Four related objects with different jobs
A GPX file is a container. Its file entry can hold several tracks, routes and standalone waypoints. Selecting a filename is therefore different from selecting a particular track for editing. A checkbox chooses content for merge or export; the object name chooses what you inspect.
| Object | Role | Editing behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Track (trk) | An ordered path containing segments | Inspect, edit, trim, split, reverse and merge |
| Track segment (trkseg) | A continuous group of points within a track | Boundaries stay separate in drawing and distance totals |
| Route (rte) | An ordered list of route points | Edit points; convert to a track for range, split and merge |
| Waypoint (wpt) | A standalone location | Edit its name, description and coordinates |
Why a track can have gaps
Consider a project with a morning track containing two segments and an afternoon track containing one. Float GPX Editor draws three separate lines. It does not add a line between the morning segments or count that gap in distance.
If you merge morning and afternoon, the result is one track with three segments in the chosen order. The file organization changes, but the gaps remain. This is useful when grouping recordings while keeping discontinuities explicit.
A route is not automatically a road-following path
The editor displays a route using the coordinates stored in the file. If there are only a few distant points, the line between them is not a newly calculated road route. The OpenStreetMap background does not supply routing geometry.
“Convert to track” uses the existing route points to enable track tools. Conversion does not add junctions, turn instructions, elevation or timestamps. Inspect the point density before expecting the result to trace a road.
Waypoints remain separate from track points
A named place such as a campsite is a standalone waypoint. A point on the recorded walking line is a track point. Adding a waypoint does not insert it into that line or change the track’s distance.
Likewise, merging tracks does not merge or delete standalone waypoints. If a file contains waypoints you do not want to share, inspect the export scope and those objects separately. Hiding their map markers does not exclude them from an “All content” export.
Choose between one file and one track
To download one GPX file containing several independent tracks, export selected objects together or choose All content. To create one track with multiple segments, merge the selected tracks first. These solve different organization problems.
After export, reopen the GPX and inspect both the object list and the map. A single downloaded file can still contain many tracks, and a single track can still contain gaps.