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Map improvements.


GOF and Bacall

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With the loss of the GE KML we are now using the the maps provided through GC.com. At one point in the discussions Nate said that if we had ideas for improvements to these maps they would be considered. With that thought in mind I started this thread with the intention of getting the ideas in one place where they can be more easily viewed and discussed than buried in the other threads.

 

Save the complaints and discussions about the KML for the other thread running for that purpose.

 

A couple of things that I'd like to see improved upon.

1) Add a measurement tool. Something we could click on one point, drag to the second point and have a number of feet/meters between shown.

 

2) Add an option to stop the auto refresh. I'd much rather be able to move the map a couple of times to get it just where I wanted it and then tell the system to refresh the caches.

 

3) Cache sampling. I'd like to see a sampling of cache density when over the 500 limit. A representation of where the clusters of caches are instead of a red bar that says I've got to zoom in to conform to what the system wants.

 

So, what other improvements could be made to improve the tools we have.

 

Input from those at GS that make these things work would be appreciated. Without it it is a bit like spitting into the wind around here.

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Would like to see when one zooms out parst the 10km view (when the red bar with over 500 limit apprears), a indication of where caches are as some of the regions in our area there is only a dozen or less caches.

This would help in deciding where one would go in planning a road trip.

Take 'swing on by GC14HCH ' and zoom out parst the 10km to the 20 km range and thats it you can't even see the few caches that are there.

 

I like GOF & Bacall's idea of showing

A representation of where the clusters of caches are instead
Edited by JABs
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You got my vote for some form of measurement. A simple scale should be an essential feature on any map including the stock copy on every cache page. Even better would be if the scale was 1:5000 or 1:10000, so calculations could be made on the fly.

 

Agree that the automatic refresh is often annoying when I'm trying fine tune a map.

 

and...

 

I want my ignored caches to remain ignored on my area maps and need the option to select and delete specific caches from the map.

Edited by edscott
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2) Add an option to stop the auto refresh. I'd much rather be able to move the map a couple of times to get it just where I wanted it and then tell the system to refresh the caches.

 

 

GOF, thanks for bringing this together. In the earlier thread, I mentioned (maybe others too) to add a button somewhere to allow playing with the map and then hit "search for caches". We're in somewhat of a cache-light area, with cache-dense areas to the east and west. Waiting for the map to redraw and pull up caches as I scroll around gets to be cumbersome on this end, and probably burns server resources pulling up caches outside of the area of interest. Another idea suggested by Nate would be to increase the delay between the map redraw and the cache request. I suppose either would work....

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With the loss of the GE KML we are now using the the maps provided through GC.com. At one point in the discussions Nate said that if we had ideas for improvements to these maps they would be considered. With that thought in mind I started this thread with the intention of getting the ideas in one place where they can be more easily viewed and discussed than buried in the other threads.

 

Save the complaints and discussions about the KML for the other thread running for that purpose.

 

A couple of things that I'd like to see improved upon.

1) Add a measurement tool. Something we could click on one point, drag to the second point and have a number of feet/meters between shown.

 

2) Add an option to stop the auto refresh. I'd much rather be able to move the map a couple of times to get it just where I wanted it and then tell the system to refresh the caches.

 

3) Cache sampling. I'd like to see a sampling of cache density when over the 500 limit. A representation of where the clusters of caches are instead of a red bar that says I've got to zoom in to conform to what the system wants.

 

So, what other improvements could be made to improve the tools we have.

 

Input from those at GS that make these things work would be appreciated. Without it it is a bit like spitting into the wind around here.

 

Two out of three of those are EXACTLY the suggestions that I've wanted to make, GOF! The measurement tool isn't anything that I think I'd use (but who knows, once I had it!)

 

But the ability to pause the autorefresh so I can drag or zoom to where I want to would be a huge improvement in useability.

 

Cache sampling: You may recall the very early implementation of the Google Maps where they used the Google API clustering option. I think it may need some refinement over the early implimentation (I don't recall exactly what the problems were) but the concept was sound.

 

One more HUGE one for me is some way to print out the map with numbers AND the entire list of caches shown. And to renumber the map to only include caches actually displayed. Currently the numbering includes cache types that you have hidden.

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Another idea suggested by Nate would be to increase the delay between the map redraw and the cache request.

 

I hope not. That would be a delay that would take place every time, whether needed, or not, and would certainly bring a revolt. A button is the way to go.

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Another idea suggested by Nate would be to increase the delay between the map redraw and the cache request.

 

I hope not. That would be a delay that would take place every time, whether needed, or not, and would certainly bring a revolt. A button is the way to go.

Yeah, just give us a tick box to suspend the refresh until we are ready.

