Welcome to the

Route Editor

Note: This page looks best if you maximize your browser window.

Highlights of what the Route Editor does for you:-

• Create routes from scratch using only your web browser
• Dual-map interface showing OS 1:50,000 and google maps simultaneously
• Secondary cursor correlates map location of the mouse on both maps
• Edit existing routes (add, delete, and move route points)
• Add numbered tags to your route as reference points for trail descriptions

Click here for more details.

You need to be logged-in to save your route

Your new route will be stored on your account if you login or create a new account here. If you do not have an account yet, just create one here and your new route will be stored on it ready for you when you first login.

Route Editor

The Route Editor is designed to allow you to easily edit existing or create entirely new route files using only your web browser. The Route Editor allows access to the Ordinance Survey’s 1:50,000 Land-Ranger maps for the entire UK, and simultaneously displays your information on the google map of your choice.

In areas where detailed satellite images are available it is very useful to have both OS map and zoomed-in satellite maps as you draw out your route. OS maps are better in some ways, and satellite images are better in others, this combination gives you’re the best of both, and correlates the two using a secondary mouse pointer.

Secondary Mouse Pointer

As you move the mouse around the maps, you will see a second pointer appear on the other map. This pointer resembles a ‘Cross-hairs’ and is automatically drawn in the location corresponding to where the tip of your mouse pointer is currently pointing.

Modes

At any given point the editor will be in one of the six ‘Modes’ listed under the words ‘Mode Selection’ on the toolbar.

The currently selected mode is indicated by the coloured box at the top of this section. A different colour is displayed for each mode along with brief instructions.


Add Points Mode

When in ‘Add Points’ mode any clicks on either map will place a new route point at the location you click. If this is the first route point for this route then the ‘Start’ marker will be placed, if other points have already been added then subsequent clicks will simply add more points to the end of the route and move the end marker to suit.


Edit Points Mode

When in ‘Edit Points’ mode a blue dot moves along the existing route as you hover your mouse pointer close to it. If you drag this blue dot while it is over an existing route point then when you release it the existing point will simply be moved to the new location. If however you drag the blue dot when it is between existing points then a new route point will be inserted when you release it after dragging. This is how to add new route points in the middle of an existing route.



Add Num Tags Mode

In ‘Add Num Tags’ mode again a blue dot moves along the existing route as you hover your mouse pointer close to it. If you click on the blue dot at any point a new ‘Numbered Tag’ will be placed at that location. If you click on an existing point then a numbered tag will simply be added, if your click between existing points then a new point will be added at that location and a numbered tag placed there.

Numbered tags are intended to give points of reference for the description of trails. They are commonly used to mark the point where the type of surface the trail runs over changes (e.g. from fire-track to single-track), or to indicate the location of a particularly interesting or difficult feature etc.

Numbered tags can ONLY be placed on the route itself, and they are automatically kept in order (i.e. if you add a new numbered tag between two existing numbered tags, the subsequent tags will all be renumbered in order to maintain the correct order).




Delete Points Mode

In ‘Delete Points’ mode, individual route points can be deleted. Again the blue dot moves along the existing route, but this time it only appears at the locations of existing route points (i.e. not in-between). If you click on the blue dot then that individual route point will be deleted.


Delete to Start Mode

In ‘Delete to Start’ mode, again a blue dot moves along the existing route as you hover your mouse pointer close to it. If you click on the blue dot all of the route points between where you click and the start of the route will be deleted.


Delete to End Mode

In ‘Delete to End’ mode, again a blue dot moves along the existing route as you hover your mouse pointer close to it. If you click on the blue dot all of the route points between where you click and the end of the route will be deleted.


Saving Your Route

You can save your route at any point by clicking the ‘Save Route’ button. You must be logged-in in order for your route to be saved, but don’t worry if you have been working on a route and are not yet logged-in or even if you don’t have an account at all yet. If you click ‘Save Route’ while not logged-in the system will give you an opportunity to login or create an account, after which it will store your new or edited route safely into your account.

