Jump to content

Gpx Application Developers

Jeremy

By Jeremy
in Website

Followers 92

Recommended Posts

Jeremy

Jeremy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Adding two new log types within the next 2 weeks:

 

Publish Listing

Retract Listing

 

These will be new action logs for when the listings become published to the site or when the listing is retracted (or some would call unapproved/approved).

I didn't add these yet, but I will be doing so shortly. I will also be adding:

 

"Needs Maintainence" and

"Owner Maintainence"

 

log types to the system soon.

Link to comment
Rathlan

+Rathlan

Posted
Posted
Please add me to the developer list... I've started building an app (to convert .loc/.gpx files to Google Earth locations, so I can quickly visualise what caches are in the area around me)

A whole bunch of people have PM'ed me to say that GoogleEarth does read GPX/LOC files. Since the PM's are keeping on coming I thought I'd post something to say that I have been told, and to let other's who read this know that GoogleEarth does it already.

 

So please stop PM'ing me to tell me that GoogleEarth already does what I was trying to make it do. B)

Link to comment
Gener_Lee

+Gener_Lee

Posted
Posted

Please add me too.

 

Has any thought been given to creating an XML file for travel bug information? I would love to have the ability to create a BQ (Bug Query) for travel bugs. When then development box is in place will be have the ability to perform ad hoc queries for travel bug information?

 

I would like to also second the desire for an XML containing the Travel Bug Information. The links in the GPX for Travel Bugs are so basic, but are all that would be needed if there were a Travel Bug XML to cross reference it with.

Link to comment
Raine

+Raine

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ok.. I'm starting to gather information for the next iteration of the GPX file.

 

** editing to update list **

  • Images that are either excluded, included via link or included via inline.
  • Travelbug Types.
  • Cache Attributes (including images either via link or inline)

and....

 

Tell me what you would like to add/change/remove from the current GPX specification.

 

Thanks

Edited by raine
Link to comment
tozainamboku

+tozainamboku

Posted
Posted
Right now I'm looking at adding embedded base64 encoded images. These images will be scaled down so we're not including huge images but maybe 640x480 sized ones.

I wouldn't want to get all the images encoded in the GPX file. Just give the links to images uploaded to the cache page or to any logs along with the caption. The TOU may need to be changed to allow 3rd party software like GSAK or SpoilerSync to go out and get the images for selected caches. For now I would accept having to manually click to see the image.

Link to comment
Raine

+Raine

Posted
Posted

The images would be either linked or included.. that will be an option. The reason for including is if you want to have it disconnected and on a pda or laptop in the field. Sorta a one stop download instead of needing to get the images once you've downloaded the gpx. So again, it will be an option to either not include, include with link or include inline.

Link to comment
Marky

+Marky

Posted
Posted
The images would be either linked or included.. that will be an option. The reason for including is if you want to have it disconnected and on a pda or laptop in the field. Sorta a one stop download instead of needing to get the images once you've downloaded the gpx. So again, it will be an option to either not include, include with link or include inline.

That sounds like a great option.

 

I second the request for cache attributes.

 

--Marky

Link to comment
robertlipe

robertlipe

Posted
Posted

Is this thread really the best place for what a next gen PQ should be?

 

It should contain enumerations for things like logs type and container type.

 

It should *not* contain ubbcode and rot13 encodings. It's really kind of annoying to read this perfectly lovely markup language and then have to rescan the data anyway just to get the additional encodings out of it. XML parsing is expensive enough without having to scan it again anyway.

 

It should contain as much information (at least that which can not be synthesized from other data) as the cache page.

 

<ul>

<li> The GUIDs of all referenced objects such as placer and teh cache itself.

<li> Attributes.

<li> A Bookmarks section that would parallel the TB section.

<li> Visit count.

</ul>

 

Are you willing to open the box for GPX 1.1 (thus potentially breaking some readers) or are you wanting to keep it GPX 1.0 and keep things constrained as additions to the Groundspeak namespace thus insuring compatibility with existing readers?

 

...and I'd still like the option > 5 logs (it doesn't have to be "all") and the "all caches I've logged". But those aren't really GPX issues.

 

And thanx for asking!

Link to comment
GeoBlank

+GeoBlank

Posted
Posted

Are you taking requests for the UI to generate a PQ?

 

Who has seen Microsoft RAID or Product Studio? It lest you pick fields operators and values so I could just do the following...

 

Difficulty greater 3 and (grouped)

terrain less 4 or

 

foundby contains Rain

 

Currently the web page dictates when an and and/or or is used and you have to fill in the entire form. A query builder type of UI could actually make the queries faster since only a subset of fields would be used. Most PQs I would guess use 2 or 3 fields.

 

Saving the query can then just store an xml file that describes it, not values per hard coded column...

 

If you want screen shots of what the xml and UI would look like let me know.

 

I also heard mention of a Found by Me PQ that will be available. In order to update GSAK, instead of having just the last 5-10 logs could that one file contain my log. That way the found status will be updated. Since I found it, I also don't think I will be needed other logs downloaded to my device.

Link to comment
JimyLee

+JimyLee

Posted
Posted

Please add me to the list.

 

Working on a web-based POI list builder for those of us that have the Explorists (waits for snickering to die down) and are tired of dealing with the damned converstion software.

 

Once I get it working, to handle rapid input and translation from street addresses to coordinates and storing for users in a database (getting close now), I want to add a function to accept gpx files and convert to the Explorist geocache files.

