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how to instantly see all caches detail on the map - with the Found ones marked


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Downloaded it and played with it for a little while.

 

While kind of neat, I have some complaints. I may be overlooking a way to change the program to more suit my desires, but what I have a problem with is:

  • The location icons are massive. They overlap other locations in high density areas. User definable dots would be very helpful.
  • The popups are sticky. Would much rather them disappear instantly.
  • Popups are much too close to the cursor. It obscures the waypoints near it. Pushing the popup further away would be helpful to see the waypoints around the one you are looking at.
  • Can't turn off the labels. I'd like to be able to turn off the labels to lessen the clutter of the screen.
  • It doesn't have a vector based map. Turning off aerial and relief and having the basic map being vectored would speed up the drawing of basic mapping. Political boundries, water and rivers, and major roads would be nice on the basic map. Don't know if there is a free internet-based vectoring maps to download and cache locally, but it would take up much less room on a laptop. You'd have at least that to look at when you don't have internet access.
  • I'd like to see a user defined ID so you can differentiate your owned caches from the ones that you haven't found.

 

Overall, I really like the concept. I've liked USAPhotoMaps but it has lacked the larger maps from the USGS. I do like the mouseover popup, but not the way it's been implemented.

 

One thing I've wished for with USAPhotoMaps is a function to download the high res aerial photos around the waypoints instead of the whole area. This would allow detailed photos of the area around the cache without the memory drain of having to grab all of the maps.

 

Thanks for the program!

 

CR

 

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Thanks for trying.

-- popups can be turned off and on using Map-->Options menu

-- hint: select (by dragging) small rectangle on the map - popups will stop appearing till you deselect it (by clicking outside it).

-- clicking into a popup extinguishes it

-- if you keep using the program in the same general area, relief map will be accumulated in the cache and the browsing will be much faster. So will the other (aerial, topo) maps.

-- reduce the clutter by checking off checkboxes on the left

 

Happy trails,

 

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

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A couple of questions/requests.

 

1. How do I get it to show the Cache name instead of "Cache Details"?

 

2. It would be nice to see the actual cursor lat/lon down on the info bar as I am moving the mouse around. I do notice that that info changes when I mouse evor a cache...

 

--------------------------------------------------<br>

If you drop your keys into molten lava just let 'em go 'cause, man, they're gone.<P>

<a href="http://www.vacsew.com/cache">Vacman's Cache Page</a>

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I am little confused with these two questions; here is what I think the answers are:

 

1. cache name is in the label and is also a part of the "detail" popup. Do you want to show less info in the popup, just the name and coordinates? I guess a popup controlled by the right click would be useful. Also, try reading regular .loc files (Pocket Queries or just queries) - they provide much less detail.

 

2. Actual cursor lat/lon and distance from the camera (center of the screen) is actually showing on the bottom right, in the status bar. It has some delay though, so if your mouse keeps wandering, the numbers will just sample the mouse position at a 0.3 seconds interval. If you rest your mouse, the numbers will show the correct static values.

 

If you want to take this (or any other topic) off line, shoot me email at slg@quakemap.com, I will be happy to help and may come up with a better answer.

 

Thanks for your feedback,

 

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

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What I am asking is...

 

When I drag my gpx files into Quakemap I don't see the actual cache name as shown in the above picture from your original post. All I see are the tags that says "Cache Details".

 

Also what is the story behind the picture you have in the installer?

 

--------------------------------------------------

If you drop your keys into molten lava just let 'em go 'cause, man, they're gone.

http://www.vacsew.com/cache">Vacman's Cache Page

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Just to add to this - I dropped the gpx file into the Quakemap and when I bring up the track manager and click on waypoints they all say the same thing "Cache Details". I tried dropping a .loc file in and of course it did not work.

 

--------------------------------------------------

If you drop your keys into molten lava just let 'em go 'cause, man, they're gone.

http://www.vacsew.com/cache">Vacman's Cache Page

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Vacman,

 

looks like the files you are dropping have been processed by some program before, and the format has been altered. Here are some hints:

 

1. you need to feed QuakeMap with .gpx files from Pocket Queries or .loc files from the "query by zipcode" Geocaching.com pages. Send me your files to slg@quakemap.com, I'll see what I can do. How these files were produced/processed/saved?

