tyre to travel bites back

#1
hi just been using tyre creating POI's done this for years quite easy to do in tyre and !!!!!!! its had a moment.
tyre just went off on one lost the map and got a constant error message. managed to shut it down eventually but every time i re open it same thing eventually deleted the file and tried re downloading, would not open the map. got so far and it asked for my google account api?? whatever that is not a problem i have a google account ..........hmm reading the small print its free because you get the first 200 dollars as a gift Hmmm..... what happens after that ? bet they start charging reading further the replacement for tyre is my route app which seems to be aimed at mobile devices i took this to mean phones but guess what you still need the api. still no idea what my api is if i have one?

looks like a scheme to remove my pennies from my pocket lots of people already doing that so would like to avoid one more. has any one found a alternative or work around that gets you a api that gets you round this some one somewhere usually comes up with something.

or an alternative way of creating lots of poi's on one file/mapping programe
 
#2
From their web page

The history of Tyre


Here you can see what the improvements and changes are since Tyre was launched in february 2006.
(Until version 4.0 Tyre was known as ‘Google-TomTom’.)

Version 8.00 (build 1):
  • This is a major update: important changes!
  • Tyre has returned to its former Freeware status.
    We worked on a commercial base for a few years. But now we have decided to remove the commercial part. It also means that the collaboration with 'TyreToTravel' has ended and that we only use the name 'Tyre'.
    For many users, this will work out well, because it also means that features that were previously only available in the paid versions of Tyre, are now available to everyone. For free!
    This also means that is no longer necessary to register your copy of Tyre. Therefore the 'register' options have been removed from the program.
  • Another important change is the 'engine': we tried to work with GraphHopper for a year for calculating and displaying routes. Unfortunately, that continued to cause problems in all sorts of ways.
    Therefore we have returned to the use of Google Maps for the map and for the routes.
  • It does mean that every user must request an 'API key' from Google. That may seem difficult: because how do you do that? And: what does it cost?
    1. Requesting a key is very easy: you just have to go through a few steps only once. If you need help, Tyre can assist you here.
    2. And the costs? It seems as if you have to pay, but that is not the reality. You only start paying if you use the Google 'route engine' more than 25,000 times a day. It hard to imagine that any user of Tyre will even come close to that number!
 

Megabuck

IBAUK Verifier
IBA Member
#3
Hi Dave,

Behind the scenes, TyreToTravel was utilising Google Maps, via API calls - that stands for Application Programming Interface. That interface used to be open - i.e. anyone could make it, and make any number of calls to it. Then, a while back - last couple of years, I think - Google chose to put a stop to the free-for-all, and started charging for commercial use. No idea how much they charged, but I'll bet it wasn't a small number.

That meant any service using the APIs had to either stump up a load of cash, find an alternative, or shut down. Judging by the version 8 release notes, the Tyre folks are trying to make use of the fact that anyone who jumps through enough hoops can get a license which allows up to 25,000 calls a day, for free - so individual users need to jump through those hoops, and then use their license when using Tyre.

Whether you can figure out what hoops to jump through, and how to use your license with Tyre once you've done so, I can't say, since I've never used it. Give it a try - after all, if it works, you can carry on using Tyre for free.

Regards,
Martin
 
#4
thanks for the advice
maybe it is time to ditch tyre its not been as good for a few years now. poi's can be created and bounce / changed into different file types which is the only alternative i've found so far to achieve the same. file does this so easily and tom tom access 's to poi's is good for poi's and it seems a shame as it was the recommended route planner for tom tom . But now seems to have been replaced by myroute app ? this still uses API's tom tom need to review their recommendation for a route planner as tyre was a free down load it got round this but did not give you a map if you had no wi fi connection.
looks to me that Garmin has stole a lead on tom tom by having base camp least that runs of the maps in your garmin or a downloaded alternative.
was looking to upgrade my old tom tom this winter now i'm not so sure but garmin i'd have to learn itinerary's in garmin as well as poi's
 
#5
arrrrrgh i beginning to seriously be cheesed of with all this, been into google and filled out what ever page for an api number strangely non of the numbers on the screen seem to work with tyre to travel so must have done something wrong some where.
given up with myroute app as well got the free trial but cant turn it on ( have you ever thought you were banging your head against a wall) and just for good measure the free (basic) tool seems to have vanished so your on an annual subscription now to use it.

