Forum breadcrumbs - You are here:Scenic ForumUsing ScenicDisappointing experience
Please or Register to create posts and topics.

Disappointing experience

I've tried to use Scenic several times during my recent trip to Minnesota.  I found serious issues with the routing algorithm.  Here's a good example - a route from Prospect Hts, Illinois to Osseo, Wisconsin.  Apple Maps keeps you on I-90, and the trip takes 4 hours.  Scenic creates a much more complex route using state roads with an estimated time 5 hours.

Hopefully switching to HERE maps will address issues like this.  On the other hand, another app that is using OSM created the same route as Apple Maps.

 

Bani has reacted to this post.
Bani

Do you have avoid highways checked?

 

No, I don't.

Try' Efficient' instead of 'Fast' as a routing setting. If that doesn't solve it then just use waypoints to make the route go the way you want. Best to use the route planner for that.

Efficient produces the same route.

I don't think waypoints is a solution.   There's an obvious issue with the routing algorithm Scenic is using that needs to be addressed.  There should be a certain level of confidence in the app before you can use it.

Just to humor myself, I created a route with the same destination using Apple Maps, Google Maps, TomTom, Harley-Davidson, InRoute and CoPilot apps.  I think those 6 apps covered most if not all available maps - Google, TomTom, HERE, OSM, and Trimble.  They all created the same route.

 

 

I think I figured out the problem.  It's the Avoid Ferries switch.  When this switch is on, it somehow impacts routing algorithm.  When I turned the switch off, Scenic created an expected route.  Also, time to destination was wildly inaccurate - 4 hr 49 min vs 3 hr 56 min calculated by other apps.

 

 

Well, this didn't fix the problem completely.  Here's is the same route in Scenic and H-D.  Notice the difference between waypoints 4 and 5.  Both were created using routing mode Fast.  When I changed it to Efficient, Scenic created the same route as H-D.  If this is how it's designed, it's very confusing. But it feels more like a bug.

Just came back from a ride shown above.  At some point the map got so much behind, it started missing turns.

Hello rocminc99al,
i'm from Austria and also using scenic since few days. The last week i was on a trip throuph Slowenia, Croatia, Italy and Austria. I can fully agree with you, that the planing routine have some bugs. Sometimes it wants to send me through the village center and takes
side streets for no reason. I also changed the settings, but nothing improved. After a while i'd learned to ignore these mistakes, but it's not really confidence inspiring. Specially if you are riding with a group. The only way i've understand to avoid these mistakes, is to set some more "via" points or "stops".. But this isn'T the sense of a navigation app. Google maps wouldn't ever make such mistakes.
Another negative thing I've learned is that, the maps doesn'T know unpaved roads. Once it sent me through a 5 mile gravel road.

Maybe somebody knows a work around..
Thanks in advance

Hopefully v3 will address all these issues.

Yes, i hope it too, because basically i like the app. the other 90 percent of its features are working smoothly.
Do you know the release date of v3?

br

bani

Hi guys,

Thanks for all your feedback. I understand the problem and indeed it's the routing algorithm of Scenic's current map provider. It can also be the placement of the via points. Scenic is very sensitive to via point placement. Even the side of the road can be important. I recommend to use as little via points as possible. Just enough to guide the route to take the roads you want.

This is one of the most important reasons why I'm switching to a new map provider in Scenic 3. It's not long now until Scenic 3 will be out.

Thanks again and all the best,
Guiido

Bani has reacted to this post.
Bani
If you're enjoying Scenic and are happy with the support, please leave a nice rating in the App Store. It would mean a lot to me ❤️

I don't.  Hopefully soon.

Quote from Guido on 13.08.2021, 13:00

Hi guys,

Thanks for all your feedback. I understand the problem and indeed it's the routing algorithm of Scenic's current map provider. It can also be the placement of the via points. Scenic is very sensitive to via point placement. Even the side of the road can be important. I recommend to use as little via points as possible. Just enough to guide the route to take the roads you want.

This is one of the most important reasons why I'm switching to a new map provider in Scenic 3. It's not long now until Scenic 3 will be out.

Thanks again and all the best,
Guiido

Hello Guiido,

thanks for your fast response! First of all I want to say, please don't take my criticism to negative. Your app offers a lot of usefull and unique functionalities. I didn't find any other essential problems. And if you and your team can repair these algorithm problems, the app is close to perfection.
I also tried to use as little via points as possible, but these also doesn't improve the situation. Tomorrow i'll post some examples.

Thank you and best regards
bani