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New Google Map Feature


Jeremy

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From the announcements forum:

 

When you click on the pin on the map, however, the best Google Map functionality can be found. It should be relatively intuitive but you can drag the map around which will automatically refresh the pins on the page for the caches in the area. So we don't tax the servers too much we only show a maximum of 150 caches when you zoom out too far. However dragging the map around can be very productive in your search.

 

The other feature is just for premium members. You can now select a bookmark list from the top of the page and click the book beside each cache to add or remove it from your bookmark list. The response should be pretty quick and rewarding for those planning out their day of caching.

 

As a beta tester for this very cool new feature, I've come to the conclusion that it's a partial solution for the "caches along a route" challenge -- at least over short distances. Drag the map, spot a cache, toss it onto a bookmark list. Drag, bookmark, repeat. At the end of your map scouting, order a pocket query of the caches on your bookmark list.

 

I'm far happier with the Google Maps, accuracy wise, than with the GeoMicro maps. The GeoMicro maps never showed true position very accurately, and had lots of incorrect street names. At least in my area, Google Maps win hands-down for accuracy.

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I have not yet had a chane to really take a thorough look at the enhancements, but so far I can say this....WOW!!!! VERY nice!

 

The only thing I saw on my first look is there is no "found" indicator and no way to remove found caches from the maps. Any chance of either of these coming along later?

 

Thanks for your continued efforts!

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I like the new functionality, but the basic map shown seems less useful. Maybe it's the default zoom level that makes it so you don't really have a context of where the cache is compared to nearby cities, etc.

 

Luckily you can change the zoom level and make it useful to you! <_<

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I have not yet had a chane to really take a thorough look at the enhancements, but so far I can say this....WOW!!!! VERY nice!

 

The only thing I saw on my first look is there is no "found" indicator and no way to remove found caches from the maps. Any chance of either of these coming along later?

 

Thanks for your continued efforts!

 

That's on my list of things to do! <_<

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I like the new functionality, but the basic map shown seems less useful. Maybe it's the default zoom level that makes it so you don't really have a context of where the cache is compared to nearby cities, etc.

 

Luckily you can change the zoom level and make it useful to you! <_<

 

Unluckily I can't save a zoom level so I have to do it every time a cache is displayed. ;)

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I like the new functionality, but the basic map shown seems less useful. Maybe it's the default zoom level that makes it so you don't really have a context of where the cache is compared to nearby cities, etc.

 

Luckily you can change the zoom level and make it useful to you! <_<

 

Unluckily I can't save a zoom level so I have to do it every time a cache is displayed. ;)

 

Are you referring to the Seek page or the Cache Details page?

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The first thing that I thought when I saw the new functionallity was "Holy Crap!!!"

 

This is exactly what I've been missing...major Kudo's to everyone who made this happen!

 

Now if I can just figure out a way to quit my job and cache full time I'd be happy <_<

 

Celticwulf

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I like it. I think its an improvement over the old map. I think it should start zoomed out a step but since you can do that yourself its not a problem.

 

One thing I did notice, you click on the map to open up the 'Google Map Search' window, it lists the caches shown on the page in the right column. I click on the 'Add/Remove Bookmark Item' icon next to a cache name and I get a javascript error and nothing else happens. (I am using IE 6.0)

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Looks great, but I'm having problems adding caches to a bookmark list using the link on the cache list. I get the "error on page" message in the status line at the bottom of the browser. IE6.0 on WinXP SP2

 

Ok, that should be fixed now. Sorry about that. Gotta love case sensitivity!

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I like the new functionality, but the basic map shown seems less useful. Maybe it's the default zoom level that makes it so you don't really have a context of where the cache is compared to nearby cities, etc.

 

Luckily you can change the zoom level and make it useful to you! <_<

 

Unluckily I can't save a zoom level so I have to do it every time a cache is displayed. ;)

 

Are you referring to the Seek page or the Cache Details page?

 

I'm referring to the Cache details page. The default zoom seems to be 3, if 1 is the closest. It seems that 6 would be more useful. The area covered by the new map is much smaller than it used to be. If the old coverage was right, then the new one should match it.

 

I noticed that "print-friendly" retains the Mapquest map. Will that continue (I hope)?

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Looks great, but I'm having problems adding caches to a bookmark list using the link on the cache list. I get the "error on page" message in the status line at the bottom of the browser. IE6.0 on WinXP SP2

 

Ok, that should be fixed now. Sorry about that. Gotta love case sensitivity!

 

Gotta love fast service! Thanks for quickly fixing it. <_<

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I like the new functionality, but the basic map shown seems less useful. Maybe it's the default zoom level that makes it so you don't really have a context of where the cache is compared to nearby cities, etc.

