Jump to content

Creating Msst Maps


Xangxa

Recommended Posts

From your site

 

Upon demand, a custom program (that I wrote in WinBatch) imports the datasets into Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 (MSST) and assigns custom graphics for each cache type and for special cache statuses (Found, DNF, and Archived)

 

I'd be interesting in learning more about this.and how it operates

Link to comment
From your site

 

Upon demand, a custom program (that I wrote in WinBatch) imports the datasets into Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 (MSST) and assigns custom graphics for each cache type and for special cache statuses (Found, DNF, and Archived)

 

I'd be interesting in learning more about this.and how it operates

Ooh...me too. The only part of my setup that isn't automated is the icon selection (and displaying the URL in the popup balloon)

Link to comment
From your site

 

Upon demand, a custom program (that I wrote in WinBatch) imports the datasets into Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 (MSST) and assigns custom graphics for each cache type and for special cache statuses (Found, DNF, and Archived)

 

I'd be interesting in learning more about this.and how it operates

 

Follow the link entitled "Create Custom Pushpin Maps in Microsoft Streets & Trips" and on that page read the section "Create a Pushpin Map Manually." What is being done manually is what WinBatch (http://www.WinBatch.com) is doing programatically. The text file PushPinList.txt is a list of data files and icon graphics to import. My program reads each line in this control file and then "types" in the keystrokes just like the manual process. This program was written and compiled using WinBatch. It's distributed as a free EXE program since it would be prohibitively expensive in source code form. The interpreter is $99.00 and the compiler is $495.00, so a free exe makes a lot more sense. The exe is in the ZIP file that can be downloaded from the section entitled "Stage MSST Import Batch Files and Programs"

Edited by Xangxa
Link to comment
From your site

 

Upon demand, a custom program (that I wrote in WinBatch) imports the datasets into Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 (MSST) and assigns custom graphics for each cache type and for special cache statuses (Found, DNF, and Archived)

 

I'd be interesting in learning more about this.and how it operates

 

Follow the link entitled "Create Custom Pushpin Maps in Microsoft Streets & Trips" and on that page read the section "Create a Pushpin Map Manually." What is being done manually is what WinBatch (http://www.WinBatch.com) is doing programatically. The text file PushPinList.txt is a list of data files and icon graphics to import. My program reads each line in this control file and then "types" in the keystrokes just like the manual process. This program was written and compiled using WinBatch. It's distributed as a free EXE program since it would be prohibitively expensive in source code form. The interpreter is $99.00 and the compiler is $495.00, so a free exe makes a lot more sense. The exe is in the ZIP file that can be downloaded from the section entitled "Stage MSST Import Batch Files and Programs"

Thanks for the info. Since you do not make your MS S&T maps the same way I do (I break out different detail from GSAK), your program won't help me. I'll need to look into using a program like WinBatch. Thanks again.

Edited by Stunod
Link to comment

Xangxa

 

Very cool ;) One caution you might want to add is that the blank S&T files should not have any Custom Icon symbols previously imported. I had one and the result is that the symbols generated by your method are offset by one from what's expected.

 

Thanks for this great tool.

Link to comment
Thanks for the info. Since you do not make your MS S&T maps the same way I do (I break out different detail from GSAK), your program won't help me. I'll need to look into using a program like WinBatch. Thanks again.

Stunrod

 

With a little editing this should work for any set of CSV files imported to create data sets in Streets&Trips.

Link to comment
Thanks for the info.  Since you do not make your MS S&T maps the same way I do (I break out different detail from GSAK), your program won't help me.  I'll need to look into using a program like WinBatch.  Thanks again.

Stunrod

 

With a little editing this should work for any set of CSV files imported to create data sets in Streets&Trips.

That's true. There shouldn't be too much of a problem if the first line of the CSV contains field names, and these field names coincide with field names supported by MSST. Instead of export TYPE=SNT you would use a custom CSV using a saved setting to tweak things just right.

Link to comment
Xangxa

 

Very cool ;) One caution you might want to add is that the blank S&T files should not have any Custom Icon symbols previously imported. I had one and the result is that the symbols generated by your method are offset by one from what's expected.

 

Thanks for this great tool.

Darn, I was aware of that factor but didn't think the scenario was likely. That is one reason I recommended using a "new" map. That wipes out custom icons.

 

It looks like a version 1.1 is needed. I may do a INI file or a command line parameter that allows for an offset (e.g., if you already have 5 custom icons imported, the offset would be 5 and things might work). Oh well, back to the slave pits.

Link to comment
Darn, I was aware of that factor but didn't think the scenario was likely.  That is one reason I recommended using a "new" map.  That wipes out custom icons.

 

Actually it doesn't if you've saved a template (*.sst) with custome icons which I had for geocaching. Not a big problem just surprized me the first time .

 

I created a file BLANK.est with no custom icons saved and the screen setup as you directed then added these lines to the end of your GSAK macro

 

RUNPGM pgm=C:\datafiles\GPS\Sreets&Trips\BLANK.est
PAUSE msg="After Streets&Trips Opens press continue to start AutoImport of PushPins or Stop to Quit?"
RUNPGM pgm=C:\GPS\PushPins\ImportPushPins.bat

 

Works like a charm ;) Thanks again for this time saver.