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Another idea suggested by Nate would be to increase the delay between the map redraw and the cache request.

 

I hope not. That would be a delay that would take place every time, whether needed, or not, and would certainly bring a revolt. A button is the way to go.

Yeah, just give us a tick box to suspend the refresh until we are ready.

 

The map does not refresh more than once for me... then locks up searching for caches. Is anybody else having this problem? I'm on a MAC and tried both Safari and Firefox. I also tried on XP with IE, does the same thing... So I'm thinking this is a problem for everyone?

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Another idea suggested by Nate would be to increase the delay between the map redraw and the cache request.

 

I hope not. That would be a delay that would take place every time, whether needed, or not, and would certainly bring a revolt. A button is the way to go.

Yeah, just give us a tick box to suspend the refresh until we are ready.

 

The map does not refresh more than once for me... then locks up searching for caches. Is anybody else having this problem? I'm on a MAC and tried both Safari and Firefox. I also tried on XP with IE, does the same thing... So I'm thinking this is a problem for everyone?

I just tried it with XP and FireFox. After I back out a few times and recenter the map it gets really slow. Takes half a minute. I'd say you should start a thread to report the problem. Don't want it lost in this wish list.

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Adding to the wish list.

 

It would be nice if the default would be to hide my finds and my caches. I'd rather have to choose to show them. Not a big deal but as long as we are tossing out the ideas what the heck.

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Another idea suggested by Nate would be to increase the delay between the map redraw and the cache request.

 

I hope not. That would be a delay that would take place every time, whether needed, or not, and would certainly bring a revolt. A button is the way to go.

Yeah, just give us a tick box to suspend the refresh until we are ready.

 

The map does not refresh more than once for me... then locks up searching for caches. Is anybody else having this problem? I'm on a MAC and tried both Safari and Firefox. I also tried on XP with IE, does the same thing... So I'm thinking this is a problem for everyone?

 

MAC OSX 10.4.11 & Safari 3.1.2 refreshes continuously for me.

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Adding to the wish list.

 

It would be nice if the default would be to hide my finds and my caches. I'd rather have to choose to show them. Not a big deal but as long as we are tossing out the ideas what the heck.

 

I will improve on that idea: let us save our preferences.

 

Along similar lines, only query the databases for those caches that I have checked as visible. From what I can tell, the database query is always for the full suite of cache types regardless of what is checked.

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My wish is to have a notation next to caches i've bookmarked, when viewing the Geocaching Google maps.

 

When I plan a trip I often use this map to look for interesting caches, I bookmark them, and when i'm finished, I run a pocket query. Knowing which caches i've already bookmarked would save me time when i'm looking at the map in a cache dense area.

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W premium members here are too much. We just got the Geomate. Jr. with a 250,000 cache pocket query without even needing a basic membership, and now we are asking our $30 go toward feature requests being implemented and the site to function properly. Wow…I guess that’s called entitlement mentality. :grin:

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You got my vote for some form of measurement. A simple scale should be an essential feature on any map including the stock copy on every cache page. Even better would be if the scale was 1:5000 or 1:10000, so calculations could be made on the fly.

 

Agree that the automatic refresh is often annoying when I'm trying fine tune a map.

 

and...

 

I want my ignored caches to remain ignored on my area maps and need the option to select and delete specific caches from the map.

 

A measurement device would really make it easy when I am perusing caches to grab on the fly between jobs.

 

 

2) Add an option to stop the auto refresh. I'd much rather be able to move the map a couple of times to get it just where I wanted it and then tell the system to refresh the caches.

 

 

GOF, thanks for bringing this together. In the earlier thread, I mentioned (maybe others too) to add a button somewhere to allow playing with the map and then hit "search for caches". We're in somewhat of a cache-light area, with cache-dense areas to the east and west. Waiting for the map to redraw and pull up caches as I scroll around gets to be cumbersome on this end, and probably burns server resources pulling up caches outside of the area of interest. Another idea suggested by Nate would be to increase the delay between the map redraw and the cache request. I suppose either would work....

 

That's a great idea too, but I found a band-aid to make it a little faster (until TPTB decide if they add it or not). Simply uncheck all forms of caches, move the map to the area you want, fine tune it to your preference then just check the caches you want shown. Yes, it is NOT as fast as the suggestion would be but it is faster than working the map and waiting for them to load before working the map some more.

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You got my vote for some form of measurement. A simple scale should be an essential feature on any map including the stock copy on every cache page. Even better would be if the scale was 1:5000 or 1:10000, so calculations could be made on the fly.

 

Agree that the automatic refresh is often annoying when I'm trying fine tune a map.

 

and...

