HElp...EasyGPS / GEOBuddy / Microsoft S&T

[+DyverDown]

I downloaded a bunch of cache data, opened it in EasyGPS (to correct some of the location data) re-saved it as a .loc file then opened GeoBuddy to save it as a CSV file for Microsoft Streets and Trips.

 

GeoBuddy gives me an error "Unknown tag:9"

 

If I just download the data and then open it with GeoBudy it works fine.

 

What am I doing wrong?

 

Is there something I need to change in the preferences or is this a know bug? Is there a work-around?

[rag-a-muffin]

You're not doing anything wrong. I've found that's just one of the quirks with the two programs. What I usually do is save two copies of the .loc file. I then work with one in EasyGPS and the other in GEOBuddy. I don't think there's a way to edit in EasyGPS and then get it to open in GEOBuddy...none that I've found, anyway.

 

r.

[+DyverDown]

When I am editing the data in GEOBuddy, it is different in the edit window than on my display

 

ie: coordinates on the screen are 43 9.614 -79 3.066, in the properties screen where I can modify them they are displayed as 43.1602 -79.0511

 

Why are they different and is there a way to have them displayed the same?

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

[+Olar]

Dyverdown what changes do you wish to make in EasyGPS before saving as a csv for S&T?

 

Olar

 

"You are only young once but you can stay immature forever"

[+Olar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by DyverDown:

When I am editing the data in GEOBuddy, it is different in the edit window than on my display

 

ie: coordinates on the screen are 43 9.614 -79 3.066, in the properties screen where I can modify them they are displayed as 43.1602 -79.0511

 

Why are they different and is there a way to have them displayed the same?

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

---

Ah, I see what you mean. The main display shows the coords in deg, min, decimal min format and the properties window has deg, decimal deg format. The original .loc file downloads with 43.1602 and GeoBuddy is converting to 43 9.614 for the main display as per your preferences but keeps it as original in the properties window. You would have to convert before editing in order to make your changes in coords.

It may be easier to make the change once you have the waypoints setup in Streets & Trips.

 

Cheers, Olar

 

"You are only young once but you can stay immature forever"

[+DyverDown]

I was hoping to have 1 file with all the cache's in it that I could edit and then display on Streets and Trips, but I guess the only solution is to have 2 copies of the same file, one for S&T and the other for EasyGPS.

[+alexm]

quote:

---

Originally posted by DyverDown:

I downloaded a bunch of cache data, opened it in EasyGPS (to correct some of the location data) re-saved it as a .loc file then opened GeoBuddy to save it as a CSV file for Microsoft Streets and Trips.

 

GeoBuddy gives me an error "Unknown tag:9"

 

If I just download the data and then open it with GeoBudy it works fine.

 

What am I doing wrong?

 

Is there something I need to change in the preferences or is this a know bug? Is there a work-around?

---

 

You're doing it all right. When you save a ".loc" file from EasyGPS, it's not the same format as a geocaching.com ".loc" file, so Geobuddy cannot read it.

 

If geobuddy can handle GPX files, your best bet is to save from EasyGPS as a GPX file. If not, the other solution is to use something like GPSBabel that can convert geocaching.com .loc and GPX into something useable by Streets and Trips.

 

Going the GPX route, you'd also only need one file as EasyGPS reads/writes GPX.

 

Hope this helps...

[+DyverDown]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh...... (as in a scream to keep my sanity!)

 

I have tried converting the files around for most of the evening to no avail.

 

I want to be able to have a master list of all the local coordinates of local caches. I would also like to be able to put this "list" into Microsoft S&T to view their locations.

 

I can use EasyGPS to add new items to my list but cannot export it into MS S&T without losing all the links. I have tried GPSBabel and GEOBuddy. Anyone have another solution? or a way around what I am trying to do.

 

If the list stayed static I would be ok, but caches appear and I would like to update the list. As soon as I do this, I either download the entire list again (because as soon as I edit it and save it out of EasyGPS it no longer will have the http links if I convert it using GeoBuddy or Babel)

 

I have found a "workaround" to edit the mapdata.csv file using notepad and manually add the new locations from a converted file, but I was wondering if there is a truly UNIVERSAL converter out there...