 

2. Make sure Help-->About shows build 20030518 and that the sample http://www.quakemap.com/demo/13855-gpx.zip (please unzip first) is working for you. If not, visit quakemap.com for update.

 

Anybody else having problems reading their files?

 

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

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ok - I now know what is happening. I have downloaded the files into easyGPS. Then was using that program to export the files into the .gpx format. Somehow when I do that it is not writing the cache descriptions, etc to the file. Then when I drag that file into Quakemap - well you get the idea. I am beginning to believe that easyGPS has some serious flaws in it. I do like it for waypont management though. I will have to spend a little more time with your program I guess.

 

All-in-all this program is great!

 

--------------------------------------------------

If you drop your keys into molten lava just let 'em go 'cause, man, they're gone.

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Follow-up question. With easyGPS I could load several files (from several zip code pages) and them copy them all into one file that I then could d/l into my GPS. Is there a way to do this with Quakemap? I find that if they are in more then one file that I can't drag-n-drop them all into the Quakemap proggy. I want to view then use YOUR proggy to d/l the waypoints, etc to my GPS.

 

--------------------------------------------------

If you drop your keys into molten lava just let 'em go 'cause, man, they're gone.

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I downloaded the last quakemap build from website and tested it with a test file 13855-gpx.zip that was mentioned earlier. This file has a list geocache locations. Some of them are marked as found. After unziping I draged and droped this file on a quakemap window. The latest build of quakemap is working well. It shows geocaches including an information about who and when found them.

Cool!

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Thank you all for your kind words!

 

Vacman,

the Pocket Query format has significant extensions that may not be supported by third party programs - may be EasyGPS Geocaching Edition can make sense of it, I don't know. QuakeMap does support it completely.

 

In Quakemap the way to keep a bunch of files handy is to use "File-->Import-->View Imports", and make your files persistent. Such files will be loaded every time you start QuakeMap. So, I make my PocketQuery file persistent, and update that file every time I receive a new query in email. That guarantees that every time I run Quakemap I see latest info - all caches in their current state, the found ones flagged.

 

QuakeMap has "File-->SaveAll" feature, real handy if you need to save a bunch of tracks and simple waypoints. The file produced is simple GPX without Groundspeak extensions and can loose cache information - use with caution.

 

In general, QuakeMap doesn't try to be your best data files editor/converter, it's purpose is to make viewing of the information REAL easy, so you won't waste time on the computer when you could be enjoying geocaching itself :-) And after the trip you can save a track or two from your GPS and email it to your friends for easy viewing.

 

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

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"Can I use QuakeMap to upload waypoints to my GPS?"

- yes, all or selected, in any combination.

Use Waypoints Manager, select Waypoints tab. Sort waypoints as needed (click on column headers), and select the ones you want (click, shift/click, ctrl/click on the grey area to the left). Then click "Download to GPS" button and watch GPS Manager taking care of the transfer.

 

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

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"I find that if they are in more then one file that I can't drag-n-drop them all into the Quakemap"

-- that should work, I do it all the time - just select several files in Windows Explorer, .gpx and .loc files in any combination, and drop them into QuakeMap window. They are processed and appear on the map and in the Waypoints Manager, and in the Imports list.

Try clicking on Status bar for trace, or send me the files to slg@quakemap.com

 

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

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"Also what is the story behind the picture you have in the installer?"

 

The picture came on CD from USGS, which is part of DDS-8 set they sell. It is a statue of St. Agassiz thrown from its niche above arches, Stanford University. The original, I believe, is in Steinbrugge Collection, Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley. You can find more on Google, search for "statue agassiz earthquake".

 

It gets under the skin, does it? Especially for all of us sleeping so well here in California. If you haven't displayed earthquakes in QuakeMap, try it - the graph and the map are quite interesting on the daily basis, and Historical quakes picture (since 2000 B.C.) are quite stunning.

 

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

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Just to follow up....

I sucessfully d/l the .gpx files from here into Quakemap, the deleted a few, deleted my database in my Megellan, upload the new Quakemap generated db to the magellan.... icon_biggrin.gif

 

The waypoints shown on my map screen in my GPS even have names! I am so excited - will be taking a trip to DC next week - plan on uploading a 100 or so..... (have 128M chip in unit)

 

This program rocks!

 

--------------------------------------------------

If you drop your keys into molten lava just let 'em go 'cause, man, they're gone.

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