 

Luckily you can change the zoom level and make it useful to you! <_<

 

Unluckily I can't save a zoom level so I have to do it every time a cache is displayed. ;)

 

Are you referring to the Seek page or the Cache Details page?

 

I'm referring to the Cache details page. The default zoom seems to be 3, if 1 is the closest. It seems that 6 would be more useful. The area covered by the new map is much smaller than it used to be. If the old coverage was right, then the new one should match it.

 

I noticed that "print-friendly" retains the Mapquest map. Will that continue (I hope)?

 

I'll add this to my list and think on how to handle the zoom level better.

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Blanston, that's the same error I get. 'bmGUID' is undefined

 

Another issue...take a look at this screen shot showing the map overlaying the text:

 

baa264f2-e952-4aa4-b0b3-301b524d8617.jpg

 

I can't reproduce what you're seeing there..

 

Does it always look like that or just when you've resized the page?

 

what resolution you're running at?

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The new maps are AWESOME! I love the free-floating feel! I also look forward to being able to remove 'caches I have found' from the listings.

 

One thing I'd like to see, and maybe I am missing how to do it, but I would love to right click on a cache name in teh list and have teh actual cache page open up in a new tab or window, so I can give it a quick review. I'd like to be able to zoom to an area, and select three or four caches without having to change the map.

 

Still, though, what an awesome improvement! Thanks for teh new system!

Edited by New England n00b
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As a beta tester for this very cool new feature, I've come to the conclusion that it's a partial solution for the "caches along a route" challenge -- at least over short distances. Drag the map, spot a cache, toss it onto a bookmark list. Drag, bookmark, repeat.

Although I can imagine some circumstances in which it may be useful, I really don't see it as a viable alternative to caches along a route.

 

I do appreciate that TPTB have made it easier to add caches to a bookmark list from the map. It is now slightly less painful to use this method.

 

But, caches along a route aside, I love the new functionality! I've never used the online maps; they were too slow and awkward. But I think I will be using this a lot.

Edited by fizzymagic
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The new maps are AWESOME! I love the free-floating feel! I also look forward to being able to remove 'caches I have found' from the listings.

 

One thing I'd like to see, and maybe I am missing how to do it, but I would love to right click on a cache name in teh list and have teh actual cache page open up in a new tab or window, so I can give it a quick review. I'd like to be able to zoom to an area, and select three or four caches without having to change the map.

 

Still, though, what an awesome improvement! Thanks for teh new system!

 

As of right now if you click on the cache name it shows you info above the map, and then if you click on on the cache name in that area, it will open the cache in a new page.

 

I can see improvement to what you're talking about though.. adding it to the "list"

 

Can you expand further on the "select three of four caches" item?

 

-Raine

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As a beta tester for this very cool new feature, I've come to the conclusion that it's a partial solution for the "caches along a route" challenge -- at least over short distances. Drag the map, spot a cache, toss it onto a bookmark list. Drag, bookmark, repeat.

Although I can imagine some circumstances in which it may be useful, I really don't see it as a viable alternative to caches along a route.

 

I do appreciate that TPTB have made it easier to add caches to a bookmark list from the map. It is now slightly less painful to use this method.

 

But, caches along a route aside, I love the new functionality! I've never used the online maps; they were too slow and awkward. But I think I will be using this a lot.

 

WOO! My day has been made! Thanks for the nice comments Fizzy <_<

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The new maps are AWESOME! I love the free-floating feel! I also look forward to being able to remove 'caches I have found' from the listings.

 

One thing I'd like to see, and maybe I am missing how to do it, but I would love to right click on a cache name in teh list and have teh actual cache page open up in a new tab or window, so I can give it a quick review. I'd like to be able to zoom to an area, and select three or four caches without having to change the map.

 

Still, though, what an awesome improvement! Thanks for teh new system!

 

As of right now if you click on the cache name it shows you info above the map, and then if you click on on the cache name in that area, it will open the cache in a new page.

 

I can see improvement to what you're talking about though.. adding it to the "list"

 

Can you expand further on the "select three of four caches" item?

 

-Raine

After playing with it a bit more, I realize that clicking a cache name does not shift the map 'center' focus, just pushes teh whole map down to make room for teh cache page box above. All I meant by teh '3 or 4' thing was to just open up tabs or new windows for each cache clicked, so you could check out caches without modifying teh page you are on. But since the map focus does not change to the cache you have clicked, I guess it doesn't really matter.

 

Summary: Ability to remove finds would be cool (and you already have it). Ability to right click on teh cache name column to review cache pages, cool, but not really necessary... saves some clicking, but that's all.

