How to save a track in FIT format

[mpiter]

Hello,

I installed RouteConverter last night on a Linux computer.  First I would like to thank the RouteConverter team for that great piece of software.

I could read a FIT file with the RouteConverter using the Garmin FIT format but when I want to save a track, the Garmin FIT format is not included anymore in the list of available formats.  Oddly enough, we are supposed to be able to write in the Garmin FIT format according to the RouteConverter Web site:

Release 2.24 from 22. July '18

• reads and writes Garmin Fit 2.0 (.fit) files
  

I run RouteConverter 2.25.2 on a Linux Mint 19.1 computer with the 4.15.0-45-generic kernel and java 10.0.2 (64 bit).  Should I do anything special to be able to write in the Garmin FIT format?

I thank you in advance for any piece of information,

pit

[nordlicht]

Release 2.24 from 22. July '18

• reads and writes Garmin Fit 2.0 (.fit) files
  

Hi pit,

I guess "...writes..." is not correct, unfortunately. AFAIK RouteConverter makes use of GPS Babel as a back-end, according to GPS Babel's format description it cannot write *.fit files.

[mpiter]

Thank you nordlicht for your answer.  At least I will not search a solution anymore.

I am surprised that RouteConverter uses GPS Babel.  I use gpsbabel 1.5.4, the last version, on my Linux machine. It cannot read Garmin FIT version 2 format, only version 1, while RouteConverter can read both formats.  Because  GARMIN FIT version 2 format is just an extension of version 1, one guy wrote a patch to be included in GPS Babel sources to read the version-1 part of data of a version-2 file leaving the version-2 part unread.  It is however not advised to use the patch because sometimes the data found in the version-2 part of a file modifies the way to interpret the data stored in the version-1 part of the file. Though very rare, this can lead to data misinterpretation if the whole file is not read and interpreted.  As far as I know GPS babel can still not read Garmin FIT version 2 data while RouteConverter can.  That is why I think RouteConverter can read more formats than GPS Babel.

Thank again for your answer.

[routeconverter]

I am surprised that RouteConverter uses GPS Babel.

RouteConverter uses GPSBabel for a few rare and binary formats. It used GPSBabel for Garmin FIT but since June 2018 RouteConverter contains native Java support for Garmin FIT.

I use gpsbabel 1.5.4, the last version, on my Linux machine. It cannot read Garmin FIT version 2 format, only version 1, while RouteConverter can read both formats

Version 2 was the reason to implement Garmin FIT support in Java. But since nobody asked, I've never implemented write support for it.

That is why I think RouteConverter can read more formats than GPS Babel.

You're right. RouteConverter uses GPSBabel for 16 formats and can read 68 formats in Java.

[routeconverter]

Release 2.24 from 22. July '18

• reads and writes Garmin Fit 2.0 (.fit) files
  

Hi pit,

I guess "...writes..." is not correct, unfortunately.

You're right.

AFAIK RouteConverter makes use of GPS Babel as a back-end, according to GPS Babel's format description it cannot write *.fit files.

That is not correct.

[routeconverter]

I've just uploaded a new prerelease which supports some basic writing of .fit files.

Please test and report.