Gsak (geocaching Swiss Army Knife)

December 20, 2004

The typical way of doing this is by using a Pocket Query and having the data e-mailed to you.

You said it. Use Pocket Query. Here you can load a bulk of max 500 Caches. Define your search criterias und start the search.

Chris

December 20, 2004

any chance errorlevel could be set if called from a dos prompt/batch file and gsak is already running? this would enable me to error trap my automated import of caches (i hope).

tia :-)

2.8k · December 20, 2004

Thanks for the fast reply. OK, I am a bit dense here, but does this mean that I can:

- export a list of all corrected coordinates into a GSAK supported, human readable file?

- and import this file back into GSAK?

I would hate entering all the coords by hand. But if I have to, I would want to make sure I can back this particular piece of data up. I guess asking for some kind of import function of the spinner file into GSAK would be lots of work. But it would for sure make the switch easier. Just asking ;-)

Cheers,

Nostrada

No, the GSAK corrected coordinate file is not a text file (It is Dbase derived type format).

If you are worried about loosing this data, that is what the GSAK backups are for. If you do an automatic or manual backup the corrected coordinates are saved in the generated zip file. These coordinates are restored when you restore a GSAK backup via File=>Restore

2.8k · December 20, 2004

I think I used to be able to cut a waypoint in gc.com and paste it in GSAK in the Code Search box with using the right click button. I can't do that now. Did something change or am I just imaging that I was able to do that earlier?

You can still do this. Just use the keyboard to paste the data into this field. The universal keyboard shortcut for pasting data is Ctrl-V

2.8k · December 20, 2004

2. The DNF checkbox field does not update the color for not found on GSAK. What does the "not found" color really signify?

The "not found" colour is for caches you have "not found" yet. This includes all caches you have not found, regardless if you have actually tried to look for them or not.

The DNF flag is specifically for when you go to look for a cache but you can't find it. Typically, you would then log a "Did not find" at geocachin.com. If you do log a DNF at geocaching.com, your next PQ load will automatically update this box and the corresponding DNF date.

2.8k · December 20, 2004

Hmmm, just mucking about in the data directories for GSAK. It looks to me like GSAK stores the corrected coordinates in a DBF file, and an NSX file. Now I don't know what an NSX file is, but I know you can get access to open up a DBF. I wonder how GSAK would handle manual edits to the DBF (probably send the whole database spiraling in to oblivion....)
*edit*

I spoke to soon, the NSX file is the index file. Doesn't look too hard to edit that file

Warning

Do not update/edit any of the dbf/nsx files without using GSAK (That is, with some other 3rd party editor).

There is no validation of the data when you do it this way and data corruption is sure to follow. A very quick way to send me insane when trying to track down what the problem is.

2.8k · December 20, 2004

any chance errorlevel could be set if called from a dos prompt/batch file and gsak is already running? this would enable me to error trap my automated import of caches (i hope).
tia :-)

GSAK is not a "console" or "command line" program, so it does not (can not) return an errorlevel

5k · December 20, 2004

Clyde,

Can you tell me if this is the expected behavior or not. If it is, it seems a bit counterintuitive to me.

I have a saved filter for all caches I have not found AND caches that are active.

I wanted to do a search for all caches near a particular cache that I have found, so I made it the center point.

Then I invoked my filter to remove those caches I've found and those caches which are not active. When I did this, my center point reverted to "home," probably because my previous center point was not included in the filter.

Is there a way I can list a set of filtered caches while keeping the center point a cache that isn't in the filter?

Jamie

2.8k · December 20, 2004

Can you tell me if this is the expected behavior or not. If it is, it seems a bit counterintuitive to me.

I have a saved filter for all caches I have not found AND caches that are active.

I wanted to do a search for all caches near a particular cache that I have found, so I made it the center point.

Then I invoked my filter to remove those caches I've found and those caches which are not active. When I did this, my center point reverted to "home," probably because my previous center point was not included in the filter.

