Caveat, not all GPS's are not created equal which is part of my problem, the other problem is me! Brad and Rich gave me a couple of good clues to one of my dilemma's...routes.
Brad's clue's to me. 1) Waypoint locations and 2) "offroad function". My etrex vista H, does not have all the functions you mention, or at least I can't find them, but it does have the "offroad transition". So, I used the offroad function, and sure enough, if you are navigating using a road route, it bypasses any curves in the road and goes straight line from point A to B, cross country so to speak. Yeah, I don't think I will use that function. Thanks for that.
Second, was your waypoint placements of 1/8 mile beyond an intersection. Today, I used my previously built "Home to Work" route I created using waypoints to test this. I did not move my waypoints from their original placement, but what I did notice, for the first time thanks to your clue, was, as I approach but before I arrive at one of my waypoints, the compass pointer, points in the direction of my next waypoint, thus telling or pointing me as to which way to turn. I'm sure it was doing this before, but I just misunderstood what the GPS was telling me, "turn this way dummy". Again, I thank you as I don't think I would have understood this on my own.
Rich's clue. I don't think my GPS unit has the "auto routing" function. If the etrex vista H does, somebody tell me where it's at. This probably is why my routes, although done on the maping software, don't follow exactly on the roads in my GPS. It is becoming just a bit clearer to me. Thanks guys. Oh, I re-read what Rich said and may just now got what he said. "Auto routing" as in automobile routing. I'll have to look at my GPS as I previously thought "auto routing" was "automatic route making" not "automobile route making". Der!
More to mention. Maping on the computer per se, is not my problem, (or not that much anyway), but UKJ, you do mention something worthy others may or may not know about. Like your Tyre and GPS Trackmaker, I use some similar meathods. I'll share the different ways I do it, all with the same result, routes, waypoints on my GPS. I also download geocaches, but don't want to get this too confusing, eh!
I have a Garmin unit so.... I'm doing as much "practice" with making routes and such to augment my paper map usage before riding season, so one baby step for me was getting the information from map making tools, too my GPS.
I have "Basecamp", which was free. I downloaded my states topo map "free" from GPSfiledepot. I can do all the plotting, and transfer waypoints, routes, tracks; to and from my GPS. If someone knows of other "free" downloadable topo maps, I'll take it.
I also have "Mapsource", which may be free with the purchase of certain Garmin's, but not mine. I have to buy it. Howerver, with a little www research, I was able to get it for free. Essentially, it does the same thing as Basecamp.
I also set up routes in Google Earth, and transfer the file to GPSbabble (downloaded for free), which like your GPS Trackmaker, translates the Google Earth kml files and sends them to mapsource, where I can then send it to my GPS. Note, though I have set up routes in Google Earth and successfully put them on my GPS, I haven't tested them as the TW is still in winter hibernation. I've only used my "home to work" route so far for testing, but in this thread, I needed some clarification, which is being provided.
"Tracks" knowledge still needed. I get the "trackback" part of tracks, but how do people use tracks to navigate by? Reason for asking, and trying to make my original question clearer, I have come across places on the www that mention "sharing tracks". Presumably, I "copy" these tracks to put into my gps, and then can navigate with them. Problem is, I don't understand how to navigate using tracks from what I've read, and want more information on them before I try. I'm starting to figure out how to navigate using routes, so I want to learn about tracks. www ain't helping me understando!
Thanks for your help and patience with my GPS ignorance.