Navigation Questions

[Kelleytoons]

MFT's "touch" is pretty bad -- it's easy to get spoiled by Apple's stuff, for example.

 

But I rarely use it -- the voice commands, OTOH, are much *better* than Siri or nearly anything else I've ever used.  I find it almost never gets confused by what I tell it, even when I ask it to play albums or find streets or people's names that are difficult for even ME to pronounce.  About the only "trick" I think to MFT is understanding what it wants you to say first in the prompts (so if you say "Find Address" you're set but if you try "Set Destination" or some such other reasonable idea you're going to be in for some pain).

 

I use voice even just to pause my music.

[ScubaDadMiami]

MFT's "touch" is pretty bad -- it's easy to get spoiled by Apple's stuff, for example.

 

But I rarely use it -- the voice commands, OTOH, are much *better* than Siri or nearly anything else I've ever used.  I find it almost never gets confused by what I tell it, even when I ask it to play albums or find streets or people's names that are difficult for even ME to pronounce.  

My understanding is that this was the area emphasized when Ford considered the candidates.

Edited August 13, 2014 by ScubaDadMiami

[IGregor Wrzbcki]

 -- the voice commands, OTOH, are much *better* than Siri or nearly anything else I've ever used.

Perhaps, but I'm not impressed with the logic by which the voice gets me there.  Waaaaaay too many steps, and can't figure out how to go back once a mistake (often mine) is made, or a better idea comes up.  Yesterday I was testing the system around town to destinations I know very well.  On several jaunts under 4 miles I got to the destination before the voice and I could get together to set one.  Ugh.

 

Here's an example of a trip to a local McDonalds about 3 miles away (with just a bit of hyperbole):  Make a command - NAV - make a command - destination - address, city or POI?-- POI -- Another city or nearby? -- nearby -- Choose a category -- I mistakenly choose a category she doesn't recognize --  Choose from the list -- I pull over to read the list, but before I get the car stopped I get another instruction -- Say page forward or page back -- I page forward and say a line number before getting back on the road -- Another city or nearby? -- nearby -- Name or address? -- name -- say name -- McDonalds -- Choose from list -- I cast my fate to the traffic gods and read the list while driving before making a selection -- turn right in 100 feet -- I turn right into the McDonald's parking lot.  Sheesh!!!

[Kelleytoons]

Addresses are the heart and soul of the NAV system -so, yes, trying to find "items" aren't nearly as good, although to be fair even Garmin doesn't get this right (especially since most of the POI databases aren't well maintained -can't even count how many times I've gone to a business that wasn't there anymore).

 

My iPhone and Google Maps does this best, but those databases ARE well maintained.  So, like Scuba says, looking things up on your phone and THEN entering the address into NAV is still always your best bet (and let's face it, we really shouldn't be trying to find places while we are actually driving.  Let's all practice safe driving and leave the craziness to the kids).

[RockwallRick]

I must say that I feel your pain when it comes to the Nav System. I was used to just entering the address info for whatever destination I needed to find and then saving it so that I didn't have to mess with it while driving. This

system seems to be way more complex than it needs to be. Just my two cents!!

[Kelleytoons]

IGregor,

 

I don't know if this will help or not (and I can't check it out because the wife has Sestra with her today.  Sigh) but a workaround for named destinations *might* be to use the saved destinations feature in combination with the NAV system.

 

Here's the dealio (and what is confusing): there are really *two* separate navigation systems for those of us who bought the "official" NAV card system.  The other system comes with the car whether you have the NAV system or not, and it's the SYNC navigation.  That's the one that (apparently) uses radio presets or some such to store destinations that will then be read to you with turn by turn directions even without the NAV system.  Confused yet?

 

So, assuming you're following me so far, we have the ability to set "Favorites" within the NAV system, but the ability to set "saved destinations" within SYNC.  Those two really don't have anything to do with each other, AFAIK, but you *can* get directions using voice commands once you have a saved destinations.  All you have to do is say "Directions to Chicken Place" and it will do it.

 

What I don't know -- and can't currently check -- is whether once you say "Directions to Chicken Place" AND have the NAV system whether it will invoke it to provide directions or whether the SYNC services override it somehow.  But you can test this out.  Send a saved destination using Mapquest or the appropriate phone app to your car (with those above instructions about invoking "Services" to load it up), and then go to SYNC services online and set it as a saved destination with whatever name you want.  THEN go ahead and try the voice command out and see what happens (and report back to us <bg>).

 

Even if this works (and I'm slightly skeptical it will, at least insofar as integration with the NAV system) not only is it convoluted but I doubt whether these "saved destinations" will actually be viewable in the NAV system, but you'll have to somehow go to SYNC services to see them.  Okay if you go to some places where you remember the name, but otherwise a big PITA and certainly not a solution to the Favorites issue (which should really allow you to name your favorites).

