Own routes in navigation system

nielsvdv2

nielsvdv2

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For an upcoming trip I would like to follow my own route on the car's satnav system. Planning and saving this as a multipoint route is possible in the MG but a pain. I want to investigate the possibility to use the naviextras update tool to upload my own route files to the MG. Does anyone have any experience with this?
 
Use Google Maps. Plan your trip with waypoints on your PC and send the route to your phone. Then open Google Maps on Android Auto. I assume carplay has a similar setup.
 
When I had my bike, I did this all the time with my satnav unit unit and Garmin Basecamp. I'm not sure I'd use it in the car, but it'd be cool to see if you can get it to work. In the UK at least, if you brick your satnav unit, it appears there's no support so be careful!
 
KlinkPC said:
Use Google Maps. Plan your trip with waypoints on your PC and send the route to your phone. Then open Google Maps on Android Auto. I assume carplay has a similar setup.
Click to expand...
Thing is, I have a lot of route files each with many-many waypoints. In .kml format I can import and save them in MyMaps from Google, but I cannot open them in Google Maps nor send them to my phone. And recreating them waypoint-by-waypoint does not really appeal to me.....
If there is a way to import these routes in Google Maps I would gladly use that solution, but so far I have not been able to. Also other navigation systems in Apple CarPlay (Apple, Plugshare, Waze, Sygic, TomTom GO) offer no import function.... that is why I am now looking at the MG satnav system via the naviextras update tool .....
 
ARealHuman said:
When I had my bike, I did this all the time with my satnav unit unit and Garmin Basecamp. I'm not sure I'd use it in the car, but it'd be cool to see if you can get it to work. In the UK at least, if you brick your satnav unit, it appears there's no support so be careful!
Click to expand...
In NL the support is also sadly missing - but I am willing to risk it as at this stage the MG system is not as good as say Google Maps via CarPlay .....
 
Here is snippet from a guide I wrote a few years back about importing files into GM (no idea if it's still current though):
  • Sign in to your Google account and go to Google Maps (GM).
  • Open the menu on the left-hand side of the GM screen by clicking on the hamburger button (three horizontal lines).
  • Click on “Your places” > “MAPS”, then click on “CREATE MAP” at the bottom of the menu window pane.
  • Click “Import” and point GM to your saved KML/KMZ files (or drag and drop the KML/KMZ files).
  • Map file loads and is displayed in google Maps.
  • Note – KMZ files are compressed versions of KML files.
I don't recall being able to navigate with these like you said. Recently I used a free app that records tracks and allows you navigate by them which I find useful, but I don't know if it works with CarPlay/Adnroid Auto:


Hope that's of some use!
 
ARealHuman said:
Here is snippet from a guide I wrote a few years back about importing files into GM (no idea if it's still current though):
  • Sign in to your Google account and go to Google Maps (GM).
  • Open the menu on the left-hand side of the GM screen by clicking on the hamburger button (three horizontal lines).
  • Click on “Your places” > “MAPS”, then click on “CREATE MAP” at the bottom of the menu window pane.
  • Click “Import” and point GM to your saved KML/KMZ files (or drag and drop the KML/KMZ files).
  • Map file loads and is displayed in google Maps.
  • Note – KMZ files are compressed versions of KML files.
I don't recall being able to navigate with these like you said. Recently I used a free app that records tracks and allows you navigate by them which I find useful, but I don't know if it works with CarPlay/Adnroid Auto:


Hope that's of some use!
Click to expand...
I confirm you cannot navigate with these maps. They will display on your phone, but not in Google Maps on CarPlay.

I made some progress in importing KML files into the MG system.
I can now build an upload package with correct md5 checksum files. Unfortunately, some of the imports bricks the system, but these uploads can be undone so the system functions again. I will test with various KML-file sizes and formats and see what works.
 
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. You're braver than me tinkering with this stuff!
 
ARealHuman said:
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. You're braver than me tinkering with this stuff!
Click to expand...
Haha well, maybe. But I succeeded. Apparently, the MG navigation is based on iGO navigation software. This system limits the number of waypoints for it's routes to 100. I have adjusted my rote files accordingly, and managed to upload them successfully. Looking forward to take the MG to France this summer (subject to COVID situation) and follow the original N7 Route du Soleil to the Med....
 