Is there a way I can list a set of filtered caches while keeping the center point a cache that isn't in the filter?

When you save a filter you have the option to save the current centre point or not within that filter.

If you don't want the centre point changed when you activate a filter, then don't save the centre point with it.

Edited December 20, 2004 by ClydeE

2.1k · December 20, 2004

A very quick way to send me insane when trying to track down what the problem is.

Awww, come on Clyde, isn't that the goal of the whole process . In all honesty I only mentioned the possibility just in case the Original Poster was a real code monkey and felt like playing way too much (obviously anything that gets this deep in to the guts of the program is going to be totally at the rist of the person doing it, and as you say, it more than likely to cause data corruption). I have another question, but I'm thinking right now I should ask it via e-mail.

5k · December 20, 2004

That did it, thanks.

Jamie

December 20, 2004

Only today I figured out that I can have clickable icons in SA2005 - sometimes it would pay to read the manual, I guess.

To repeat what I said earlier, you can have clickable waypoints in SA 2004 too. Just export as a Topo USA 5 fuke and open in SA 2004

December 21, 2004

The icon override is a very nice feature, but as far as I can tell it only applies to sending waypoints to the GPS. Am I correct? If so can I put in a feature request to allow the icon override to occur on the GPX/LOC export as well? Or perhaps I am just missing something.

Thanks for the wonderful program!

2.8k · December 21, 2004

The icon override is a very nice feature, but as far as I can tell it only applies to sending waypoints to the GPS. Am I correct?

Not exactly. Override icons are supported for:

GPS Sending

MapSource export

MapSend export

Delorme Export

Memory Map Export

December 21, 2004

I notice there is no column for MOC. Is this info included in the GPX? If so, is it possible to show that distinction in the list?

7

2.8k · December 21, 2004

I notice there is no column for MOC. Is this info included in the GPX? If so, is it possible to show that distinction in the list?

And MOC means?

Edited:

Just did a google search and came up with "Member Only Caches"

Unfortunately there is nothing in the GPX file that indicates a cache is a MOC

Edited December 21, 2004 by ClydeE

December 21, 2004

members only cache :-)

no worries on the errorlevel thing - i'll code round it by checking to see if gsak is running before attempting to run it again using pslist from sysinternals.

December 21, 2004

If I create a macro that applies a saved filter then run the macro, the filter is applied ok but the status bar just shows "Subset: Filter" and not the name of the saved filter. I prefer to set my filters using macros and macro buttons but would really like to be able to see which one is applied at any given time.

Thank you Clyde for fixing this issue so quickly. Your support and committment to Gsak users is superb. Thanks again.

December 22, 2004

If you do log a DNF at geocaching.com, your next PQ load will automatically update this box and the corresponding DNF date.

Except for me it doesn't quite work that way.

When I look at the "Edit Current Waypoint" dialog of a cache we've logged I will get the "Found" or "DNF" box ticked as appropriate, but I have never had values loaded automatically in either of the corresponding date fields, with one exception: On my initial use of GSAK (v4), several, but not all of my found caches were loaded with found dates of 30 December 1899! :blink:

Our logs appear in the offline view with appropriate smiley or frowny, and the correct date of the log entry, so the data is coming down in the GPX file and GSAK is recognizing it. My system uses the typical US short date format of m/d/yyyy, if that has any bearing on it. I assume I have something set incorrectly somewhere, or others would be remarking on this. I've had the problem since I started using GSAK, but never thought anyhthing of it. I thought it was just something on "the list" that the software hadn't gotten around to managing yet, until I saw your remark that I quoted above, Clyde.

I doubt this is related, but I'll mention it while I have your attention. When I do click on either of those date fields to manually input the found or DNF date, the cursor positions itself on the first slash, rather than at the first digit position. This is a VERY minor nit, and I mention it only becuase it involves the same date fields.