so looked for something else to do the same job on the tomtom website i found their planning tool yep it does all the stuff or so it claims, afraid i cant confirm this. tried to upload some poi's into my sat nav, got so far and it just would not have it????
baffled i checked file type tried different types etc Yep it was a OV2 file didn't see the two components of the file but the upshot was it would not load and stalled told me i did not have enough memory. hard to believe that one never had this problem before and had loads more files on the sat nav deleted a few but still no difference. spitting proverbial feathers at this point. hours of searching various forums later and an answer becomes apparent so i checked the list of supported sat navs on the tom tom website and mine isn't there. so what blasted use is the darn tool if it wont talk to all their models mines only 6 years old still new in my world. and still works fine i've even got it to tell the time again but cant use the support tool.

oh by the way the lifetime maps stopped being updated some time ago so not much of a bonus there from them either.

remembering that up to a few weeks ago i was happy with my tomtom, tyre to travel going west has fetched all this to light now i'm having dubious thoughts of where i'd like to insert said sat nav with regards to tomtoms executive or technical team.

this being my 3rd tomtom and is now looking like my last, how do you get custom poi's into a garmin ??? or have they made that overly complicated just to send me over the edge
 
#8
would probably run for me if i could get a google api thingy but at the moment i cant dont know why probably beyond my computer skills to navigate the page or press the right button thought i had done everything required but maybe not .
the trouble with IT people is they think everyone should be computer experts and be able to navigate every stupid page they put in your way. despite the fact they stick little mines in there that download something you didnt actually want but has a big button saying DOWNLOAD.
the upshot is i've pretty much given up with tyre now and feel completely let down by tomtom
on the plus side the weather up here as been pretty abysmal all day and its given me a chance to attempt the same with garmin which conveniently supplies its own maps and successfully downloaded their poi loader looking good so far next all my files are in the wrong format they need to be csv files. spent some time on a programme called babel and failed, so tried another programme and success at last i actually managed to load a test file, and it put the various poi's in nice folders in the custom poi section. once there access to them seems fairly straight forward.
as usual its to easy to think this is the end my files are all in different formats ov2, kml. gpx, excel, etc the next wet day may see me converting files
and the next challenges are can i get excel to load into basecamp?
or load itineraries into my garmin and actually use them
 
#9
update on tyre and my messing up or should i say general IT nonesense.
after a couple of weeks i went back to it all seeing how it depressed me the first time got an API number and it didn't work. after a bit of head scratching and trying it over and over i worked out it needed a live billing account couldn't work out exactly the page to do that on now it was set up so rang google that worked and soon got it set up. still wouldn't work bit more hair pulling got another lap top out and tried it on that same result . So uninstalled tyre then re installed it works now map and all but is at version 7. just going to see how long it lasts now fingers crossed.
seems like the only system for loading POI's onto an old tomtom.

loading excel into base camp well i managed it but a bit of a fath you have to jump through a few hoops to get there but i did also discover how to load POI's onto the garmin whilst doing it,
did load an itinerary onto the garmin but didn't like how it was working perhaps i'm using it wrong seem to show the entire route all the time ?? is this normal
 

Firstpeke

Well-Known Member
#10
I know it has been a while since this was active but thought I would comment anyway...

Tyre has been the app I use for ages, although I felt a bit annoyed when I responded to an offer to buy a lifetime license, only to be offered a week or two later, the new app at a discount.... still costing way too much in my mind so, no, didn't go that way.

Subsequently the app has been taken back to being "free", but there have been issues.

Google API key, yes I too jumped though all of those hoops until I sat down and worked through it to the point of getting it working.

I now get billed every month from Google, for $0.00

I use tyre a lot, there is an option to use another mapping engine but not as good as Google.

There are times when I have tried to get to grips with Basecamp and its idiosyncrasies but I never quite get there with it.

So, bought new Garmin ZumoXT, still using Tyre, patiently waiting and often killing it in Task Manager to get it restarted......

I suspect that this is how I will continue, particularly as the ZumoXT does seem to work way better than the old 660 with Tyre files.

If anyone has a better app for laptop which does the same stuff and works well, I would like to look at it.... as always as one ages, particularly having retired from working for years in IT, one's patience with technology wears thin..... very.... thin....
 
#11
I know it has been a while since this was active but thought I would comment anyway...