 

I want my ignored caches to remain ignored on my area maps and need the option to select and delete specific caches from the map.

 

A measurement device would really make it easy when I am perusing caches to grab on the fly between jobs.

 

 

2) Add an option to stop the auto refresh. I'd much rather be able to move the map a couple of times to get it just where I wanted it and then tell the system to refresh the caches.

 

 

GOF, thanks for bringing this together. In the earlier thread, I mentioned (maybe others too) to add a button somewhere to allow playing with the map and then hit "search for caches". We're in somewhat of a cache-light area, with cache-dense areas to the east and west. Waiting for the map to redraw and pull up caches as I scroll around gets to be cumbersome on this end, and probably burns server resources pulling up caches outside of the area of interest. Another idea suggested by Nate would be to increase the delay between the map redraw and the cache request. I suppose either would work....

 

That's a great idea too, but I found a band-aid to make it a little faster (until TPTB decide if they add it or not). Simply uncheck all forms of caches, move the map to the area you want, fine tune it to your preference then just check the caches you want shown. Yes, it is NOT as fast as the suggestion would be but it is faster than working the map and waiting for them to load before working the map some more.

Thanks for the pointer. It should have been a blinding flash of the obvious. I'm gonna check it out.

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It may seem pointless for some but I find it a bit frustrating. When you get a view where the red bar comes up telling you to zoom in to see the caches, that red bar often covers up a good portion of the "Map" and "Satellite" buttons. Sometimes, as I'm moving around the map, I need to switch between those and if I happen to be in, say Satellite mode, and I move to a spot where I've cleared out the caches, I may need to switch over to the map so that I can see that without all the satellite imagery. With that red bar, only a small sliver of the map button is actually clickable.

 

Again, it may seem like a minor issue and I know that I could just other settings to get rid of the bar, but I can't be the only person who has noticed this. I seem to recall the bar was above the map a while back. If it was either moved back there, or moved to say, the bottom of the map where it doesn't interfere with any buttons, that would eliminate this minor issue.

 

A minor issue, but something that would seem like a simple and beneficial fix.

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That's a great idea too, but I found a band-aid to make it a little faster (until TPTB decide if they add it or not). Simply uncheck all forms of caches, move the map to the area you want, fine tune it to your preference then just check the caches you want shown. Yes, it is NOT as fast as the suggestion would be but it is faster than working the map and waiting for them to load before working the map some more.

 

Thanks for the pointer (slapping forehead)! This does work better than the default setting, always nice to know of more ways to skin a cat!

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And then to be able to do a PQ of just those remaining visible.

 

Ahhhh, yes... thanks for reminding me of another:

 

When creating a pocket query from a map, use the current map settings (visible cache types) in that pocket query. If I have puzzle caches and multi caches, and my own hides hidden in my map, I should not have to hide them again in the pocket query that I am creating from that map.

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Was doing planning today that triggered a thought of another feature that would be useful. On the GC.Com map for showing nearby caches, allow us to toggle between landscape and portrait layout. Sometimes a cluster of caches runs north & south and sometimes more east & west.

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I'd love to see:

 

  • Filters for difficulty, terrain and cache size. Heck, filters for everything
  • Ignoring of ignored caches (imagine that)
  • Saved preferences for map size and filters
  • This is hard to describe, but today the 500 caches limit is calculated based on all caches in the field of view, not the number of caches that would actually be plotted on the map. Ideally, the limit would be based on the number of caches that would actually appear. For example, if I set my filters to show only Webcam caches, I should be able to zoom very far out before I hit the limit.

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A button to stop the auto-refresh would be great for me. The uncheck everything workaround doesn't really work because I still want to see the caches already on there when I jogging the map back and forth.

 

I'd also really like it if the caches remained on the map after you zoomed out beyond the 500 cache limit, even if it's only displaying 500.

Edited by benji55545
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OK Nate, we took you up on it. We have a list of ideas here. Any of them sound interesting? Any of them even possible? Any chance we'll see any of them in the future?

Looks like the answer is ...well...no.

 

I have a feeling you will see some of this stuff in the very next site update - due in a couple days if past tendencies are followed.

 

A simple common cutesy answer to the thread idea would have been nice though.

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OK Nate, we took you up on it. We have a list of ideas here. Any of them sound interesting? Any of them even possible? Any chance we'll see any of them in the future?

Looks like the answer is ...well...no.

 

I have a feeling you will see some of this stuff in the very next site update - due in a couple days if past tendencies are followed.

 

A simple common cutesy answer to the thread idea would have been nice though.

And the glass is half full?

 

I got exactly the response I expected.