My only other complaint is that I'm having so much fun using GSAK that it's cutting into my caching time! :blink: Thanks to you (and Mr. Lipe) for a great product, and best wises for a Merry Christmas to the two of you and your families.

Steve

2.8k · December 22, 2004

If you do log a DNF at geocaching.com, your next PQ load will automatically update this box and the corresponding DNF date.

Except for me it doesn't quite work that way.

When I look at the "Edit Current Waypoint" dialog of a cache we've logged I will get the "Found" or "DNF" box ticked as appropriate, but I have never had values loaded automatically in either of the corresponding date fields, with one exception: On my initial use of GSAK (v4), several, but not all of my found caches were loaded with found dates of 30 December 1899!

Our logs appear in the offline view with appropriate smiley or frowny, and the correct date of the log entry, so the data is coming down in the GPX file and GSAK is recognizing it. My system uses the typical US short date format of m/d/yyyy, if that has any bearing on it. I assume I have something set incorrectly somewhere, or others would be remarking on this. I've had the problem since I started using GSAK, but never thought anyhthing of it. I thought it was just something on "the list" that the software hadn't gotten around to managing yet, until I saw your remark that I quoted above, Clyde.

I doubt this is related, but I'll mention it while I have your attention. When I do click on either of those date fields to manually input the found or DNF date, the cursor positions itself on the first slash, rather than at the first digit position. This is a VERY minor nit, and I mention it only becuase it involves the same date fields.

My only other complaint is that I'm having so much fun using GSAK that it's cutting into my caching time! Thanks to you (and Mr. Lipe) for a great product, and best wises for a Merry Christmas to the two of you and your families.

Steve

Yep, sounds like a setting issue all right. Could you please email me your GSAK.INI file (you will find this file in the install folder of GSAK) and I should be able to track down the problem from there.

38.2k · December 22, 2004

I downloaded GSAK, fired it up and it just sits there. I uninstalled, re installed and it happens again. Looking in task manager it says Not Responding. Any ideas? I have a new Dell running XP.

1.3k · December 22, 2004

I have a question about the custom icon. I want to make a small tweak, but it appears it will take a lot of work.

What I want to do:

Have all unfound caches of any type use the "Geocache" symbol.

Have all found caches of any type use the "Geocache Found" symbol

Have all unfound benchmarks use the "Glider Area" symbol

Have all found benchmarks use the "Golf Course" symbol

It appears that I will have to use the "combine both" option in order to differentiate between the found caches and found benchmarks, and also between the unfound ones.

I most often work with files that are a mix of both caches and benchmarks, and was simply going to filter the benchmarks and do a global replace, but alas, changing the symbol is not an option available in the global replace dialog.

Any suggestions other than having to manually tweak every cache type and status to the same setting?

Also, assuming someday I want to differentiate between all the different cache types, is there a way to restore the default settings with one click, and/or can different custom symbol settings be saved for easy switching?

**edited to pose additional quesitons

Edited December 22, 2004 by gnbrotz

December 22, 2004

I downloaded GSAK, fired it up and it just sits there. I uninstalled, re installed and it happens again. Looking in task manager it says Not Responding. Any ideas? I have a new Dell running XP.

At starting GSAK check for new version. Maybe a firewall problem ?

38.2k · December 22, 2004

I downloaded GSAK, fired it up and it just sits there. I uninstalled, re installed and it happens again. Looking in task manager it says Not Responding. Any ideas? I have a new Dell running XP.

At starting GSAK check for new version. Maybe a firewall problem ?

Tried it with the firewall disabled and still nothing.

2.8k · December 22, 2004

I downloaded GSAK, fired it up and it just sits there. I uninstalled, re installed and it happens again. Looking in task manager it says Not Responding. Any ideas? I have a new Dell running XP.

I have had a few rare cases of this.