Tyre has been the app I use for ages, although I felt a bit annoyed when I responded to an offer to buy a lifetime license, only to be offered a week or two later, the new app at a discount.... still costing way too much in my mind so, no, didn't go that way.

Subsequently the app has been taken back to being "free", but there have been issues.

Google API key, yes I too jumped though all of those hoops until I sat down and worked through it to the point of getting it working.

I now get billed every month from Google, for $0.00

I use tyre a lot, there is an option to use another mapping engine but not as good as Google.

There are times when I have tried to get to grips with Basecamp and its idiosyncrasies but I never quite get there with it.

So, bought new Garmin ZumoXT, still using Tyre, patiently waiting and often killing it in Task Manager to get it restarted......

I suspect that this is how I will continue, particularly as the ZumoXT does seem to work way better than the old 660 with Tyre files.

If anyone has a better app for laptop which does the same stuff and works well, I would like to look at it.... as always as one ages, particularly having retired from working for years in IT, one's patience with technology wears thin..... very.... thin....
I know it has been a while since this was active but thought I would comment anyway...

Tyre has been the app I use for ages, although I felt a bit annoyed when I responded to an offer to buy a lifetime license, only to be offered a week or two later, the new app at a discount.... still costing way too much in my mind so, no, didn't go that way.

Subsequently the app has been taken back to being "free", but there have been issues.

Google API key, yes I too jumped though all of those hoops until I sat down and worked through it to the point of getting it working.

I now get billed every month from Google, for $0.00

I use tyre a lot, there is an option to use another mapping engine but not as good as Google.

There are times when I have tried to get to grips with Basecamp and its idiosyncrasies but I never quite get there with it.

So, bought new Garmin ZumoXT, still using Tyre, patiently waiting and often killing it in Task Manager to get it restarted......

I suspect that this is how I will continue, particularly as the ZumoXT does seem to work way better than the old 660 with Tyre files.

If anyone has a better app for laptop which does the same stuff and works well, I would like to look at it.... as always as one ages, particularly having retired from working for years in IT, one's patience with technology wears thin..... very.... thin....
Firstpeke
just too say i've abandoned Tyre completely now couldn't get it too work anything like it use to i've also abandoned my tomtom sat nav partly due to this problem but mainly because the new one wont let you use an itinerary like the old one did. This was tomtoms big advantage "well in my opinion"
gone to garmin zumos now they can hold poi's but i haven't found them necessary as garmins hold lots more favourites than tomtoms
if i'm creating locations i now use google maps. although its very limited amount of stops make mapping a pain. As with yourself i've tried to get to grips with basecamp its so slow its untrue.
 

Firstpeke

Well-Known Member
#12
I came close on a number of occasions to binning Tyre myself but now keep an install file in my downloads folder to reinstall when it goes pear shaped... it then updates again to the latest over a few days..... or so.... but as you say, it ain't what it used to be.

Perhaps if I was more patient and less grumpy I could come to terms with something else but I suspect I would simply put my route straight into the ZumoXT if I couldn't get Tyre to work.... I even tried creating a route in Tyre then opening it with Basecamp and importing it from there.... that was way more trouble than it was worth.....

Like everything else, it's called "progress"....

Bah humbug.
 

JohnR

Mr. QR code
IBA Member
#13
I could never get my head round Tyre either. I currently use ITNConverter on a PC for route planning, save the files as GPS eXchange 1.0 (*.gpx) files and transfer to TomTom Rider via TomTom MyDrive. Note here the *.gpx files are also compatible with Garmin and virtually all other GPS devices. If I need to pinpoint any location zooming in reveals many on the ground features, not as many as Google Maps street view which I use from time to time to pinpoint exactly where I need to place ITN waymarkers . It's not perfect but it works for me, I get to go where I want and by my preferred route.
 

JohnR

Mr. QR code
IBA Member
#14
BTW to make a POI file in ITN just place a load of waymarkers then when you close ITN select 'TomTom POI (*ov2)' from the export drop down menu and export it. To update the POI reload it and add more waymarkers and save as before.
 

Firstpeke

Well-Known Member
#15
Thanks for the heads up on the ITN converter, I opened a few of my larger route files in the converter, saved them back as the same file type but with test in the name and now they open much quicker in Tyre and so far it hasn't crashed...

Next test is to import to the ZumoXT and check them out....

I do note that you can create and edit routes in the ITNCreator and it is very, very quick when creating the route and subsequently saving it.

This is a great find, especially as it works!