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so many programs, so many formats...


MajBach

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It's driving me crazy.

GeoBuddy is great; I can d/l caches from here and save them in formats that I can import into Ozi and MS Streets and Excel. Problem is, it cannot load fils in these formats (or can it?). I'm trying to convert either a .csv or .xls (both easily edited with Excel) into a format I can import into Ozi (i.e text).

With the exception of the recent caches that have been placed, all of my caches are in .xls format. Ian, (a.k.a. Servman), was generous enough so save many of us newbies the time to d/l 25 caches at a time with EasyGPS by converting all of Canada's caches into one .xls file (thanks again). This is terrific because I can import them in MS Streets as pushpins that contain the name AND link right to the Geocaching cache page. But, I cannot import this into Ozi. Originally, I d/l'ed all the caches (25 at a time) using EasyGPS, combined them into one file, uploaded them into the GPS and then downloaded them from the GPS into Ozi. Problem with this method is, I lose all the info on the cache that is normally part of the waypoint properties in Ozi. Now that I use GeoBuddy, I can save the latest caches as an Ozi import file and then upload to the GPS.

However, the file I have for all but the most recent caches is .xls format (which includes waypoint information) and I want to convert it to a file I can import into OZi. Is htere a way to do this?

Thanks in advance.

 

MajBach

You can't have everything.

where would you put it?

1compass.gif

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I sort of lost what you were doing about four programs and six file conversations into your explanation.

 

It would be really helpful if you can post here one line of the file that is in the format that you want to convert FROM and one line of the same data that is in the format that you wish to convert TO.

 

Once we can see the data, I am sure that a few simple Excel string manipulation commands will do the trick for you.

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quote:
Originally posted by MajBach:

However, the file I have for all but the most recent caches is .xls format (which includes waypoint information) and I want to convert it to a file I can import into OZi. Is htere a way to do this?

Thanks in advance.


 

I'm not overly familiar with the format for OZi, so don't take this as a definitive answer, but you could probably coax Excel to export the .xls file as CSV. Shift columns around and such as needed and the result might match what OZi expects.

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Hmm, is there a non-COM way to generate .xls?

 

I'll look into this for GeoBuddy 2.0. I assume there is, but I'm not a COM heavy. In fact, GeoBuddy 2.0 doesn't use COM so far except to access MSXML. I hand-rolled the DLL access mechanism the way I've done for close to 10 years. I don't want to spend a lot of time learning COM. I've tried several times to wrap my brain around it and I keep reverting to my old habits. Some day, I'll learn.

 

-E

 

--

N35°32.981 W98°34.631

13914_200.jpg

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quote:
Originally posted by MajBach:

It's driving me crazy...if


When you download the csv file from servman's sight, you'll also see a txt file that contains the same info except the link. You can save this and in Ozi select File - Load From File - Import Waypoints fro Text File. Then all you need to do is save the waypoint in Ozi and you'll have the complete list.

One problem that might come up is depending on what GPSr you selected in OZI, it may set the maximum waypoints to 500 and the waypoints file for Canada holds over 700. In the Configuration menu under GPS, just change it to 1000 but realize that you can't load that many at once into your GPS.

If you need any more help, feel free to email me icon_smile.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by MajBach:

It's driving me crazy...if


When you download the csv file from servman's sight, you'll also see a txt file that contains the same info except the link. You can save this and in Ozi select File - Load From File - Import Waypoints fro Text File. Then all you need to do is save the waypoint in Ozi and you'll have the complete list.

One problem that might come up is depending on what GPSr you selected in OZI, it may set the maximum waypoints to 500 and the waypoints file for Canada holds over 700. In the Configuration menu under GPS, just change it to 1000 but realize that you can't load that many at once into your GPS.

If you need any more help, feel free to email me icon_smile.gif

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I'll try an keep this simple - then again, if it was, I wouldn't be having a problem.

 

Ozi needs this format to import a waypoint file. The file needs to have a .txt extention:

WP, waypoint name, latitude, longitude, date , time , waypoint description

 

This is an example, loaded into GeoBuddy from an EasyGPS file and then saved as an Ozi import file (the first line is a header and the second and third lines are the waypoints):

 

Datum,WGS84,WGS84,0,0,0,0,0

Waypoint,D,GC443D, 43.726616,-79.609619,,,TEST YOUR GPS by gm100guy

Waypoint,D,GC4488, 45.008850,-74.764267,,,Survey Says by Rybren

 

Now the original file is an Excel file (.xls) but cannot be viewed with a text editor. However, it can be saved in various formats such as 'formatted text (space delimited),.csv (comma delimited), and Text (tab delimited). I originally tried pasting examples here to demonstrate each, but it doesn't view the same way.I can edit the original .xls file within Excel so that only the info that needs to be there in order to import it into Ozi is saved. But the format is slightly different and there are commas absent in places they should be and thus it won't import into Ozi. I can edit the file manually but for 700 waypoints...I just thought someone might know of an easy way.

 

MajBach

You can't have everything.

where would you put it?

1compass.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by TresOkies:

Hmm, is there a non-COM way to generate .xls?

 

I'll look into this for GeoBuddy 2.0. I assume there is, but I'm not a COM heavy. In fact, GeoBuddy 2.0 doesn't use COM so far except to access MSXML


 

Tres: thanks for the gesture but you are light years ahead of me in your jargon. I'm usually pretty resourceful in learning these things myself but I figured there may be a simple 'load it with this program, save it like this, convert it like that' type of solution. Like you, I didn't feel like learning how to use a complex program for such a simple task when I figured some one else already had. This would be a much appreciated function for GeoBuddy, I know servman would appreciate it.

 

Fuzzy:

Saving in .CSV is not a problem; I've already figured it out. It has to be in *.TXT format first. .CSV is viewable with a simple text editor and I have changed the file extension, but it still won't load. The format that Ozi requires is pretty easy to duplicate - I could into the text file and delete the spaces and add the commas manually, but it would take to long.

 

Parker: That file wasn't there this morning, hence the post. I e-mailed Servman directly and I think that's where it came from.

 

So for now, I suppose I'm all set. I still would like to be able to tackle this but Servman has taken the 'need' to do it away. Hopefully, the new Geobuddy will be out soon.

 

MajBach

You can't have everything.

where would you put it?

1compass.gif

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As I have already said, if you post an example of what you have and what you want, I will write you the formula to parse the data. You posted part of it above, so you are half way there.... just give us the after part (or is it the before part).

 

It does matter what application it came from or what app it going to. The formats are all just ascii text.

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quote:
Originally posted by MrGigabyte:

It does matter what application it came from or what app it going to. The formats are all just ascii text.


 

Perhaps you meant "doesn't matter".

 

Actually, the .LOC format that EasyGPS _writes_ is binary. Some of the formats that GeoBuddy 2.0 will support are binary.

 

The problem with the Excel .xls format is that I suspect that M$ has made it significantly tougher to decode without actually having Excel installed and running. All that stuff about protected worksheets and such. Now, that doesn't mean users can't export as .csv and import into GeoBuddy (or whatever), it's just one extra step and one extra file laying around that might be messed up. Then again, how much waypoint data is actually _generated_ by Excel...

 

-E

 

--

N35°32.981 W98°34.631

13914_200.jpg

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quote:
I am awaiting an real file from him.

I retired shortly afher talking to you last evening. Being Easter and all, I'm away from my computer at the in laws. Hopefully Sunday evening - so I have a chance to 'mull' it over a bit. Thanks for the effort.

 

Happy Easter everyone.

 

MajBach

You can't have everything.

where would you put it?

1compass.gif

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