That's awesome. Do you mind sharing how exactly you did it, and what precautions you took in case things didn't work? Thanks :)
 
Here is a short how-to in case you want to upload routes to the MG satnav system. I have developed this on a try-by-err basis, using bits and pieces I found on the internet. I have placed links to the tools I used at the bottom of this post.

1. Prepare your route files by whatever means you prefer. The upload file must be a list of maximum 100 waypoints in KML format.

To upload the files in the MG satnav, I used an upload package which I found on a Dutch forum. Copy this to an empty FAT32 formatted USB stick connected to your PC, placing the 'synctool' folder in the root. Delete the file 'update_checksum.md5' in the 'synctool/updates' folder. A sample KML file (containing European MG dealer addresses) can be found in the 'synctool/updates/content/userdata/poi' folder.

2. Create a new 'synctool/updates/content/userdata/route' folder on the USB drive and copy your KML route-files to it.
3. For each KML file, create in the same folder an STM file (flat text file with extension kml.stm) with one line 'purpose = copy'.

Before uploading, the MD5 checksums must be generated. For this I use a tool called SKU Creator. It expects the 'updates' folder to be named 'content'.

4. Rename the 'synctool/updates' folder to 'synctool/content'.
5. Run the SKU Creator and point it to the 'synctool' folder on the USB drive. Click on 'Generate MD5 and update_checksum for all files'. This will generate MD5 checksums for each KML file, and place an overall checksum file, 'update_checksum.md5', in a subfolder 'synctool/update_checksum'.
6. Rename the 'synctool/content' folder back to 'synctool/updates'.
7. Move the new 'update_checksum.md5' file to the 'updates' folder and delete the 'synctool/update_checksum' folder. From here on, if anything changes on the USB drive you must regenerate the checksum files as per step 5. above.

8. Place the USB drive in the car, using the USB port also used for CarPlay. In the system menu, scroll to Navigation Update and press 'Start'. Confirm to proceed with the upload and Bob's your uncle.

The uploaded routes can be found via the 'New Route - Saved Routes' menupath.

Please note, if (one of) the uploaded files cause the system to freeze (as happened to me), you can back these files out by replacing the copy instruction in the STM file by 'purpose = delete'.

Good luck, please let me know how you got on. Happy motoring!

Sources:
Upload package:
2020911_ZS11E_UK_Dealer_update_RC7.zip
SKU Creator:
Renault R-LINK2 - SKU Creator (DOWNLOAD) - RENAULT-forum
 
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Hi @nielsvdv2 - many thanks for that, that's an awesome guide (y) Thanks for taking the time to post it, and all the investigations that went on to put it together. I will try this at some point when I'm feeling brave! ;)
 
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Hello @nielsvdv2 - I just pointed out your guide to another forum user (y) Going though your guide I noticed the dealer update file is no longer available when following your link - are you able to update this please?

Also, are you still using waypoints in your satnav, and how do you find it? Thanks :)
 
ARealHuman said:
Hello @nielsvdv2 - I just pointed out your guide to another forum user (y) Going though your guide I noticed the dealer update file is no longer available when following your link - are you able to update this please?

Also, are you still using waypoints in your satnav, and how do you find it? Thanks :)
Click to expand...
I have restored the link to the ZIP file, that should now be OK
Meanwhile, I found the waypoint-navigation on the MG's satnav to be too cumbersome: the tolerances are such that you have to hit a waypoint exactly spot on, otherwise the routing does not skip to the next waypoint .....
So now, when navigating on waypoints, I use TomTom on CarPlay ....
I still use the MG satnav, even when not navigating, when I can't be bothered hooking up CarPlay.
 
Many thanks @nielsvdv2 :) I've yet to try this but thought I'd grab the files just in case ;) Interesting about the tolerance of the waypoints in the MG satnav. I also have a similar system for waypoints, but mine's Garmin. Thanks again.
 
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