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Geocaching Map Enhancements


jri

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I was having a few problems with GME yesterday, some tiles were missing from the OS maps.

I checked here to see if there were any others having problems and noticed that my version of GME was a bit out of date so I installed v 0.7.2.

Now I can't see OS maps at all, although they are listed as being there and I have them selected as my default all I see are roads on some other map.

I haven't changed anything else, I've been using GME for over 2 years and all was well 24 hours ago.

I use Firefox, am a premium member and have checked that leaflet maps are selected.

Any ideas why this has happened? thank you.

I'm getting this problem too. I'm running GME v0.7.2. on Chrome and Windows 8.1.

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Hmm, strange I'm having the same problem (I think).

When Ordnance Survey maps is selected it's actually showing the default Bing map, and the info box down in the bottom right corner says "About our maps — Ordnance Survey imagery from Bing Maps"

 

Same.

And also for me.

 

Me too

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I'm having the same issue as MartyBartfast .... OS Maps are no longer viewing correctly. The tiles don't load up properly, and as you zoom down they are reverting to a different map type. It started last night for me at around 10pm UK time.

 

Me too with no OS maps - using Opera 12.

 

I imagine there's a change that Bing has made somewhere which makes the links created to them not work. Jri is usually pretty good about sniffing this sort of thing out.

 

It looks like Bing have changed their system such that it now requires an API key in order to access the OS maps. While the problem may fix itself (it happened once before!), it looks like I may have to change the way that GME uses Bing as a map source, or switch to getting the maps directly from the OS themselves.

 

This will take me a while to research, and due to personal reasons, I'm not going to be able to do it in the next few weeks. Because of the way that GME and the rest of Geocaching.com work, neither option is especially easy technically. On the one hand I would have to build in a fair bit of access control code, on the other, figure out how to deal with the fact that the National Grid is skewed and stretched compared to most other web mapping.

 

In the meantime, I'm going to update the script to disable the OS map source. Until I've figured out a workaround, OpenStreetMaps is probably the best map source in a lot of the UK now - and you can always help them improve the coverage!

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I know it's far from an ideal solution (and there may well be other ways to do this that I'm not aware of, but).....

 

I am registered on the Walk Highlands website http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/. I can choose a walk, and select a map of the walk that shows up in 1:25000 OS detail. All very well and good if you're walking in the Highlands, I hear you say, but how does that help me if I'm caching elsewhere? Once you have the map open, you can zoom in / out, and scroll to anywhere in the UK, and get a 1:25000 map which you can then print out. Of course the map won't be pre populated with caches, if you want them on the map you'll have to add them manually, but that's not too much of an issue usually.

 

Better than nothing while we have this problem of no OS Maps on the geo.com site?

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I have to agree with Jri. If you haven't tried OSM then give it a go. I use OSM as my mapping of choice these days as it is much more accurate than it used to be. Being vector mapped it works right down to high zoom levels and often has footpaths and tracks that are not shown on OS because they are not official public footpaths, such as those going through parks and forests. They load much faster than OS as well.

If you must have OS maps (without caches of course) then these are still available direct from the Bing site https://www.bing.com/maps/

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I know it's far from an ideal solution (and there may well be other ways to do this that I'm not aware of, but).....

 

I am registered on the Walk Highlands website http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/. I can choose a walk, and select a map of the walk that shows up in 1:25000 OS detail. All very well and good if you're walking in the Highlands, I hear you say, but how does that help me if I'm caching elsewhere? Once you have the map open, you can zoom in / out, and scroll to anywhere in the UK, and get a 1:25000 map which you can then print out. Of course the map won't be pre populated with caches, if you want them on the map you'll have to add them manually, but that's not too much of an issue usually.

 

Better than nothing while we have this problem of no OS Maps on the geo.com site?

I tend to click the link on the cache page to the Bing map - and then throw the OS layer over the top. This then has a marker showing the cache location I'm interested in. You can then screenshot from there as well - or create a base map with some thumbnails at 1:25 000 scale showing where the caches are. Given that I persist in not using a GPS device most of the time I find 1:25 000 more than good enough to find most caches.