 

Edit for spelling

Edited by PDOP's
Link to comment
Thanks for the info.  Since you do not make your MS S&T maps the same way I do (I break out different detail from GSAK), your program won't help me.  I'll need to look into using a program like WinBatch.  Thanks again.

Stunrod

 

With a little editing this should work for any set of CSV files imported to create data sets in Streets&Trips.

That's true. There shouldn't be too much of a problem if the first line of the CSV contains field names, and these field names coincide with field names supported by MSST. Instead of export TYPE=SNT you would use a custom CSV using a saved setting to tweak things just right.

Ah, now that I look a little deeper, it does look like it will work. Awesome.

 

Thanks!

Link to comment

I've tried to follow this thread, but I'm not sure I quite get it. It sounds like this is something I'm interested in, though.

 

I'd like to be able to export a file from GSAK, and display that file in Streets and Trips using different icons for different types of caches. Will I be able to do this? If so, how? I don't quite follow what everyone is talking about here.

 

I could do this using GSAK macros, but that would result in multiple files. If I could get it in one file and set the icons from there, that would be much easier.

 

Can someone break this down so that I can understand a little better? Thanks.

 

Jamie

Link to comment
...

I'd like to be able to export a file from GSAK, and display that file in Streets and Trips using different icons for different types of caches. Will I be able to do this? If so, how?

 

Yes, that can be done. You export the records from GSAK to a CSV file type. Then you import the CSV into MSST and assign it the pushpin graphic that you desire.

 

...I could do this using GSAK macros, but that would result in multiple files. If I could get it in one file and set the icons from there, that would be much easier.

 

Unfortunately, multiple files is the only way MSST can assign different cache types different pushpin icons. Otherwise, all the caches, regardless of type, would have the same pushpin graphic.

 

The good news is that you need only 1 macro to create multiple files. And I wrote a program that will import multiple files into MSST so you don't have to manually load each CSV file.

 

Can someone break this down so that I can understand a little better? Thanks.

 

First, visit http://www.craiggiven.com/gc_auto.htm and read the "Introduction." Then, click the link "Create Custom Pushpin Maps in Microsoft Streets & Trips" which will give step-by-step instructions. The setup is the most work. Once you've got it ready, it's just a few clicks (and some churning) to create a map.

Link to comment

Ah, this is making more sense already. I thought the trick was to somehow change all the icons in a single waypoint file... now I think I understand the process.

 

I've skimmed the page you linked. Looks confusing, but I think I understand the concept.

 

Thanks.

 

Jamie

Link to comment
Xangxa

 

Very cool  :grin:  One caution you might want to add is that the blank S&T files should not have any Custom Icon symbols previously imported.  I had one and the result is that the symbols generated by your method are offset by one from what's expected.

 

Thanks for this great tool.

I've emboldened the instructions to emphasize the importance of starting with a fresh map. I've also updated the program to version 1.01 and it now accepts a second command line parameter. The second parameter is the number of custom push pins already in a map. Then it will import the new pushpin data with the proper offset. I haven't heavily tested this, but initial tests look good.

Link to comment

On the Microsoft MapPoint web site, one of the downloads is the "MapPoint PushPins" which also correspond to the MSST pushpin graphics. This file has each of the delivered icons in individual BMP files. So you can copy/rename them or edit/tweak them and then use them as custom graphics for caches. The link to the download is:

 

http://www.msdn.microsoft.com/mappoint/map...ds/default.aspx

Link to comment

Version 1.02 of PushPins.exe is available:

* Updated the GSAK macro for version 5.5.0.10's new syntax.

* Updated PushPin.exe to enable balloon field activation for new fields sent by new GSAK 5.5.0.10 export for MSST

* Updated the icon collection to include one for TerraCaches (build filter via UserData field) plus four generic icons (tiny dot, midsized dot, tiny cross, circle with a cross [useful for track crumbtrails, base camps, etc.])

* Static data sets are more logically located in the PushPinResetList.bat file than in the GSAK macro

* Version 1.01 added an optional command line parameter for icon offset, so if a user already has 2 custom push pin graphics imported into a map, then they should specify 2 as the next command line parameter.

* Version 1.01 added a file open dialog prompt if no parameters are specified or if the file specified does not exist.

 

Visit http://www.craiggiven.com/gc_pushpins.htm for downloads and details.

Link to comment
I gotta say. This is a GREAT addition to the arsenal of tools that I use regularly... THANK YOU!  :unsure:

 

However... My problem is that I've got a LOT of caches that are all the same type in the area that I'm mapping (for instance there's something over 1200 easy, traditional, non-micro ones -- and about the same number of easy micros).  So many, in fact, that the import of the caches into S&T is slower than the executable and the next set of keystrokes occurs before the import if complete.  So, is there any way that we can vary the time delay? 

 

If it's not easy, then don't worry, I've figured out a bunch of different queries in GSAK (e.g. micro traditional easy, micro traditional sortof easy, micro traditional harder) that gets my list down but still it would be better if I could arrange the queries in a more standard format.

 

Thanks again!

New in version 1.03 is the ability to control the different delays so that keystrokes do not outrun MSST. Also, one of the delays is scaled so that the delay is calculated based on the size of the datasets (cumulative) being loaded. See this thread (I started a new one with a better title): http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...T&f=11&t=97580#

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...
×
×
  • Create New...