allow manual recording of preferred routes

by **icycle** » Thu May 31, 2012 3:49 am

I posted this on the Waze Facebook page earlier today, this forum is likely best for enhancement requests.

Briefly: allow me to record and name my preferred routes and have Waze choose between them for a commute.

Longer version:

I'd like the developers to consider allowing users to manually record (either by driving or using an online map interface) my preferred routes between common end points (i.e. my commute). Let me name the preferred routes myself. Then when evaluating routes for a commute, choose between the preferred routes if available.

Why? Because the dynamic thing isn't working for me. I'll drive a new route many times and it still won't be considered for subsequent drives, even after asking for alternative routes. I've toiled in the map editor for too long making changes to receive no benefit--it consistently sends me on crazy routes instead of choosing the direct path.

And, even if all of that worked, the auto-generated names for the routes that Waze comes up with are hard to interpret and I'd want the ability to name them too, if they were consistent. Like let me tell Waze at the end of a route what to name the route we just drove.

If this change were done, then it would override all of the error prone reliance on pristine maps, intelligent detection of repeated driving patterns, etc and just let me use Waze for what I want: the fastest commute every day.

Thanks for reading.

by **daknife** » Thu May 31, 2012 4:20 am

Just be aware that the dynamic thing really only learns your favorite destinations, NOT the actual routes. It's commonly accepted here that the feature is miss-named as it does not learn any routes, just destinations.

Your idea has merit.

by **icycle** » Thu May 31, 2012 4:47 am

daknife wrote:Just be aware that the dynamic thing really only learns your favorite destinations, NOT the actual routes. It's commonly accepted here that the feature is miss-named as it does not learn any routes, just destinations.

To be sure, I was referring to the Waze claim that if I drive the routes I like, it will learn them and use them in the future. I just didn't want any confusion with the feature that learns my destinations and attempts to predict which one I'm navigating to. That said, are we talking about the same thing or different things?

daknife wrote:Your idea has merit.

Thanks

by **icycle** » Thu May 31, 2012 2:27 pm

Waze (Facebook) suggested I post the idea at http://waze.uservoice.com/, will do that tonight.

by **daknife** » Thu May 31, 2012 10:50 pm

We are talking about the same thing. The system description says it learns your favorite routes, but all it really learns is your favorite destination.

by **icycle** » Thu May 31, 2012 10:55 pm

daknife wrote:We are talking about the same thing. The system description says it learns your favorite routes, but all it really learns is your favorite destination.

Wow...thanks for letting me in on the secret. All this time I thought I was teaching Waze my different routes and hoping the student would show signs of intelligence at some point. Alas, it was all in vain.

Now I *really* want this feature added. The source code is open, right?

Thanks.

by **gettingthere** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:43 pm

Although Waze did used to learn your favorite routes (not just destinations). The route leaning functionally is currently broken. Yes, it's misleading. Especially with the disclaimer on the route summary screen 'Waze learns quickly...'

With Waze 3 the source code is not longer open. In addition a lot of Waze functionality is handle via the back end and not the client application.

by **kotatsu** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 2:10 pm

I'd very much like to see this too. I can't convince Waze to ever give me my usual commuting route, all it offers are two routes on roll roads, and one on a non-toll road which is gridlocked every morning. My usual route is usually clear, and is toll free.

by **icycle** » Tue Jun 19, 2012 3:31 pm

Update: I searched for and found a couple similar suggestions existing on the uservoice client feedback site. The best is:
http://waze.uservoice.com/forums/59223- ... learn-mode

there I posted a comment linking to the other suggestion, which is less detailed.

If you like this idea, submit your comments and votes to that idea above.
thanks