Generating Routes in Google Maps for uploading into your BMW Nav System
 

Google Maps is a better and more efficient tool to generate routes than the BMW Navigation System. You have the flexibility to change routes as you wish and select specific roads from point A to point B. The attached manual (and program) describes how you can generate trip files that can be imported into your BMW Nav system. This is possible thanks to the great programing work of our fellow fester, Aussie40d, from the E70 forum. Enjoy.

JEG23

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Awesome work Juan! :thumbup:

I look forward to seeing you solve the POI import next.

I've verified that this works on an 2012 F30.

Are there any plans on making this work with more than 1 destination? I created a 3 stop trip in google maps, but when I imported the trip, only the start and first destination were imported. Sheet 2 (temp worksheet?) shows all destinations (read from the KML), but they don't seem to appear in the final XML.

Also, I tried to look at the VBA code, but it's password protected. Is there a reason for that?

Thanks for the hard work on this!! I had tried previously to do just this kind of thing, but ran out of time.

@FrogmanF30,

Thanks.

I suppose that is the next stage of this, capability for multiple destinations.
PM me for details.

JEG23

Juan, thank you for this great tool... It's working great here in Malaysia... Simple tool, yet very useful! Thank you, Sir.

Thanks for the feedback! Did you car already had the "import" feature active? Is that capability only removed in the US?

JEG23

@Jeg, did you also look at NAVI_DEST_IMPORT, which is supposedly "Asia Only"?

I am wondering if we can import an address from USB, similar to how Google Sen-To-Car works, and then Navigate to that address.

Shawn,

I have not tried this yet (maybe somebody can beat me to it before I get home), but if you only input a destination in Google (not a point A and a point B), save it to "Maps" and then generate the KML file, it will also be processed by the program and generate a one point place that could probably can be imported via "Import Trips" without any additional changes to the car coding.

It is of course easier to do this via the Google “send to car” function, but it might be convenient of you want to upload multiple destinations in one shot.

If that does not work I will try the "Asia Only" code that you suggest.

JEG23

I had to code NAVI_TRIP_IMPORT before I could import a trip. The comments for this variable do not indicate any regional restrictions. Only the NAVI_DEST_IMPORT/EXPORT say Asia only.

Thanks FrogmanF30.

I expected that since you are in the US. Our cars do not have the "trip import" function on by default. In most of Europe (I think) and for example in Australia, this function is activated.

I think in some Asian countries (please let me know otherwise), maybe they cannot do the "Google Send to the car" by default.

Have you tried to generate a KML file with only one point and then import that via the "trip import" feature? If not I will try this tonight. In addition to generating trips via Google Maps, it would be useful to have multiple destinations in an USB that can be easily imported to the car.

If that does not work then we should try (as Shawn suggests) the "Asia only" destination code and see if another import menu item shows up.

JEG23

Yes, but with a single destination point, and NAVI_TRIP_IMPORT, you are still using Google Maps for Routing.

The Google Send-To-Car, and NAVI_DEST_IMPORT would instead use the built in BMW Navigation for Routing. Since Google Send-To-Car requires a BMW Assist account, many users can not use it, so I was thinking instead they could maybe use NAVI_DEST_IMPORT in its place, that is if it is possible for it to work on non-Asian vehicles despite what it says.

Shawn,

Yes I see your point. On the other hand, with a single destination, I do not think (I am speaking out of ignorance here since I cannot test that at the moment) there is technically no routing, just a destination.
I do not know if "trip import" will work with that file. If it does, then the NAVI_DEST_IMPORT is not necessary, otherwise it surely is worth trying it.

JEG23

Agreed.

Awesome tool, thanks. Please keep us updated in this thread as I do not frequent a E70 forums.

Yes, it has the feature... But, mine is a UK spec'd car... So, I'm not sure whether a Malaysian spec'd car has this as standard...

I can confirm that this works for an E90 also. When I did European Delivery I took a USB drive with specific routes on it in hopes the feature would work (some had reported success on an ED vehicle and some did not). The option to import was not even in the menu (good thing I had a backup plan). Over the weekend I used this thread and found NAVI_TRIP_IMPORT in CIC, made it aktiv, saved it back, and now I have the import from USB option in the nav. I'll definitely be taking my laptop with me on the next ED trip to enable this. :)

It may already be known that it works for E Series cars but in case someone searches and comes across this thread I thought I'd add the info.

Merlosso,

Thanks for letting us know it also works for the E90. I find it myself very useful. The BMW navigation system likes to send via routes that I do not like. This lets me decide how I want to get to my destination.

JEG23

Check this (Europe):

https://www.bmw-routes.com/uk/en/plan-routes/index.jsp

Yes, many of us are aware of that nice tool, but unfortunately it only works in Europe.

JEG23

won't let me download the pdf in the first post, is link dead?

Losco,

Try it now. Remember to remove the .pdf extension from the .xlsm file.

JEG23

Thanks, download worked, but realized didn't have excel on this PC lol. will test it tomorrow and see if it works on japanese nav too.

Check this
 

There is another possibility to make multi destination trips with TyreToTravel.com based on googlemaps. With the free Basic Tyre programm, it allows to plan trips and safe it in the BMW format tar.gz to the desktop. From there you pack it into a BMWData structure and youre able to upload it to the navi prof, where you have the possible upload via Navigation--saved trips--Import from USB etc

Structure like: ---- is the folderstructure, : is the file to be placed in folderstructure, usbstick ist your USB Stick
Usbstick: mytrip.zip
Usbstick----BMWData----Nav: mytrip.tar.gz
Usbstick----BMWData----Navigation----Routes: mytrip.tar.gz

hint: on my F11 build in 9/2011 (German Version) it works. Mytrip.zip: pack the entire structure above in a named zip file named exactly like the tar.gz, here mytrip.zip and put it in the rootfolder of your USB Stick. According to many posts, the folderstructure BMWData/Nav should do the trick, but with the mentioned bmwroutes.com method and saving it to Desktop it creates the above structure.

Try if that would work for US purposes as well!

Cheers EB

Good stuff EB. Thanks.

EB,

This works great in the US for the F10. Fantastic work!

JEG23