The 'Reverse Route' Button

This button reverses the direction of the route. The start becomes the end and all points in-between will occur in reverse order. Any numbered tags which have been defined will also be reversed (numbered tags always go 1,2,3… in the intended direction of the route).

The 'Clear All Points' Button

This button simply removes all the points and all numbered tags you have defined. After pressing this button you can start adding route points from scratch.

The 'Don’t Save' Button

This button simply returns you back to the main website WITHOUT saving any work you have done on the current route.

Route Saved

Your route has been successfully saved in the ‘My Routes’ section of your ‘My Account’ page. Would you like to proceed to create a Trail on the public part of the system using this route?

Are you sure?

Are you sure you want to go back to your 'My Account' page without saving any changes you have made to the current route?

Overwrite or Save New?

You are editing an existing route from your 'My Routes' section. Would you like to overwrite the existing file with your changes, or create a new route?

Saving changes to the Route of an existing Trail

You are about to save changes made to the Route of an existing Trail on the public part of the system. As you are a ‘trusted’ user you have the option to either directly overwrite the existing Route on the system or to save a NEW Route in your ‘My Routes’ section which you can then use to create a NEW trail if you wish.

Guidance on when to overwrite & when to create a new Trail

If you are adding or moving a section of trail which could be considered an ‘alternative’ to the existing route (i.e. the existing route is still available to use and is still valid on the ground) then you should save your new version as a NEW Route and then use that Route to create a NEW Trail at the same Venue. That way people can look at both and decide which they prefer.

If on the other hand you are correcting a mistake which was made when a Route was created, or making changes to a Route to make it match the physical reality of a trail on the ground which has changed since the Route was created on the system, then you should ‘Overwrite’ the existing Route.

Caution about overwriting

If you think you should use the ‘Overwrite’ function based on the above, please consider the following before you do:-

• Please make sure the trail description, tech and fitness gradings, and 'time' all remain consistent with the new Route.
• If you are changing the location or number of ‘Numbered Tags’ on the Route, then you will need to make sure that the description of this Trail does not become incorrect because of referring to tags which don’t exist or that have moved position.
• If the Trail you are about to change the Route for has existed on the system for a while it is possible that there may be many comments, ratings, photos, videos, etc. all based on the old Route. If your changes are significant enough to invalidate some of this body of information, you should create a NEW trail rather than overwrite the old one.

Note: When the Route for an existing Trail is overwritten this shows up in the change history for the Venue containing that Trail. Trusted users can use this entry to ‘revert’ this change back to the original Route if they wish.

Please read the above before pressing this button

Comments

Would you like to leave any comments or explanations about why you have made these changes? Anything you enter here will show as a note against the record of your change in the Venue ‘change history’ page.

(It's ok to leave this box blank if you wish)

Account Created Successfully

Your new account has been successfully created, and your new route has been stored in it.

The initial password for your new account has been emailed to you on the address you provided. Once you have logged-in for the first time just go to the 'My Routes' section of your 'My Account' page to see the saved route you have just created.

Press 'OK' to go to the login screen.

Editing an existing Trail

You have opened an existing Trail in the route editor.

As you are not yet a ‘trusted’ member of the site (see the FAQ for how to become a ‘trusted’ member) you can’t directly change the Route of an existing Trail.

Therefore, any changes you make here will be stored as a NEW Route in your ‘My Routes’ section which you can then use to create a NEW Trail if you wish.

Editing an existing Trail

You have opened an existing Trail in the route editor.

As you are a ‘trusted’ member of the site you will be offered two options when you save your changes to this Route. You will be able to either save your changes directly overwriting the existing Route on the system, or save them as a NEW Route in your ‘My Routes’ section which you can then use to create a NEW trail if you wish.

Route Editor

Mode Selection

Add Mode    Edit Mode    Del Points    Del To Start Mode    Del To End Mode    Add Num Tags Mode