A Geocacher's Dream Software Package

[Hypercubed]

So we already have a topic on a geocachers dream GPSr.... what about software packages. There are so many programs out there (GPS Utility, Easy GPS, Spinner, GPSBabel, MapSend, MapSource, Coordinate Exchange ). What would be the features of a geocacher's Dream Software Package?

 

Labtek

http://www.hypercubed.com/projects/coordex/

[+Renegade Knight]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Labtek:

So we already have a topic on a geocachers dream GPSr.... what about software packages. There are so many programs out there (GPS Utility, Easy GPS, Spinner, GPSBabel, MapSend, MapSource, http://www.hypercubed.com/projects/coordex/ ). What would be the features of a geocacher's Dream Software Package?

 

Labtek

http://www.hypercubed.com/projects/coordex/

GPXview that works on the desktop and PDA both Palm and PPC but also lets you take notes for each cache and has a "found this cache checkbox".

 

The program lets you interface with your PDA, GPS, and Topo software of your choice, plus spits out MS S&T pushpin files or for whatever Street based routing software you use.

 

Version 2 will have the sorting ability of Watcher in addition to all the above featues.

 

This program also keeps a database of all the caches you have found and the cache log's especially yours.

 

Lastly it will export to as many formats as GPSbable and do it with a command line interface, and it unzips and processces your weekly pocket querie.

 

It also has the option to 'clean house' on your GPS waypoints so those cache that have been archived or removed from service temprarily don't show up as waypoints.

 

This is all easy to use and user configureable so you can use some or all of it.

 

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

[+quakemap]

Try QuakeMap - http://www.quakemap.com

 

It has free trial, makes sense of your GPS tracks and prints very useful aerial/topo maps (easy to navigate in the field). Of course, allows off-line aerial/topo, loads .loc files and stores direct links to geocache pages (just click on geocache name on the map). Not to mention $10 price tag when you want to continue using it.

 

Happy Trails!

[Hypercubed]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Renegade Knight:

The program lets you interface with your PDA, GPS, and Topo software of your choice, plus spits out MS S&T pushpin files or for whatever Street based routing software you use.

---

 

Wouldn't the dream software package include Topo software and street based routing. The was the whole reason I wrote my application. I wanted to do my street routing (MapPoint) and waypoint management in one place. Although I haven't got the waypoint management worked out completely yet.

 

Labtek

[mbarr69]

I own National Geographics Topo Califorina, Mapsend Streets, Mapsend Topo, Microsoft Street and trip planner 2003 and EZ GPS. I like the functions of Microsofts sotware, as far as being able to have a route planned out for streets. I like the detail of the National Geographics seemless maps. The easy of way-point loading of EZ GPS. So i guess the ultimate software would include some of these functions under one box.

[+Renegade Knight]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Labtek:

Wouldn't the dream software package include Topo software and street based routing. The was the whole reason I wrote my application. I wanted to do my street routing (MapPoint) and waypoint management in one place. Although I haven't got the waypoint management worked out completely yet.

Labtek

---

 

For geocaching sure. As long as the programmer does everthing the way I'd do it so I could figure out the myriad functiosn.

 

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

[+jollybgood]

Here's what I want. If it already exists PLEASE tell me.

 

I get asked to a lot of conventions as a guest and I usually opt to drive rather than fly so I can cache on the way there and back.

 

For example next week I'm off to Manitoba, Canada. A drive of about 800 miles. I want software which allows me to enter my starting point and ending point for my trip, plan a driving route and then list EVERY geocache along that route (say within a mile of road/highways I'm travelling on). Researching a trip across several states on a thin sliver of highway and narrowing down which caches are on my way can really be tedious.

 

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://kenzerco.com

[Hypercubed]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jolly B Good:

For example next week I'm off to Manitoba, Canada. A drive of about 800 miles. I want software which allows me to enter my starting point and ending point for my trip, plan a driving route and then list EVERY geocache along that route (say within a mile of road/highways I'm travelling on). Researching a trip across several states on a thin sliver of highway and narrowing down which caches are on my way can really be tedious.

---

 

Well in my program (Coordinate Exchange for MapPoint) you can create a list of all POIs within a specified distance from a calculated route. It wouldn't be that difficult to create a list of pushpins within that distance. Actually it would probably only take a few changes. Great idea for a new feature... thank you!

 

Labtek

[+Frog Man]

The best software I have found todate is 'Cache Harvester' at http://home.earthlink.net/~msargent2/ch/

 

Once you set this program up you can mine data from GEOCaching anytime - no waiting for GPX files. You can click on a cache and it will take you to the cache's page. GPX files which can be used to load data to a GPS unit can be created. Many other file types can be created. The main thing is to set it up correctly - I use it all the time to find caches in any area.