In all instances it was some other program running that was stopping GSAK starting up

This was fixed by:

1. Removing all start up programs

2. Reboot the computer

3. Start GSAK as the only program running

In all cases once GSAK started up once, it was ok to put back the start up programs and it worked fine from there onwards.

1k · December 22, 2004

I downloaded GSAK, fired it up and it just sits there. I uninstalled, re installed and it happens again. Looking in task manager it says Not Responding. Any ideas? I have a new Dell running XP.

I have had a few rare cases of this.

In all instances it was some other program running that was stopping GSAK starting up

This was fixed by:

1. Removing all start up programs

2. Reboot the computer

3. Start GSAK as the only program running

In all cases once GSAK started up once, it was ok to put back the start up programs and it worked fine from there onwards.

The easy way to disable all start up programs (step 1 of Clyde's advice) is to go to Start, Run and type "MSCONFIG" (without the quotes).

Go to the "Services" tab and check "Hide All Microsoft Services"

Go to the "Startup" tab and uncheck everything shown.

Reboot.

Start GSAK as the only program running.

If this works, you can follow the steps above to restore (recheck) your other programs in startup.

PS - if that doesn't solve it, I wonder if you could be running under a Windows user account with limited privileges? If so, I'd try logging on to a Windows user account with full Administrator privileges and reinstalling and running GSAK from there.

Edited December 22, 2004 by Kai Team

2.8k · December 22, 2004

I have a question about the custom icon. I want to make a small tweak, but it appears it will take a lot of work.

What I want to do:

Have all unfound caches of any type use the "Geocache" symbol.

Have all found caches of any type use the "Geocache Found" symbol

Have all unfound benchmarks use the "Glider Area" symbol

Have all found benchmarks use the "Golf Course" symbol

It appears that I will have to use the "combine both" option in order to differentiate between the found caches and found benchmarks, and also between the unfound ones.

I most often work with files that are a mix of both caches and benchmarks, and was simply going to filter the benchmarks and do a global replace, but alas, changing the symbol is not an option available in the global replace dialog.

Any suggestions other than having to manually tweak every cache type and status to the same setting?

Yes, you could do this with a macro using override icons, and filters. Please see example 3 of the macro examples. If you can't nut it out from there, let me know and I will go through it.

Also, assuming someday I want to differentiate between all the different cache types, is there a way to restore the default settings with one click, and/or can different custom symbol settings be saved for easy switching?

Yes, you can switch between different settings. Just save your settings giving them a name that is meaningful to you, then you can recall those settings at any time from the drop down box or via a macro. As far as the defaults go you would need to have saved a setting called "default" (or something) then you can just recall this setting.

1k · December 23, 2004

Clyde,

Happy Holidays and thanks for the maintenance release - you are amazing!

I hate to bring this up, but I just noticed a possible bug - the GSAK "automatic notification of new versions feature" hadn't notified me of the release of 5.02 - not surprising since you said it only checks once per day.

However, while still running V 5.01, and knowing that V 5.02 was out there, I went to "Tools", "Check for New Version..." and GSAK reported that I had the newest version of GSAK! I went back to the link in your email to registered users and downloaded 5.02 and installed it without a problem, but shouldn't a manual check for updates have shown the new release?

Thanks again.

2.8k · December 23, 2004

Clyde,

Happy Holidays and thanks for the maintenance release - you are amazing!

I hate to bring this up, but I just noticed a possible bug - the GSAK "automatic notification of new versions feature" hadn't notified me of the release of 5.02 - not surprising since you said it only checks once per day.

However, while still running V 5.01, and knowing that V 5.02 was out there, I went to "Tools", "Check for New Version..." and GSAK reported that I had the newest version of GSAK! I went back to the link in your email to registered users and downloaded 5.02 and installed it without a problem, but shouldn't a manual check for updates have shown the new release?

Thanks again.

Woops, I changed everything but forgot to update the actual "notification server"

Thanks for that.