[+Renegade Knight]

What I do isn't quite what you do but similar enough.

 

In tracking all the geocaches I have not found I update my list every week. When I do this I don't save the old list. I use the pocket querie to capture all caches in my area that I've not found. Using that Loc file I use GPSBable to make a pushpin file for S&T for my PDA, a TPG file for NG Topo, Uplaod the waypoints into my GPS, then move the mobi pocket file onto my PDA.

 

Paperless, maps and everything are updated to my caches of interest.

 

If you are manually doing this because you are a charter member, it's a much harder task. Then what you need is a program that will add to your Loc file the new waypoints as you download them.

 

Wherever you go there you are.

[+Poindexter]

Only use EasyGPS for transfering data to your GPS. Do everything else in GeoBuddy. You can open more than one .loc file at once and then click the "merge files" button to automatically create a new .loc file. Also in GeoBuddy, you can set your preferences to see your lat/lon as DD MM.mmmm and if you don't like your caches named in the GCXXX format, you can have it create the waypoint ID from the waypoint name. I am doing the same thing you are importing the caches to S&T. It works great!

 

Ok, now I also see what you mean about the different coordinate formats. Use this free, quick easy to use converter to change the format.

 

[This message was edited by Poindexter on March 29, 2003 at 07:04 PM.]

[+alexm]

quote:

---

I can use EasyGPS to add new items to my list but cannot export it into MS S&T without losing all the links. I have tried GPSBabel and GEOBuddy.

---

 

GPSBabel won't drop the links on you if you use the "s_and_t" output format designed for streets & trips. Other formats (such as csv) will appear to work, but are not geared towards S&T.

 

To use the "s_and_t" option, you'll need the latest beta available from the gpsbabel website or compile your own from the CVS source tree.

 

I don't know if you tried command line or the GUI front-end, but a command to merge four GPX files and spit out "S&T happy" CSV looks like:

 

gpsbabel -i gpx -f 877.gpx -f 1883.gpx -f 51.gpx -f 61.gpx -o s_and_t -F geocache.csv

 

You'll end up with something similar to:

Name,Latitude,Longitude,Name 2,URL,TypeGC512,30.342833,-91.719033,Passing Thru,http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=1298,""...

If you wanted geocaching.com .loc files, you'd just replace "-i gpx" with "-i loc".

 

Once you get the hang of it, it's a very efficient conversion system.

...

alex

[rag-a-muffin]

holy schnikeys! my brain just exploded!

[+BigBirdNL]

When you use CacheMaps you will probably not get into the mentioned problems.

CacheMaps stores all cache information from .loc or .gpx files. From that list you can select the caches you want to process and shoot them into the application you want to process them with. Including EasyGPS and GeoBuddy. In this way you always work with clean loc files.

Besides this functionality, you will also see your caches on an AreaMap of you preferrence and be able to call an online map that fits your purpose.

 

No need to shift files from one application to another. CacheMaps will handle it for you.

 

Good Luck!

 

BigBird

 

-- there is no spoon --

[+TJ-Tigger]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Poindexter:

Only use EasyGPS for transfering data to your GPS. Do everything else in GeoBuddy. You can open more than one .loc file at once and then click the "merge files" button to automatically create a new .loc file. Also in GeoBuddy, you can set your preferences to see your lat/lon as DD MM.mmmm and if you don't like your caches named in the GCXXX format, you can have it create the waypoint ID from the waypoint name. I am doing the same thing you are importing the caches to S&T. It works great!

 

Ok, now I also see what you mean about the different coordinate formats. Use http://www.mentorsoftwareinc.com/freebie/FREE1198.HTM free, quick easy to use converter to change the format.

 

[This message was edited by Poindexter on March 29, 2003 at 07:04 PM.]

---

 

I second what poindexter said in his post, only use EasyGPS to upload to your GPS unit. I have done this where I use GEOBUDDY to download and merge multiple .loc files, including the new additions to my local area as updates are made. Then you can save it to a file that EasyGPS can read it as well as MS Streets and Trips.