[grggwlkr]

Pull the paddle and say "I'm hungry".

[Kelleytoons]

Yeah -- that will show eateries close to you (too bad you can't say "I'm sick" and it would do doctors, or "I'm Bored" and it show movies <bg>)

 

But I think I'm making a major wrong assumption in my above post so I'll post again below.

[IGregor Wrzbcki]

Pull the paddle and say "I'm hungry".

 

Really?  Couldn't this send me to a grocery store?  And what about other things like hotels (I'm tired), or movies (I'm bored), or schools (I'm curious), or, or, or...

[Kelleytoons]

I've come across another seemingly unusual feature of MFT that needs explanation. Seems there should be some way to name a destination directly in the destination function, but I cannot find it.  The destination list of addresses does little good if it's not easily associated with a destination name.  Who remembers that 53426 Maple Street, Sometown, USA is the address for Uncle Harry?  Also, seems there should be some way to save a destination to Favorites without having first to "go" to the destination, then change from destinations to favorites, and then save it as a favorite.    And even after naming favorite, the name does NOT appear on destination list.  What?  Sure seems to be a painfully kluged way to enter and keep track of information.  Am I missing something, or have I just stumbled upon another reason that so many are unhappy with MFT?  Thanks.

 

Okay, so there are a couple of things going on here, at least one of which was my (wrong) assumption you can't name Favorites (apparently you have to edit them after it saves them as an address only, but according to the manuals you *can* name them).  And let me stipulate one thing: I can't test any of the following because DW has vehicle today (heavy sigh).

 

It looks as if you *can* name favorites AND if you say "Play Nametags" it will give you a list of them (I would assume it would read them to you but it may display them, or do both).  Then you can say "Destination [nametag]" and it will set that.  You can also say "Destination Play Nametags" which I assume will then give you the option to select one like it does when you browse a playlist.

 

Now (again, according to the manual) you can set as a Favorite any thing you can find as a destination, WITHOUT having to go there first.  IOW, if you find an address, or a POI you can then set it as a Favorite before you go there (which makes sense).  To do this, first go to Favorites and then Add and then find any destination the way you would normally.

 

If all of these things are true my objections to the way NAV works are moot.  It would still be nice if we could access our phone contacts, as the OP first asked for, but these other features at least mitigate the pain.  And I'm sorry if I misled anyone with any other post.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Kelleytoons

[Kelleytoons]

Oh, and I should further mention (although most folks familiar with NAV playing media) that in naming your Favorites (or, indeed, your media) you can't use acronyms.  IOW, if you have a favorite KFC spot you can't remember how to drive to, don't name it "KFC" but rather "K F C".  (KFC would have to be pronounced... well, I don't even know HOW you'd pronounce it, but it would certainly be hard to say).  That's because in building the voice commands it will attempt to read anything as a word (so if your favorite music group is ELO you'd have to say "Play Eeee-low" unless you edit it with spaces in-between.  ABBA will work just fine, though :>).

[IGregor Wrzbcki]

Okay, so there are a couple of things going on here, at least one of which was my (wrong) assumption you can't name Favorites (apparently you have to edit them after it saves them as an address only, but according to the manuals you *can* name them).  And let me stipulate one thing: I can't test any of the following because DW has vehicle today (heavy sigh).

 

It looks as if you *can* name favorites AND if you say "Play Nametags" it will give you a list of them (I would assume it would read them to you but it may display them, or do both).  Then you can say "Destination [nametag]" and it will set that.  You can also say "Destination Play Nametags" which I assume will then give you the option to select one like it does when you browse a playlist.

 

It's really not fair to read the manual.  But given you've dared to venture to that frightening place I'm curious why, once you've named a favorite, would the command to call up the favorite be "Play Nametags"?  Seems it'd make more sense that the command would be to "Play Favorites". No?

[grggwlkr]

It works great when traveling. I've discovered some great mom and pop type eateries this way. Otherwise I  find the nav system to be frustrating. Also it does not work with "I'm horny".

[IGregor Wrzbcki]

Here's the dealio (and what is confusing): there are really *two* separate navigation systems for those of us who bought the "official" NAV card system.  The other system comes with the car whether you have the NAV system or not, and it's the SYNC navigation.  That's the one that (apparently) uses radio presets or some such to store destinations that will then be read to you with turn by turn directions even without the NAV system.  Confused yet?

 

Makes you wonder how the design ever got past a first level supervisor, and whether/how it was tested with real-world users.

