Importing GPX route to ArcGIS Explorer Online

Question

I'm trying to import a route developed using a Garmin product (can't remember if it was done using the desktop MapSource, or done on the GPS unit itself) into ArcGIS Explorer Online.  The route, when viewed on the GPS or in MapSource, conforms to the road network.  However, when I import (via GPX) to ArcGIS Explorer Online, the route simply becomes straight lines between the various waypoints (ie. the route ingnores the road network).

Is there another way to do this?

Jim

JimWhite · Answer

Thanks Shelly ... makes sense.
When I import a .gpx file into ArcGIS Explorer, I get a choice of what features I want to import:  waypoints, route, and route waypoints.  I opened my gpx file in a text editor as you suggested, and there only seemed to be three types of entries ... wpt, rte and rtept (not sure what this is ... 'route point' maybe?).  The wpts information was only 1 to 2% of the file ... the vast majority was rte and rtept entries (approx 36,000 lines of text).  I assume this is due to the level of detail required to draw the route along a road network.
I deleted everything that wasn't an rte entry, and tried importing this.  I got the same result as before ... with the route seeming to just draw lines between points, regardless of whether or not they stuck to the road network (makes for interesting routes through lakes!).  
I'm sure the proper route is included in the gpx file ... it's just not being properly read or drawn. The route, as rendered in AGExplorer, really only shows a couple of dozen inflections in the line .... not the level of resolution you'd expect from 36,000 entries.
Back to the drawing board.
P4S

ShellyGill2 · Answer

The route, when viewed on the GPS or in MapSource, conforms to the road network. However, when I import (via GPX) to ArcGIS Explorer Online, the route simply becomes straight lines between the various waypoints (ie. the route ingnores the road network). Waypoints only store point information, and I'd assume that the product you're using has a road network stored as lines (as vectors, not as an image) and has a setting that automatically snaps lines in between waypoints to the lines. There's no way to do that in Explorer Online. Can you export a GPX file that has the lines stored as tracks or routes? If you look in your GPX file in a text editor, you'll be able to see what type of information it contains: a waypoint would look something like: 2005-08-25T05:27:25Z 01PK0E A track would import to Explorer Online as a line - in the GPX file it would look something like: Name of the line 60.688477 47.710815 < moretrkpts> ... I sometimes use a website called MapMyRun to create and export GPX files - they contain track information. Maybe you can use this or a similar site to get what you need, if you cant find a way to export the road line information from your existing product?