[+Prime Suspect]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Frog Man:

The best software I have found todate is 'Cache Harvester' at http://home.earthlink.net/~msargent2/ch/

---

 

Thanks for the compliment. I basically wrote it for my own use, but I'm glad others are finding it useful.

 

[+Tubby Rower]

Prime Suspect,

 

What language did you use? Are you open for suggestions for new versions?

 

kc

row, row, row your boat

[+Prime Suspect]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tubby Rower:

Prime Suspect,

 

What language did you use? Are you open for suggestions for new versions?

---

 

The main focus of the next release will be the addition of context help throughout the application, and a user interface for the Ignore list. But I can probably work in a few minor additions.

 

[+Tubby Rower]

Upgrade request for Cache Harvester:

 

Can you just change the waypoint name?

Also can you get the 4 digit number for that caches in the export options?

 

for example: waypoint GC4b3c would yield a waypoint name of "T4b3c" if format is %T%%C% (for type and code)

 

Thanks.

 

kc

row, row, row your boat

[+parkrrrr]

Upgrade request for Cache Harvester:

 

Can you make it use a user-agent string that geocaching.com can recognize and keep it from doing stuff that's against the acceptable usage guidelines?

 

Better yet, can you heave it in a bottomless pit so those of us who use geocaching.com interactively (i.e. the way it was intended to be used) don't have to go get a cup of coffee while waiting for a cache description page to load?

 

[+Lil Devil]

I'm going to second what Fuzzy said. GC.com has already stated that they are against the use of harvesting bots and has blocked several of them from accessing the site. These bots steal bandwidth and processing power from other users, often to download info on caches that will never be hunted. I strongly encourage anyone using this illegal app to delete it from your hard drive right away.

 

Pocket Queries are really the way to go.

 

Lil Devil

[+smithdw]

I agree with Fuzzy and LilDevil.

 

If you have several hundred people running that program, it will put a tremendous additional load on the servers. The web site is slow enough already without you grabbing up a ton of bandwidth and loading up the CPUs with searching for cache info. Pocket Queries are setup to run at off-peak times so it won't load down the system while everyone is trying to look at cache info or post their logs. You are at risk of having your IP address (meaning you) blocked from accessing the web site. I tried it once and watched the bandwidth usage go up to the top on my cable modem port. I immediately deleted the program. This program is definitely NOT recommended.

 

"The best way to accelerate a Macintosh is at 9.8m/sec/sec."

-Marcus Dolengo

[+quakemap]

One of the ways to protect pages from harvesting is to change HTML formatting randomly (or often enough). The harvester will be lost and always outdated, people will stop using it.

 

On the other hand, the need for getting cache info programmatically is high, and the best way (technically speaking) would be to run a web service for everybody to use (or for the paying folks only). I am definitely volunteering to code support for such web service into QuakeMap (which already has support for Pocket Queries).

 

Also, it would be nice to hear from the Harvester creators, I think the guys just didn't realize they created a monster and may be willing to make it up to geocaching.com

Prime Suspect, what do you think?

 

http://www.quakemap.com - redefining Easy...

 

[This message was edited by quakemap.com on May 19, 2003 at 10:12 PM.]

[+Tubby Rower]

I didn't know that Cache Harvester caused so many problems. I was just looking for a quicker way than Pocket queries. As a spawn of the microwave generation, I like to get things in less than 30 seconds. Sorry. I'll delete it and just wait the 2 or 3 hours for the PQ.

 

kc

row, row, row your boat

[+Prime Suspect]

Cache Harvester is NOT a cache page data scraper. It does NOT access individual cache pages.

 

Cache Harvester was written to be a low-impact application. It's basically like EasyGPS, except that it automates the process of getting the LOC files that you've requested.

 

 

[This message was edited by Prime Suspect on May 20, 2003 at 12:43 PM.]

[+quakemap]

that sounds like semi-reasonable usage to me, although I am not a judge here (still web service or simplistic query page, if implemented by GC, would be better). So, using Cache Harvester is basically like going to query-by coordinates page, checking all "download" boxes and then downloading the resulting .loc file? The drawback for GC is that they lose advertisement impressions for that hit, while carrying the expense of hitting the database query. Really, you can't do this without their consent. They may agree to allow it if the load is reasonable, and if your program does something good for them (like carrying their ads, promoting GC, praising their community service, encouraging users to subscribe to the Premier membership). But if all they see is their servers' load going through the roof, your program is in trouble.

Any ideas?

 

http://www.quakemap.com - redefining Easy...