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Hope this doesn't sound like "resistance to change".... I like the pin and the integrated road names I spotted on the google map for a cache I'm developing - that's a great improvement. I didn't like the fact that the water feature, i.e. river, does not show up on the map - that's not a great improvement. I've got to play with it a bit more to see what else it does/shows. The new bookmark features sound great. Gotta go test it out now too!!

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I like the feature but the Google map is not accurate. On my A Noble way it shows two roads that are not there. Tule ave and Sportiers aly. there is nothing there but open field. This might throw people off.

 

Google maps shows railroad tracks near one of my caches that have not been there in the 20 years I have been going to that area.

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I like the new functionality, but the basic map shown seems less useful. Maybe it's the default zoom level that makes it so you don't really have a context of where the cache is compared to nearby cities, etc.

 

I fully agreee with you. I do not like the new map view. Most of my cache maps don't even show a road in the view or anything of value to give you an idea where the cache is located. Might as well not even list a map onf that page.

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Hope this doesn't sound like "resistance to change".... I like the pin and the integrated road names I spotted on the google map for a cache I'm developing - that's a great improvement. I didn't like the fact that the water feature, i.e. river, does not show up on the map - that's not a great improvement. I've got to play with it a bit more to see what else it does/shows. The new bookmark features sound great. Gotta go test it out now too!!

 

Any issues with what is displayed on the actual map, be it Railroads, rivers, actual placement on cache not correct, falls in Google's hands since they maintain the actual map files.

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One thing I did notice, you click on the map to open up the 'Google Map Search' window, it lists the caches shown on the page in the right column. I click on the 'Add/Remove Bookmark Item' icon next to a cache name and I get a javascript error and nothing else happens. (I am using IE 6.0)

 

I just tried to reproduce this and it worked fine this time, I will try to figure out what combination of things I need to reproduce it.

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One thing I did notice, you click on the map to open up the 'Google Map Search' window, it lists the caches shown on the page in the right column. I click on the 'Add/Remove Bookmark Item' icon next to a cache name and I get a javascript error and nothing else happens. (I am using IE 6.0)

 

I just tried to reproduce this and it worked fine this time, I will try to figure out what combination of things I need to reproduce it.

Thanks!

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Blanston, that's the same error I get. 'bmGUID' is undefined

 

Another issue...take a look at this screen shot showing the map overlaying the text:

 

<IMAGE SNIPPED>

 

I can't reproduce what you're seeing there..

 

Does it always look like that or just when you've resized the page?

 

what resolution you're running at?

 

It does it on a maximized window. If I "restore down" to a smaller window, the image refreshes and fixes the problem. When I maximize back up it stays fixed.

 

Running at 1024x768

 

It seems like the map doesn't "redraw" in the new position when the cache info is added above it, although there is a green box below the map that looks like it shows where the map should be.

 

To illustrate:

 

This is what I see directly after linking from a cache page:

0d13a85b-422c-4497-932e-c56b856ca5fc.jpg

 

If I click the cache name in the list I get this:

3243d6b4-4c65-4b78-8592-aec92048fae0.jpg

 

Note the map position hasn't changed...

If I resize the window it refreshes with the map "lowered" and the text above is all visable.

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Hope this doesn't sound like "resistance to change".... I like the pin and the integrated road names I spotted on the google map for a cache I'm developing - that's a great improvement. I didn't like the fact that the water feature, i.e. river, does not show up on the map - that's not a great improvement. I've got to play with it a bit more to see what else it does/shows. The new bookmark features sound great. Gotta go test it out now too!!

 

Any issues with what is displayed on the actual map, be it Railroads, rivers, actual placement on cache not correct, falls in Google's hands since they maintain the actual map files.

From dealing with hundreds of close examinations of railroad track issues as a volunteer cache reviewer, I can say confidently Google's maps are as accurate or better than the GeoMicro maps. Neither are perfect. But as an added benefit, with Google I can switch to the image view and see if there are railroad tracks, or a paved bike trail. And Google places its pushpin at the correct cache location... not 200 feet away like GeoMicro. When trying to decide whether a cache is too close to the tracks, that difference in accuracy is critical.

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This is nice but I have a couple items/concerns/requests, or maybe I just have not figured it out fully yet.

 

1. If you are at a cache page and click on the pointer in the map, it brings up the cache map in google maps. This is nice. To go back to the cache page you need to hit "back". Comment

 

2. When you have the google maps up, showing numerous caches on the maps and listed on the right, you can select a cache from the right hand side. The problem I have here is that some times the words are obscured by the google map. Why is this?

