of points or directly on the map.

  • Information about the point. The number of the point in the list. And the distance to the first point based on the routing type set, the distance may change when recalculated to the new type if the Route between points parameter is changed.

  • Move Point - Allows you to change the position of a point on the map. Move the map using gestures to change the location of the point. The point indicator will be in the centre of the visible part of the map.

  • Add point after - Move the map to add an additional point after the selected point. You can add as many points as you need until you tap cancel or apply.

  • Add point before - Move the map to add as many points as necessary after the selected point on the segment between this point and the next one.

  • Trim before this point - You can trim the whole section of the route, points and segments, from its start to the selected point. The distance to be trimmed is indicated under the option name.

  • Trim after this point - You can trim a route, points and segments, from the last point added to the selected point. The distance to be trimmed is indicated under the option name.

  • Split before - Allows to split the route before the selected point into separate unconnected segments.

  • Split after - Allows to split the route after the selected point into separate unconnected segments.

  • Join segments - The last point on one of the split segments and the next in the list of points on the other segment have this connection setting.

  • Change route type before this point - You can change the connection mode, the routing type configured on the available profile, between points on the previous segment, or for all segments from the start of the route to the selected point.

  • Change route type after this point - You can change the routing type between points on the next segment or for all segments from the selected point to the last added point.

  • Delete Point - Remove the selected point from the route. Similar to deleting a point in a list.

Route between points​

Plan a route android

Route between points can be accessed in several ways:

  1. From the Options menu → Route between points.
  2. Tap the profile icon in the bottom left corner of the map screen. Not on the top icon, it will open the Configure Map menu.
  3. In the Point Context menu → Change route type before/after.

With this option, you can choose how points are connected for the whole track or only for the next segment. This can be done in a straight line or by calculating a route using one of the profiles that you have enabled in the OsmAnd app Menu → Settings → App profiles.

  • Whole track - The whole track will be recalculated using the selected profile.
  • Next segment - Only the next segment will be recalculated using the selected profile.

Recalculate routes - You can use route recalculation without changing the profile type. The profile icon shown on the planned route in the tool will not change, but the route type will match the selected one. You may need this to find alternative routes.

Change route type before/after this point​

Plan a route android

In the Point context menu Change route type before (or after) opens the Options menu Route between points. The difference is that you can change the way the route is calculated for the section from this point to the nearest or to the edge point.
The setting provides information about the distance from this point to the beginning or the end of the route or to the next/previous point.

Segments​

A segment is a section of a road, the distance between two points. The whole route consists of a set of segments you have set up, connected to each other or spaced apart from each other.

  • Segments can be connected to each other: adding points also adds a new segment, you can use the Join segments option for previously separated segments or the Add to a track feature.
  • Segments can be separate, unconnected sections of track. To create one, use the Start new segment option or select the Split feature from the Point context menu.

Route calculation​

Plan a route app_button

By default the routing type corresponds to the previously selected profile, click on the profile icon in the bottom left corner of the screen to select how the application should calculate the route for segments when connecting points. The available profile can be configured separately.

The route is calculated automatically and you can see the progress line between the map area on the screen and the functional part of the tool below. Or you will have to set it up manually using the Attach to the roads feature.

Route line​

Plan a route android-routeline

The route line in the Plan a route tool is displayed as an already configured and calculated path or as a straight line. It consists of several components.

  1. Profile icon on a section between points. Indicates that the section has been built using this routing profile.
  2. Shaping Points. These are the basis points for the construction of the route.
  3. Calculated segment of route between the shaping points.
  4. Straight dotted line from the last point of shaping to the visible center of the map on the screen.

Plan a route android-options

The Plan a route tool provides a feature such as starting navigation directly during the planning process. To do this, you need to open the Options menu and select Navigation.

Navigation opens the Navigate by track function with the start from the first point in the list. The track can be from an existing list or imported. In this case, its name will correspond to the previously selected one, and the navigation will be built taking into account all the changes made in the current route planning.
You can start navigating on the route you have just created. In this case, the name of the route will be in the form of a date, as in the case of a quick save.

You should note that if a route you have created or changed has not been saved, all data will be lost when you close the navigation. To avoid this, you can save the route by tapping it in the navigation field and selecting edit.

Graph​

Plan a route android Plan a route android

Detailed route information in Altitude/Slope graph format and Road attributes can be viewed in the Graph tab in the Android version of the OsmAnd app. To view this information in the iOS version of the app, use the menu Options → Navigation → Details.

To get elevation data when you open or import a track, you may need to select a route calculation mode.

  • Attach to the roads - The track will be attached to roads using offline maps and the track geometry can be changed.
  • Calculate online - Calculates the altitude above sea level online on the OsmAnd servers based on satellite images and digital elevation models. The difference with the altitude recorded by the device can be used as an elevation correction.

Attach to the roads​

Plan a route snap-road-ios

When you open a track in Plan a route, if the parameters with which this route was recorded or created do not match the current ones, the tool can offer you two options to recalculate the route. There are continue to connect the points with a straight line or attach it to the nearest available road.
The current parameter status, the route type shown by an icon in the screen's bottom left corner, will be undefined and indicated by a question mark. It is the one you need to press to access these settings.

Plan a route snap-road-ios

The Plan a route tool in the OsmAnd app automatically calculates a track, attaching its sections to the nearest permitted road, depending on the routing type selected. The Attach to the roads feature is necessary for imported tracks, especially if they have been created with other applications, but also for large existing tracks where the routing types at different sections need to be changed and the track needs to be recalculated.

Additional conditions for opening the Attach to roads menu:

  • If no routing data is available in the GPX track or a straight line is selected.
  • No internet connection or location data.
  • Attach to the roads may not be activated if the Plan a route tool has already automatically linked GPX track points to the nearest road points.
note

For more information on attaching track to the road, see the Navigation section, the article Navigate by track.