GPX file 'found' flag

[+lee737]

Hi there.... I have an unusual question.

We search for trig points with our countries geocaching site, and use that site to produce GPX files for trigs, pocket query style.

Now the strange part is - for some reason, some of these trigs, that we have found, will show as 'unfound' in the GPS, whereas others show as 'found'. In a GPX file, what is it that actually dictates this status? I do note this entry:

Quote

<sym>Geocache</sym>

 

And also note in GPX files from geoaching.com, there is

Quote

<sym>Geocache Found</sym>

 

on found caches. But in these problem files, all are flagged with

Quote

<sym>Geocache</sym>

 

and some show as found, others unfound, which leads me to believe there is more to it..... Can anyone help??

[+DyverDown]

Are the trig points marked as found on the site generating the GPX file?  If not, then I would guess that those shown as found are marked found in your GPS and those as unfound (but you have found them) the Found file either no longer lists them, has been deleted... from your GPS.

[+Atlas Cached]

So, some of these Trig geocaches on your GPSr that you have found continue to show as unfound? What GPSr? How are they logged on the device? Be very specific, key press by key press.

[+lee737]

4 hours ago, DyverDown said:

Are the trig points marked as found on the site generating the GPX file?  If not, then I would guess that those shown as found are marked found in your GPS and those as unfound (but you have found them) the Found file either no longer lists them, has been deleted... from your GPS.

Are they marked as found on the site - yes. I'm not sure what the Found file is - an index on the GPSr?

 

2 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

So, some of these Trig geocaches on your GPSr that you have found continue to show as unfound? What GPSr? How are they logged on the device? Be very specific, key press by key press.

Yes. Garmin Montana. Logged as found on the GPS generally, then logged online. Logging is the usual way - 'Log Attempt', then 'Found'.  The GPX import seems the issue.....

[+Atlas Cached]

Can you email one of the gpx files with issues?

[+lee737]

45 minutes ago, Atlas Cached said:

Can you email one of the gpx files with issues?

I've sent you an email, thanks....

 

[+DyverDown]

18 hours ago, lee737 said:

Are they marked as found on the site - yes. I'm not sure what the Found file is - an index on the GPSr?

 

Yes. Garmin Montana. Logged as found on the GPS generally, then logged online. Logging is the usual way - 'Log Attempt', then 'Found'.  The GPX import seems the issue.....

There should be a found file on the GPS itself..... I know on the Oregon it's geocache_visits.txt file.... I would assume it's probably the same.... (there are two files that contain this data, there is also one called geocache_logs.xml which is no longer used and can just be deleted) On the Oregon the files are located in the Garmin directory on the GPS

 

If only some of the caches are marked as found in this file, then only some of the caches will be seen as found... I'd try removing these two files (back them up off of the GPS if you require the data to be saved) and reboot the GPS, see if that solves the problem.

 

 

[+ecanderson]

The geocache_visits.txt file (and the Garmin version in xml) are logs only.  The device does not refer to them in any way after they are written.

 

[+lee737]

2 hours ago, ecanderson said:

The geocache_visits.txt file (and the Garmin version in xml) are logs only.  The device does not refer to them in any way after they are written.

 

Yep, nothing happened after I deleted it....

[+HHL]

1 hour ago, lee737 said:

Yep, nothing happened after I deleted it....

Deleting the visits file will also delete the finds in your Garmin calendar.

[+lee737]

38 minutes ago, HHL said:

Deleting the visits file will also delete the finds in your Garmin calendar.

I'm not sure what the Garmin calendar is? I really just use the GPSr to take me to caches, all my logging occurs later on a laptop, occasionally with the app....

[+HHL]

11 minutes ago, lee737 said:

I'm not sure what the Garmin calendar is?

Read your Unit's manual and then hit the calendar icon accordingly.

You will see this (if finds that are flagged by the unit are available):

Hit the "xx/xx geocaches found" line and you will see a list of your finds. Hitting one of the list's entries will open the cache description.

[Being curious might help a lot]

 

Hans

Edited August 24, 2020 by HHL

[+lee737]

Like I said, I only use it for navigating me to caches, there is a bunch of stuff in it that I don't use and aren't even that curious about..... but thanks for the lesson.

[+lee737]

I've worked out a work-around....

Produce two GPX files, one for found, one for unfound.

Edit the 'found-GPX' in a text editor before loading into GPSr....

ie Run a find/replace across the file-

replace:

Quote

<sym>Geocache</sym>
<type>Geocache|Benchmark</type>

with:

Quote

<sym>Geocache Found</sym>
<type>Geocache|Traditional Cache</type>

and everything works as I want. It would be easier to not have to do that, but it only adds a minute to my GPS-load procedure, and will save time checking logs to see if we've found xxx-trig in the field.

[+Atlas Cached]

Seems you have already discovered the issue!

 

Garmin GPSr do not recognize many geocache types, including "<type>Geocache|Benchmark</type>"

 

You can continue to edit them manually as you have discovered, or use GSAK or another software to do this for you.

 

As no geocache from Groundspeak will be loaded as "<type>Geocache</type>", I use this for my Benchmarks, along with a custom 'geocache.bmp' symbol, and all my GPSr index the Benchmarks properly, allowing me to find them just like any other geocache, while not interfering with any actual geocaches loaded to the device.

[+lee737]

7 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

Garmin GPSr do not recognize many geocache types, including "<type>Geocache|Benchmark</type>"

 

You can continue to edit them manually as you have discovered, or use GSAK or another software to do this for you.

 

As no geocache from Groundspeak will be loaded as "<type>Geocache</type>", I use this for my Benchmarks, along with a custom 'geocache.bmp' symbol, and all my GPSr index the Benchmarks properly, allowing me to find them just like any other geocache, while not interfering with any actual geocaches loaded to the device.

 

I have thought of making a custom symbol for the trigs too, I've changed the 'found' icon in the past.... But now we have got used to the treasure chest symbol as meaning 'trig'.... Food for thought..... thanks.

[+lee737]

7 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

As no geocache from Groundspeak will be loaded as "<type>Geocache</type>", I use this for my Benchmarks, along with a custom 'geocache.bmp' symbol, and all my GPSr index the Benchmarks properly, allowing me to find them just like any other geocache, while not interfering with any actual geocaches loaded to the device.

 

Do you just edit the <type> field to show "<type>Geocache</type>", then drop a symbol called geocache.bmp into the CustomSymbols folder? It's been a while since I did custom symbols..... 

[+Mineral2]

Step back... how do you get benchmarks to export as geocaches?

[+Atlas Cached]

22 minutes ago, lee737 said:

 

Do you just edit the <type> field to show "<type>Geocache</type>", then drop a symbol called geocache.bmp into the CustomSymbols folder? It's been a while since I did custom symbols..... 

 

Exactly.

 

[+lee737]

6 hours ago, Mineral2 said:

Step back... how do you get benchmarks to export as geocaches?

Geocaching.com.au will export GPX files of trig points, survey markers similar to benchmarks....

[+lee737]

I had a good chance to get into this last night at work, and have solved my issue.... now found trigs don't clog up the unfound list, and both found and unfound appear on the map as desired. I would like to use a custom symbol for them, which I am struggling with at present, so will start a new thread....