Directional Searches

[+bradshpw]

This is a suggestion for the search funtion on the web page. Would it be possible to add a direction filter to all search functions? For example, I'm in the south end of Silicon Valley. Any caches north of me will take me into urban areas. I'd rather limit my searches to E, S, or W. Or even better, set an actual degree arc for the search. Find everything between 90 and 270 degrees (or 270 and 90 for a northward search). I'd like this to be configurable in the weekly notification

email, too.

 

Thoughts?

 

Paul

[+Stunod]

I see you are a premium member, so you can do this with a pocket query and the use of Clayjar's Watcher program.

[+beejay&esskay]

Or even better, set an actual degree arc for the search. Find everything between 90 and 270 degrees (or 270 and 90 for a northward search). I'd like this to be configurable in the weekly notification

email, too.

 

Thoughts?

 

Paul

It seems that it would be a little unwieldy for large distances, but maybe in your specific case it would be useful.

 

I'd rather see a rectangular (or quadrilateral) search option.

 

And I'd rather see it all in one place, instead of needing other programs to finish what geocaching has started.

[+Jamie Z]

I'd rather see a rectangular (or quadrilateral) search option.

 

And I'd rather see it all in one place, instead of needing other programs to finish what geocaching has started.

This is available with Watcher too.

 

Although given your constraint of wanting it all right here, that doesn't help you much.

 

Jamie

[+ClayJar]

...I'd rather see it all in one place, instead of needing other programs to finish what geocaching has started.

Well, if Geocaching.com manages to add directional searching, coordinate limit filtering (if you use a N, S, E, and W limit, that makes a bounding box, of course), ignore lists, full-text searching, user filters (watch or ignore), state and country include/exclude filters, radial sorting and filtering (with multiple saved waypoints), support for adding benchmarks (and whatever else) to the current data sets, user notes, et cetera (ad nauseum) to the site *and* make it run as fast as doing it locally (even over a 2400bps link) *and* it caches so you can do it all offline, too, I suppose I'll have to figure out something else to do, since Watcher will be redundant.

 

It's not so much "needing other programs to finish what geocaching has started" as it is being able to use other programs that can give you a lot more options and features. Anyway, both directional filtering (from any waypoint you set as center, and with the eight standard directions: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, and NW) and N/S/E/W limits (which can be set individually, or set them all to make a box) are already supported by Watcher. If there's something else you want Watcher to do that it doesn't do yet, by all means let me (or brdad in the geocaching chat) know.

[+-=(GEO)=-]

For the record, GPXSonar also allows you to perform directional searches.

[+planetrobert]

cachemate does this as well

[+bradshpw]

Watcher is a nice utility. Thanks to everyone for the tip.

 

Paul