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I've had the auto-refresh stop on my list of things to do at some point. I've got on my list a rewrite of the map pages to reorganize so me of the sections and increase the load speed. These things take time though.

 

The pocket query stuff needs some attention too. It definitely should carry over the options selected for filtering.

 

-Raine

 

*edited to fix crappy spelling *

Edited by Raine
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:):D:unsure:

I've had the auto-refresh stop on my list of things to do at some point. I've got on my list a rewrite of the map pages to reorganize so me of the sections and increase the load speed. These things take time though.

 

The pocket query stuff needs some attention too. It defiantly should carry over the options selected for filtering.

 

-Raine

:anibad:

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I've had the auto-refresh stop on my list of things to do at some point. I've got on my list a rewrite of the map pages to reorganize so me of the sections and increase the load speed. These things take time though.

 

The pocket query stuff needs some attention too. It definitely should carry over the options selected for filtering.

 

-Raine

 

*edited to fix crappy spelling *

 

Thanks, Can't wait to see some of these things. If you can get the loading situation under control it will go a long way to making the maps less of a challenge and more of a tool.

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I've had the auto-refresh stop on my list of things to do at some point. I've got on my list a rewrite of the map pages to reorganize so me of the sections and increase the load speed. These things take time though.

 

The pocket query stuff needs some attention too. It definitely should carry over the options selected for filtering.

 

-Raine

 

*edited to fix crappy spelling *

 

Now that the GE KML has been totally eliminated can you tell us if any progress has been made towards improving the maps we have left?

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Last night I printed out an area satellite map and the cache icons were empty squares. They were showing on the screen so I just did a screen shot instead. Not a huge problem and might have been a once and done thing. Anyone else seeing that?

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I've suggested this one a long time ago. I would like to see the ability to turn off / on the loading of caches until I'm able to position or zoom the map where I want it exactly, THEN tell it to load the caches.

 

Waiting for caches to load each time I move the map or zoom the map is a major pain in the butt and the major reason I dislike using the maps on gc.com.

 

thanks.

 

With GE KML, that's what I did, turned off the KML until I had the map where I wanted it, THEN turned on the KML. It was wonderful.

Edited by wandering4cache
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There is probably a nice easy way to do it, but I'd like to see some better printing managment tools. Maybe print only the map as seen on the screen, with list of caches names/waypoint, formated by default to fill 8.5x11 page. Rotate portrait or landscape. Print button on GC map. Button to remove scale tool. And so on. I like to work out an area and print it to get me in the ballpark when I'm on the road. I'm paperless caching except for an overview map showing cache sites, but it is no fun to go for short blitz, drop in based on the GPS, then look it up on the PDA only to find a puzzle cache or something that is going to take a while.

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That's an issue with the way your browser interacts with google maps. If you tired a different browser you would see different results

 

Normally use Safari. Tried Firefox and have the same problem with Google maps and noticed some other problems on my way to the map page. What browser does Google and GC.Com recommend for a MAC OSX user?

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I've had the auto-refresh stop on my list of things to do at some point. I've got on my list a rewrite of the map pages to reorganize so me of the sections and increase the load speed. These things take time though.

 

The pocket query stuff needs some attention too. It definitely should carry over the options selected for filtering.

 

-Raine

 

*edited to fix crappy spelling *

 

Now that the GE KML has been totally eliminated can you tell us if any progress has been made towards improving the maps we have left?

 

?

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I've suggested this one a long time ago. I would like to see the ability to turn off / on the loading of caches until I'm able to position or zoom the map where I want it exactly, THEN tell it to load the caches.

 

Waiting for caches to load each time I move the map or zoom the map is a major pain in the butt and the major reason I dislike using the maps on gc.com.

 

Wow! Have you tried using the Google Chrome browser with the maps yet? You can still drag the map around, and zoom in and out as it is refreshing. There is zero pain in the butt with it, and I'm looking at an area that is one step away from the 500 cache limit!

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Seems like the connection to the Google satellite images has been gone since just after 3PM today. Glad I had most of our vacation plans already downloaded and in the file.

 

Edit.... 11:50 PM. things are improving! Now we have maps but every cache in the world is in Palo Alto. Maybe tomorrow...

 

Edit 8:50 AM. yep, a good night of sleep and it's working again.. Maybe I'll download just a few more for next week... :ph34r:

Edited by edscott
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It would be nice to start the "create a route" process from this map by entering start and finish points and then viewing the route with the cache density around the route. Another idea would be, like GE, to click on a starting point on the map and then click on a secondary point to create a route.

 

These are just a couple things I would like to see.

 

Oh, one more thing. It would be nice to see the coordinates at the base corner of the map as GE does. This helps in trying to locate areas that one might use to hide their own caches.

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