Using Map Share to block or unblock a road

[MikeB]

Tim started a series of articles about Map Share earlier this week. Map Share is a new technology built into the new TomTom 520 and 720 SatNav systems. The concept of Map Share is to allow the TomTom userbase to correct errors in the mapping data on their PND, and then share it with the rest of the users.

This article looks at how you can block or unblock individual roads. This can be used to force the routing engine to calculate a different route on a temporary basis, for instance for long term roadworks.

MikeB used it to block a non-existant roundabout that mysteriously appeared in the Tele Atlas mapping last year. Despite numerous discussions with Tele Atlas and reports using Tele Atlas Map Insight the error still exists, but now I can make the changes to the map data and stop TomTom using the "new" roundabout.

Are there occasions when you want to use a particular road but your map will not use it for routing because it's allegedly blocked? Or maybe the road has become blocked in some manner but your map still tries to route you down it. Map errors of this nature do occur and I have found an example of each to correct. One is local to me and the other I found whilst doing my day job.
Click here to read the article.
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Mike Barrett

[philpugh]

Are TomTom going to do verification of any user-submitted changes before allowing other users to download and use them? Although it would only affect other Navcore 7 users, a small number initially, it could be used to prevent people going down roads that are actually OK. (Local by-pass action group etc)

OK - perhaps I'm being a little cynical here - but human nature ... :D
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Phil

[Tim Buxton]

As with the editing of POIs, etc., you can choose which data you wish to accept. It could be only your own, TomTom verified, Trusted verifier, submitted by many or submitted by few or any permutation. (Categories may differ slightly, I don't have them to hand.)
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Tim

[PaulB2005]

I asked exactly the same question on anther thread. You can choose between several levels of verification from TomTom verified, to Trusted User down to any User.

[Daggers]

Does this mean that you can only block an entire road, rather than blocking a road at a specific location?

E.g. A road I know has been turned into a cul-de-sac by blocking off one end of the road. It is still physically possible to drive to a house in this street by entering the open end of the road, but TomTom can try to direct you through the blocked end.

With Mapshare, I may want to navigate to a point on this road, but if the whole road is marked as blocked, is this still possible?

[lbendlin]

This depends on the actual map data. Streets are divided into "maneuvres", basically unique stretches of streets from an intersection to a curve etc. So you might get lucky and your house is outside the maneuvre, or you might get the brown stuff and the maneuvre encompasses the whole street.

We have already requested a feature to be able to block a road inside a maneuvre, but the current software doesn't support that just yet.
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Lutz

Report Map Errors here:
TomTom/TeleAtlas NAVTEQ

[Tim Buxton]

Daggers, You will still be routed into the street but you might still be routed in from the wrong direction. Until TeleAtlas actually mark where the blocking point is and release the data, or TomTom add this facility to MapShare, we are stuck with what we have.
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Tim

[zark]

could mapshare be the first gimmick to tempt me to upgrade???

more reviews pls - convince me it's great!

[TomDavison]

Reading the article mentioned at the beginning of this thread it appears that you don't "Block" a road. The way it seems to work is that you have the stretch of road initially marked as driveable in both directions. What you do is disable one or both of these directions. So you can't turn a road into a cul-de-de sac by putting a block across it. If you know which way you need to enter, you could for example make an east-west cul-de-sac eastbound only. Thats fine to get to your destination. To go back out you would have to remark it as westbound when you set out again, or it will continue to try to take you east through the dead end.

[NMatthew]

It's about time!

TomTom Navigator 3 (and maybe earlier versions, 3 is where I started) had the ability to block out an area on a map that the routing would not enter. Great for map corrections since you could make the area as large or small as you needed. I used it to correct one-way streets that had changed and to block off roads too small to traverse. Then Navigator 5 took it away with the new 'unified' platform, and Ifelt the loss.

I may now consider 7.

Neil
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Audi TT Coupe Quattro
BMW 535d M Sport Touring

[Flying-Low]

I too really miss the ability to block a road or region that was in TT3. TT5 insists on sending me down several barely navigable roads from my home to the motorway link road when there is a perfectly good main available. It has also got a habit of sending me off onto service roads on a few trunk routes. Bring back the block road function!
Barry

[Gmonkey]

[vroomfondel]

We've all seen in the media about sat-navs sending cars and vans down narrow roads or into inappropriate villages.
The Cufaude Lane example of MikeB has got me concerned that mapshare may cause unsuitable roads to become unblocked.

I happen to know that lane very well as its near here.
Its very narrow in parts with passing places and nasty bends.
Cows, tractors and a stream that floods the road are amongst other hazards.
If you're used to it, its not too bad, but its increasing being used by commuters to the large business park near the bottom end.
So its quite hairy now if you want to go against rush hour flow.
Its just the sort of road that should be left blocked on the public data.

[Andy_P]

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