 

3. After selecting (#2 above) how can you clear the cache info so you have the large google map again with no cache info behind it?

 

4. Is there a way to have the cache listing on the right show the ones that you have found?

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As a beta tester for this very cool new feature, I've come to the conclusion that it's a partial solution for the "caches along a route" challenge -- at least over short distances. Drag the map, spot a cache, toss it onto a bookmark list. Drag, bookmark, repeat.

Although I can imagine some circumstances in which it may be useful, I really don't see it as a viable alternative to caches along a route.

 

I do appreciate that TPTB have made it easier to add caches to a bookmark list from the map. It is now slightly less painful to use this method.

 

But, caches along a route aside, I love the new functionality! I've never used the online maps; they were too slow and awkward. But I think I will be using this a lot.

I *knew* you would say that, Fizzy, so I was very careful to say "partial solution" in my post. I agree with you. For a 500 mile journey this manual pan and bookmark method would be very time consuming. But for a 50 mile journey from Pittsburgh to Wheeling, it rocks. I can pick up the caches near the exits and junctions, plus the Wheeling caches from a zoomed out view of the city, and have a bookmark list for a roadtrip ready in just a few minutes. I'd spend an equivalent amount of time sorting and filtering if I had downloaded the two pocket queries needed to get me to the same end result.

 

::: goes and sits next to Fizzy at the bar, patiently awaiting the long-term REAL solution to caches along a route :::

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On playing with the 'Searching with GoogleMaps' window I find it very useful, in my mind this can make the bookmarks useful in that I can scan around and quickly add caches to the list. The only thing I would like to ask for is visible indicator if a cache had been found or not. Even better would be a setting to not show found caches.

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I just noticed that the map obscuring the text does not occur if you click the pushpin on the map (as opposed to clicking the cache name in the list).

 

I'm seeing that to.. it only occurs in IE when the browser is Maxed and you click on the name in the cache found list.

 

I'll check in to this.

 

-Raine

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Two comments:

 

1 - Earth caches don't show. They appear in the list of caches on the side, and on the map you can see the shadow of the pin, but the pin that casts that shadow isn't there. Spooky!

 

2 - I love the fact that you can click any point in the map, and then drag the cursor all across the screen even beyond the limit of the map, and see the map shifting along.

 

I liked the old maps better as such, but I appreciate the interactive functionality of the Google maps. Thanks!

 

Thanks!

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But for a 50 mile journey from Pittsburgh to Wheeling, it rocks. I can pick up the caches near the exits and junctions, plus the Wheeling caches from a zoomed out view of the city, and have a bookmark list for a roadtrip ready in just a few minutes. I'd spend an equivalent amount of time sorting and filtering if I had downloaded the two pocket queries needed to get me to the same end result.

I hear you. I guess I am not as excited because I've been using ExpertGPS to do this from PQs for some time now; and my solution has the advantage that caches I've already found don't show up. But I agree that this method allows you to make a relatively quick bookmark list along a route.

 

I wonder if you can set a PQ from a bookmark list to exclude caches you've already found? I ought to try that sometime...

 

::: goes and sits next to Fizzy at the bar, patiently awaiting the long-term REAL solution to caches along a route :::

::: Buys Lep a green beer. :::

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A whole LOT of people in this thread indicate that there's no "found" mark. Be sure to read Raine's post

That's on my list of things to do! bad_boy_animated.gif

 

I see this as a HUGE step forward in caches along a route. The difference is that it does it from a map interface instead of a PQ result interface. I just cruised down I-55 on the maps from my home to St. Louis, and came up with enough caches to keep me happy on a six hour road trip. The biggest advantage to this method instead of the ExpertGPS method is that this is working with LIVE data.

 

Someone had also said that the zoom wasn't something that was customizable for "start up." You can mush up the URL:

...gmnearest.aspx?lat=X&lng=Y&zm=Z

X=Latitude Center (decimal degrees)

Y=Longitude Center (decimal degrees)

Z= number from 0 (whole world) to 17 (closest zoom)

 

I did get Stunod's problem to reproduce. When the text size in IE6.0 is set to "medium" and I first click on a cache to bring up the information, I get this:

16f4506f-50e5-4859-b7be-86229a56c42c.jpg

If I change the text size (scroll the little mouse wheel with the CTRL button down) and go down one text size and back up one text size, I get this:

2723862b-9366-47ad-8917-051e49e9878d.jpg

I believe it is something to do with the enabling of that text to "expand" out the area.

 

My *ONLY* real complaint is the size of the map: 493x325 pixels. Surely the list of "found" caches could have been moved to below the map, or some other configuration of screen real estate, to allow for a larger window of map...

Edited by Markwell
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