Quick Start — From your first route to your first run
RDBK lets you record, create, share and follow digital roadbooks on the web and in the iOS/Android app. Start with an existing route or build your own. These guides use English desktop screenshots; the workflow is the same on smaller screens.
On this page
1. Choose the right tool
| Tool | What you do |
|---|---|
| Recorder | Capture the route in the field, with notes, photos and voice reminders. |
| Editor | Import or draw a track; complete the diagrams and instructions; save and export. |
| Reader | Preview a roadbook, navigate its notes and review the run afterwards. |
| Tripmaster | Use GPS instruments and optionally record a GPX without following a roadbook. |
| Events / Ranking | Organise routes and participants; navigate event stages and review results. |
Open Roadbooks to browse public routes. Use the filters to find a route suitable for your vehicle, open its page and inspect it before navigating. A public listing is not a guarantee of current access or route conditions.
2. Create an account and set your profile
Open Sign in → Create account, fill in the requested identity and email, choose and confirm your password, accept the terms and complete email verification. Google/Apple sign-in may also be offered. If you forget your password, use the reset link on the sign-in screen.
Once signed in, Account lets you edit your public profile and preferences. Review run visibility before sharing; set remote-controller bindings on each device if you use one. The Security tab contains password/email and account-management actions.
3. Make your first roadbook
- Open Editor → GPX and select a track, or choose Draw on the map and place the first two points.
- Add a note at each useful junction with Add notes. Select each note and write a short instruction.
- Check the generated arrow against the real approach and exit. Add useful symbols, danger or CAP where needed.
- Give the roadbook a title. Save stores it in your account; the first save of a complete roadbook asks whether it is Public or Private.
- Use Settings → Export → .rdbk to keep a portable backup.
If you begin in the field, use Recorder first: Start recording → Note/Photo/Voice → End → Save. The saved recording opens in the Editor. Follow the complete Editor guide for curves, note extras and exports.
4. Preview, navigate and review
Open a route in Reader and inspect its notes. Navigate starts the run. When finished, review the report and choose Private or Public. Your profile brings together your roadbooks and saved runs; a run and the roadbook it followed are separate items. My activity, in the account menu, lists everything you rode — roadbooks and tracks, private runs included — month by month.
5. Know where your work is saved
| Place | What it means |
|---|---|
| Local recovery | An interrupted edit/recording/run can be recovered on the same device. Clearing app/browser data can remove it. |
| Save to account | A server copy available after signing in on another device. Wait for Save to succeed. |
| Export .rdbk | A portable local copy, with notes and embedded symbols/audio. Include gallery photos when needed. |
| Private / Public | Private is for you alone — and for the organizers and active participants of an event it is linked to. Public lists it in the gallery and on your profile. Letting others copy it is a separate author choice. |
6. Prepare for offline use
Open the required tool and roadbook before leaving connectivity. Local editing and GPS processing can continue with data already available, but login, new map tiles, uploads and account saves need a connection. Some export libraries are loaded on first use. Do not treat the map cache as a downloaded offline region.
On the web, keep GPS tools in the foreground; browsers can suspend them when the screen locks. Use the native app for background recording. Give location, microphone and camera permissions when using those features.
Continue with roadbook basics, Recorder, Editor, Reader, Tripmaster or Events. The footer links to help/contact, privacy, terms and the .rdbk standard.