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GME updated to 0.7.3 OS X (Mavericks) Firefox 37.0.1 and latest version of Grease Monkey (3.1)

 

OS maps appear reliably at 2km scale, some tiles missing at 1km scale and no tiles appear at 200m and less scales. Map page shows "Ordnance Survey imagery from Bing Maps".

 

Hope that it will prove possible to fix. Many thanks for the script which I have found extremely useful.

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Before discovering GME, I recall experimenting with the Ordnance Survey's "Get-a-map" service (http://www.getamap.ordnancesurveyleisure.co.uk) which has a feature to superimpose a GPX or KML file over an OS map. It's a bit of a clumsy site to use, plus - not currently being a Premium Member - I've no easy access to GPX downloads, so I've never got it to work successfully but it may be possible to avoid having to add a set of caches to a map manually.

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Using GSAK.

 

Use macro Google_Map_V3.gsk to produce the map page, then select the menu drop down on the map and select Ordanace Survey.

 

Thanks to the Geocaching_Uk Facebook group.

 

This works brilliantly!

 

I use OS 1:25K maps on my GPS and I prefer them. When I plot out a route, I also like taking a paper copy of the same map of the area with the caches shown on the map - that is what I use the GME/OS maps for.

 

I also use GSAK, so this macro lets me do the same from GSAK.

 

Whilst I'd still like to see OS come back on GME someday, this GSAK macro does what I need.

 

Thanks!

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Using GSAK.

 

Use macro Google_Map_V3.gsk to produce the map page, then select the menu drop down on the map and select Ordanace Survey.

 

Thanks to the Geocaching_Uk Facebook group.

A great alternative although I'm hoping it gets sorted on GME too as I use it a lot for 'official' footpaths etc and many other things.

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This is all very strange and interesting.

I use GSAK and in particular I am a fan of the macro but when OS maps stopped working on GC.Com they also stopped working in the GSAK macro.

After reading the threads above I went back to GSAK and tried again and lo and behold, they're back!

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Using GSAK.

 

Use macro Google_Map_V3.gsk to produce the map page, then select the menu drop down on the map and select Ordanace Survey.

 

Thanks to the Geocaching_Uk Facebook group.

A great alternative although I'm hoping it gets sorted on GME too as I use it a lot for 'official' footpaths etc and many other things.

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Using GSAK.

 

Use macro Google_Map_V3.gsk to produce the map page, then select the menu drop down on the map and select Ordanace Survey.

 

Thanks to the Geocaching_Uk Facebook group.

A great alternative although I'm hoping it gets sorted on GME too as I use it a lot for 'official' footpaths etc and many other things.

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Ive tried the alternative on GSAK Macro and it works though not as detailed as GME. I have no OS on my maps at all now. Been in touch with Groundspeak no solution to the problem at all. They are saying one of my scripts is likely broken. So I uninstalled GME and reinstalled and the problem is still there. I run Greasemonkey and have had no problems up till now. Support have not replied to my last email so I can only assume they are having problems

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I have had OS maps working for a few days, testing out my method to see if there were any pitfalls. So far, so good. Follow these steps to see if you can get it working also.

 

1) Go to Bing Maps Key and follow the instructions there to get a personal key. I got a "Basic" key as a "Trial" key only lasts 90 days. I think a Basic key gives you 50000 tiles per day but I can't be sure. If there is a usage limit, best not to share your key with anyone else.

 

2) Insert your key into the following string, replacing the 'xx...xx' bit.

 

{"alt":"Ordnance Survey by Bing","tileUrl":"https://t{s}.ssl.ak.tiles.virtualearth.net/tiles/r{q}.png?g=3440&productSet=mmOS&key=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", "subdomains": "0123", "minZoom":10, "maxZoom": 17, "attribution":"Ordnance Survey imagery from <a href='https://www.bing.com/maps/'>Bing Maps</a>", "name":"osbing"}

 

3) Add the above (revised) string into GME as a Custom Map source, both http (cache page) and https (big map).