[Kelleytoons]

It's really not fair to read the manual.  But given you've dared to venture to that frightening place I'm curious why, once you've named a favorite, would the command to call up the favorite be "Play Nametags"?  Seems it'd make more sense that the command would be to "Play Favorites". No?

 

Yeah, I agree, but that's how it works and since I'm not the IT supervisor on that project (nor am I even on the beta -- and I would LIKE to be on that beta) there's not much we can do about it.

 

Actually, the whole way the MFT system works I'm not sure they had a very robust alpha, let alone beta on it (and I've spent 40 years in the industry and know a bad alpha when I see it).  There are just very screwy things that just don't make much sense (although the way it looks I *strongly* suspect it was cobbled together with at least five different design teams and that's why there is little consistency and why there is almost no integration among the various systems).

[ptjones]

When I first used the NAV system I was terrible at it until I learned how to use it. IMO The NAV system is fine, not Great, But until you learn how to use it can be difficult. If you want to go somewhere just hit voice command and say Destination street address or POI, then it will ask you nearby or in a city. Respond with either and then give POI or address with city and then confirm destination and you are on your way. Less steps than my Garmin which is also in the car. Bottom line is non of us like to change or to read the manual. IMHO :)

 

Paul   

[Kelleytoons]

Well, *I* like reading manuals (yeah, just weird, I guess), particularly when DW has the vehicle and that's all I can do <g>.

 

But the C-Max Manual is *terrible*, at least the printed version.  The online one (http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/vdirsnet/OwnerGuide_EU/Default.aspx?bookcode=O23421&market=US&language=EN&VIN=) is MUCH better.

[RockwallRick]

I got pretty frustrated with it when I tried inputing address info manually, but I was able to program it using the voice commands.

[Kelleytoons]

Okay, after playing with it some my (final) observations were correct about how you can save to Favorites and edit those.  There are a couple more things I'd like to point out (one a complaint).

 

1. If you want to be able to say your favorite as a destination you have to enable it as a NameTag.  This takes a bit of time -- after you do it apparently it has to "build" that tag and for some reason the build is very slow.  After it builds it will say it so you can hear it.  That part is just fine and while "Nametag" is not exactly a great mnemonic it's adequate.

 

2. You cannot enter lower case letters for your Favorites.  This is a PITA and is a real unnecessary limitation since you CAN get lower case letters in your favorites when you use POI as the source.  So I was able to get "Universal Orlando" by editing the POI "Universal Orlando Theme Attractions" (so I wouldn't have to say the whole thing) by deleting the last part, but if I tried entering it myself all I could do would be "UNIVERSAL ORLANDO".

 

Just wrongheaded and dumb and apparently a change from a previous MFT release (so I'm guessing this is something that slipped by beta -- again, this is one of the worst betas I can imagine for this and apparently there is no way to get true IT professionals like myself as part of the beta team).

[IGregor Wrzbcki]

Kelley.  I got into an argument this morning with the voice of MFT.  She asked me where I wanted to go.  I replied, "Go Home."  She replied with a list of Golf Courses in the area.  Golf Courses!  Ugh!  E.T. she's not.

 

My next reply went something like this, "#@$%$#^$!!" To which she responded something to the effect, "Please choose from the list or say next page."  Curiouser and curiouser.  

 

Thanks for all your help.

Edited August 15, 2014 by IGregor Wrzbcki

[Laurel]

IGregor unfortunately it has to be "Navigation my home".  No variations work in my experience.

[Kelleytoons]

Actually, it's "Destination My Home".

 

You can also say "Destination Favorites" and then it will show you a list from which you can say "Line 1" (it's ALWAYS Line 1 if you have a home destination).  You can also say "Destination Play NameTags" if you are ever in doubt about what you can say that it will understand (for example, if I forgot whether it was "My Doctor" or "Internist" I could have it read me the list.  Although at my age my car can actually drive to my doctor's office by itself :>).

[Laurel]

Oops! 

Edited August 16, 2014 by Laurel

[Wnuk]

Saying just "Destination Home" works too.

 

I can almost never get MFT to recognize a spoken address and end up calling her nasty names she never responds to. Siri she is NOT!

[Kelleytoons]

See, I like her a lot BETTER than Siri (who almost never understands me, particularly when composing a message).  Now, obviously the MFT has a more limited set of things it needs to understand, but still I can get it to play even very obscure albums with nary a misstep.  And it *never* misunderstands an address from me, or a command (it's ME who forgets the proper syntax but I'll eventually remember -- only so many brain cells left :>).

 

Then again, I have a radio-trained voice and can project on stage without a microphone <bg>.  (Although that doesn't explain why Siri hates me -- I think she's just in a bad mood most of the time.  Try saying "Are you Her?" and you can get some funny responses, because of the movie).

Edited August 16, 2014 by Kelleytoons