Reader — Follow notes and review your run

Preview a roadbook, navigate its notes with GPS, then review the distance, time, reached notes and driven track. The Reader keeps the roadbook’s paper-style diagrams visible throughout the run.

1. Open and inspect a roadbook

Open Reader to load a .rdbk, select a saved roadbook or choose a public route. A shared roadbook/event link opens the corresponding route. In the native app you can also open a .rdbk from Files or a message with RDBK.

The route first opens in preview: inspect instructions, diagrams, speed limits, CAP and attachments before starting. This view is not yet recording a run. Sign in when required to open an online route. From a roadbook’s page, Navigate skips the preview and starts the run at once; Save offline sits right next to it.

2. Start navigating

Press Navigate and allow GPS access. A normal roadbook starts a trip. A route opened through an event with scoring enabled starts a competition and requests the vehicle number where needed; there is no general trip/competition chooser on every start.

The top shows total/partial distance, heading, time, GPS accuracy and speed. Each note has its own total/partial distances, diagram and instruction. The active row is outlined; reached notes turn green and skipped ones are marked separately. Near the next waypoint the active row changes colour. After validation the next note moves up into view.

Distances remaining are calculated along the route. At a validated note, the odometers are re-anchored to the roadbook. Poor GPS fixes are filtered; do not assume every displayed position is accurate enough for validation.

3. Automatic and manual progress

With Auto on, GPS validates the active note when the driven segment reaches its detection radius. The author can set the radius; the Reader also accounts for GPS noise.

Switch Auto off to validate by tapping the active row. Selecting another note asks before jumping over intermediate notes. In competition, proximity and scoring rules apply, and you cannot return to a validated note. A skipped competition note can incur a penalty.

4. Use the note map

Note map opens a map beneath the active note when the author allows it. It shows your position, the target note, a direct guidance arrow and the distance still to travel. It deliberately does not reveal the complete route line. The map follows the next note after validation; press the same button to hide it.

The arrow points directly to the waypoint; it is not turn-by-turn road routing. Continue to follow the roadbook’s instructions. The map needs a connection, unless the roadbook is kept on your device: on the roadbook’s page or in the preview, Save offline keeps the roadbook and its map (OpenStreetMap data along the route), and the map switches to it by itself when there is no signal. When the roadbook or its map changes, the same button shows Update available. Kept roadbooks are listed under On this device and open with no connection; satellite imagery stays online only.

5. Voice guidance and remote controls

Attached voice notes play automatically at their configured approach distance, once per run. Allow audio when starting and check the volume beforehand. Several due clips are queued rather than played over each other.

A keyboard-style remote can control validation, previous note, Auto, map and pause. Configure it under Account → Preferences → Remote controller: click Assign, then press the physical button. Bindings stay on that device. They are ignored while typing or while a dialog is open; competition restrictions still apply.

6. Pause, finish and recover

Pause stops live navigation until you resume. Finish ends the run and opens its report; finishing before the last note asks for confirmation and leaves the remaining notes unvalidated.

After an interruption, reopening the same roadbook can offer to resume the run and its recorded track. Declining leaves the stored session rather than immediately deleting it. Recovery cannot fill gaps caused by missing GPS. Keep the web page active during navigation; use the native app for background GPS.

7. The run report and privacy

The report shows the run card, distance, duration, speed, reached/skipped notes and speed-zone results. Driven track opens the route you actually recorded; GPX downloads it. Private/Public determines whether the run appears publicly on your profile. Sharing may require making it public, so check that choice first.

The report is saved locally first and uploaded when a connection is available. A competition also sends its result to the event ranking; the result QR on the report is the copy for the organisers’ desk when you finish offline. See events and ranking or edit your next roadbook.