I just updated it now, so if anyone is still on 5.0.1 could you please let me know it works when you try the "Tools=>Check for newer version of GSAK" option

2.4k · December 23, 2004

Yes, I got a notification, and downloaded 5.02. What are the changes? I didn't see a version history on the site, but I admit I didn't do a thorough search.

2.8k · December 23, 2004

Yes, I got a notification, and downloaded 5.02. What are the changes? I didn't see a version history on the site, but I admit I didn't do a thorough search.

When you download from the web site there is a link that says "Please see version history for a list of changes"

If you have already downloaded and installed version 5.0.2 you can view the changes via Help=>Version History

Edited December 23, 2004 by ClydeE

December 23, 2004

Maybe I'm being a little thick here, but I just setup GSAK and Cachemate, but can't seem to get the Hints part into either one after downloading.

How do I get the Hints to transfer into GSAK, and then in Cachemate?

Thanks.

Will be getting my GPS on xmas..... stilll ramping up...... :angry:

2.8k · December 23, 2004

Maybe I'm being a little thick here, but I just setup GSAK and Cachemate, but can't seem to get the Hints part into either one after downloading.

How do I get the Hints to transfer into GSAK, and then in Cachemate?

When you say "can't get into either one" this implies you are not seeing the hints in GSAK in the first place? (they will never get down to CacheMate if you don't have them in GSAK first)

This sounds like you may be loading loc files rather than GPX files. Please see items 2 and 10 of the GSAK FAQ in the help file or online here http://www.gsak.net/help/hs1070.htm

December 23, 2004

That was it, thanks. Guess I'll be registering for a premium account shortly.

Thanks again.

December 23, 2004

Thanks for adding the "Move/Copy Waypoints" feature. It's exactly what I needed and I am loving it!

38.2k · December 23, 2004

I downloaded GSAK, fired it up and it just sits there. I uninstalled, re installed and it happens again. Looking in task manager it says Not Responding. Any ideas? I have a new Dell running XP.

I have had a few rare cases of this.

In all instances it was some other program running that was stopping GSAK starting up

This was fixed by:

1. Removing all start up programs

2. Reboot the computer

3. Start GSAK as the only program running

In all cases once GSAK started up once, it was ok to put back the start up programs and it worked fine from there onwards.

Yep this did it. Thanks!

December 23, 2004

If you do log a DNF at geocaching.com, your next PQ load will automatically update this box and the corresponding DNF date.

Except for me it doesn't quite work that way.

Just want to note that Clyde managed to diagnose this problem and provide me with a solution via direct email. It was a bad value in the Geocaching Account ID in the INI file. GSAK support continues to be nonpareil.

Steve

5k · December 23, 2004

GSAK support continues to be nonpareil.

non·pa·reil

noun (plural non·pa·reils)

1. somebody or something unparalleled

2. confectionery decoration

3. sugar-covered chocolate disk

4. six-point type ( dated )

adjective

peerless

Jamie

5k · December 23, 2004

Clyde,

I discovered that the Meridian GPS has a 46-character comment field. I discussed this with Robert, who sent me an untested version of GPSBabel which allows export of comments up to 46 characters.

I've been experimenting with this version of GPSBabel in conjunction with GSAK. It works, but I've run into a strange problem, which may be GSAK related.

No matter how long I specify the %smart tag (or no length specification at all), GSAK only sends the first 20 characters of the cache name to my GPS. Is this intentional? Perhaps I have a setting somewhere to change this.

Using the %shortname tag did not seem to incur this limit, although I had to specify the length explicitly. Using only the tag without specifying the length sent only 8 characters, but I'm pretty sure that's just a setting I have somewhere.

In the end, I was able to export 46-character comments to my Meridian with a slight workaround. I love that.

Jamie

Edited December 23, 2004 by Jamie Z

December 23, 2004

Is there a way for me to share the filters I have set up with another user?