[robertlipe]

This conversation has gone all over the place, ranging from "easyGPS calls two different file formats .loc" to "how do I change the display format in GeoBuddy" to questions about S&T.

 

GPSBabel can read and write every format described here plus the multiple file merges as well as do the serial upload and the waypoint renaming.

 

I no longer understand what the actual question is. If it's not been answered, could you please restate it more clearly, DyverDown?

[+parkrrrr]

quote:

---

Originally posted by robertlipe:

"easyGPS calls two different file formats .loc"

...

GPSBabel can read and write every format described here

---

 

One of these statements is more true than the other, no?

 

[robertlipe]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Warm Fuzzies -

One of these statements is more true than the other, no?

---

Guilty as charged. That's what I get for out-of-order message composition while doing Real Work.

 

GPSBabel can not read the binary loc file created EasyGPS. I approached Dan on this subject some time ago and he wanted out from under that format as quickly as he could anyway...

 

But from what I can gather, the person was saving from EasyGPS only to avoid some other piece of software so I'm going to try to clarify what I meant to say:

 

I don't fully understand the question. I think GPSBabel can help. Can you please clearly and carefully restate the question?

[+DyverDown]

I was confused, but I am now in the clear!

 

I was trying to keep one file that I could edit and add to as well as plot on a map using Microsoft S&T. I tried using Easygps and as soon as I saved the file (as a loc) GPSBabel could no longer read it properly. Turns out all I needed to do was save it as a gpx and learn how to properly use GPSBabel (thanks alexm)

 

I do still have one question though, if I save a file in Easygps as .loc and then try to convert it using GPSBabel command line "gpsbabel -i loc ...." it (GPSBabel gives me an error, I tried getting the help from GBSBabel using the -h and it does not list a loc switch....is there such an animal ? I do see one for geocaching.com but I understand the .loc files from easygps are different.

 

Any ideas if there is any plan to include this format.

 

Thanks to EVERYONE who helped straighten me out!

[+parkrrrr]

quote:

---

Originally posted by DyverDown:

Any ideas if there is any plan to include this format.

---

See the post above yours, where robertlipe (the author of GPSBabel) said:

quote:

---

GPSBabel can not read the binary loc file created EasyGPS. I approached Dan on this subject some time ago and he wanted out from under that format as quickly as he could anyway...

---

 

[robertlipe]

quote:

---

Originally posted by DyverDown:

 

I was trying to keep one file that I could edit and add to as well as plot on a map using Microsoft S&T. I tried using Easygps and as soon as I saved the file (as a loc) GPSBabel could no longer read it properly. Turns out all I needed to do was save it as a gpx and learn how to properly use GPSBabel (thanks alexm)

---

Yes, if you're looking for the one file format that won't lose the URL data, can be stuffed into S&T by GPSBabel, and can be edited in EasyGPS, I think GPX is indeed your common denominator. This is a Good Thing becuase it's that very sort of interoperability that GPX was designed for.

 

quote:

---

I do still have one question though, if I save a file in Easygps as .loc and then try to convert it using GPSBabel command line "gpsbabel -i loc ...." it (GPSBabel gives me an error, I tried

---

There isn't such a switch. EasyGPS .loc files are extremely different than GEOcaching.com .loc files - that's why the switch is named *GEO* and not *LOC*. :-)

quote:

---

Any ideas if there is any plan to include this format.

---

No. (I tried to answer that before; sorry if I was unclear.) I approached the author of that format and he had no interest in exposing the format to other programs and was, in fact, rapidly deprecating that very format in favor of GPX himself. Since Dan was also a driving force behind GPX, that wasn't terribly suprising...

 

quote:

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Thanks to EVERYONE who helped straighten me out!

---

 

You're welcome. Glad to see you're happy.

 

...begin mumbling...

 

OTOH, I never really know how to improve the doc from these discussions. One one hand, Alex showed you how to merge four files together into one in very specific formats. That's what you needed, and that actually is explained in the doc, although there isn't an exact example of that combination. OTOH, every time I add an example of something really funky like that, I can hear the popping sound of someone's head exploding. So other than encouraging people to ask questions on the gpsbabel-misc mailing list and suggest doc improvements, I really can't decide an obvious place to draw the line...