Altitude in Wherigo

[+gvsu4msu]

To whomever can answer this.....

 

Can you check for a change in ALTITUDE in a Wherigo cartridge?

 

I have heard you can check for Altitude (to be greater than zero) for "Emulator protection" but can you check to see if someone's altitude changes but their n-s/e-w position remains static.

 

Is Wherigo strictly limited to 2-D game play?

 

Thanks,

[+charlenni]

Each object has a ObjectLocation field (ZItem, ZCharacter) or Points (Zone). This are all ZonePoints. ZonePoint is a table, with latitude, longitude and altitude. So you could get Player.ObjectLocation.altitude, to get you altitude.

 

Buuuuut, I didn't think the coordinates good enough to use it.

[+docfred]

I think bodenseepingu did some work on a vertical wig in a tower.

docfred

[+docfred]

http://coord.info/GC2N5N8

[+gvsu4msu]

http://coord.info/GC2N5N8

 

This is helpful, but I am not anticipating the person asking me the question requiring a 1300m elevation change. I think they are envisioning 30-40ft or more up a tree.

 

I will see if that cache owner can help explain the altitude check.

[+cantuland]

If you make a cartridge that uses altitude, I would suggest using DIFFERENCES in altitude. Some devices use barometric methods to obtain elevation thinking that getting an elevation with gps satellites is not as accurate. I had a device set to get elevations with barometric measurements. I was way up in a jet but the atmospheric pressure was controled. My device said that I was traveling 700 miles an hour and 500 feet below the surface of the ground.

[Ranger Fox]

I think they are envisioning 30-40ft or more up a tree.

I've heard of these fabled Michigan tree climbing caches/cartridges... seen pictures, too. Personally, though, if I'm climbing a tree, I leave all my valuables on the ground: phone, watch, sunglasses, GPS receivers, some coats that would get too dirty or tear, car keys...

 

If you do it with a Wherigo cartridge, I certainly hope the cell phone reports an accurate altitude. I do like cantuland's suggestion about using differences in altitude. I think it's a good one.

[+MirecXP]

Hi

 

So you could get Player.ObjectLocation.altitude, to get you altitude.

This is the way I do it in the mentioned cartridge.

 

I think they are envisioning 30-40ft or more up a tree.

This is very small difference. It is not possible to recognize it reliably by the GPS altitude. It is not so accurate and it may normally change by 100 feet during short time. And it will be even more under the trees.

 

If you make a cartridge that uses altitude, I would suggest using DIFFERENCES in altitude.

This could be good approach, because there exist more earth models (geoids) and different devices use the different one to calculate the altitude, the difference may be more than 100 feet. Some devices also offer manual calibration of the altitude.

 

My recomendation is to use some other check for the player, e.g. put some code or question on the tree.

 

Miro

 

 

[+docfred]

This is a Lua function that returns the altitude in meters

function get_height()
 local height
 local zp = Player.ObjectLocation
 local height_dist = zp.altitude
 height = height_dist:GetValue 'm'
return height
end 

 

instead of 'm' you can use 'ft'. As said before, it is better to use delta values instead of absolute hight.

docfred

[+gvsu4msu]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I was asked if this was possible, and I was not familiar with the ability to do so. Additionally, I am not one to trust the Altimeter on the GPSr, and know even less how accurate it is on a smartphone.

 

While putting the information in the tree is a feasible option, it does not prevent "word of mouth" from getting out on this type of challenge the requesting cacher is seeking. Of course I am assuming the tree climb would be 30-40 feet...I would hope that the requesting cacher is not considering something in the 100ft+ range.

 

Of course now that I sit here, I am thinking about a Wherigo about flying a kite. What's the farthest anyone has got a kite up? And would they be willing to attach $200-400 worth of equipment to it? LOL Of course it might take multiple times as you cannot see if an event triggers until you bring it down.

 

Thanks all.