 

Hey, while I have people's attention... has anyone seen file field defenitions for the files used by the Explorists posted anywhere? I can figure most of it out, but would love to know what some of the more obscure fields are for.

Link to comment
Jeremy

Jeremy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

A quick update for those who are watching the thread -

 

We're working on a new feature that will allow cache owners to add additional coordinates for their caches. As a result the GPX files will contain additional GPS coordinates that will not contain any of the Groundspeak:cache namespace items.

 

These waypoints will be for stages of a multicache, locations where you have to answer a question for a puzzle cache, or general waypoints like parking coordinates. Additional types may be added on the fly.

 

To link these new waypoints we will be prepending the name of the waypoint name of the cache that it belongs to. So a GPX file would have extra waypoints like:

 

GCXXX-PARK1

 

GCXXX-STAGE2

 

GCXXX-QUESTN

 

This will allow grouping of the cache and additional waypoints together. Of course, for those GPS units that only support 6 characters this could create a problem, so you would need to provide a feature for users to break the coordinates out in a way they can recognize them on a GPS unit.

 

This new information will be available in the next 2 weeks, hopefully at the latest.

Link to comment
Jeremy

Jeremy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Some of the fields are up for change, but I'm just using the normal GPX format. The name field won't change, however.

 

GCXXX-NAME01 (NAME01 will be no larger than 6 digits long)

 

the waypoint names like NAME01 may be duplicated in other listings. So GC001 and GC002 may have a FINAL1 waypoint name though they will be prefixed with the GC code.

 

<wpt lat="22.10655" lon="-159.69595">
   <time>2005-12-18T19:47:10.6670000-08:00</time>
   <name>GC127-ABC</name>
   <desc>PARK - This is a good location to park.</desc>
   <url>http://somedirectory/wpt.aspx?WID=923348ca-2303-410a-a537-986296965096</url>
   <urlname>PARK</urlname>
   <sym>Parking Location</sym>
   <type>Waypoint|Parking Location</type>
 </wpt>
 <wpt lat="67" lon="-122">
   <time>2005-12-18T19:49:10.9630000-08:00</time>
   <name>GC127-HAPPY</name>
   <desc>How happy? - How happy are you?</desc>
   <url>http://somedirectory/wpt.aspx?WID=10a71b37-3847-4ad0-8254-532f89e89e9f</url>
   <urlname>How happy?</urlname>
   <sym>Question to Answer</sym>
   <type>Waypoint|Question to Answer</type>
 </wpt>
 <wpt lat="47.20575" lon="-122.389083333333">
   <time>2005-12-19T11:13:08.9800000-08:00</time>
   <name>GC127-POLAND</name>
   <desc>What is the population of Poland? - At this location tell me the population of Poland. Answer is XY.</desc>
   <url>http://somedirectory/wpt.aspx?WID=c73c7731-d55f-4ca6-bb2f-2f1983512e03</url>
   <urlname>What is the population of Poland?</urlname>
   <sym>Question to Answer</sym>
   <type>Waypoint|Question to Answer</type>
 </wpt>
 <wpt lat="47" lon="-122">
   <time>2005-12-19T09:54:35.7900000-08:00</time>
   <name>GC127-WPT1</name>
   <desc>The final destination - Some description</desc>
   <url>http://somedirectory/wpt.aspx?WID=8a7f8134-5c89-4818-a47b-0f368b25f9b4</url>
   <urlname>The final destination</urlname>
   <sym>Final Destination</sym>
   <type>Waypoint|Final Destination</type>
 </wpt>

Link to comment
fizzymagic

+fizzymagic

Posted
Posted (edited)
As a result the GPX files will contain additional GPS coordinates that will not contain any of the Groundspeak:cache namespace items.

So these will just be simple <wpt> tags without any Groundspeak extensions?

 

Cool.

 

I am now glad I designed my new parser the way I did; it looks for <Groundspeak:cache> and then uses the parent as the base node.

 

Everyone should be aware that this may break other parsers that assume that all <wpt> nodes in a PQ GPX file are caches! I think my old GPX2HTML will fall into that group. Time to go fix it!

 

Update: Turns out GPX2HTML was written properly. Man, I'm good. Humble, too. ;)

Edited by fizzymagic
Link to comment
Jeremy

Jeremy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

So these will just be simple <wpt> tags without any Groundspeak extensions?

 

Cool.

Yeah. I didn't really expect there to be any more info necessary for the additional waypoints. If anyone thinks there is a better way to do this feel free to post now. It'll be hard to change once applications start dealing with the new coordinates.

Link to comment
fizzymagic

+fizzymagic

Posted
Posted
If anyone thinks there is a better way to do this feel free to post now.

The only suggestion I have is to make it so that the ordering of the waypoints for a given cache is automatic and unambiguous.

 

You might want to consider giving them names like GCXXXX-1-PARKING and GCXXXX-2-STAGE1, etc., so that they can be sorted by applications into the same order they appear on the cache page, no matter how the hider screws up the description. [;)]

 

I'm very pleased with this feature. It will be quite helpful, even if I hate parking coords!

Link to comment
Jeremy

Jeremy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
You might want to consider giving them names like GCXXXX-1-PARKING and GCXXXX-2-STAGE1, etc., so that they can be sorted by applications into the same order they appear on the cache page, no matter how the hider screws up the description. [;)]

Sort order will be alphabetical in ascending order. I can see, however, how adding sort order by number would be useful if future sorting methods became available.

 

If I sorted them in the correct order in the GPX file would that be enough?

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
Followers 92
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...