December 23, 2004

Hi Clyde, I have a few feature requests regarding the HTML export:

It seems to me that the export automatically decrypts all encrypted comments. Could you please make that optional?

And secondly, could you please include the links to mappoint and the other mapping services, as is on gc.com?

Thanks for a superb product.

2.8k · December 23, 2004

Clyde,

I discovered that the Meridian GPS has a 46-character comment field. I discussed this with Robert, who sent me an untested version of GPSBabel which allows export of comments up to 46 characters.

I've been experimenting with this version of GPSBabel in conjunction with GSAK. It works, but I've run into a strange problem, which may be GSAK related.

No matter how long I specify the %smart tag (or no length specification at all), GSAK only sends the first 20 characters of the cache name to my GPS. Is this intentional? Perhaps I have a setting somewhere to change this.

Using the %shortname tag did not seem to incur this limit, although I had to specify the length explicitly. Using only the tag without specifying the length sent only 8 characters, but I'm pretty sure that's just a setting I have somewhere.

In the end, I was able to export 46-character comments to my Meridian with a slight workaround. I love that.

Jamie

Yea, I will have to put in error checking to stop the smart name from being set greater than 20 characters.

Basically, because the smartname is stored in the database I limited it to 20 characters. (%smart is usually used in the waypoint code to send unique waypoint names down to the GPS and most will not accept more than about 15 characters for the waypoint code anyway)

%shortname is not stored in the database and therefor does not have this limitation.

2.8k · December 23, 2004

Is there a way for me to share the filters I have set up with another user?

Currently, No.

1.3k · December 23, 2004

Clyde,

Wouldn't sharing my backup file with another user allow them to have access to my filters (albeit at the expense of ALL settings being shared)?

2.8k · December 23, 2004

It seems to me that the export automatically decrypts all encrypted comments. Could you please make that optional?

Just to confirm, you are refering to the logs here?

And secondly, could you please include the links to mappoint and the other mapping services, as is on gc.com?

Mapoint and other URL's are already shipped with GSAK and you can also add your own custom URL's if you like. If you want any of these custom URL's to show in any of the GSAK generated HTML just preceed the name with an ! (exclamation mark). Please click on the help button when in Tools=>Options=>HTML for more information

2.8k · December 23, 2004

Clyde,

Wouldn't sharing my backup file with another user allow them to have access to my filters (albeit at the expense of ALL settings being shared)?

Correct - but note that ALL settings includes all the "stickly" settings for all your dialogs and configuration (Tools=Options) and also GPSsetup and icons etc.

5k · December 23, 2004

(%smart is usually used in the waypoint code to send unique waypoint names down to the GPS and most will not accept more than about 15 characters for the waypoint code anyway)

%shortname is not stored in the database and therefor does not have this limitation.

%shortname is a perfectly acceptable workaround for this. Because I am sending this data to the comment field anyway, the names do not have to be unique.

Thanks for the response and the confirmation of what I saw.

Jamie

December 23, 2004

Just to confirm, you are refering to the logs here?

Yes, I am referring to the logs.

Mapoint and other URL's are already shipped with GSAK and you can also add your own custom URL's if you like. If you want any of these custom URL's to show in any of the GSAK generated HTML just preceed the name with an ! (exclamation mark). Please click on the help button when in Tools=>Options=>HTML for more information

I don't understand what you mean by preceeding the name with an exclamation mark. Where exactly do I do that?

December 23, 2004

Oh, I understand now. Thanks! :-D

December 25, 2004

Great Program!!!!

Question: When I cheched the Lock box and later I want to uncheck it doesn't work. I uncheck it and check the box Check to override. Save it and later unchect the Check to override box. There must be a better way.

Getting your ID number (premium member) when you haven't placed a cache is also possible by searching your name in a GPX file. There you find the Groundspeak: finder ID.

Groetjes, Sparks

Gsak (geocaching Swiss Army Knife)

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