 

4) Select OS maps from the drop down as your preferred map source.

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Ok, followed JimJinks fix and got a basic key, inserted it on the big map option, https, and it works great. Brill, thanks.

 

Now, how do I insert the custom map bit into the http cache page bit? Can't see where I do that. I assume it needs to be done on the "view larger map" but there's no options apart from choosing map.

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Now, how do I insert the custom map bit into the http cache page bit? Can't see where I do that. I assume it needs to be done on the "view larger map" but there's no options apart from choosing map.

If you go to your normal profile page, just to the right of your name in the top bar there is a pull-down arrow. GME settings for the cache pages are there.

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I had not realised how much I relied upon being able to use OS mapping for looking at cache series until the GME script stopped working. Being able to look at rights of way is for me an essential tool in working out routes etc.

 

Created a trial Bing key and applied it as indicated in the posts above and it has restored the functionality. Will have to remember that it will expire in 3 months time! As far as I can see from the opaque Bing documentation, a basic licence should be free for less than 125,000 "billable transactions" per year. Billable transactions appear to be the number of tiles downloaded divided by eight. But since I am not sure what constitutes a tile, I am not really much nearer understanding if this might be a problem or not!

 

Many thanks for the script and this solution. I am so pleased that I can view multiple caches with OS mapping again.

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Like uk_searcher, I value having the OS maps, and being confident I'm on a public footpath. So this method from JimJinks to restore it is just great, thanks for posting this.

 

Slightly nervous about exceeding the free limits, but I can't imagine that one person using a key maybe a couple of times a week is going to get anywhere near the limits, but does anyone know how the billable aspect might manifest itself should the limits be exceeded ? They haven't got my credit card details anyway ...

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Make sure you have installed latest version of JRI's script, 0.7.3 from https://openuserjs.org/scripts/JRI/Geocaching_Map_Enhancements otherwise the drop down menu to right of your GC name does not have "Geocaching_Map_Enhancements".

 

There are 2 places to insert Custom Map info. One through drop down menu next your GC name, other on "Geocaching.com Map" link. Once that new tab opens, find the "Configure Geocaching Map Enhancements" icon. Was bottom left. Add a Custom Map source in both cases.

 

Now to do that on all my devices!

 

Now, how do I insert the custom map bit into the http cache page bit? Can't see where I do that. I assume it needs to be done on the "view larger map" but there's no options apart from choosing map.

If you go to your normal profile page,(or normal cache page) just to the right of your name in the top bar there is a pull-down arrow. GME settings for the cache pages are there.

 

 

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Thanks for the work on this. I'd already attempted to get it working using a personal key for Bing but had no success. Using your settings and my own key I can get some OS tiles to display but not at every zoom level and not all areas - they appear at 1km and 2km zoom but no where else. Even at these zoom levels a lot of tiles are missing. The same happens on the cache page and the main map.

 

I have had OS maps working for a few days, testing out my method to see if there were any pitfalls. So far, so good. Follow these steps to see if you can get it working also.

 

1) Go to Bing Maps Key and follow the instructions there to get a personal key. I got a "Basic" key as a "Trial" key only lasts 90 days. I think a Basic key gives you 50000 tiles per day but I can't be sure. If there is a usage limit, best not to share your key with anyone else.

 

2) Insert your key into the following string, replacing the 'xx...xx' bit.

 

{"alt":"Ordnance Survey by Bing","tileUrl":"https://t{s}.ssl.ak.tiles.virtualearth.net/tiles/r{q}.png?g=3440&productSet=mmOS&key=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", "subdomains": "0123", "minZoom":10, "maxZoom": 17, "attribution":"Ordnance Survey imagery from <a href='https://www.bing.com/maps/'>Bing Maps</a>", "name":"osbing"}

 

3) Add the above (revised) string into GME as a Custom Map source, both http (cache page) and https (big map).

 

4) Select OS maps from the drop down as your preferred map source.

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